Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 342: Bromance In a New World

CH342 Bromance In a New World

***

”I really appreciate your offer to join the Order of Valour,” Alex said, his tone respectful yet firm. ”But I have personal goals that won’t allow me to join.

”This isn’t just about the Order. I don’t intend to join any organisation at all. I can’t allow myself to be bound—directly or indirectly—by the rules or norms of any group. For what I need to achieve, I require complete autonomy. I must remain a free noble.”

He paused briefly, then added, ”That said –for whatever it worth—among all organisations I know, the one I resonate with the most is the Order of Valour. That’s what makes this decision difficult.

”It’s not that I don’t respect the Order. In fact, I deeply admire its chosen mandate. It’s just... unfortunate that I’m not as selfless as you or your fellow members. I cannot abandon my family or my goals, and for that reason, I cannot renounce my nobility to become one of you.”

He said solemnly, ”What I can promise is this—when I am strong enough, I will lead my forces into one of the battlefield subspaces and fight the alien hordes threatening our world. Whether we like it or not, defending Pangea—our home—is a collective responsibility. And I fully intend to do my part.”

”Well said.” Caesar smiled and patted Alex’s shoulder. ”Indeed, you don’t have to join the Order to defend our realm. The Order exists as a linchpin—a guiding light—to unite individual efforts. Not everyone needs to join it. With the Order leading the charge, the rest of us can pursue our own paths while still contributing to the same cause. That’s the best and most realistic way to face this.”

”...Fine.” Archilles exhaled and nodded reluctantly.

Alex couldn’t help but feel as though he’d stepped into an ongoing debate between the two.

’Did I just get used as a tiebreaker?’ he wondered dryly.

The three of them left the sparring ring and headed into the house. The interior bore a minimalist, military aesthetic—even more austere than Alex’s own tastes.

He glanced around, curious. ’Was this Archilles’s personal choice? Or did the house come this way?’

He recalled that Haggleworth had employed several interior designers, which made the spartan design even stranger—unless Archilles had deliberately chosen it.

That thought added another quiet note to Alex’s growing mental profile of the man.

Caesar moved around the house like he owned it. He went straight to Archilles’s wine cabinet, pulled out a bottle of high-quality wine, and poured himself a cup—without even asking the host.

Archilles didn’t say a word. Whether he was used to it or simply chose to condone it, Alex couldn’t tell.

”I don’t drink,” Alex said suddenly.

”Huh? You’ve come of age, haven’t you?” Caesar froze mid-pour.

”I have,” Alex nodded. ”But my body treats alcohol as a toxin—it breaks it down before it even reaches my stomach. I wouldn’t mind if that was all, but the process itself isn’t exactly... pleasant. So, I just avoid alcohol entirely.”

Caesar palmed his face with a groan. ”Right, I forgot. You’ve got an active light-fire hybrid bloodline. That explains it.” He gave Alex a pitying look.

’It’s actually AetherKindle’s doing, but there’s no need to correct him,’ Alex thought, suppressing a chuckle. ’And it looks like my suspicion was right—the Imperial Clan already knows I have a Solar bloodline. Are they watching to see what happens between Eleanor and me? Is that why they haven’t made any moves yet, even after Father met her father openly?’

”What do you drink then?” Archilles asked, pulling Alex out of his thoughts.

”Anything non-alcoholic. Fruit mead is fine, but I prefer milk with honey,” Alex said with a shrug.

”I’ve got milk but no honey. Some spices, though—you could add those,” Archilles offered.

”If there’s one thing I can’t stand about this guy,” Caesar cut in, ”It’s that he doesn’t have sweeteners, even honey. Every time I come over, I have to bring my own bag of sugar. It’s tragic, really.” He poured himself and Archilles each a glass of wine. ”At least his wine collection makes up for it.”

”Oh, I see,” Alex nodded with a faint smile. ”Just the milk is fine.”

He knew people sometimes spiced their milk with nutmeg, cardamom, or cinnamon, but it wasn’t something he did nor was eager to try right now. Thankfully, he wasn’t so much of a sweet tooth that plain milk bothered him.

Once their drinks were settled, the trio sat down together. The conversation flowed easily—well, mostly Caesar bringing up random topics while Alex and Archilles responded.

For a brief moment, Alex felt strangely out of place. If he didn’t know who these two men truly were—royalty, and powerful professionals—he could have sworn he was back on Earth, chatting casually with friends after work.

It was so... normal and mundane.

A simple conversation between men, unburdened by status or politics.

Something he hadn’t expected when he first accepted their invitation.

Then Caesar, already a little tipsy, leaned forward with a mischievous grin. ”By the way, Alex... how did you manage to snag both the Ice Queen of the DragonHold Enclave and the Flower of the Empire? And from what I’ve heard, they actually get along!”

”Yes,” Archilles added with a raised brow. ”How did you manage to capture two royal hearts without sparking a scandal?”

”I don’t know. It was just luck, I guess. Things pretty much worked themselves out. I only had to show up to pick them up,” Alex said with a shrug.

He gave them a rough overview—nothing too detailed, just enough for them to understand the gist of his point.

”You lucky...”

The two royals exchanged glances, a flicker of jealousy in their eyes.

”I’m surprised you still regard Zora as a royal,” Alex commented with a light chuckle.

”Why wouldn’t I? She’s the last remaining heiress of the Frost family, isn’t she?” Achilles asked, looking slightly puzzled.

”He assumed that since the Frosts were the ceremonial heads of the Confederacy, the council would be glad to be rid of them,” Caesar explained with a grin.

”Oh, I see. Then you’re mistaken,” Achilles said, shaking his head. ”The Frosts were the ones essentially holding the Confederacy together—mediating conflicts and keeping the kingdoms from tearing each other apart. With them gone, disputes have only grown worse. The council members would welcome Lady Zora back in an instant if she chose to reclaim her mantle. The Confederacy is weaker now without the Frosts to anchor it.”

’So other empires stand to gain more from the Frosts’ downfall than the Confederacy itself?’ Alex mused silently.

”Alright, stop. Let’s not drag politics into this. We were talking about romance!” Caesar interjected suddenly, leaning forward with a grin. ”Our big hunk here needs your help, Alex. There’s this lady he’s got his eyes on, but he’s too scared he’ll scare her off. How about you give him some advice?”

”Hey, don’t make it sound like I’m the only single one here! Last I checked, you don’t have anyone either,” Achilles shot back.

”At least I’ve had several relationships before. You, on the other hand, are still hung up on the same woman for years—and you haven’t even made a move,” Caesar retorted.

Both men glared at each other in mock offence for a few seconds before sighing and downing their drinks in perfect synchrony, slamming their cups onto the table.

’Don’t tell me these two are drunk already... are they?’ Alex thought, a faint twitch pulling at his brow.

He smoothly sidestepped the brewing argument by pouring them more drinks and steering the topic elsewhere.

It didn’t take long to confirm his suspicion—they were drunk. The wine they’d been drinking wasn’t ordinary; even a faint whiff of it was enough to trigger an aggressive response from AetherKindle before the vapour itself began to intoxicate him.

Apparently, it was a rare and expensive vintage potent enough to affect even Legends.

Alex eventually left his two new friends—arguably—to sleep off their drunkenness while he made his way back to his dorm at the Enclave.

***