Chapter 500 – 500. Faliure

Magnus arrived in Japan. A cruise ship that had become a hub for the virus was docked here. He aimed to get the virus isolated in a lab so he could do some tests on it.

He used Ragnar's machine to turn the virus back to its original state to understand how it was made, what was its origin. But the moment he got the results, he was left speechless. ~This is.. why? Why would a wizard make such a thing?~

Traces of magic were visible on the virus. Otherwise, it was impossible to create such an easily transmissible virus that can also adapt itself to mutate.

He cursed and took out his phone to call Ragnar. *Beep Beep Beep*. No answer came. He left a message. "Brother, I need your help, come back fast."

To fight a virus a wizard made, he needed the best potioneer in the world. Magnus also had so much work to do. He had to stop all space missions to ensure that no virus spread takes place in space.

It was a tough time for him. And just a few months later in 2020, the cases started appearing around the world. The death rate, however, was low for now.

..

Tired, he headed to a lab in Japan. The driver drove him out of Tokyo city, to his residence. He was trying to come up with an antidote. Ragnar was not answering his phone. All he got was a text back saying, "I'm working on it,"

~As I said before, wizards are no less than atomic bombs.~ he muttered to himself.

For now, everything was under control. Everything came out as planned. There was no lockdown in any country, for now, he can't allow that to happen, not for the economy, not for health, but children. Millions of children today are alive because of schools. They get to leave their abusive homes and have a good meal and education. If the lockdown happens, all these children will be pushed back into abusive homes with no escape. Millions of smiles will be lost, millions of children will be harassed.

A thousand things running on his mind, he looked out of the car window at the changing scene.

"What's that?.. STOP! Stop the car," He loudly ordered the driver.

They were passing over a bridge, under it was Tokyo Bay. Magnus had noticed a girl sitting on its edge, looking all sad. This reminded him that suicide was a big thing in Japan.

He walked to her, "What are you thinking? Is your life flashing in front of your eyes?"

The girl looked back, scared by the sudden appearance. She was Japanese, probably 16 or something. What was more shocking was that the man who stopped her was not even Japanese, a blonde looking foreigner, she felt she had seen him before.

"Don't come closer, I will jump." She warned.

Magnus didn't stop, instead, he jumped up and sat beside her. The view was spectacular from there, the light of Tokyo City in the night, watching it from over the bridge was beautiful.

"If you jump, I will jump too. Do you want the king of the United Kingdom to die?" He asked her, speaking in Japanese.

"Ah!" When he said that, she remembered. Her jaw fell, "Y-You're King Magnus."

"Yes, that's me. So, why are you sitting here? Want to die?" Magnus asked her directly.

The girl didn't answer, she just looked in the distance at the darkness. Magnus sighed, "If you lost a job or have some other problems, go to a cancer hospital and see children there. They are fighting death too. I once did it and never felt bad about my life."

"I have cancer." She spoke. "I have leukaemia, there is no cure for it. I don't want to be a burden to my parents. I have never been good at studies, I am a failure."

Magnus took out his phone and played a clip of an anime he saw a long time ago. The anime was called Oruchuban Ebichu. "Have you seen this anime before?"

The girl immediately burst into laughter, "Haha.. I've seen it, it's very funny. Poor hamster, I didn't know even you watch it."

"See, it's so easy to smile. Ending your life will not resolve anything, it won't make anyone happy or sad. You don't live for others, you live for yourself.. well, not if you're me. But, you get my meaning. And if it's about cancer, don't worry, I have created the cure for cancer, it will be available in the market in a few months." He patted her head and proceeded to get back to the road from the edge.

She looked back at him, "Are you telling the truth?"

"I don't lie, child. Now get off from there. I will drop you home." He got back into his Rolls Royce. The girl had given up killing herself, so she too followed. "You are so smart, you made so many things. I wish I was even a per cent as good as you,"

"Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, you just need to find them. Umm.. I think you can be a great Vtuber singer." he suggested to her since he had already read her mind.

Magnus silently thought about the cancer drug then. It was going through the last phase of the human trials. They will be completed in a month. Then WHO will give its approval to it. As he thought about the whole project and what he had done, his eyes opened wide a second later. ~YES! This is it, I can make a vaccine for the virus with this. If it can work on Cancer, why not this?~

With newfound inspiration, he excitedly heard back home after dropping the girl at her home. He handed her a small stone pendant that can boost her self esteem. To her, it was just a simple gift.

..

The year 2020 was harsh. All wizards from around the world were working overtime. Major infrastructure projects at Emrys Construction had to slow down. In this pandemic, the wizards were the true saviours, as they could heal minor problems with a spell.

As the year was coming to an end, Magnus was getting closer to making vaccines. He also funded his companies to try to make them. However, Magnus just learnt something, and it made him slightly angry.

