Yasaka tried to understand the thoughts and desires of the man sitting in front of her, slowly sipping his tea. The woman tried to read the young man's facial expressions and gaze. His icy, slightly glowing, unnatural eyes looked straight at her, blinking occasionally. And then there was that faint smile that never left Castor's face, as if it were frozen there. She couldn't read anything but interest. Nothing! It was as if... as if Brinel felt nothing else! No. There was also fatigue. Not physical, but rather mental. As if the whole world had long since bored the mage, and now he was looking for entertainment.
Add to that his words about his origins, and you get an absurd picture of a visitor from another world who came here for... For what? Yasaka frowned inwardly, not showing it on her face. A strange man with very strange magic. As they walked to her residence in Kyoto, the woman analysed the young man's behaviour and magical background. He carefully examined the surroundings, his arms crossed behind his back, and his eyes and smile grew warmer and more animated. It was as if... something was making him happy, but she couldn't figure out what.
And then there was his magic. Ice control, although she would have expected more subtle manipulation. The forest seemed to freeze in time, but came back to life at the snap of Castor's fingers, who didn't look like he was struggling to create such magic. And there were no formulas or circles characteristic of human mages. It was more like Brinel was casting spells like a demon, without actually being one. The Sacred Mechanism? No, only the Longines could reach that level, but which one? Yasaka sensed a faint trace of a dragon, so could it be one of the Heavenly Dragons? But none of them had such control!
The more the woman thought about it, the more absurd the situation became. An unknown mage of immense power, claiming to have come from another world! And his name wasn't Japanese, and even in Europe, names like that were rarely used. Although his appearance suggested that he came from a Western country. And then there was his composure and posture. There were too many questions she wanted answers to. Questions she was afraid to ask.
What secrets does a man hide who is capable of freezing the fallen without harm, and not just their bodies! But even their thoughts! After being thawed out in the chambers, the winged ones continued their actions, not even realising that they had been transported somewhere else! Incredible power.
"Ms. Yasaka," his calm voice brought the woman out of her thoughts. Another oddity — he always spoke in the same tone. "If you have any questions about the origin of my magic, my level of power, or my behaviour, please don't hesitate to ask. I will try to answer you, but I will not answer some questions for personal reasons.
The fox smiled, taking his words into account. Yes, and another thing: his manner of speech. The use of long sentences, words that are not used in everyday speech, and obvious academicism, if you can call it that. Castor spoke as if he were reading scientific literature.
"But some answers would be worth getting... For the safety of my daughter and my subjects."
However, Brinel did not seem like a bad person. He did not show a hint of aggression or contempt, behaved calmly and tolerated the glances of her subordinates. She rebuked them, but the mage's request not to disturb them surprised Yasaku. How is it going? Overcoming racial prejudices is difficult, as is healing old wounds. Is he really human? He's too... understanding and calm.
"I apologise, my curiosity has led me too far.
"It's all right," Castor put the cup on the table. "Healthy curiosity is characteristic of all living intelligent beings, regardless of species. The main thing is that it does not interfere with others and does not become the cause of your own destruction.
Yasaka blinked in surprise. There was no hidden threat in his voice, although his words were very... specific.
"So, what kind of help do you need?" Yasaka decided to put her curiosity aside and talk business.
"First of all, I would like to ask what would interest you as payment?""Brinel looked at her calmly. His expression didn't change at all.
"Hmm..." Yasaka touched her chin and thought for a moment. What could she ask a powerful mage for in return? Of course, it all depended on his request, but she had a couple of ideas...
"Strong children mean a strong future. And a magician like him could give me a strong child..."
That was how her beloved daughter came to be. It was a very simple agreement with a powerful man, with no obligations on his part. Because Yasaka... wanted a child. A little girl to whom she could give her love and care. Add to that the fact that there were very few nine-tailed foxes left in the world due to terrible wars in the past...
"There is something that can cover any of your requests," the woman smiled coquettishly and tugged her left ear. Her tails twitched slightly from the slight excitement in her heart. Brinel nodded silently, ready to listen to what she had to say.
"Could you give me a child?"
Castor's face instantly turned to stone, and the smile disappeared from his face, replaced by a straight line of lips. Yasaka felt the air around her drop a few degrees, and the atmosphere around the mage changed from peaceful to tense. His cold eyes looked straight into hers. The young man's gaze looked at her with... reproach.
***
"He hasn't even spent a single day in our world, and already a beautiful female is offering to have his child! Natural charisma, eh?"
The dragon's voice was filled with merriment, but Castor did not share this merriment, nor did he share the playful mood of Yasaki, who was now looking at him in confusion. The mage took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, folding his hands in front of him. The room, filled with soft light passing through the paper doors, the soft pillow, the beautiful tea table... All of this faded away. There was only one question in Brinel's mind: what factors could have led to such behaviour from a yokai who did not look like a fallen woman? Although her robe might suggest otherwise.
