The visit to the Delacours had been... strange. French behavior in general often puzzled me.
I saw something similar in the French, but at the same time I felt something strange. Lizzie loves money. So what? It's her vice, yes. But she's not a bastard, like the bastard official who let the meatpacking plant's waste go into the river. The girl has — humanity. She's just been raised differently. It's the same in France — people are just different, but that doesn't make them bad.
For some reason I don't understand, Dunois and Delacour behave openly and understandably. I'm just sure that if Lucy and Appolin had the will, I wouldn't have guessed their machinations. One decided to use my design and the other is picking up Fleur's match. Where's the intrigue and sly tricks? Women live differently from men: they think differently, and it's in the blood of a Frenchwoman to make a foolish boy look good.
I'd been to Lucy's place of work twice. First, we signed a cooperation agreement where I was a supplier of amulets and talismans for the local police. Nothing special, same level as in Russia. I got my registration papers. I even got a verbal offer to go to Beauxbaton.
Lucy also brought up my development one night. How this woman twisted my brain for two hours, I will not tell you. It was only at the end of that time that the woman seriously explained that it was still a soft method and that most of the employees of such structures know how to talk in such a way that you would be happy to sell your soul... and not even notice it.
I appreciated this step of the woman. What else could she do, especially since she proved that she could do it? Intrigue?! Why? I'm no match for her family — they have a different heritage, and if I marry one of the Dunois daughters, both heritages will be tainted by mutual mismatch. The Dunois family is famous for dark combat magic and bloodline. Did you get a kick out of that? It did for me. I had no idea this light family had such power. I'm more spiritual, more energetic, they're more flesh.
I visited the Ministry a second time to register my apprenticeship, and also to sign a secret agreement for small deliveries of new unique wands. I was constrained by deadlines... not much. Also, only three people know about the actual contract: myself, Lucy Dunois, and my new master. Dunois will be the one in whose shadow I will be hiding.
Why did I even bother with all this? I could PATHOSICALLY OBEY THE UNIVERSE, OVERCOME THE GODS, AND BE A BLACK VILLAGER? Only idiots believe in the idiocy of those around them. As long as you are useful to people, understandable and friendly, you will be patronized, helped, well or tolerated. Otherwise, you will simply and quickly be twisted, put somewhere in the dungeons.
It is impossible to endure torture and moral withdrawal, the result is certain, only the time may vary. Anyone who thinks otherwise, or believes that you can watch your flesh being torn off with a stocking, is a fearless fantasist. I don't want to prove anything to anyone.
But if I fell into the hands of one of the Japanese clans, I'm sure — I would be gone by now — there are methods. Mankind has been honing the art of torture and subjugation for thousands of years, people spend their lives learning this science, executioners are still popular in most countries.
The same/similar can easily be done in Europe, only the mechanisms are different. It is possible to make another run, but why? The conditions here are the best for my development. It's worth mentioning that every respectable state should have its own guild of assassins and mercenaries. Or at least a mafia with its own professionals who will agree to any contract. Even the usual assassins. I hope they haven't sent anyone like that after me yet.
Although even now "I" can escape through the astral: tear out the spiritual beginnings together with the soul and leave the body. The flesh would die instantly, but my "I" would survive and I could get a new body, though it would be damn hard and energy consuming, but I could.
On the other hand, I just don't want to lose this body — I like it very much, I put a lot of effort into it, but with a new one I'll have to start all over again. I'll also lose almost all my gifts if I do that in the next few years. If I go through two or three more spiritual levels, then I'll have a chance to take some of my gifts with me.
In short, the treaties I've signed make me necessary and useful, I've gained a certain amount of protection, and the Japanese can't demand my extradition. Unless the Emperor himself demands it, and that is unlikely, simply because Japan has no such leverage to put pressure on France. And I'm not the kind of man to make that happen.
On the other hand, I haven't taken any vows or oaths, so I have some leeway. The magical world offers a lot of room to be free. Yes, the world of simpletons is gaining momentum, and I remember very well the level of technology we had there. Satellites, cameras, sensors, and on and on.
On the other hand, a wizard, magician, sorcerer, warlock, witch, and other have qualitatively different powers. I, for example, can easily cover the necessary area with barriers so that no means of electronic surveillance will work there. An electromagnetic storm is not such a difficult anomaly, at least for a mage, and I can organize it, I just need time to prepare.
Various barriers and protective fields are magical commonplace, hiding huge areas of land that belong to mages. To make a long story short, in case of an emergency, I can comfortably hide somewhere in the ice and no one will find me there. But that's a very boring way to live as a hermit.
Yes, I thought about that too — to hide somewhere for a few years, study a lot of books and scrolls, gain strength and become a new god. But that would be so boring that I'd go crazy. Besides, what's the point of living if you don't enjoy it? What makes a person human? Intelligence? Three "huhs"! — Skynet didn't become human, and neither did the Red Queen.