The Kind of Evil-Chapter 285: To feel what is real.

‎"Your Holiness—I mean, Lady Astrea. Are you sure about this? You will be alone with Rasmus and his people," Lenin asked as she looked at Astrea sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the stone wall. "Novia heard his conversation with Commander Arka, and I have told you about it. That's the kind of person he is, and you still want me to go back with him even after knowing that?"

‎Astrea kept staring at the wall, taking her time before she decided to answer the question.

‎"It's my choice, Great Sage. I don't hold any influence or power anymore. I just want to live for Aurelia, that's all," Astrea answered as she looked at Lenin. "I have served my whole life to God and only go God. I want to spend the rest of my life for my daughter now," she continued with a soft smile on her face.

‎Lenin noticed the drastic changes in Astrea's behavior and way of thinking ever since she spent a lot of time with Rasmus. She knew that what had happened to Astrea was the main factor of her changes, but she believed Rasmus played a role in that as well.

‎"Then would you be fine to have someone like Rasmus around your daughter?" Lenin asked as she crossed her arms.

‎"I have trusted all the Cardinals my whole life, but what did I get, Great Sage? One of them schemed behind my back, tarnishing the name of the Holy Nation. If I had to choose, I would let someone like Rasmus who would say nothing but the truth rather than liars and deceivers," Astrea answered, this time her expression became serious.

‎"What if you were wrong? You know you can't turn back in time. It's better to avoid someone like him, and you'll lose nothing by choosing that," Lenin furrowed her brows as she put her weight on her left foot. "Don't let Aurelia become Rasmus's pawn, Lady Astrea. We would lose everything..." she continued, her voice was quiet.

‎"Would you turn back in time and let Count Rasmus die since you already knew how dangerous he became? Do you believe, without him, we could win? You brought Lady Aris to him, you were the one who gave him something that the world shouldn't have. In this time and situation, we both knew that we needed him. Don't give him another reason to get rid of us," Astrea responded, her eye stared right into Lenin's eyes.

‎Lenin took a deep breath as she sat down on the chair with a conflicted expression. She was lost for words, and there was nothing she could say to argue with Astrea's words.

‎"The future of humankind is in his hands. Don't make him let go of it, don't make ourselves look like a useless burden. We aren't ready for the demon forces and we aren't ready for him as well. You have known his personality long before everyone else. Please, Great Sage, don't turn yourself into the people you despise the most, the hypocrites," Astrea said as she frowned and stared at Lenin.

‎"I'm not being a hypocrite, Lady Astrea. We both know that he's dangerous and you know I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do," Lenin said as she frowned as she stared back at Astrea.

‎"And so what did the Cardinal believe in. He believed that killing Saint Serena was the right thing to do a few decades ago. What makes you different to him, Great Sage?" Astrea asked as she furrowed her brows. "That's enough, Great Sage. I don't want to argue with you when we both have the same goal and dream, the bright future of humankind..." she said as she slowly looked away and closed her eyes.

‎Lenin nodded with understanding, and then stood up from the chair. She bowed down at Astrea before she left the room and left Astrea alone.

‎After talking with Astrea, Lenin finally saw the big picture of Rasmus. She became more terrified of him and the future he would bring to Neva.

‎"Master..." Novia looked at Lenin who looked completely troubled.

‎"You overheard everything?" Lenin asked.

‎Novia nodded as she walked beside Lenin.

‎"You said that Rasmus used deception and manipulated Commander Arka. But that's not the case because now you have heard what Lady Astrea said. He gives and shows people what's real, he lets them feel what's real..." Lenin said as she walked in the long hallway. freewёbnoνel.com

‎"What's real? But being real without the will to change it is pointless. If he doesn't mind the trash around him because that's real, he won't bother to change it since that's who he is!" Novia responded as she stared at Lenin.

