Arnard: "I know."
He looked at Badulf and asked, "Was it worth it?"
"Exchanging my destined-to-be doomed life for a subordinate that will become a Realm Lord within the next 20 years and hopefully avert my fate. You tell me, how is it not worth it?" Badulf questioned him in return.
Arnard's mouth opened in shock as he was taken aback by his words.
He realized a few things from his words.
First off, the Water Celestial had divined that Badulf would die in the future.
Secondly, they had made a deal behind his back, which was that Damien would work for him if he revived him.
If that were all, Arnard wouldn't be so against it, but he knew what his brother was after, and he was certain that Badulf would involve his son in his future plan.
"I never agreed to let him work for you." Arnard wanted to keep Damien away from trouble and give him a normal life where he had the right to decide how he lived, but that would be impossible if he started working for the Count.
"You didn't, but..." Badulf pointed at the Water Celestial and continued, "he did."
"Since when did he get the right to decide my son's future?" Arnard's eyebrows raised.
"I am his grandpa. I always had the right to guide him to a better future. I know what's good for him. Not to mention, you do not have the power to defy me. So don't even bother." The Water Celestial hit him right where it hurts the most.
"Alright, I won't." Arnard simply gave up trying to engage him in a heated debate and instead chose to reason with him like a mature man. "Do you think he will be happy with your decision? Have you ever asked what he wants?"
"The price to revive him has already been paid." said the Water Celestial.
Basically, Damien couldn't refuse their demand even if wants to.
"I believe he will willingly follow my plan," he added.
He pointed at Arnard and mildly scolded, "You were indecisive in the past. Your decision caused him misery. I am not asking you to take responsibility. But the fact still stands. Hiding that he is a divine child didn't do a thing to help him avoid what you feared the most. You know this better than me. Instead of covering a gem with a black cloth, it's better to let it shine under the sun and attract the attention of the world."
"Once it's made known that he is a unique hybrid, he will be thrown into a whirlpool. He will be involved in pointless political struggles and become a pawn of some bastard." Arnard expressed his worries.
The Water Celestial chuckled, "You think too little of him. Sure, he will have to face enemies in and outside the Empire once the matter of him being the divine child is exposed. But that kind of environment is suitable for him to grow. And this is something inevitable. It can only be delayed, not stopped. Pushing him into the whirlpool when the time is right and training him for what's to come is far better than keeping him ignorant about it.
"Most importantly, he won't face any bottleneck as he is the divine child. He will have no trouble climbing the ladder of power. Unlike us, reaching the Realm Lord stage is only a matter of time for him. Don't forget the one with the strongest fist rules this world. The court officials can throw at him whatever, but if he is strong enough, won't he be able to simply smash through it? And he is far more intelligent than he looks. He is also quite mature for his age. I am certain that he will steer clear of manipulative people. And even if the worst happens, there's nothing to worry about. He is too talented. One side might want to abuse him. But there is still that person who will blindly support him. He will become his clutch. I believe you know who I am talking about."
The Water Celestial flashed him a sly smile.
Of course, Arnard knew who he was talking about.
The Sun cherished talented people. He will no doubt support Damien with all his might since his potential exceeds his imagination.
"Prepare yourself."
While the two of them were bickering like children, Badulf felt the wind changing direction. His eyes twitched as he seemed to detect an ominous presence.
"It's about to arrive." He immediately warned them.
Arnard tilted his head at him in confusion. "Who is?"
Badulf looked at him like he was looking at an idiot. "Do you think we were standing in the cold because we have nothing better to do? No. We have been waiting for Chaos."
Right then, the three of them felt the temperature dropping by a few dozen degrees.
It became so cold that the trees froze up, looking like massive popsicles.
The moon changed colors. It became blood red.
Fierce gales blew in the rose garden. The wind ruffled their hair and made their cloaks flutter.
Black clouds appeared out of seemingly nowhere and invaded the inky, black night sky.
They spun in the sky, gradually shaping into a colossal spider-like figure.
It had eight pairs of eyes, and all of them locked onto three figures down below.
Arnard looked back at it without an ounce of fear. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."
"Much of this world is covered in a veil of mystery for me, but I am certain about one thing, it's worse than a devil," Badulf said.
"Do you dare?" The Water Celestial asked while looking at the illusory spider-like figure made of cloud.
It was so big that it hid the crimson moon behind it, and even a tall mountain was incomparable to it in terms of size.
"I would not have dared to confront you 800 years ago. But now, you are just an injured old man who is near his deathbed while I am a Demi-God. I have no reason to fear you." Chaos replied.
