Chapter 227

Chapter 227 – Between Parasite and Loyalty

Despite the surrounding turbulence, the opening week of the auction concluded as a massive triumph.

Given that the primary gathering was scheduled four weeks down the line, this was a phenomenal outcome. However, as the ones running the show, we couldn’t spare a moment to celebrate.

“All right then… until next week.”

“Safe travels, Boss Timur. May fortune keep you until our next meeting.”

Evelyn and I concluded our discussion with Timur much later than we usually did, stretching our conversation deep into the night.

This was only feasible because the academy had pushed back the evening curfew in light of the upcoming final examinations.

As we sprinted across the shadowy meadows back toward Hazen, I instinctively glanced up at the night sky.

‘Autumn has already arrived.’

The evening breeze wasn’t fully crisp yet, but the heavens seemed elevated and pristine. The constellations gleamed with a sharp brilliance.

Right at that moment, Evelyn’s words broke the silence.

“Hey… are you actually being serious?”

“Regarding what?”

“About standing against the Decullans.”

“Oh, that matter.”

To be clear, my mind was entirely made up.

I couldn’t spend the rest of my days evading the Decullans.

If I chose to retreat every single time they presented an opening, how would I ever gather my own military strength? When would I finally construct my magical tower?

Still, that was strictly my own problem to solve.

“If you wish to opt out, you have every right to walk away. In fact, you probably should. Once this wraps up, you can wash your hands of the entire affair.”

I offered the remark in a nonchalant manner, but Evelyn’s stride began to decelerate.

I was forced to slow down to match her rhythm, and the moment we ground to a complete halt, she questioned me once more.

“What about your own plans, Aster?”

“Myself? I intend to see my own objectives through, naturally.”

The tone of her voice dropped instantly.

“Do you truly believe… that makes any sense?”

“……?”

“I recognize your strength, Aster. Quite frankly… you’ve been masking your true capabilities this whole time, haven’t you? Overthrowing the second son of the Doranpega Family wasn’t the absolute limit of your power.”

It was inevitable that Evelyn would pick up on the clues.

Initially, she might have viewed the dismantling of the Black-White Slums syndicate as a simple byproduct of slum skirmishes. However, as the days progressed, the anomalies must have become glaringly obvious.

This was especially true after her dealings with Timur made it clear that the Black-White Slums were far from a helpless target.

Furthermore:

‘The clash with the Hormei and Decullan spellcasters sealed the deal.’

For context, we had conducted a thorough interrogation of the captured Azure Ice spellcaster following the conclusion of the auction.

Evelyn naturally discovered his true background, which allowed her to connect the dots regarding the strangeness of the situation.

Not that it bothered me particularly.

‘I had no intention of keeping it hidden indefinitely anyway.’

Since we had committed to an alliance, it was only fair that I display a fraction of my capabilities.

“You are clearly keeping greater secrets close to your chest, but I will not pry into them. Even so, this path is far too perilous.”

Evelyn pressed on, her demeanor turning incredibly somber.

A wave of genuine anxiety seemed to wash over her now that I had affirmed my refusal to back down.

“Reconsider this path, Aster. We are under no obligation to establish a second Black-White Slums. We possess… an abundance of time ahead of us.”

I silently observed her expressions as she voiced her concerns.

Her facial features had grown entirely rigid, and in that precise instant, moisture began to pool in her eyes.

“Did that incident truly enrage you to this extent? Those children from the slums. Did their fate devastate you that deeply?”

I couldn’t exactly deny the sentiment.

Yet, those emotional triggers weren’t the actual driving force behind my choice.

Was I really seeking retribution for a handful of impoverished youths I barely knew? The reality was that the timing simply aligned perfectly.

Yes, that was the grand truth of the matter. Nothing more.

Conversely, another thought crossed my mind:

‘She actually possesses a capacity for compassion, doesn’t she?’

Then again, considering the ruthless manner in which she managed the illicit marketplace within the academy grounds, her empathetic tendencies usually seemed practically nonexistent.

A person driven by deep emotional sensitivity could never have engineered such a cold-blooded strategy.

‘Ruining the lives of countless academy scholars and liquidating 310 gold—that isn’t a scheme an ordinary mind dreams up.’

Regardless, setting those thoughts aside.

‘To anyone listening, it sounds as though I am eagerly marching toward my own execution.’

Do I look unhinged? Would I actively seek out a scenario that ends in my demise?

She was operating under a massive delusion.

And yet, look at her now.

“Very well… I understand. I will take it that our partnership concludes once the auction wraps up. However…”

Evelyn brushed away her tears as though nothing out of the ordinary had occurred and concluded her thought.

“Do not attempt to bear the entire weight of the world on your own shoulders. What is the purpose of companionship… if not to provide backup during crises like this?”

Her declaration struck an unexpectedly tender chord within me.

That was the exact moment a realization dawned on me.

‘Evelyn has undergone a total transformation.’

