Castor looked at the sunset with satisfaction, sipping strong coffee from a mug. His calm smile expressed nothing but relaxation. The mage sat comfortably in his chair, enjoying the peaceful moment of his life. After all, in just a couple of months, it would all be over, turning into a mess. Of course, there had to be reasons for such thoughts, and he had them. All his life, magic had warned him of future problems. No, he didn't make any predictions, but an unpleasant cold sensation at the back of his neck warned him of trouble in his life. It didn't matter what kind or how big, but it was always something he would have to face.
Brinel put his mug on the garden table and sighed. His guess about months was nothing more than a desire to postpone the inevitable. He had no specific time frame, so anything could happen from today onwards. And it would definitely be something that would prevent him from enjoying a peaceful life.
"Can't you see into the future like you do with the past?"
The archmage shook his head. He could do it, but the problem was both the multitude of paths and the high chance of attracting unwanted attention from entities in his universe. Few people liked those who could see through the veil of time and change their path. "Cheat," to use the local slang. Looking into the past was not so destructive or dangerous, so Castor did not hesitate to use it to learn the enemy's plans or find a particularly weak spot to exploit. The mage sighed. However, without direct eye contact, such manipulations are extremely unpleasant. He was, after all, more of a battle mage than a seer or mind reader. However, his connection with his old friend allowed him to... Spontaneously talk about the past or the future. An unpleasant experience.
That was precisely why he was tolerant of Serafall and her "unexpected" visits, which had become more frequent in recent months. The woman had experienced a lot of grief and hardship in her life, reminding Castor of himself in some ways. Of course, there were limits she couldn't cross, but he could put up with her empty chatter and attempts to probe him. But Sazex... The archmage's smile turned into a straight line. He feared this demon because of his deep connection to the void. This "Power of Destruction"... It would bring him to his grave. And the demon himself, and his entourage, and the whole world. After all, the powerful representatives of Hton loved to find such individuals for... certain purposes.
"You know, you've infected me with your paranoia. Now I also think we're sitting on a huge powder keg," Ddraig said with some concern. Brinel just grunted in response.
"Better to be known as the last paranoid than a gullible corpse."
Castor smiled again. Apart from the possible disturbance of his peace, life was going on in its slow and pleasant way. He left the academy, completing the remaining term as an external student so that nothing would prevent him from spending his time on the Internet or taking night walks under the stars. It took Brinel less than a year to understand the basics of education, as well as the fact that people go to the academy not to study, but for social interaction. It was easier for him to interact socially through messengers and networks.
His experience of interacting with the local cultural heritage in the form of literature, cinema, animation and computer games continued as usual. However, he sometimes felt like strangling the scriptwriters or developers because of their inability to create a decent product or because of their cruelty towards the characters. Cruelty for no reason.
"Once again, you cannot go to America and argue with the Rustlers. No. And another thing, partner. Here we have..."
"I know."
The murder of Penny and Pyrrha was unforgivable, as was the talentless script. Castor finished his coffee and stretched contentedly. It was worth remembering the rituals for travelling between worlds to find the one that sent the information to the Rustlers. Saving those who should not die is a good thing.
"Yeah, just like playing Gin in the forest."
"No."
"Kuroka told me about you, Red. And it turns out to be true, as I see it.
"Answer me: did she also try to seduce you into a sexual relationship to continue the family line?"
"Ah..." — a weary sigh. — Yes.
"Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Vali.
***
Castor slowly rose from his chair and turned his head towards the person who had appeared near his house. Vali. Vali Lucifer, to be precise. A half-demon and the owner of Albion — the White Dragon. Brinel sensed the presence of his "enemy" as he approached the city, but did not react: as long as the creature did not show any overt aggression, Brinel had no plans to attack. The reputation of a madman does not exactly contribute to a peaceful and measured life.
Vali looked like a representative of the aristocracy: a handsome male face, bright brown eyes and platinum hair. His straight posture and slightly daring gaze created the image of a dangerous guy with manners that attract women. Especially those with high hormone levels and attending the same academy. Stable and mature women would not be fooled by this image.
"Cyberbullying has begun..." Ddraig said maliciously and chuckled nastily.
"If you've come to threaten me, challenge me to a duel, attack me or invite me to join some dubious organisation, then I'll refuse in any case. I'm not interested in peace, power, or authority. My ranking in the League of Legends, delicious coffee, and the opportunity to read literature, enjoying the best fruits of humanity, are much more important to me," Brinel said neutrally and calmly, without removing the smile from her face. Vali just snorted at that.
