I swallowed my food with a hard gulp before taking a drink. "Magic has been innovated into a more technological use. Before stoves ran on fire magic, we just had to make a fire and cook on top of that. Fire mages were really revered back then."
"I can imagine," Silas mused, setting his glass down.
"The Revivium Empire has always been the one that leaned more into magical inventions than the rest of the world, but we all use toilets, baths, sinks, fridges, and stoves because those inventions are bettering us." I shrugged. "There are also people like me who like simplistic things, which is why most of my furniture is earth conjured and simple."
"The world seems to have changed so much in your four hundred years. It's wild. I wonder how much it'll change in the next four hundred years." Bastian picked up his drink, smiling at me.
"That's an interesting thought." I put the last bite of meat into my mouth before stabbing my fork through a piece of melon.
"We can't wait to experience change with you, sunshine." Casper grinned.
My heart bloomed with an overwhelming sense of love as it filled the bond.
We finished the rest of our dinner and ended up lounging on the couch while Silas contacted the emperor to update him on Bastian's success with the antidote.
Emperor Lloyd's face broke out into a smile the moment he answered. "Did you complete the antidote early?"
"We did." Bastian's lips twitched with a ghost of a smile. "However, the rage potion works on mages--not just monsters."
Emperor Lloyd's grin faded slightly. "How do you know that?"
"Bastian accidentally dosed himself," Silas answered for him, and Bastian's face reddened.
Emperor Lloyd's brow rose. "And what happened?"
"I gave myself the antidote, and I'm fine now." Bastian shot Silas a frown. "It just made me a bit of an asshole since I was able to drink a sleeping potion to sleep through the majority of the effects. I figured you wanted the recipe for the antidote, though."
"Of course. I will send the recipe to the Allura Empire as well to keep our allegiance and to help them out as well." The emperor nodded, his expression was one of worry for my potion mage. "But I am glad to hear you're alright."
"I'll also be sending the recipe to my guild," I mentioned, crossing my legs. "That way, they can have everything they need."
"Of course." Emperor Lloyd nodded.
"The recipe is one dried dragon tongue ground up, three moonflower petals crushed into a fine powder, one drop of lochie blood, and two drops of glidaton acid," Bastian listed off the ingredients and portions. "I had originally used a tongue and a half and only two moonflower petals, but that was the wrong portion."
"I will give this to my potion mages immediately and have all of my adventurer guilds stocked full of the antidote," Emperor Lloyd announced, turning and talking to someone in the room with him before focusing back on us. "Now that we have the antidote, I need my shield to go ahead and leave to rescue Matthieu. I lost contact with both teams I sent already."
"Lost contact?" I quirked my brow.
He nodded gravely. "I won't lie to you. It's a dangerous mission, obviously, but I need to know that Matthieu is okay."
Silas and I locked gazes, and I sighed before nodding.
"Of course," Silas responded.
I bit down on my bottom lip knowing that Silas was going to go out on a limb for the emperor, like he always did. "We will go in the morning after I run a few errands to prepare for whatever is happening in the Revivium Empire," I added.
Emperor Lloyd bowed his head. "Thank you, Master Fawn. We really need your help right now. I know you're not an official member of my shield, but your help is appreciated regardless."
"My help is also required because I can't be away from my bonded mages," I reminded him.
He nodded with a tight smile. "That is true. Regardless, thank you."
"You're welcome," I mumbled as he faded out.
Silas reached out and laced his fingers through mine. "Thank you for understanding."
"I don't completely understand." I frowned but loved the way my skin tingled with his touch. "But I know that you won't give this up."
