Sunday, May 28th, 2045
Eden Palace, Eden, Netheria
The security at the Eden Palace could put any well-guarded place in the world to shame. After all, this was the headquarters of the most powerful country in the entire world.
Despite the security, no one stopped the pair of a young man and woman, who walked down the long corridor to the office of the Governor-General of Netheria.
"Good evening, Colonel Keith! The Governor General has been expecting you." A tall man with a scar running down his left eye saluted to him, and Keith smiled at his acquaintance.
"Good evening, Tiger 1." He simply said and then nodded to Iseul, who stayed outside as he entered the room.
It was a very decorated, spacious, and majestic office with a red wooden theme and gold plating, but in this spacious room, only two people were sitting at the table made out of pure gold.
One was a handsome man seemingly in his late twenties, with curly brown hair, and dark eyes. And the other was a man in his mid-fifties, with a short black beard, which met the tuft of white hair at his temples, and unlike the other man, the black hair on his head was short and neatly kept.
Both of them stood up when he entered the room and waited for him to approach the table.
"Governor General, Lord Volos!" He smiled and greeted them, and the Governor General of Netheria, Ascher Zenworth, chuckled as he drew his hand to him.
"Lord Erebus."
The two shook hands, and Keith and Ian nodded to each other before they all sat down.
"I was informed of a little issue in Mystich City." Ashcer looked at him with a light smile.
"It's been dealt with." Keith brushed off the subject and then handed him the file that he had brought.
As he read through the information on the file, Ascher's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and then he sighed before he handed the file to Ian.
"I have already read it," The wandering God of Netheria told him.
Keith had already sent him a copy of it last night.
"Though I understand the reason and the need to send you there, it is still unwise for our country to officially interfere in what happens in a part of the world that is not allied with us and not our responsibility." Ascher meaningfully said.
"It does not have to be official. I only need two members of my Cell with me." Keith smiled at him.
"Nergal has lived in this world for over six hundred years, Lord Erebus. He's even older than Ian."
"I know."
"The country can not afford to lose you."
The words made Keith smile in his heart. He was not some passionate man with an unyielding love for his country. And he understood very well that every relationship was built on benefits.
Right now, he was indeed very valuable to the country because of his medical skills, ability, and connection with Nyx.
"I am not a man who gambles with his life, nor do I have that luxury." He lightly but meaningfully said.
"If you manage to take him down, you will be plunged into the affairs of the Underworld." The Governor General smiled back at him.
"It will be taken care of." He nodded, not denying the words.
"Is Hades going to work with you?"
"No." Keith shook his head.
Ascher looked at him for a good minute before he looked at the file on the table.
"Eridu, Nineveh, Samarra, and Hatra." He read out the names of four places.
"Yes. I want the Ninevah base to be vacated for me, and I need partial access to the other three bases."
These were the places where the Netherian secret bases in the Kingdom of Iraq existed.
Ascher nodded to him and then picked up the phone to make a call to the Head of Phoenix Corps, informing her that Prince had his permission.
"Thank you, Governor General." Keith nodded and stood up.
"You are welcome. However, you will have to take Ian with you." Ascher too stood up and smiled at him. "He has expressed his desire to watch what transpires there."
Keith knew very well that Ian had not expressed any such desires, but he understood the fears of Ascher and the need to have someone like Ian to watch his back in a war he was going to participate in.
"I have no objections." He smiled and then nodded to Ian, who stood up to follow him out of the room.
"Lord Erebus." Ascher suddenly called out.
"Yes?"
"Keep the casualties low, if you would." He expressed his fears.
"There can be no such guarantees in war, Sir. All we can do is try."
"I understand." Ascher sighed and reached for the bottle of whiskey before sitting in his chair. "Be safe."
"Sir." Keith nodded to him and then walked out of the office.
"Colonel Ian!" Iseul saluted to Tronten when he exited the office with Keith, and then silently followed the two of them.