"Even if it's fate, you'll fight me?"
"Fate is a lie invented by the gods to manipulate humans and other mortal creatures. Only the actions of the creature itself, its view of the world, and random events shape the final outcome.
"What...?" The bearer of the White narrowed his eyes. "An interesting view of the world.
"I answered your question, now answer mine: why did you come here, descendant of the real Lucifer?"
Castor merely raised an eyebrow when Vali's surprise turned into uncontrollable laughter. Laughter characteristic only of madmen or other mentally ill people. Gurgling, piercing the ears and completely inappropriate in the situation. The mage shook his head inwardly. Another madman on his hands. He had enough of such people in Kaerne, especially during the Dark Dawn.
"How interesting..." Lucifer drawled, looking at Castor differently: with respect and a strange desire.
"Not only do you possess special powers, not only are you a stranger from another world, but you are also capable of obtaining information..." The white dragon's carrier bared his teeth. "My desire to fight you grows stronger and stronger.
"You know, that sounds gay," the dragon added with a clever look."I'm not interested in such interactions with other beings," said Brinel, ignoring Ddraig, who had gathered all sorts of rubbish from the Internet and the League of Legends chat.
"What if these creatures want to interact with you in that way?" Vali didn't show his fangs or a smirk, but his gaze became much sharper.
"They'll die.
"Such... Lucifer smiled broadly. "Confidence. I like it! I really like it! And your calmness and composure too! Truly, this generation of Dragons is the greatest!
"Ddraig?"
"A descendant of Lucifer and the bearer of the White Dragon. A mage from another reality and the bearer of the Red Dragon. It's a very powerful duo, so I understand Vali's joy."
"And?" Castor did not share Lucifer's joy and looked at him with a neutral gaze tinged with contempt for such madness. Anyone who seeks a fight for the sake of a fight is a fool. However... This guy had a reason for doing so, but for now, let that remain a secret that he will not reveal.
"This age will be special for all of history, and our confrontation will become legendary!" the guy declared enthusiastically, laughing.
"No, it won't. Because there won't be any fight.
"What if I destroy everything you hold dear? Everything you value?" Vali's grin didn't fade, but his gaze became threatening.
"I will kill you, all your followers, and rid the world of your kind," Brinel said without raising his voice, continuing to smile. A threat to what he cherished... To destroy that, he would have to attack all of humanity. And that was a declaration of war.
"And you don't throw words to the wind: your gaze almost screams that you will do just that.
***
"I am satisfied," Vali nodded and smiled normally after a pause of one minute and twenty-three seconds. "So far, I like it. I hope to have a good fight with you in the future, Red. And yes..." Lucifer looked Castor straight in the eye and approached him without any threat. "You can't hide forever and run away from the conflict that is brewing. It will come to you.
With that, Vali waved his hand, put his hands in his pockets, and walked away down the street. Brinel was not surprised by the appearance of the White's bearer, nor by his desire to fight him. The guy's past forced him to follow this sad, stupid, and meaningless path. However, he was exactly the same.
"A conflict brewing..." Brinel whispered and frowned. There was no point in believing Lucifer, but there was no point in not believing him either. After all, the inhabitants of this world knew much more than he, a stranger. And the magic had not stopped warning him even after Vali's visit, which meant that the reason was not him, but something else.
"There is no rest for the righteous."
"I am not righteous. I never have been," Castor replied coldly to Drayg's words and looked up at the sky. "All my actions raise questions, if not condemnation and contempt. I couldn't save my own home, my family, or the world. Therefore, this phrase does not apply to me.
This is another reason why Brinel had no intention of getting involved in any conflicts. Everything he touches turns to dust. Everything he tried to fix only got worse.
"Most likely, that's what magic is all about. Except for the fact that Vali will remain stubborn and decide to attack me.
The mage ran his hand over his face and sighed, wiping the smile off his face. He wanted so much for life to be normal, for him to either become a normal person or just die. But no, he had powers, the world was magical, and the locals were always trying to annoy him and find out as much as they could. Perhaps this was his personal hell, where even if he wanted to, he couldn't feel true rest. True peace. True tranquillity.
"All right. If I dwell on it all the time, I won't have enough time for myself and my entertainment.
Castor made a conscious effort to put all his problems on hold, deciding to deal with them as they came up. For now, he decided to make another cup of coffee, go to the 24-hour shop, and then look up something interesting on the Internet called "streaming." It's a process where you play a game and show it to a lot of people while interacting with them. It could turn out to be... an interesting experience.
***
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