Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH714 Letter From the Legatee II

**[A.N: Mass Release Chapter: 2/10]**

”After careful consideration, I have concluded that your organisation is uniquely positioned to oversee the proper dissemination of this cure, while preventing the false deities and their despicable clergy from employing their usual heinous methods to suppress progress across the plane in service of their fabricated narrative of the world.

”Unlike my faction, which is positioned toward development for our shared cause, your organisation possesses both the reach and the experience necessary to confront the nefarious methods of the Temples directly. As such, you possess the influence, stability, and infrastructure required to introduce this cure to the world on a scale that no lesser power could ever hope to achieve.”

”Naturally, I do not intend to hand over such a creation freely. My faction must recover at least a portion of the immense costs invested into this endeavour. The value of this cure is self-evident, and its price shall naturally reflect this value accordingly.

”I have entrusted Raven Horn with a separate document containing the pricing structure.”

Raven Horn continued reading aloud.

”O’ Elders of House Alston, this should not be mistaken for a mere business transaction. Rather, view it for what it truly is—an opportunity.

”You are all undoubtedly men of immense wisdom and experience, possessing insight far beyond what someone of my age could hope to claim. As such, I know I need not explain the tremendous value of this cure, nor the countless lives it may change... and the profound shift in the balance of power it could bring about.”

”This is not merely a transaction, but also an opportunity to become the guiding hand that determines how—and where—that shift in the balance of power unfolds.

”It is also an opportunity to deliver a major blow against the Pantheon, and to tear open the first crack within the seemingly impenetrable wall of narratives and lies the different Temples have woven around the minds of the people.

”The first decisive step in the great mission that we now share.

”This is an opportunity to carry out the first meaningful strike against our common enemy.”

The room continued to remain silent as Raven Horn read on.

”However, more importantly than all of this, it is also an opportunity to strengthen the goodwill and camaraderie between our two organisations.

”Please consider this my gesture of goodwill towards the future relationship between our factions, as together we take the first steps towards ushering in the new world the forebears sacrificed their lives to light the flames of hope for.”

”I ask that you consider my offer carefully—and favourably—so that we may seize this rare opportunity together. A chance to begin reshaping the world itself... one that may never present itself again.”

Once Raven Horn finished reading Alex’s letter, he proceeded to present the list of demands and conditions attached to the cure itself.

The prices attached to the cure were undeniably steep—high enough to comfortably fund the operations of a large organisation. However, Raven Horn did not believe they were beyond what the Black Scar Syndicate—or rather, the Alston Family behind it—could afford.

What truly surprised him was the silence that followed after he finished reading the price list. Even the faction aligned with the Fourth Elder remained unusually quiet.

”Step outside, Admon,” the First Elder suddenly ordered.

A flicker of surprise passed through Raven Horn’s eyes, but he obeyed immediately. He stepped out of the central circle within the room, severing his ability to overhear the discussion between the phantom projections of the Elders.

Roughly five minutes passed as the Elders exchanged words amongst themselves.

Eventually, the First Elder’s phantom motioned for Raven Horn to return.

”Admon, inform the Legatee—Young Master Alex—that we accept his demands,” the First Elder declared.

”Understood,” Raven Horn bowed respectfully.

”And also tell him this,” the First Elder continued, his voice calm yet meaningful, ”we understand and acknowledge his ’request’, and we shall do our utmost to meet his expectations.”

A trace of confusion flickered across Raven Horn’s eyes, causing him to tilt his head slightly. Nevertheless, he lowered his head once more.

”I shall carry out your orders,” he affirmed.

With that, the meeting came to an end. The phantoms of the Elders gradually faded away, and Raven Horn departed from the mansion, making his way towards the Fortuna Mansion to deliver the good news personally.

—

At the same time, elsewhere within an undisclosed location, three elderly men in their sixties—or perhaps even older—sat cross-legged upon the floor around a short table, calmly drinking tea together.

Had Raven Horn been present, he would have recognised them immediately.

They were the First, Second, and Third Elders of the Alston Family Council.

Seated at the head of the short rectangular table was the First Elder. Though he was the oldest amongst the three, he also exuded the strongest and most imposing presence.

He calmly sipped from his teacup before setting it down upon his lap. Afterwards, he slowly turned his gaze towards the two elderly men seated beside him—the Second Elder on his right, and the Third Elder on his left.

”What do the two of you think of the Legatee’s letter?” the First Elder asked calmly.

”On the surface, he presents himself as an idealist,” the Second Elder replied with a chuckle. ”Yet beneath that surface, the letter reveals a considerable degree of cunning— though not necessarily in a bad way.”

His expression resembled that of an amused senior watching a particularly talented junior show off before his elders.

The Third Elder nodded as well, carrying a similarly entertained expression.

However, unlike the Second Elder, he began dissecting Alex’s letter in far greater detail.

”The first half of the letter is deliberately sentimental in tone. He constructs a rhetoric designed to resonate with us emotionally, then goes even further by displaying intense hostility towards the deities—as though he wishes to convince us that his hatred for the Pantheon rivals, or perhaps even surpasses, that of our guardian family.

”However, if the far more restrained and controlled tone present within the second half of the letter is anything to judge by, then the emotional approach in the first half was likely intentional. It was either meant to establish a sense of shared purpose and emotion between us... or to create the illusion that we had discovered a weakness within his character.

”Either way, the result is all the same. It encourages us to lower our guard and view the latter half of the letter more favourably.”

***