"Female yokai instinctively seek promising partners to produce strong offspring," Ddraig decided to explain, seeing the young man's confusion. "Dragons are the same. The thing is, the birth rate is very low, and the mortality rate..."
"Too high to maintain a stable population. Also, in a world where there are many factions, having strong individuals guarantees safety. And what could be easier than raising them from scratch?" Thoughts raced through the mage's mind.
With cold logic, he understood that this was a good decision on Yasaka's part, showing her to be an effective and thoughtful leader who was thinking about the future of the clan. Giving birth to and training a strong, intelligent, and effective defender of one's faction or even race was a good tactic that would pay off in the long run. But despite the fact that logic told him that this was the right decision, especially given his position as the last representative of his species, his mind told him that such an act was... unacceptable.
"And why not? The female gets a child, you get pleasure! As far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win situation for everyone," unlike Castor, Ddraig did not understand. Brinel accepted this point of view due to the dragon's lack of necessary information.
"Using a woman as an incubator, even if it is disguised as a noble cause, the woman's own desire, and custom, is unacceptable," the mage said harshly to himself. The unpleasant memories were quickly pushed to the farthest corners of his mind. No. NO! No more children born out of a desire to become stronger. No more births of mutants due to the desires of invaders from other realities. No more... Incubators.
"I apologise, Lady Yasaka, but I cannot repay you in this way," Brinel smiled again and softened his expression. His inner turmoil and unpleasant memories should not affect his interlocutor. Castor's problems must be solved only by him, because only he is capable of resolving them. This contributes to personal growth and strengthens the nervous system.
"Oh, yes... I apologise for asking such a thing. I shouldn't have suggested something like that without knowing you at all," Yasaka's face showed regret, and the woman bowed deeply.
"We all make mistakes; it's part of our existence in this infinitely beautiful world. The main thing is that your mistakes don't become fatal for those you are responsible for," Castor looked intently at the woman, then smiled a little warmer. She doesn't look like an irresponsible leader. At least not yet.
"Well, let's forget about this unpleasant situation and get down to business," Brinel decided to brush it off so that the unpleasant aftertaste of the strange request would not interfere with them.
"What a strange partner I've got..." Ddraig muttered, clearly unimpressed by his words.
"And I've never been obsessed with the dragon spirit."
***
Yasaka watched the man walk away with his back straight and his arms crossed behind him. The woman still couldn't shake the shame she felt when he had rejected her. Her desire to help her kind and her subjects proved stronger than her politeness and tact. For some reason, this topic really struck a chord with the guest, as if he had once encountered something similar in the past. Something that could cause such a stoic person to show negative emotions. The fox apologised a couple more times, but Castor simply asked her not to mention the situation again.
A strange mage. In a normal situation, anyone would have agreed to undergo a rigorous selection process — Yasaka would not have let anyone unworthy come within ten metres of her. Only true trials can reveal one's true character, not masks and fake smiles. But Castor? The Kyoto fox could say nothing about this man. Absolutely. His face and mood were unreadable, his sentences were convoluted, and the deep meaning of some of his statements amazed even her. Despite his youthful appearance, the magician was wise beyond his years.
Something was hidden in his past, that was for sure. Something gloomy, dark and traumatic. Yasaka had seen many people over the centuries, but no one behaved like Brinel. Perhaps he really was from another world, radically different from theirs? There was no direct evidence, but the mage was too different. His behaviour, his manner of casting spells, his speech and emotions. And then there was that feeling of a cool summer night emanating from Castor's calm aura... Too many questions, and now there were even more.
Was her decision to help the man a mistake? No, Yasaka didn't think so. Documents and yen are not difficult for yokai, and the young man didn't ask for anything more.
"But to pay with such pure alchemical gold..."
When the woman saw these ingots, she couldn't believe her eyes. The purest material, almost humming with energy inside. Her craftsmen were drooling over this metal. No wonder: she hadn't seen such quality in a long time. A very long time...
Such a person could be useful. As a full-fledged follower. A powerful mage, an experienced creator of artefacts, judging by the gold, calm and level-headed. Many yokai, of course, would not approve of such a decision, but it would open up new prospects for them... But Castor refused.
"In my not-too-long life, I have given a great deal for the common good and for those who supported it. It may sound selfish, but I want to find my own path and live my own life," Yasaka remembered his words well. Could he be a veteran of some war? Her curiosity only grew. Even the possible danger did not bother her. It only stirred her temperament.
"But not now... Right now, I need to hide the fact that I have this information," the fox sighed, clasping her hands in front of her. "Creatures with less than clean hands could start hunting for it, and we need to be ready."
"Mistress!
"Yes, what is it?"
"Everything is ready.
"Excellent. I'll be right there.
Yasaka smiled. The guest had left her temple grounds, so it was time to deal with those who had entered her territory uninvited. Fortunately, the deep freeze hadn't ruined this... chicken.
***
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