CH286 A Ruse of a Sabbatical

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"What? You want me to lead the reparation talks? Why?" Alex asked, blinking in surprise.

"You were the one who secured victory in the last campaign," Drake replied evenly. "And you're also the one who crafted a plan to turn these reparation talks to the family's advantage. Besides, this is an opportunity for you to dip your toes into negotiation for the first time. The stakes are low, and unless you make a catastrophic blunder, you'll get the results you're aiming for."

He slid a sheet of paper across the desk.

Alex picked it up and scanned the contents in an instant, his eidetic memory allowing him to absorb every word. His eyes widened in 'shock'.

"The Kellermans' Layman mana stone mine is gone?! How did this happen?" he exclaimed.

The document was a Black Mantle report detailing the current state of the Kellermans' golden goose—the very one Alex had stolen away with the Voidheart Core.

"As you've read," Drake said, his tone heavy, "the mine suddenly collapsed without explanation. By the time their high-ranking officers cleared the rubble, they found all the dense mana had completely dissipated. Worse still, the natural mana-gathering property of the mine has vanished. It's nothing but an ordinary cavern now."

"In that case," Alex muttered, rubbing his chin, "the Kellermans will be even more desperate than I thought. Chances are, they borrowed heavily to finance their war effort against us. The future output of the Layman mine must have been their collateral. With the mine gone, defaulting on their loans is all but certain if we press for gold reparations."

Drake's lips curled faintly. "They do have an Interspatial Orb left behind by the Unfettered, but I doubt they'll part with it. No sane noble—aside from royalty—would ever sell Interspatial Coordinates. The investment required to exploit it will already tie up their hands further. Which means…" He leaned forward. "You may be able to cut a far larger deal than you originally planned."

"Hmm…" Alex rubbed his chin. "That's a dangerous gambit. A touch too much greed, and the Kellermans might run straight into the arms of our enemies—the last thing we want.

"The addition of an Interspatial Orb complicates everything. It gives them a card to play with any major power. If they're clever, they don't even need to sell it. They just need to broker a partnership and share exploitation rights to the outer plane."

"Exactly," Drake said, nodding. "Which is why you should go. Gauge Jorg's reaction in person and act accordingly. As Chief Negotiator, you'll have the authority to adapt as you see fit."

"Fine, Father. I'll play along." Alex leaned back, his gaze sharpening. "But let's drop the act. Why are you really sending me? Just a few days ago, you hammered into me how little time I have to prepare for my own Interplanar journey. Now you're asking me to waste time on a negotiation you clearly don't care about? Something doesn't add up."

Drake's expression remained calm, but there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You know, it's not good to be too smart for your own good."

Alex shrugged, lips twitching. "I know. That's why I usually keep a low profile. I'm only being this much of a wise ass because it's you, Father. Think of it as me showing that I can handle myself in the wider world. I can't have you losing sleep over sending your precious son to the outer planes for the first time, can I?" he said cheekily.

Drake's smile came—amused, but tinged with irritation.

Alex coughed theatrically. "So, Father?"

Drake shook his head slowly. For a moment, he almost laughed at how much face he'd lost before this son of his. Where had the timid boy gone—the one who shivered in his presence and wouldn't dare meet his gaze, even more than his younger siblings?

'Merlin—or rather, that girl, Zora—must have shaped him too well,' Drake thought.

He didn't credit himself at all. Which wasn't entirely wrong—this Alex was indeed different from the naïve boy of before—but it wasn't entirely right either. The truth was that his own imposing lecture on the day of Alex's "awakening" had left a deeper mark than he realised. Without that opening act, the transmigrated True_Sage might not have grown into the young man before him.

Drake pushed the thought away with a faint sigh.

Drake's tone hardened, his eyes losing all mirth.

"There's an unspoken rule among the nobility," he said. "Assassination attempts on the scions of noble houses are considered acceptable—especially when that scion is about to embark on Interplanar exploration.

"If they can't survive a few attempts on their life, how could they possibly survive the pressure of an entire world?"

"That's a sordid and twisted outlook," Alex muttered.

"Yet, it's the outlook of our Empire's nobility," Drake replied flatly. "Truthfully, it's just an excuse to kill off a rival family's most talented heir.

"If word of your foray into the outer planes spreads, the many enemies I've made will try to assassinate you. And this time, I can't send Jared. The higher the strength of the guard I dispatch, the higher the calibre of assassins our foes are legally allowed to send."

Alex frowned. "But what's the point of following that rule? If a family's willing to flout it, then I'll be dead. No matter what happens afterward, dead is dead."

"Believe me, boy. No family dares to openly break this ruling—it carries the weight of the Will of Ludevicus itself," Drake said. "Still, with recent events, I share your scepticism. That's why I intend to use this entire ploy as cover."

He leaned forward. "You haven't told anyone about your travels, have you? Your siblings?"

"No. I told them I'd be touring the continent on a sabbatical. The only person who knows my real destination is Udara—she's my shadow guard after all," Alex replied.

A small, approving smile flickered on Drake's face. "Good. You know how to keep secrets. Keep it up. It will serve you well."

He pushed another document across the table. "Since you've already laid the groundwork, we'll continue with the 'sabbatical' narrative. The first leg of your journey will take you back to the Dragonspine Mountains. You're aware the Golden Palace has announced an auction, aren't you?"

"I am. They contacted me as a partner to attend," Alex said.

"Perfect. You'll attend as my proxy," Drake revealed. "While you're there, you'll also rendezvous with our fief's delegation to hold the reparation talks with the Kellermans."

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly as he pieced it together.

"I see… You want people to think you're using the auction as a cover for the reparation meeting, when in truth it's a cover for my Interplanar travel. By the time the auction's over, I can appear to be heading off on a sabbatical—something any mage might do. By the time anyone's the wiser, I'll already be in another plane."

A faint smirk curved his lips. 'That's clever and sly, old man.'

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