Castor knew that his behaviour and lack of secrecy did not contribute to a peaceful life. If the situation had been different, he would have begun to seriously doubt the intelligence of the local representatives of the mystical world. Much worse than now. But why then did Brinel do nothing to improve his situation? Because the mage had no plans to change himself in any way. He was deadly tired of adapting to the world around him, which every day tried to break him or turn him into a grotesque monster seeking only... Something. Something he himself did not understand. Yes, the mage had crossed that line too many times, too many times his mind had risked turning into slime or an organ mutated by the Ethereals.
That's why Castor wasn't going to hold back here. Not in the methods he used to kill his enemies, not in the traces he left behind, not in his behaviour. Kairn had already consumed too much of his time and mental energy for him to be cautious here and try to fit into the local society of the otherworld. If they accepted him, fine; if not, that was fine too. Brinel wasn't looking for friendship, relationships, or contacts. He had a one-time contract with Yasaka, with no hint of future business.
Therefore, the mage was not surprised by the appearance of another powerful local demon near his home. And if it had not been a local representative of this race of chaos, Castor would have instantly frozen the spawn of the abyss. But these had proven themselves capable of conversation and diplomacy. At least for now.
"What do you want?" Castor placed mugs of coffee in front of the demons. As much as they annoyed him, manners and hospitality were still worth maintaining. He didn't want to lose his humanity because of banal fatigue from the attention of strange creatures he didn't understand.
"And I understand Serafall — I know her, and she doesn't even provoke my instincts too much, but your aura..." Castor took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It brings up unpleasant associations."
"Is that related to what you said about my connection to the abyss?" Sazeks smiled slightly, showing no sign of caution or threat on his face. Hypocrisy had always been part of politics, so Castor did not trust that smile.
"That's right. Your connection, your energy... It all literally screams of the abyss and emptiness.
"Perhaps it has something to do with the Power of Destruction?" asked the red-haired man, whose hair colour was too unnatural. This bothered the archmage even more. Such colours were characteristic only of the strongest members of the species. A kind of alpha marker. This was the case among the demons of H'ton, among the spawn of the Terrible World, and even among the gods. Empirion and Mogdrogen were prime examples. The lord of the heavens, storms and beasts, capable of vaporising planets with his lightning bolts and the first light of the universe, whose power illuminates galaxies.
"I know a lot under such names. Can you demonstrate?"
"Hmm..." The demon's smile grew slightly wider. So did Brinel's. "Why don't we exchange questions and small requests? It will be completely fair.
"Try to cheat, and I'll show you why demons have always avoided me.
***
Sazex thought deeply. It had been a long time since anything had occupied his thoughts for an entire day, but now here it was. The clock struck midnight, and he couldn't tear himself away from the small ball of destruction hovering over his right hand. His left hand propped up his head as his eyes stared into this abyss of energy. Energy capable of vaporising a living person with a single touch.
"You will die a death so painful and terrible that no imagination could conceive of it if you use this cursed power too often..." Lucifer quoted a magician aloud and frowned. It was foolish to believe the words of some obscure sorcerer, and he had been using Bael's Destruction for so many years.
"But the problem is that Castor is no ordinary sorcerer...
One of Satan's minions dispelled the ball and sighed. They say that the eyes are the mirror of the soul, in which one can see the true nature of a being. Brinel was many things. A magician, a scientist, a warrior. Not a human being. No, there was something about him that Sazeks had never felt before. Something so otherworldly and wrong that even he was wary. No, this definitely couldn't come from the ordinary man Castor was trying to be.
"But a foreigner and a Ddraig carrier in one person... And a powerful mage, capable of rivaling Seraphall in strength...
An impossible combination. Too many factors would have to come together for that to happen. A miracle, in a word. And if that "miracle" turned out to be on the side of the demons, Hell would benefit greatly. Except... Sazeks frowned. Brinel did not look like a creature that could be bought even with all the riches in the world. Perhaps knowledge... But intuition told him that the process of acquiring knowledge was far more important to Castor than the knowledge itself.
"But for a mage of his calibre, he's stable enough," Sazex looked up at the door and grunted. Many human mages had gone mad in their quest for power. Let's be honest, many demons had perished as well. And other creatures.
"Curiosity is not a vice, as long as it does not harm you or the world around you," Lucifer found Brinel's phrase extremely amusing. Isn't curiosity an attempt to find out something that is inaccessible to you for various reasons? And doesn't that harm anyone? Or is everything fine as long as you don't see these creatures?
A strange mage with strange thinking, inhuman calmness and courage. To tell Sazex that in case of a threat from demons, he would not shy away from genocide! It sounds absurd, but the man believed his own words. The icy, bottomless gaze of his eyes did not lie. He looked straight ahead, without provocation or mockery. There was only confidence and readiness in his eyes.
"What to do...