"You know, you don't have to get involved in this war." Ian suddenly said. "Nergal has earned himself a lot of enemies, and Hades is... special." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if he can't win, he would not lose either. Let them hurt each other."
Keith smiled at his words.
Yes, it would have been a wise thing to just stay on the sidelines and watch the fun if anyone else was in his shoes, but it was not wise for him. How could he let Qin Feng successfully overcome one of the biggest Stepping Stones prepared for him by Destiny, gain a sudden boost in strength, and accumulate more power? Besides, Nergal had something in his hands that Keith did not want to let Qin Feng get his hands on at all costs.
It was also an opportunity for him to instill fear in Hades' mind and devour some of his Fate Value. And he had to make that prideful Child of Destiny understand that it was in his best interests to abide by their deal.
His recent actions reflected that Qin Feng was entertaining some other thoughts about their deal. After all, how could a Child of Destiny simply hand over one of his Main Heroines to his enemy?
Unfortunately, it was not an enemy designed by Destiny that he could overcome. It was an enemy Destiny had no hold over, and no matter how favoured and blessed Qin Feng was, he was always going to fall short before him.
"I know that Hades would not lose against Nergal, which is why I must deal with him myself." He lightly said, and Ian curiously looked at him.
"And what's that?" He asked.
"Erra was a little rude to me when we first met." He smiled. "I don't like being threatened."
"Ahahaha..." Ian suddenly laughed at his words and shook his head. "Never thought you would be so vindictive."
"That sounds like an accusation, which would have been fine if it was not coming from the man who killed all his enemies, and also innocents who were not directly responsible for what happened to his family."
Iseul suddenly felt suffocated as she watched the backs of the two men and the silence between them made her head throb together with her heart.
"You know, you are so much like Caspian. And despite being just as old as him, which even the Governor-General is unaware of, you are much weaker than him." Keith continued. "Do you know why?"
Ian did not say any words and just silently kept walking, but his eyes were very serious right now. He was quite anxious about how much Keith knew about him.
"The difference between him and you is that he has not lost hope, Tronten. And he did not get too attached to this world."
"This world is enough for me." Ian simply said. "And there is no hope left for me, Lord Erebus."
"Too bad." Keith chuckled. "But how do you know that you have no hope left?" He playfully asked, and he heard Ian's heart skip a beat at his words.
The Inheritor of Volos curiously looked at him with his narrowed eyes, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get a read on him.
"It is rude to rip off the scabs over someone's wounds, Lord Erebus."
"Yours were never scabbed." He pointed out and then looked him in the eyes. "You have potential. After all, you were born an Inheritor."
Ian looked away from his eyes and clenched his left fist.
"How much do you know about me?"
"Everything that I need to know," Keith replied.
"For what?"
"To decide if you would make a great asset for me in the future." He truthfully replied.
Ian frowned at his words, not liking where this conversation was headed.
"And where does your future lie?"
"Who knows?" Keith shrugged. "But certainly not in this boring world."
"This boring world is where you were born." He pointed out.
"I know. Perhaps that's why I tolerate it." He chuckled.
Ian glanced at him and then turned to look ahead again.
The Wandering God of Netheria was relieved that Keith did not harbour any intentions that would plunge the land he was born in into chaos. And Keith knew exactly what was going through his mind right now.
"This is not where you belong, Tronten."
"It's my choice, and I alone am the judge of that." Ian shook his head.
Keith smiled in his heart.
He wanted to tell Ian that he was too weak to make a choice now that he had made one for him. But now was not the right time...
The three of them walked out of the Palace and then entered the car that was waiting for them.
"When do we leave for Iraq?" Ian asked.
"We have our flight at one in the morning," Keith informed him before driving off to the Mansion he owned in this city.
He no longer bothered Ian again, and the Inheritor of Volos did not speak to him about anything either.
Ian was busy trying to clear his mind and curb the temptation to ask Keith what his words implied earlier. But he knew that he would fall into the trap as soon as he raised that question.
