"I knew it. Judging by the ideas and goals Axel had displayed so far, he had no intention of seeking 'immortality.'"
Ian suddenly understood. From everything he had seen and heard in the Imperial Capital, as well as every decision Axel had made since taking power, there was nothing to suggest that he was someone pursuing eternal life.
But everything Isengard had suffered proved that Axel did indeed have some 'purpose' for the bodies of his descendants.
When an elder had designs on the body of their descendant, the first thing that naturally came to mind was possession. On Terra, that was also an evergreen goal for legendary villains.
But now, it seemed Axel was not so simple. He probably merely regarded the bodies of Isengard and the others as precious 'research samples.' After all, bloodlines possessing both imperial lineage and parasitic Magic Beast lineage were exceedingly rare, and highly useful for control experiments.
It seems I'll have to keep an eye on the Spirit Cognition Institute and Axel's goals too. This is not merely something related to Isengard—it is a major matter concerning all of us.
Having reached that conclusion inwardly, Ian merely appeared to ponder for a moment before raising his head.
The white-haired lord extended a hand and clasped Manager Morda's. A cold sensation passed over, making the old man freeze slightly, but he did not pull his hand back.
"Morda."
Ian said, "The you of the past would not have been able to feel cold. Your nervous system and brain no longer fed such 'reality' back to you, instead trapping you within an illusory dream."
"But now, with a soul, you can sense these 'real, objective changes in the environment'... Which side do you think represents the real you?"
"Morda. Matters like this have always been