Sazex did not know the answer to that. Castor was an incomprehensible being who had come from a world that no longer existed. This creature possesses great power and skill in magic (Brinel demonstrated his ice control abilities — Sera cannot do this), capable of easily turning the living into the dead by freezing them through. Absolute zero? Or even lower?"
"Risks... How I hate them."
***
Serapholl did not consider herself a genius, but she had a mind and knowledge that she had accumulated over many centuries. She also had experience in negotiating and communicating with a wide variety of personalities. Therefore, reading Castor should not be a problem, especially with Sazex nearby... In reality, however, things turned out differently. The lord could not say anything definite about the mage, who could be anyone. A madman? Perhaps. A genius? That was also possible. One did not exclude the other, and judging by Brinel's behaviour was at least foolish. His actions? Leviathan saw nothing special, except for the method of killing through deep freezing and precise strikes to vital organs. A mage and an assassin? Most likely.
But... There was something behind those icy eyes. Some strange emotion that was very difficult to discern against the backdrop of that smile and slightly mocking gaze. Hidden deep in his soul, never to see the light of day.
"What could be inside the soul of such a person?"
Serapholl sighed wearily. Her head was spinning with thoughts and ideas, particularly about what to do and how to proceed. They had something living among them that possessed knowledge beyond even their own, as well as power that could challenge the four Lords, which was an enormous achievement for him and a danger to them.
"I find it strange that you decided to stay instead of going with your friend to start plotting against my freedom and my very existence.
Leviathan smiled slightly as she looked at Castor, who was silently assembling a puzzle the size of a carpet on the living room floor. She sat on the sofa and watched silently, trying to understand: how? How could someone be so fascinated by something so simple when they had such abilities?
"Sazex-chan will manage on his own," Serafall replied lightly, hiding her anxiety and nervousness behind a carefree smile. She had barely managed to persuade her friend not to do anything extraordinary for the sake of his sister. And the whole world.
"And no one is going to try to take away your freedom!
"Of course not. No one powerful and influential would want to remove an obstacle to their absolute power," Brinel nodded and looked up at the woman. She snorted mentally, but in reality looked back questioningly.
"There's no need to try to pretend to be a naive child or impose this model of behaviour on me," the mage returned to his work, beginning to examine a piece of the puzzle. "We are both adults and understand the situation. As well as the fact that neither you nor I have any faith.
"Do you really have to say that out loud?"
"Yes," the magician shrugged slightly at her disapproving tone. "Going around in circles is a waste of time and energy that could be spent on more productive things.
"If only everyone had your logic and way of thinking. Then the world would be...
"Would be incredibly boring, predictable and lifeless," Castor finished for her, looking straight at her. "What is the point of a predictable world? What is the point of a straight path and a complete lack of enthusiasm and curiosity?" The mage lowered his gaze to the puzzle. "Personally, I have lived long enough in such a world.
Leviathan didn't know how to respond. The tangle of emotions she could discern in Brinel's voice was... complicated. So incongruous with his cold and calm tone that it surprised her. Greatly.
"It's better to live in unpredictability than to predict every move of those around you. For then life becomes a grey picture, devoid of any colour.
"From personal experience?" Serafall asked, seizing the opportunity to learn more about the mage. However, she expected a sarcastic reply or to be ignored.
"Yes," Castor rose from his knees and looked straight at her. The woman raised her eyebrows. She hadn't expected an answer or any reaction to her words, but there it was. But why?
"You must understand that I am speaking to you so that you and your friends will calm down and leave me alone.
"Of course. You already said you want a peaceful life," and Castor followed his own words. Although his actions towards the world and the destruction of evil suggest otherwise. Or is it just inertia?
"Thank you for your understanding. But I'm not limiting your plans in any way until they become reality," the guy said confidently, sitting down next to her on the sofa.
"What? Doesn't it bother you that they might become reality?" Leviathan was again surprised by the behaviour of the man who smiled silently, looking straight at her. There was confidence in his own strength and unwavering determination in that smile, as if... He was ready for such a turn of events. A threat? No. A statement of fact.
"Even if they do, it won't affect my life in any way.
"You know, I don't think I'll like the answer to the question 'how do you know,'" Serafall frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Castor did not respond, merely returning to his task.
"I don't understand him."
And not only that. Her image as a sorceress and kind diplomat did not stand up to Brinel, who saw right through her. Although Sazex was also quickly figured out, as if he could read minds or had vast experience in reading people. But where did he get that from? Yes, he was from another world, but he didn't share any details about his life there.
"I'll go. I'll start thinking up plans to capture you.
"Of course. And yes, that plan with the three experienced courtesans would have led nowhere.
"You came up with it, you won, yeah... — the Lord rolled her eyes and strode towards the exit.
"How did he find out about that?!" — but she said nothing aloud.
***
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