At this current juncture, she was a reformed individual worthy of being displayed as a shining example.

Laying her emotions bare for the sake of a companion in this manner was no small feat.

Be that as it may, facts remained facts.

There was a crucial element that Evelyn remained completely blind to.

‘Failure is a concept entirely foreign to me.’

And why was that?

Was it because I had never experienced the bitter taste of a lost battle? Not at all.

To state it precisely:

‘…I simply refuse to engage in a conflict where victory isn’t assured. I am a highly calculating gambler.’

Furthermore, I am akin to a bountiful tree that delights in distributing its wealth.

I have zero intention of carrying my struggles in isolation.

To set that plan into motion, however, the preliminary step required immediate action…

‘Ugh, it looks like a rendezvous with the rabid hound is unavoidable.’

A dull ache was already manifesting in my temples.

Upon returning to the academy campus, our weekdays were consumed by rigorous preparations for the upcoming finals.

As for me, I spent my time sprinting across various locales, gathering intelligence until the skin on my feet felt raw. Fortunately, the data gathered perfectly validated my hypotheses.

‘Yes, the current window of opportunity is absolute perfection.’

The landscape was flawlessly primed for delivering a devastating blow to the Decullans.

What made it so? For starters:

‘Their ongoing standoff against Lortel.’

Though it hadn’t manifested as open military warfare just yet, the Decullans were thoroughly drained by the political, diplomatic, and financial gridlock keeping them tied down by Lortel.

A single stray ember would be more than enough to trigger a full-scale conflagration.

To make matters even more entertaining:

‘The Hamern Great Forest… is inadvertently providing an assist?’

Securing magical resources was paramount for sustaining their military logistics, yet the erratic nature of the woods was inducing severe supply deficits.

Conversely, Lortel remained largely unaffected by this crisis, given their reputation as a dominion dominated by elite swordsmanship.

‘Word has it that the Decullans are deploying an isolated detachment into the woodland depths…’

That endeavor would prove to be anything but a walk in the park.

According to the reports Rayleigh provided, even the mercenary forces stationed at the primary encampment were utterly consumed by the chaotic task of charting the rapidly shifting wilderness layout.

And the advantages didn’t end there.

Consider our current location.

‘We are situated right within Hazen city. The secondary Black-White Slums territory sits immediately adjacent to us.’

The typically arrogant Decullans were severely limited in their actions; they couldn’t afford to behave recklessly while locked in a high-stakes standoff against an empire-level titan like Lortel.

This dictated that they had to remain hyper-aware of the crown’s scrutiny—attention they would ordinarily dismiss without a second thought…

‘And they expect to seamlessly deploy regiments into the secondary Black-White Slums under that exact level of surveillance?’

Granted, it wasn’t impossible for them to try.

But would such an effort suffice to bring down the youngest prodigy to achieve the rank of archmage—Aster, the champion of righteousness? Let’s think about that…

“Ha.”

What exactly was this sensation washing over me?

I reclined comfortably within the ground-floor dining space of the academy cafeteria, slowly partaking in a cup of coffee and appreciating its rich, robust profile.

‘Could this be the idealized existence of an accomplished spellcaster?’

Bound by absolutely nothing.

I felt entirely capable of conquering any obstacle, devoid of even a sliver of hesitation.

At any rate, the external variables were shifting perfectly in this direction.

‘The true dilemma lies with the Black-White Slums.’

To be precise, I had refrained from giving Timur a definitive answer regarding our participation in this grand endeavor.

My contributions had been strictly limited to strategic counsel on managing the Troubleshooters and neutralizing the Decullan spellcasters.

So where did the dilemma stem from?

“Retribution is almost too simplistic to achieve.”

I possessed the capability to vanish into thin air at a moment’s notice using only my personal mobility, but the secondary Black-White Slums lacked such luxury.

Phrased differently, I was required to completely obliterate the opportunistic predators encircling the territory, ensuring that no lingering liabilities could threaten it down the line.

‘How to proceed. What is the most elegant way to orchestrate this?’

Extracting data from the Azure Ice spellcaster made it clear that the military backing the Decullans were providing to Goldrin was far from overwhelming.

It amounted to a solitary detachment of mages.

‘My confidence expands just thinking about it.’

It felt like only yesterday when I was pushed to my absolute limits against Karahen, the second-in-command of Crimson Blaze. Yet here I was, dismissively labeling an entire detachment of mages as “a solitary unit.”

Regardless, the true complications would arise once they were wiped off the board…

Right as those calculations were spinning through my mind.

“Uh… Aster?”

“……?”

I shifted my gaze upward toward the recognizable voice.

It was Rayleigh, who had navigated through the crowd to track me down.

“Ahem, I believe our scheduled time has arrived…?”

Ah, was it that time already?

Conscious of the curious glances from the surrounding academy scholars, I fell into step behind Rayleigh, tolerating his peculiar manner of speaking.

A tranquil midday interval.