Magnus and Emma called Athena to their room to talk to her. She had been acting strangely these days, her mind was not at work at all. Magnus knew why, "Take a seat,"

"What happened, dad?" She asked, oblivious that they knew everything.

Emma spoke, "We know you are dating a muggle boy. You spend most of your time with him these days."

Magnus added, "I have no problem with you dating someone, you're old, you should date. But spending millions? Gifting him cars, watches and you even bought a mansion in his name? He's using you, Athena."

"You two were spying on me?" She retaliated.

Knowing better not to push her, Magnus shook his head, "No, I was informed by the account manager. Sweetie, I want you to find someone kind, someone who will love you for who you are, not for your status and wealth. You even stopped helping me out, you are to be the queen in the future, you can't afford to slack,"

Athena shook her head madly. "No, I will not. I love you, dad and mum. But have you ever asked me what I wanted in my life? Ever since I started school, you have been trying to brainwash me, make me study, train, go to boring diplomatic meetings with dad.

"In my whole 7 years of school, the only friends I had were Draco, Harry and Hermione, I had nobody of my age come close to me. Everyone was scared of you. Now, finally, there is someone who values me, you want me to sto-"

"But he doesn't love you. You are buying his attention and love with your money and gifts." Emma interrupted.

"Fine—I will stop dating him. Then what? Back to being dad's assistant? My whole life I lived under your shadow, dad. From my first day in school, I was told I needed to be as good as you. I tried so hard, I really did. But I'm not good enough, I'm a failure. I am not the heir you wanted, I know it. So what's the point in trying?" She let out all her pent up frustration.

Magnus' heart ached by every word she said. He just realised, ~I am such a shitty father. I only had one daughter and couldn't even give her a happy life.~

Emma wanted to reprimand her for saying that, but Magnus stopped her. He apologised, "I-I didn't know you felt this way, Athena."

"Of course, you didn't, when is it that you are not doing something? Even when you are resting you are secretly working. Dad, I love you, I love you so much. You are the most fun dad ever. But, I also hate you for being who you are, the king. I hate your position and I abhor it that you try to push me to take it.

"I just wanted a normal life with normal parents. To have you be supportive of me. Do you know what I wanted to be? I wanted to draw, I liked painting. But I had to study runes and draw them instead. I had to study alchemy and draw their diagrams instead.

"I hate magic, I hate monarchy, and I hate this side of you."

Only silence loomed in the room when she stopped speaking. Magnus had nothing to say. He saw as Athena left the room in frustration. He had no idea how to fix this, "I have been such a failure of a father, in the pursuit of perfection, I lost her trust in me."

"You are not.. You are not a failure, dear. We both are," Emma walked over to him and hugged his head.

"I used to think, it'd be Severus who would be a bad father. But his daughter and Draco turned out so well. Such a shame on me," he muttered in defeat.

*WOOSH*

"Argh.. what the.." All of a sudden he felt a burning sensation on his chest. He quickly checked, his face turning horrified in an instant. "No no.. this can't be."

He took the paper arrow out, there were only ashes left. "WHAT THE FUCK!" His sword and his staff appeared in his hands.

"What happened?" Emma questioned. historical

"It's Ragnar, he.. according to this burnt paper, he's dead. I need to go, initiate a complete alert. All of the family is to be brought to Camelot. Severus and Bobby as well." He commanded, rushing out.

Bloody veins popped in Magnus' eyes, anger and fear took over him for the first time. What could even kill Ragnar so quickly? The paper was supposed to feel hot when Ragnar's was hurt.

Quickly, he sent out multiple Patronus messages. "All forces under me, gather inside Buckingham Palace, NOW!"

..

In 4 minutes, 15,000 wizards were standing in front of him, clad in their fighting robes issued by Magnus. Adrian stood at the front as the commander.

Magnus revealed to him what had happened. But the thing was, he had no idea where to go, where Ragnar could be. At the time, Adrian suggested something that scared him even more, "Use the ring, if.. if he's okay, there won't be anything."

There was no other option. Magnus went to a private room and aimed his ring at the floor, "Ragnar Grant Ulrik Oroborus,"

~Don't.. don't show up, don't you dare, bastard.~ Magnus' eyes remained shut, he couldn't take the uncertainty. Ragnar, his brother, the fact that he might be dead made his already hurt heart feel real pain. His life with Ragnar flashed in front of his eyes, the first day he met with the scrawny blonde kid in school. Their laughs, their tears, their triumphs that they shared.

~You can't be dead, Rag.~

"Mag,"

*THUD* As soon as the voice hit his ears, his knees felt weak, he knelt down, in utter anguish. Eyes watering up, he forced himself to face up. "W-Why?"

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