The voice sounded a bit unclear, as it had to pass through the magic panel that separated their detention room, but Emery knew the owner of the voice must be Annara.
"Annara?" Emery asked, a little unsure even though he knew the voice was hers. "I didn't know you were still here… I mean, why are you still here?"
A scoff could be vaguely heard from the other side. "Huh! So you still have the conscience to ask me that? I thought you had forgotten about me already, Ouroboros' honorable guest!"
After another round of ridicule to let out any frustration she had been holding back, the girl on the next cell began to narrate her story, how she was previously accompanied by Michela the magus enforcer and heard about what happened from her.
Thanks to that, she knew the queen had promised to let them go after the situation with Zodiac City had been settled. The guards arrived at her cell two weeks ago, but they only came for the magus enforcer and not her.
"Those serpent bastards! I am Annara, of the Bat Bloodline Vermont Clan! They all shall pay for the humiliation I receive here! Fu**, I am a privileged class acolyte! They can't treat me like this!"
Annara continued to spit out curses furiously for a minute before she suddenly fell silent. Emery was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the sound of something being hit from the other side.
"You must help me get out of this place Emery! I can't stay here any longer! We have the mid-test in a few weeks! We have to return as soon as possible!"
Emery sighed deeply, "With my current situation, I think you have a better chance of attending the mid-test than me."
There was silence for a moment before a light chuckle could be heard.
"Haaahh… Yes… I heard it just now. You always have to make a sensation wherever you go, don't you Emery?"
Emery decided not to respond and ignore her. The girl seemed to be just making fun of everything. At least that was what he thought until she suddenly said something that intrigued him.
"You were surprised with the way they treat humans, weren't you? Believed me, all higher realm half blood worlds are the same"
At this moment he remembered Annara also hailed from a world ruled by half-bloods like Silva.
The girl then explained how almost all the worlds ruled by the half-bloods started with the same story of the half-bloods being the minority and discriminated against. Then, eventually, they became the ruler of that world.
"It's human nature to be jealous of something they don't have, you know that right? In our case, they can't accept that we, the half-bloods, are better than them, hence a fight for world domination is inevitable"
Emery remembered how Silva told him about the history of war the Ouroboros had gone through between humans and the half-blood. He could somehow understand why Vizla and all the other serpents' bloodline treated humans this way. In a way, he was also reminded of how the Briton hated the fey people so much; it was just the other way around.
Annara then asked about the contract mentioned by Vizla and, as Emery was also curious about what other people thought of the contract he received, Emery decided to tell her.
After explaining the essence of the contract, Emery did not immediately receive a response, but then she said.
"Did they really give you that kind of contract? That's a very good offer, Emery." The girl's voice sounded genuinely surprised.
"You think so? So, should I accept the contract?"
This time, an immediate response came from the other side.
"No… no, don't accept it" Annara said in an unsure tone.
"No?" Emery was puzzled. "Why? If it's really good in your opinion, then I should accept it right?"
"Well, in my case it's because I believe my master, Grand Magus Zenonia, would definitely not be happy"
Emery's mind went into a daze when he heard the girl's words. For a moment, he couldn't understand what she was saying.
"What do you mean your master won't be happy?"
Annara realized she had slipped out something she shouldn't have said.
"Argh, I'm not supposed to say that. Just forget I ever said that."
Emery was quickly reminded about another threat that was waiting for him. Grand Magus Zenonia, was a figure in Magus Academy that was as powerful as the Serpent Queen. Someone he won't dare to make trouble with for probably the next hundreds of years. One more reason why he needs a powerful faction to back him up/
As he pondered, Emery heard Annara calling out to him again.
"Emery… Actually, after thinking carefully... I think you should accept the contract."
"Oh? Why?" The girl's sudden change of mind naturally made him curious.
"Because I believe there is a higher chance for both you and me to survive and leave this planet if you accept the contract."
Emery was amused by her antics once again. The red-haired girl was such an opportunist, she was even willing to betray her master's will for the sake of survival.
Out of pure curiosity, Emery asked, "Then what about your master's will?"
The girl didn't even spend a second before answering, "Haha, that's easy… I'm sure my master can help you break the [soul contract] without killing you. Maybe just some side effects, but what's important is that you and I, both of us will end up surviving."
"..."
"This is the best plan, trust me!"
"..."
Emery heaved a deep sigh and decided to figuratively close his ears from the girl's nonsense.
Everyone seemed to have their own agenda, therefore Emery should really start to think about his own.
There was only so much time left before the 24 hour deadline arrived.
Hence, he quickly took the lotus position and closed his eyes to gather and concentrate his thoughts. He tried to think carefully about the contract - what joining the Ouroboros would mean and entail to him, to his friends, and to Earth.
Emery's contemplation went on for several hours before his facial expression relaxed. He finally had a better grasp of what he was about to do.
A figure came walking into the corridor where Emery's cell was located.
Emery was expecting Vizla, however, the one who came was a female with long white hair.
The girl however appeared to be distraught, as she looked at him, she said "I came to see if you have made up your decision?"