What brought Rayleigh out to find me? It was the direct result of a request I had made.

• Hey, I need a favor from you.

• Name it, sir. What do you require?

• What else could it be? We are dealing with the rabid hound.

In an effort to patch up my fractured bond with Shine, I had enlisted Rayleigh to serve as an intermediary between us.

“But… are you absolutely certain you want to go through with this, sir?”

The moment our steps took us into an isolated corridor, Rayleigh pitched his question with immense caution. I tilted my head in confusion.

“Why do you ask? What seems to be the issue?”

“Shine… he isn’t merely irritated; he is downright murderous. Lately, the glare in his eyes looks capable of taking a life.”

“What has him wound up to that extent? Is he genuinely still dwelling on that past matter?”

Talk about an incredibly stubborn individual.

“Do you truly… possess no inkling as to the cause, sir?”

“Did an incident occur that I am unaware of?”

In all honesty, I was entirely in the dark at this stage.

And it made perfect sense—I hadn’t committed a single transgression against him during our time in Lortel.

‘I went out of my way to facilitate his entry into the resting place of the Sword God.’

For reasons beyond my comprehension, he simply refused to stop instigating conflicts with me. Was he throwing a tantrum because I consistently refused to rise to his provocations?

Granted, I had spent the subsequent months entirely out of his sight, so a bit of resentment was understandable. But a murderous gaze?

‘I haven’t the slightest clue.’

In any case, continuing our back-and-forth dialogue along the way, we eventually arrived at the secluded sanctuary previously utilized by the former principal.

But what was this sensation?

Sss…

Before we had even crossed the threshold of the structure, an icy, oppressive pressure began rippling through the atmosphere.

It was the undeniable manifestation of a peak combatant deliberately radiating their lethal intent.

“Uh, Sir Aster? Would it be alright if I made my departure right about now?”

I offered a firm nod to the visibly trembling Rayleigh.

“Not a chance. The entire objective of this trip is to forge a reconciliation, is it not? How can we proceed if the mediator deserts the post? Are you truly going to display such a lack of accountability?”

“I understand that, but does that aura feel like it belongs to an individual open to a peaceful dialogue… good grief!”

“Keep our arrangement at the forefront of your mind. You function as my primary deputy. The undisputed second-in-command directly beneath me.”

When you really analyzed the situation—hadn’t Rayleigh experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks?

During our days in the wilderness, I was nothing more than an obscure entity originating from the destitute alleys. But what about the present? I stood as the supreme leader of the mage tower aligned closest to Lortel.

And Rayleigh occupied the coveted number two position within that hierarchy.

“Dammit, you never hesitate to brand me a useless appendage whenever a crisis hits…”

“What did you just mutter, you rascal?”

“Sir? I didn’t utter a single syllable?”

He attempted to play dumb, completely ignoring the fact that I had caught every word perfectly.

I locked eyes with Rayleigh for a brief moment before shaking my head, letting out a soft, resigned breath.

He wasn’t the primary concern at this juncture.

“Listen closely… are you genuinely prepared to make amends? The moment he comes into view, you offer an apology first, regardless of the underlying cause. Is that understood?”

I signaled my agreement to Rayleigh’s counsel with a nod.

The rabid hound remained an incredibly dependable asset in my inner circle.

The ideal partner to assist in alleviating my burdens.

‘Naturally, I have every intention of offering an apology.’

However, before any of that…

CRASH!

I slammed my foot into the sanctuary entrance with maximum velocity, letting out a booming roar.

“It is high time we reinforce structural authority around here, you absolute parasite!”

Listen well, I have no idea what mystical treasures you extracted from the resting place of the Sword God, but guess what? I have successfully ascended to the rank of archmage myself.

“No, what the hell! Sir Aster! This completely contradicts the plan we formulated…”

As Rayleigh descended into absolute panic.

Shine, who was positioned deliberately at the head of the space, let a mocking grin spread across his face as he locked eyes with me.

“Yes, this is precisely the energy I wanted. I have been counting down the days until this exact moment arrived.”

“It has been a hot minute since we last raised our voices in unison, hasn’t it? Come on, echo my words. ‘Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!'”

A freezing tempest whipped through the confines of the room.

Both of us were acutely aware of the reality.

Today marked the definitive occasion to settle the blurred boundaries of our master-servant hierarchy once and for all.

In the meantime, Rayleigh looked as though he was on the absolute brink of a psychological breakdown.

‘No, what the absolute hell. Why did you even drag me along if this was the plan?’

More than that.

Positioned squarely in Shine’s line of fire, Rayleigh’s mouth began to twitch uncontrollably.

Simultaneously, Aster’s voice echoed from a position right behind him.

“Step aside. I can secure total victory using nothing more than a single finger.”

When in the world did this lunatic manage to slip around to my rear?

…The curtain was rising on the second monumental confrontation between the Master Knight and the Archmage.

An intense tightness gripped my chest.