Chapter 327 - Just Once

After thinking for a while, Zaos recalled one thing that he always wanted. That would be worth the hassle of helping them.

"I want two things," Zaos said. "First of all, you will focus only on slowing down the advance of the army, there won't be any fighting. I also I want a book that will teach me the ancient language."

"What? Why would you want something like that?" Fyran asked, thoroughly enraged. "There is no way we would give you something as valuable as that."

"Ah, so you indeed have a book that can teach me that," Zaos said. "Well, unless both of my demands are met, I am not going to help."

"Why do you want a book like that, Zaos?" Derenus asked.

"For research purposes," Zaos replied.

"Can you be more specific?" Derenus asked. 

"I can, but what would be the point?" Zaos asked. "They won't cooperate, after all."

"Depending on your answer, I might help," Derenus said.

"That is weird, you don't want to help them, so why do you want me to help them?" Zaos frowned.

"Well, I just want to see if you are really willing to fight on our side," Derenus replied. "Even if it is just once, the result of this might determine the future of many other battles since our people will keep growing stronger."

"... A few years ago, I researched the ancient language and I deciphered some of the magic symbols. I did that to heal my mother who had a weak body," Zaos replied. "After deciphering all the support spells, I managed to discover a few new ones, but my mother died before I could help her. In any case, the research was interesting and now that I am planning to quit, maybe I should resume the point where I stopped. Still, I think that I could have progressed faster if I knew how to pronounce the spells in the original language… why are you looking at me like that?"

Derenus and the others were looking at Zaos as if he had spoken the most insane thing any of them could have heard. It seemed that they never imagined that the people of the Sairus kingdom would be able to do that.

"You are lying, right?" Derenus asked. "There is no way the people of the kingdom would be able to read the ancient language after this long."

"Well, I can read, and I am pretty sure the royal family has some knowledge as well," Zaos said. "I asked the king about that and he said that I shouldn't continue my research and he didn't deny it when I asked if he had access to the translation of the ancient language."

Derenus and the others still looked as if they didn't believe it, so Zaos drew several magic symbols on the snow and told them the translation. As expected, he was correct. Zaos even told them the spells that he had discovered, and while they use some of them to this day, they had lost how to cast Regeneration and Light Arrow.

"I can't believe it…" Derenus said, visibly shocked. "Did you spread the knowledge of how to cast these spells?"

"A few of them, I wrote a magic book and made a lot of money," Zaos replied. "Anyway, that is not important. Are you going to accept my offer or not?"

Derenus looked at the other guys and wondered what he should do. After hearing that, Fyran and the others were even eager not to let Zaos got his hands on that kind of knowledge since it was too dangerous. He would become too powerful if he were to keep researching like that. Still, they needed the knowledge of more spells since their progress when it comes to magic had stagnated over the years, and many of their techniques had been lost.

"If you show us the formulas of the spells you discovered, then I will find a way to give you one of our few books that still teach the ancient language," Derenus said. "However, you must also promise on the soul of your dead mother that you won't spread the knowledge of what you discover to other and won't let the book fall on anyone else's hands."

"You aren't taking my words seriously when I said that I am going to retire, are you?" Zaos asked.

"I am against this, Derenus," Fyran said. "If he wants the book, he will have to show some results before anything."

"You might go back on your word later, so I am not going to help before you give me the book," Zaos said.

"We are the ones who should be demanding anything, you are the stranger here," Fyran raised his voice.

"Well, let's compromise," Derenus said. "You will have the book, but your things will be guarded in the middle of the camp. The short sword won't leave your side, but even you won't try to escape without your big sword, armor, crossbow, and knives."

"Well, I suppose that is fair," Zaos said.

Since Zaos won't have to fight, that won't be an issue. The real problem is what might happen later. If Fyran and the others decided to take back the book by force. Without his main sword, Zaos won't be able to fight against many enemies that well. Regardless, he decided to cross that bridge when the time came.

"Well then, tell me what your goal is currently and then show me the surroundings of your main camp," Zaos said. "I can imagine how the soldiers will proceed once they arrive the area, but I still will need to learn about the strengths and weakness of this place."

"All right, I will help you with that," Derenus said. "Meanwhile, Fyran and the others will warn their superiors and the others about this agreement."

"You said that you wouldn't help…" Zaos frowned.

"I also said that wanted to see you helping our people, even if it is just once," Derenus said.