Rasmus crossed his arms, watching the children with an aptitude for magic try to create a fire from Mana. He knew that the Refenus Kingdom produced the most mages compared to the other regions in Central Neva, but he didn't expect there were quite a few of the children from the village that had an aptitude for magic.
"It was less than a month since you brought Sinclair, Abigail, and Cinder, here. Now look at the other children here. You really made a name for yourself now, huh?" Eduard stood beside Rasmus as he crossed his arms. "Did the parents pay you well?" He smirked as he glanced at Rasmus.
"I do it for free," Rasmus shook his head as he observed that a few of the children had managed to create a spark in between their hands.
"Free?!" Eduard's eyes widened as he stared at Rasmus in disbelief. "You know you can make a fortune from this. Well, it seems you're no merchant," he sighed in disappointment and shook his head.
Rasmus only responded with a faint smirk and a soft scoff.
"Anyway, there's something that I'm worried about," Eduard's tone and expression changed drastically into a serious one.
Rasmus glanced at Eduard and wondered what made Eduard look so concerned. He knew Eduard, and he had never seen him that concerned before.
"You need to be careful, Rasmus," Eduard said in a quiet voice. "I heard rumors that some kind of people are looking for you," he pointed out as he stared into Rasmus's eyes.
"Some kind of people? Like bad people?" Rasmus crossed his arms and his focus was on Eduard's expression.
Eduard nodded slowly as he glanced at the children and their parents on the sides. "They're not bandits or thugs. They're more organized and well-known in the underworld," he explained.
Rasmus hummed as he nodded with understanding and looked at the faces of the parents. He knew what it was all about before Eduard had to explain the details. He knew his lineage was useful for criminals and they would use his suffering and desperation to join them.
"How good these people are?" Rasmus glanced at Eduard.
"I don't know much about them. I heard about it from the other merchants when I was in the capital city and on my way back here. I'll find some information about them if you want me to," Eduard said as he shook his head.
"No, that's fine. I can't afford to pay you for that, and since you said you're a merchant, you won't do things for free, right?" Rasmus smirked at Eduard. "I know someone else that can do that for me, willingly."
Eduard furrowed his brows as he watched Rasmus walk away and approach the children. He wondered who it was, the person that Rasmus could ask to do something like that.
As the sun went down, the children left the field with their parents after Rasmus taught them the basics of science and physics. Rasmus went to his cabin with a few ingredients for dinner and bread for Videl.
"Catch..." Rasmus threw the bread at Videl who was sitting at the table.
Videl caught the bread and ate the freshly baked bread where the crisp could be heard in the living room when he took a bite. He watched Rasmus sit across from him with a serious expression. He couldn't help but read Rasmus's thoughts and find out what it was all about.
"You want me to go to the capital city?" Videl smirked as he rested his head on his fist.
"Yes, and you can sleep with all the men and women you want. I believe people who live in the city are more... alluring," Rasmus said as he stared into Videl's eyes.
Videl grinned widely as he reached out his hand toward Rasmus and opened it. That gesture made Rasmus look a bit confused.
"Pocket money," Videl explained as he looked at his palm.
"You can easily steal their money and use it on prostitutes. It's a perfect opportunity to gather information about this organization from those women," Rasmus slapped Videl's hand away from his face.
Videl laughed as he retracted his hand and nodded.
"How long do you want me to stay in the capital?" Videl cleaned his hand from the breadcrumb.
"A week or two. Enjoy your time there," Rasmus answered as he stood up and grabbed a book from the bookshelf that he had made. "You can go now if you want," he added as he read the book about the Great Era of Neva at the table.
Videl nodded with understanding as he stood up and snapped his fingers. He changed his appearance into a handsome man with long red hair, making him look eccentric.
"I might bring back some souvenirs," Videl said as he walked away and left the cabin.
Rasmus continued to read the book since he had been busy teaching the children how to sense and use Mana. He didn't mind teaching them even though his goal after he was brought into this world was to destroy it.
The last chapter of the book that he read was when the 4 figures graduated and went back to their homes. The first figure who showed signs of dissatisfaction with the system was Servil. She raised a banner and created a guild that began from the southeast of Neva. She then began to make a name for herself, protecting the commoners and bringing them under her wings all the way to Eastern Neva.
"Rather than going straight to Central Neva, she went to gain support from the Eastern Neva. That's quite a bold move..." Rasmus muttered to himself as he flipped the page.
Eastern Neva was famous for slavery and the power struggle there was visible to everyone. That continent was about survival of the fittest, and nobody dared to touch that continent except for the native people. It was similar to Northern Neva, but Northern Neva was strong and unified, treating each nation as their own brothers and sisters.
Rasmus found Servil's story fascinating because she was beyond what he would expect. She upheld justice and protected the innocent, especially women. She waged wars against feudal lords, princes, and sultans, strengthening her status in the eyes of the world, and gaining support from Eastern Neva. In a span of 4 years, she managed to conquer half of Eastern Neva and gained the title Warmonger.
"I see, so you were planning to conquer Eastern Neva and hoarded their golds," Rasmus muttered with a smirk on his face. "You've got power, wealth, and territory, competing with the other 3 figures just like that."
He read the book until midnight and he could imagine how severe the conflict and the chaos those 4 figures had created back then based on the description that the author wrote. Something bothered him because there was something amiss with their purpose in waging wars against each other.
"These figures... they were righteous and yet killed countless innocent lives..." Rasmus sat straight as he looked down at the book on the table. "What did you guys know? And why did you all turn the world upside down?" He sighed as he narrowed his eyes and stared at the page.