After spending some time, Theus explained the matters concerning the Banshees to his chief clerk. As for the Banshees' specific abilities and the Symbiotic Pact, he did not go into detail. This was one of his trump cards; it would be more useful kept hidden.
Alexei listened with his mouth hanging open. He had come to Castel with Theus, and back then, he had not even finished organizing the island's paperwork. Yet Theus had already gained the allegiance of a Transcendent race?
As a graduate of the Imperial Army Academy, Alexei had naturally heard of Transcendents. This group was exceedingly mysterious. Though powerful, they rarely involved themselves in worldly affairs and never went to war. The Empire's military had very little contact with them.
To think that there were Transcendents in his own territory—and an entire group of them, at that. How could Alexei not be astonished?
Of course, what shocked him even more was that this Transcendent race was actually willing to involve itself in worldly affairs.
The churches of the Candlelight Society stood in nearly every corner of the Empire, yet almost no one had ever seen their Transcendents. It was only when the White Crow Duchy in the Northern Territory was on the verge of perishing beneath the White Calamity that Transcendents occasionally revealed themselves.
If these Banshees could be deployed on the battlefield...
Alexei could not help swallowing.
"They are my subjects, and they have the right to choose their own future. Unless Castel faces an emergency, I will not conscript them." Theus glanced at him, seeing through his thoughts.
Theus had no intention of relying on the Banshees in war. Everyone naturally bore responsibility for defending their home, but for wars beyond his borders, Theus still intended to develop industry himself.
Mind Link was powerful,