Chapter 305 - Tell Us the Truth (Part 2)

"We enjoy relatively peaceful lives, even though there are times when some kingdoms are at war. Those in other continents are far more advanced than any kingdoms in Maecaea. They can easily conquer us, even Tissuria and Ishelon."

"How certain are you that those people will only try to conquer us? It is possible that trading with them can actually give us a lot of benefits and advantages."

Master Mardox shook his head, "Young Madam, even though you are the formidable Zenia Anisen, you are as naïve as my younger brother. But, I have to admit that you are far wiser than him considering your age difference. He died thinking that he can find the answer to immortality in one of the other continents. I don't know why he thought that there's a way to become immortal. His disciple, the Dark Magic Lord, always believed that dark magic is more powerful than anything. He thought that he will be able to conquer the other continents or form an alliance with them to bring down Maecaea and find out the secret to immortality. These are just a few reasons that made me decide that it's best to keep Maecaea safely hidden from the other continents and remain sealed forever."

"Hmm, I see your point. What's so good at being immortal anyway? They can never be equal to gods. There's no guarantee that they will not contract any illness when they turned immortal. They can live forever, but they can still experience pain. In the end, living forever could be worse than death if they have to feel excruciating pain all their lives. I still think that it's still more beneficial if we break the seal and explore the other continents."

Zenia's eyes were gleaming when she uttered those words, and Vaughn knew exactly what she was thinking. The human heart was truly greedy. She was saying something that seemed to benefit everyone in Maecaea – that was only a half-truth. The other half was that she just wanted to go to different places and explore.

Master Mardox already noticed that Zenia was an adventurer who would like to go to unexplored territories and make her mark. He admired her for that, but he also thought that she was a foolish child.

"I have seen the ways of some people in some of those other continents, and they are far more vicious than the most savage ones in Maecaea. I know that you want to try something new and optimistic about the result, but the sad reality is that you can never be certain that you will get the end result that you want to achieve."

"That is why we need to try it so we can find out. How many times have you interacted with them?"

Master Mardox looked at Zenia with annoyance in his eyes. He already knew she could be persistent and might even win the argument, but he was determined not to help her get what she wanted to happen. In Master Mardox's eyes, Zenia was someone who just wanted to have an adventure more than bringing prosperity to Maecaea.

"I have been there three times. In those times that I have been there, I never experienced anything great. The people I met were mostly rude and lovers of fame and fortune. They were all busy that they have no time to educate their children who will surely follow their path."

"Isn't it human nature to seek fame and fortune? That means the people there are trying their best to live a good life? Do they steal? Do they perpetuate crime to get more money?"

Master Mardox thought for a while and answered, "No, most of them are honest businessmen. But, there are also thugs."

"There are more thugs than honest businessmen in Maecaea. Why did you think that the other continents will bring more harm than good to the people in Maecaea? Besides, you've only been there a few times. I don't think you have the qualifications to make a viable assessment."

Master Mardox frowned at Zenia's statement. It was obvious that he did not like it one bit. Zenia was trying a direct attack since the person in front of her was being too judgmental.

Chief Elder was beginning to worry about Zenia. He knew that his master was someone with limited patience. It was already surprising that he was still answering Zenia's questions.

Vaughn could feel that his wife was beginning to get annoyed at Master Mardox's stubbornness. Master Mardox was a perfect example of someone who refused to embrace change and to admit that meeting new people with a novel way of thinking could be a good thing. 

"Woman, you are still nothing but a mere child who is yet to understand the things that are happening in the world. The best way to keep yourself safe is to follow the old ways and stick to it. Don't try to venture out somewhere that is full of uncertainty."

"You're saying that but right at this moment the Dark Magic Lord and King Odhran could be on their way to explore the other continents."

"Pah! That's impossible! The only way to break the seal is through the Orb, and the only person who can command the Orb is the true heir to the throne."

"Did the former King of Prazia also decide that it's best not to break the seal?"

"Yes! Even if he wants to break the seal, he couldn't. He's still not the true heir of the throne, but he could command the Orb on some matters. However, his power was still not enough to command the Orb to break the seal. Someone with an even greater power had created that seal and made sure that it will not be broken."

Zenia smirked. It appeared that Master Mardox would not be able to do something when the true heir had decided to break the seal. Her intuition was telling her that the true heir was Jorick. She was planning to exhaust all her abilities to make him understand the importance of exploring other continents.

"You may not like what you are about to hear, but I don't think you are even certain whether your assessment of the other continents is correct."

Master Mardox looked at Zenia as if he wanted to choke her. Nobody had been bold enough to tell those things in his face. The woman in front of him, no matter how powerful she was, he couldn't let her off.

Chief Elder stepped in and held the arm of Master Mardox. 

"Master, I understand Madam's concern. They had an encounter with the Dark Magic faction before," Chief Elder looked at Zenia and Vaughn and turned back to face his master, "I think she is just anxious that the same thing might happen again if we don't help them explore the other continents that the Dark magic Lord wants to visit. I think she only wants to know the things that the other continents can offer and whether there's truth in the immortality claim."

Zenia was not surprised at Chief Elder's words. She knew that he could gather information anytime, anywhere. She looked at Chief Elder because he took the words out of her mouth. She couldn't find the right words to convey her thoughts, and each time she opened her mouth, something unpleasant to Master Mardox's ears would come out. She thought for a while and knew that she should cook for Chief Elder once more as a token of gratitude.

Master Mardox glared at Chief Elder, who whispered in his ear, "Master, the dishes that you tasted and liked very much a few days ago were all made by Madam."

Master Mardox gave Chief Elder a surprised look and then shifted his gaze on Zenia, who tried to read and understand the ever-changing mood of Master Mardox. One minute he seemed like he wanted to devour Zenia alive, and the next minute he seemed to look at her with admiration. Even Vaughn found it confusing, and he did not like it. He held the dagger tightly and prepared for a possible attack.

Master Mardox calmed down after Chief Elder whispered something in his ear. He thought that Zenia only wanted to explore the other continents for her own benefits. The truth was she wanted to explore the other continents and bring benefits to herself and the entire Maecaea.

"Rest assured, child, that no one will be able to break the seal. They may find ways to see the other continents and even set foot for a few minutes, but they wouldn't be able to interact with someone."

"But, Master Maardox, how can you be sure that they will not be able to break the seal? What if they already found another way to break it? How long have you been here? The best course of action is to beat them at their own game. If we can make those people in the other continents become our ally, we will be able to foil the plan of the Dark Magic Lord and King Odhran."

Master Mardox sighed, "How can you be certain that they are thinking that?"

"Because that is what I will do if I were them. I will try to win the trust of people first and find out their weaknesses. I will strike when they least expect it."

Master Mardox shook his head, "I still think that it's highly unlikely that it will happen."

"I'm sure that the Dark Magic Lord's group will do that. It's one of the most basic forms of battle strategy – win their trust, find their weakness, and strike - and it always works. However, success still depends on the ability of the leader to carry out the plan. He should be able to determine who to befriend first, determine the closest connection to the target, and strike at the right time." 

Vaughn looked at his wife with admiration and couldn't wait to find out who among their children would be able to inherit Zenia's mind. He smiled and began strategizing a plan.