Chapter 218 218: Part 1



"During my recent adventure, I discovered a diary that recorded the everyday life of a court wizard working in the department of Occult and Mystical Studies, a department established by the Queen herself to fulfill her grand ambition. Mentioned in it are the topics of his experiments and the horrible fate that befell him because of an experiment gone wrong. Before delving deeper into the matter, I believe it's essential for you to read it and gauge the gravity of the situation for yourself. Please have a look."

Val then took out Alaric's diary from the Void Orb and presented it to Lucious.

"Okay."

Taking the diary from Val, Lucious opened it with a hint of curiosity.

He began to swiftly go through the pages of the diary. As he skimmed through its contents, his relaxed posture gradually tensed. He shifted in his chair, crossing his legs, while his lips pressed together in thought, and at the same time, his eyes, which were initially filled with curiosity, began to narrow, indicating his growing concern.

With every passing entry, it was evident that his mood was turning grimmer.

Lucious sighed heavily after reading the diary, "So that's how he ended up. No wonder I couldn't get through to him."

Upon hearing Lucious's words, a realization dawned on Val

"You knew him?" he inquired.

After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Lucious replied, "Personally, I didn't. However, he was a prominent figure in the wizard community a decade ago, consistently making groundbreaking discoveries. But his publications ceased all of a sudden. I suspect that was when the queen might have recruited him to work under her. I should have realized that someone higher up was involved in his sudden disappearance. But now it's too late to regret as he was forced to take his life. It's sad, but the wizard community has lost another talented member. No, the kingdom as a whole has lost a national treasure."

'So Alaric was even more renowned than I thought,' Val realized, 'Even Lucious speaks highly of him.'

After taking a moment to lament the loss of a prodigious mind, Lucious narrowed his eyes at Val and asked, "Why did you bring this to my attention? What's your objective?"

"While the common belief is that the Queen is the heart and soul of the kingdom, I believe the kingdom's welfare and safety should always come first instead of her desires. I hope you can put an end to this madness. Also, I'd appreciate it if my involvement remains confidential," Val replied.

Lucious leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully before replying to Val.

"That's a lot you're asking from me."

"Please," Val pleaded with a hint of desperation in his eyes.

He was not actually desperate, but his acting was so good that it fooled both Oliver and Lucious into believing he was.

Internally, he was calm as he had the option to flee to another land should things go south in the kingdom.

But that was a loss he didn't want to experience.

The kingdom and the surrounding lands were rich in resources. Although it was hard, he would undeniably grow if he spend his time in the kingdom. On the other hand, the forest of dread and the area outside it were full of danger and creatures so terrifying he didn't stand a chance against him.

Not to mention, the return scroll could only teleport one person. If he wanted to escape, he could bring no one else unless he wanted to expose his deepest and darkest secret. He believed no matter who it was they would be disgusted with him if they knew his true identity.

'If the Unknown invades the kingdom and there's no one to fend it off, I will have to give up on everything, even Eliana, and escape to safety.'

To avoid the worst possible future, he was making an effort to put a ban on the experiments that could attract the attention of the Unknown.

"Master, the Queen's actions endanger the entire realm so we must stop her. Given your status in the kingdom, she wouldn't dare retaliate against you. But if she knew of Val's role in this and chose to vent her fury, our family of three will be reduced to two once again. You know, her reach and influence are unmatched. She's a formidable force to reckon with. We won't be able to stop her from taking revenge. It's not like we can guard him every second of the day. And if she tried to use a high-level curse, he will be a goner no matter what we do. So please fulfill his wish, master. It's not like he is asking for much," Oliver chimed in, reinforcing Val's appeal.

"Fine," Lucious conceded. "I'll see what can be done. But, Val... you won't get any credit for providing such intel to the kingdom. Are you fine with that?"

Val nodded his head, "It doesn't matter. Peace of mind is more important to me than glory."

"Well said," Lucious chuckled.

Lucious's expression then grew more somber and he asked, "By the way, I have a question for you. How would you handle this situation if you were in my position?"

Val replied, "Initiating a direct conversation with the Queen would be my first move. Her goals are undoubtedly grand and advantageous for the entire kingdom, but she's currently ill-equipped to realize them. And there's also the threat of the Unknown looming over us. We don't know much about it except for the fact it can kill people in the present from the future, which marks it as a terrifying entity. I will try to talk the Queen out of it by revealing the existence of Alaric's diary and showing the harm her actions can bring to the realm. Should she understand and agree, that would be the end of the matter. If she isn't receptive, I will seek out the factions that have long been disappointed with the Queen."