The Archmetamagician: The Weave Collapses Again

Veronica couldn't hear the telepathic exchange between the man and the spirit, but she had eyes, and she was observant enough to notice what was going on.

Besides, this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Before coming here, she had already planned to find an opportunity to speak with Anser alone.

She couldn't accept it. Her mother only had eyes for her younger brother. Why should Veronica have to sacrifice her own future for the sake of the royal family's present?

No one had ever asked for her opinion, as though this were simply how she was expected to repay the royal family for more than twenty years of raising her.

Anser turned around with a slight frown. "Changed your mind about the trade? Or are you trying to raise the price now?"

"I'll give it to you for free!" Veronica hurriedly added.

"But I can't marry you. The royal family wants to have it both ways, but you can't have everything," Anser said coldly.

"Mother ordered me to support my younger brother's ascension and use the Artifact to protect the royal family for thirty years. But thirty years... What would I even have left by then?" Veronica looked at the gruesome severed hand and eyeball on the floor and couldn't help taking a step back.

"The new king is only a few years old?" Even Anser hadn't expected the royal family to dare go this far.

Perhaps the queen was worried that once Veronica took the throne, she wouldn't abdicate. A wizard who possessed an Artifact could live far longer than an ordinary person, and no one would be able to keep her in check.

As for the other members of the royal family, they were probably afraid something might go wrong with the Artifact. The attunement process for the Eye and Hand of Vecna was brutal, and once attached, they couldn't be removed short of death.

"I have a solution." Veronica took a deep breath, her fingers nervously working over the small wand in her hand. "Help me inherit the throne, and I'll bring the Rock of Bral into your newly established Holrewen Federation."

"But aside from commercial cooperation, Bral must retain independent self-government. Since it's a federation, I assume that should be possible."

After saying everything in one breath, Veronica looked anxiously at Anser and waited for his answer.

A federation was a form of state in which several countries, territories, states, or other constituent entities joined together to form a single political entity. As long as they complied with federal law or the constitution, each member could establish its own legislature and executive institutions, enact its own laws, and exercise authority within its own jurisdiction.

A federal system had two levels of government: the federal central government and the governments of its constituent members. Therefore, Veronica's proposal was entirely feasible.

"You're quite ambitious." Anser chuckled. "But the autonomy of individual federation members is still subject to the Council."

"I understand."

"But I doubt the queen will agree."

"I don't need her agreement. As long as the Royal Lineage Council agrees, Mother will have no choice but to comply. She's an outsider, while I'm the eldest legitimate princess."

"Royal Lineage Council?"

"The two elders outside are members of the Royal Lineage Council. Both belong to collateral branches of the royal family and have their own dedicated guards. Their duty is to ensure the proper continuation of the royal bloodline, but they don't involve themselves in the kingdom's military or political affairs."

"I see." Anser thought of the black-and-gold-robed warriors who had suddenly appeared. They were even more elite than the Royal Guard.

What he didn't know was how the royal family ensured that the Royal Lineage Council itself remained free of ulterior interests.

"How do you want me to help?"

If the terms were right, he was naturally willing to bring the Rock of Bral into the Federation. The tax revenue alone would make him a fortune.

As for the Rock of Bral's neutrality, that wasn't his problem to worry about.

"All you need to do is publicly support me becoming queen and promise that the Rock of Bral will retain independent self-government. I'll convince the Royal Lineage Council!" The longer they talked, the more confident Veronica became.

"No problem." Anser nodded in agreement.

The queen's marriage proposal was all about finding herself a useful pawn, while still clinging to royal pride and trying to grab every advantage she could.

Veronica's plan, on the other hand, showed that she understood her own position. Instead, she was looking for a "protector"—paying taxes in exchange for powerful military backing. It was far more practical.

Maintaining an independent legal and administrative system would also safeguard the Rock of Bral's autonomy. If the royal family rose to prominence again, it could simply leave the Federation. If it proved impossible to restore the royal family's fortunes no matter what they did, then honestly settling for the role of a vassal would still be better than their current situation.

"Come on, follow me." Without even glancing at the Eye and Hand of Vecna on the floor, Veronica crossed through the portal in a few quick strides.

Anser put away the Artifacts and followed her back to the secret chamber.

Veronica requested a meeting with the elders of the Royal Lineage Council. The two old men clearly thought highly of this exceptionally gifted eldest princess, and the elders were soon brought over.

The group held an impromptu meeting right there in the secret chamber and reached a consensus in only half an hour.

The members of the Royal Lineage Council weren't fools. Having the powerful eldest princess inherit the throne was obviously better than putting a young child on it. Perhaps, a few decades from now, the royal family might even produce a Legendary.

Anser's promise was far more valuable than those two Artifacts with their endless hidden dangers.

The royal family had investigated him. This genius Sorcerer had recently gone head-to-head with one of Waterdeep's most prominent noble houses to save the relatives of his subordinates, slaughtering his way through them until blood ran in rivers—and ultimately walking away unscathed.

With him backing them, the royal family wouldn't have to worry about being sold out.

Moreover, the Holrewen Federation had only just been established. It had no constitution, merely a relatively simple legal framework that focused on reinforcing the supreme authority of Anser and the Council while ensuring unified command of the military.

It was far more permissive than Waterdeep's laws.

The two sides drafted a magical contract on the spot, signed it, and it took effect immediately!

Smiles appeared on both sides. Even Anser hadn't expected that, after all the twists and turns, the Rock of Bral would ultimately fall into his lap.

Truthfully, he'd never even considered this possibility before. But if they were volunteering to join, he could hardly turn them away.

The fact that he hadn't taken advantage of their predicament to extort them was already downright noble of him.

"Business is business. These two Artifacts are meant to be traded for the mythallar." Anser held out the Eye and Hand of Vecna to Veronica.

Veronica recoiled several steps in disgust. "I don't want them. Speaker, can't you at least put them in a box? They're Artifacts!"

Now that the contract was signed, she was noticeably more lively.

"Call me President." Anser put the Artifacts away and pondered for a while. "It really isn't safe to leave these things with you. Think about what you want in exchange for them, and I'll trade them through the Magic Research Society for you."

"Thank you, President." Veronica immediately took the opening he had given her. She really couldn't bear to give up the Artifacts altogether.

Anser had long since realized that she was no simple woman. A little scheming didn't matter. As long as she didn't stir up trouble, he wouldn't care.

One of the elders rose and left. He still had plenty of work to do, such as getting the queen to accept reality.

Veronica immediately moved to fulfill her end of the deal, asking for the magical seal to be undone and the mythallar released, but Anser stopped her.

As a precaution, he wanted to establish Attunement with Sakkors first and bring it away only after gaining complete control.

He sent everyone else away and spent an hour establishing a connection with the mythallar.

Throughout the process, Sakkors cooperated fully, but Anser never lowered his guard. He continuously used the dice and his own mental perception to monitor Sakkors's condition in case anything unexpected happened.

"Don't worry. You may not necessarily need me, but I need you," Sakkors said bluntly.

After their brief interaction, he had already learned the trick to talking with Anser: be direct. Hiding things and beating around the bush would only annoy him.

A thought occurred to Anser. "How large is the micro-Weave right now?"

"Magic Power is cut off here. You'll have to take me outside first before I can determine where my limits lie." Sakkors spread his arms, seemingly impatient to embrace the world.

With that expression, he looked just like an arcane madman who had completed some kind of insane magical experiment!

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