‎"I thought the same, but now you need to think why he has people like Daryus, Carrion, and Saint Serena on his side. It's because they're the ones who are going to clean those trash for him, he gives them a chance that align with their goals, to make a better world..." Lenin said as she stared at Novia.

‎"Master? Why do you sound like you begin to see him in the light he shouldn't be?" Novia furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Lenin.

‎"No, Novia. I'm not saying he's a great person, but I have to admit... He's an exceptionally skilled leader. He knows exactly how to bring people and make them follow him," Lenin answered with a serious expression. "He's not a deceiver..." she muttered under her breath.

‎Novia lowered her head and decided not to say a word anymore. Lenin glanced at her, and she couldn't see what kind of expression that Novia wore on her face.

‎The next morning, Lenin and Novia stood in front of the blimp that belonged to the Magic Tower. They were about to leave the harbor and went back to Gratlan after being away for too long. They looked at Astrea in her wheelchair with Serena and Rasmus beside her.

‎"Count, take care of Lady Astrea. Keep her safe," Lenin said with a serious expression.

‎Rasmus nodded without saying a word. He then noticed how Novia had been putting on a stoic expression and stared blankly at the distance. He noticed that something had happened to her since she seemed to be putting walls around her, even when she was beside Lenin.

‎"We will come to visit soon," Lenin looked at Astrea with a smile on her face.

‎"Don't force yourself, Great Sage. I know you have lots of things to handle, so come when you have free time," Astrea smiled back at Lenin. "Aurelia would love to see you again," she waved weakly at Lenin and Novia.

‎‎Lenin smiled as she nodded and looked at every one of them with a soft gaze. She still couldn't shake the feeling from her last conversation with Astrea. However, she decided to bury it deep within her heart and dealt with it later.

‎As soon as Lenin and Novia entered the blimp, they took off to their destination, Gratlan, the floating island. Astrea and the others watched the blimp go up high beyond the clouds until it looked like a small dot in the vast sky. Astrea took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, feeling conflicted and felt there was a knot in her chest that had been suffocating her.

"Should we go as well, Lady Astrea?" Rasmus asked as he raised his brows.

"Yes, we should get going as well. The journey is going to take a while, and we can't waste even a single day here. I want to go back home, and I want to be by Aurelia's side," Astrea nodded as she looked at her wrapped in bandages arms. "I'm ready to go home, Count," she added as she kept nodding.

Rasmus nodded, and then looked at the others, signaling them to accompany her to the blimp with the symbol of the Angelis family on it. He watched them walk while he stayed behind, and then he turned around to look at Arka with a stoic expression.

"Have you made up your mind, Commander? What kind of choice you're going to make?" Rasmus asked as he stared right into Arka's eyes.

Arka stared back into Rasmus's eyes without a sign of fear in his eyes. He wasn't afraid of what Rasmus was capable of, he wasn't afraid of the future that awaited him, and he wasn't afraid of the consequences of his choice.

"If I chose to follow, what am I to you, Count?" Arka asked.

"Someone equal," Rasmus slowly lifted his right hand for a handshake. "Just like how the others are. They follow because I can open up the path toward their goals, there's only respect between all of us," he continued.

Arka looked at Rasmus's hand for a moment before he reached it and shook his hand firmly.

"I might not be able to save all lives, but I'll do what I can," Rasmus said calmly.

"I don't believe you'll be able to do that in the first place, Count. As long as you can keep the people around you to feel safe, that's what matters," Arka responded coldly.

"Great. Now, if you need anything, tell Princess Anastasha about us. She will help you if you need anything," Rasmus said with a stoic expression.

Arka nodded even though he didn't want to get near that woman ever again since she could mess with his head just like Rasmus did. However, seeing that both of them were allies, it helped him in a way because he had someone that he could rely on when he needed to when he couldn't ask anyone else to do it for him.

"Take care, Count," Arka said as he nodded.

Rasmus nodded and then walked away, joining with the others that were about to board the blimp.