They both enjoyed their breakfast without making a single noise and focused on the food. Garret was a bit surprised that Rasmus had amazing table manners like a proper noble. He couldn't help but admire his table manners even though it was the second time he had a meal with him.
"I'm surprised that you're considering my offer. Are you perhaps planning to go to Eddenvilla in the first place?" Garret asked as he put the utensils down.
"That's the plan," Rasmus nodded and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.
"It's impossible for anyone to own land there if you have no business or relation with the port or trading. That city is one of the busiest cities and everyone there are either traders, merchants, or owners of the companies," Garret pointed out and wondered what Rasmus's plan was on choosing that place.
"You forgot about investors, but I don't think that would be an issue knowing that I can use your brother's place to stay," Rasmus responded as he watched the butler pour wine into his glass. "You're not asking me a favor without providing all the necessities for me, are you?" He stared at Garret as he took a sip of the wine.
Garret chuckled as he nodded and tilted his glass to the side so the butler could refill the wine.
"I would be grateful if you could make my brother snap back to reality. So I'll arrange everything for you, and I'll accommodate everything for your journey to the south," Garret assured as he raised his glass toward Rasmus.
"For someone as powerful as you. What's the reason for your compassion toward your brother? I believe some people find this as an opportunity to monopolize the inheritance and become the sole head of the family," Rasmus narrowed his eyes, wondering about Garret's way of thinking.
"The last thing you want as an enemy is from someone who shares the same blood. Blood is thicker than water," Garret answered without hesitation. "I value my siblings more than anyone else, even more than my parents," he added and emptied the glass in a single gulp.
Rasmus found Garret's personality to be intriguing because he could see behind Garret's concern and blatant words to have a hidden meaning behind it. He didn't pry on it because that was none of his business and knew where to stop involving himself in someone's business.
"I remembered the moment you came to that meeting room back then and confronted everyone there. You're someone that's easily approached, but hard to please, and lastly impossible to lie to," Garret said with a serious expression as he stared at Rasmus. "So I'll be straight to the point of what I'll offer you in return..." He fixed his sitting and raised his left hand.
Everyone in the restaurant, the servants, maids, and the butler left the room immediately after they saw Garret's raised hand. They knew the conversation was about to get serious and secrecy.
"I need you to control my brother and make him your lackey if you want. Although he messed up, his talent can't be overshadowed by his mistakes. People love him and I want to prevent him from thinking brightly and trying to take my spot as the future head of the family when he realizes he can do that easily," Garret explained.
"If you do that. The Earnwind family will be indebted to you for life. You can ask me anything you want and I'll grant them all," Garret fixed his attire and gloves that he wore. "Not to mention, you'll have my brother. So it's a win-win situation for both of us," he said calmly as he leaned back.
Rasmus already knew it would be a power struggle in the end. Anyone would have been fooled by Garret's touching words, but it didn't work for him.
"Are you certain of this offer?" Rasmus asked with a serious expression.
"I don't think you would waste your time planning to take more from me. You're greedy, but not fool enough to be blinded by that greed," Garret answered calmly and with confidence. "If you want more, then I can easily provide it for you. You wouldn't waste that kind of opportunity, don't you?" He raised his brows.
"Fair enough, but you shouldn't be thinking that far ahead. You're putting too much trust in strangers," Rasmus responded as he poured himself a glass of wine.
"As I said, you wouldn't waste that kind of opportunity, don't you?" Garret smiled as he slowly reached out his hand for the bottle of wine in Rasmus's hand.
"Tell me when to go, and I'll pack my things," Rasmus gave the bottle to Garret.
"Perfect. I'll send my butler this evening and all you have to do is sit down and enjoy the ride to Eddenvilla," Garret smiled and poured himself a glass of wine.
Rasmus left after he got information about Garret's brother and what he looked like. He was thinking about how to approach the brother since it was as Garret said that his brother was eccentric and full of himself.
"Just because someone shares the same blood, that doesn't mean they know each other better. I wonder which one is full of themselves," Rasmus said as he looked at the view from the carriage on his way back to the City of Knowledge.
Rasmus packed his things and put them inside the ring which made things a lot easier for him. He didn't have to bother to bring anything with him wherever he went. Videl already knew about the meeting between Rasmus and Garret so he didn't have to ask anything and enjoyed the journey where he could eat anything he wanted.
The sun was setting, and Garret said that his butler had waited for Rasmus and Videl at the gate of the city. The carriage was luxurious, but compared to the other carriages, it was nothing special.
Rasmus noticed the carriage brought him to the academy's airfield rather than the airfield at the City of Knowledge. He thought that Garret might have prepared the blimp there since he was an executive at the academy.
"Looks like there are people waiting for you," Videl raised his head toward the people that had gathered at the airfield.
Rasmus looked at his former students staring at the carriage with various expressions. Maximilian and Monica put on their cold expressions, Isidor and Aurelia frowned when they saw Rasmus in the carriage, and lastly, Alexander and Valari furrowed their brows, couldn't believe that Rasmus had quit as an instructor.
"I'll wait in the blimp," Videl said as he followed the butler to the blimp.
Rasmus stood there and let his former students approach him instead. He furrowed because he was facing the sun as he watched his former students walk toward him.
"Count," Maximilian greeted Rasmus, but there was a slight sadness in his voice.
"What are you guys doing here?" Rasmus asked coldly and stared at each one of them. "I guess you arranged this for them," he looked at Garret who stood behind the students.
Garret didn't say anything and only smiled at him.
"Can't we say our goodbye?" Monica asked back coldly with a bit of disappointment and anger in her voice.
"I thought you guys didn't like me. I remember that some of you looked me dead in the eye on our first day," Rasmus raised his eyebrows with a gentle smile on his face. "Is there anything you want to say?" He looked at his former students.
"I heard you're going to the Republic of Cruen, Eddenvilla to be exact. That's quite far away, Count. Are you perhaps dissatisfied with the life you have here?" Isidor asked as he frowned.
"The world is too big to waste it in one place. You might have the obligation to stay in one place, but not me. So I'll take this opportunity to explore the world," Rasmus answered. "Well, if anything happens to me there. You guys can guess whose fault it would be," he jokingly said as he stared at Garret.
"Please don't joke around, Count. These former students of yours are powerful families that could make me disappear without the world knowing," Garret jokingly responded.
Rasmus chuckled and it made everyone shocked because they had never seen him this laid-back before. They understood how much he wanted this freedom from the way he joked around like that.
"Well then, I'll ask you guys one last question as your former instructor," Rasmus said as he looked at his former students. "We know in every story there's good and evil in there, but the truth is it's all just about human nature. Some people do a necessary evil, and some do good to deceive others. Now the question is, where do you put the line between good and evil?" He asked.
Everyone looked at each other, confused about the correct answer to the question.
"There's no line. It's all about the majority of people who decide the line, but what if the majority of people are deceiving the rest? So the answer is, there's no right answer to that because human nature is too complicated," Rasmus explained.
"Then what's the point of asking that question?" Alexander furrowed and was baffled by the answer.
"The point is I want the six of you to band together. The six of you will be the one who decides the line, and your differences can create the true line that will guide the world. The world will depend on all of you, so prepare to carry that burden, together," Rasmus answered.
They were speechless by what Rasmus said, and it somehow made them hard to breathe.
"Good luck, and if you need my guidance, find me and I'll give you an answer that you don't want to hear," Rasmus smiled as he slowly took a few steps back. "Until we meet again, brats," he bowed at his former students.
Everyone watched Rasmus walk toward the blimp as the sun was setting. They felt like they had lost an important figure in their lives even though they only knew him for a few months.