After Rory’s words, the two soldiers from Seidel’s Royal Army looked at him for a moment, with the young man at their side also watching him, surprised by this response.
Who in their sane state would refuse such an invitation?
The magical path was by no means easy. Having talent was good, but developing one’s potential became a hard and painful mission without resources and opportunities.
Obviously, one couldn’t tell someone’s fate for sure just by choice. But Rory’s path would be more difficult, at least for now.
This every one of these people was sure of!
While the young man next to Rory would soon have resources and people to help him, this red-headed boy would have none of it.
“Are you sure about that, kid?” The soldier asked seriously, looking into this young man’s brown eyes. “This is a very important decision for your life. You should think before you decide.”
The woman then said. “Perhaps you are thinking of joining a sect from outside the kingdom, but don’t be so hasty. In Millfall, there are no people from sects or clans, and to reach one of them, you would have to go through many risks.
Moreover, the royal family does not prevent its more talented members from coveting higher positions in other organizations.
We know some talented people can be better nurtured in sects or clans, so even if you join us, you wouldn’t be precluded from doing so.”
Seidel’s royal family would try to keep its members within the army. But the more talented ones had two possible destinations.
One was to become nobles, which could give them access to far more resources than a person alone could get.
This was a good option because, as nobles, some could rise in the local hierarchy. Even if they didn’t have great talents, they could have riches as much or more affluent than cultivators several steps stronger than them!
The other alternative was to join an out-of-state sect or clan. In this option, these people would have great freedoms, but for giving up one of their members, the Seidel family would have some guarantees from the sect or clan that took their member.
In a way, they could have earnings as good or even better than if these members decided to stay in the family.
Someone who joined the Royal Army would not necessarily have to be in Seidel forever or have their future restricted to that place.
Maybe Rory didn’t know that, so that woman had readily said that.
Rory smiled and said. “I am aware, seniors. But that’s not my purpose. I just want to live an uncompromising life. Awakening my powers was amazing, but my greatest ambition is not to reach a high level. I don’t see myself becoming a warrior, so I prefer to remain free.”
Hearing that, the woman closed her eyes and shook her head negatively, ‘What a fool. I hope you won’t regret this in the future, boy.’
Fortunately for Rory, Seidel’s royal family did not force members into their army. For them, giving up talented people was better than having someone who didn’t want to be among them in their group.
In the distant past, the Seidel Kingdom gave way to another state. But given the modus operandi of the former ruling family of the area, which allowed the kidnapping of youths to become members of their army, one day, this force experienced a great catastrophe related to this.
Those who came to take over that force’s territory after that were subordinates of such a power, traumatized by the bloodletting generated by a vendetta.
“So that’s it…” The man in armor sighed. ‘Well, your talent is good, but there are many like you around the kingdom. Maybe you’ll make it big in the province, but that’s not enough for us to be humiliated by you, boy.’
Talent was crucial in determining how far one could go. But the magical form might or might not help that talent to perform more easily and surpass the average.
As unusual as Rory’s magical form was, it was not exceptional, like Lauren’s.
Magical forms resembling basic geometric figures were at the first power level. But unique shapes that did not follow a pattern, like the shape of Lauren’s gem, were at the last level of power.
In other words, the more different and complex the magical form was, the more extreme one’s abilities would be.
Feeling that Rory’s powers did not revolutionize the kingdom, those two freed him after his repeated refusals.
Rory continued his way off the platform he was on while those two were already leading the other young man out of there.
“Rory, what did they say?” Vicente asked just after he found his partner and friend again outside the temple.
Rory knew that Vicente should be worried and said. “They were from the royal family. Luckily my magical form isn’t as shocking, so they didn’t insist so much. I think we’ll be fine.”
“Really?” Vice sighed upon hearing that.
Recruiting young people with Green talents was normal, and young people around the kingdom didn’t always accept offers.
Usually, these talents came from people who already belonged to good families and had higher ambitions. But in other cases, like Rory’s, many young people didn’t accept because they wanted to take their unusual talents outside the kingdom, where they could go further by joining a sect.
Not everyone had the opportunity to be observed by sect and clan envoys. Still, several knew about the existence of competitions inside and outside the kingdom with entrances for these organizations. 𝚍ｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕.𝚝
Many of those who preferred not to join any organization when discovering their talents did so for their ambitions. As long as their powers were not too extreme, hardly anyone would act against them just for the sake of it.
At the end of the day, a promising talent has its potential and danger, but it would still be unknown.
Would it be rational for a grown man to fear a child who might one day grow up and steal his wife?
The answer was an obvious no. But there were cases like this in the world, and in an analogous way, talents could grow up and cause changes in the ruling powers in society. But between one point and the other, there was a long road, one that was tortuous and full of dangers.
Unless a talent were extreme, no people would persecute others, force them into their sects, or the like in these areas.
Vicente knew this and felt relieved to think about what Rory had said, realizing he had worried for nothing.
“Well, congratulations on your talent and magical form, Rory. You’ll have a good future if you persevere and have a little luck.” He said after a moment, walking with his group back to their carriage.
“We will!” Rory commented as he tapped one of his friend’s shoulders.
As the two smiled already near their carriage, suddenly, a strange man walking by commented in a low voice without looking at them. “Aaron sent me. Meet me near the Rain Hotel at dusk. I will give you what he promised.”
They looked at that person, but he did not stop to talk to them, soon disappearing amidst the people walking through that part of town.