“Huaaa~”
Yawning wearily, I made my way to the staff area. I had spent the entire previous day doing nothing but training, so I was reasonably exhausted.
Stopping before a private office cabin, I checked the title plate and lightly knocked on its door a few times.
“Come in.”
A clear voice came from inside, inviting me to enter. Swinging the door open, I stepped into the room.
“Come, Mr. Morningstar.”
Liz sat behind her desk, her feet crossed and resting on top of it. She played with a pen in her grasp.
As her sharp gaze fixed on me, I couldn’t help but look away from her deep amethyst eyes.
Being alone with her for the first time, I felt it…
Her presence was as sharp as a sword, as if daring me to approach. It almost felt as if I would be cut down if I even tried stepping closer to her.
I’ve noticed that exalted and formidable warriors always seemed to have a distinct presence.
Leo exuded a domineering aura, while Selena always seemed to be enveloped in an air of grace.
Reynold had the presence of a predator, while Yennefer always oozed off a chilly aura.
This unintentional presence was almost like a controlled version of violent bloodlust.
“Come, sit.”
Liz took a deep breath and pointed at the seat before her, gesturing for me to sit down. I complied.
After I settled down, Liz brought down her legs and interlocked her fingers while facing me.
“I heard you started training in swords recently. How good are you?”
“…My profession is at level three, and I know two sword arts. Why are you asking, Miss Snyder?”
Liz raised an eyebrow in slight surprise before leaning forward on the desk.
“Why else? I still owe you a reward since you won the bet I made with your master.”
Heh, finally. I was almost afraid she forgot.
“But before I present you with your reward, I need to ask you something.”
“Hmm?”
Frowning, I gave Liz a puzzled look.
Noticing my expression, she extended her hand and spoke in an even tone:
“It’s a simple and straightforward question, but I need an honest answer. Will you be truthful?”
As my frown deepened, I nodded firmly. “Of course, I will.”
“Good,” Liz smiled. “Because if you don’t, the consequences will be dire.”
Huh?! Was this a threat? Did she just threaten me?
Almost as if she could read my thoughts, Liz intervened. “And no, it isn’t a threat. Just a suggestion. So just be honest.”
A small smile played on my lips as I nodded again. “You can ask me anything, Miss Snyder. I’m prepared to tell you the truth as long as you’re willing to hear it..”
Liz furrowed her brow. “And what does that mean, exactly?”
“Nothing,” I replied with a warm smile. “Just means I’ll be honest.”
Liz reluctantly nodded before closing her eyes. When she reopened them, her pupils emitted a dark purplish glow.
Damn, whatever she wanted to know must be very important if she was staring into my soul.
Yes, Liz had activated a spell called [Soul Gaze]. She was now peering deep into my soul.
If she detected any major fluctuations in my soul energy, she would know I was lying. Or something like that.
Truthfully, I never bothered to read how [Soul Gaze] worked.
I knew it was a passive spell that consumed a lot of mana. But in return, it granted her vision across the spectrum and the ability to identify weak spots in her enemy’s soul, among many other things.
I also knew that trying to deceive her now would be futile… unless I was as skilled in the art of deceit as I am.
Yes, I called it an art because it is!
“Lucas Morningstar, why did you try to save me during the vampire attack?”
“…”
Huh?! That’s the big question?!
I already thought it would be related to the vampire attack, but not something so simple as this!
Noticing my silence, Liz narrowed her gaze, making me suddenly feel very uncomfortable.
“Answer me, right now.”
Under normal circumstances, it could have been troublesome if she had asked about my involvement in the resistance against the vampire attack.
For example, she might have inquired how I deactivated Bloodpolis. That would have been a problematic situation, but not insurmountable.
I still would’ve been able to lie my way out of it somehow, I know it.
However, the way she phrased her current question made it easy for me to respond. I just needed to be smart about it and bend the truth in a way that would not make me look suspicious.
Inhaling deeply, I leaned back in the chair and shrugged.
“It was a strategic choice. You and Ella’s father were the only two adults on the field at that time. Also, you both are powerful and experienced in dealing with vampires and their dark spells.”
I scratched the back of my neck and continued, “The vampires were clearly after Nero. As long as you were alive, they couldn’t get to him. So my focus was on keeping you alive. When I saw you in a perilous situation, I tried to divert their attention to me, if only for a moment.”
Pausing for a brief moment, I added, “I also knew you must have called for backup before diving into the fight. Therefore, we just needed to buy some time.”
“….” Liz stared at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, as though she was looking at a madman.
“You’re an idiot!” She finally burst out.
“….” I shook my head. “My intelligence stat would beg to differ.”
“Y-You…” Liz’s eyebrow twitched at my response, but she calmed herself down by clenching her fists. “You could have died if your master arrived a little late! It was such a risky plan!”
Shaking my head once more, I replied, “No, I think I would have been fine. My armor relic grants me near invincibility. At worst, I could have held them off until backup arrived and taken a few injuries.”
Liz facepalmed. “You’re a fool. Vampires, especially high-vampires, have more than one means of attack. They can deploy soul or even mental attacks. I doubt your armor protects you against those, am I right?”
“…So you’re going to reward me with a mental and soul protection relic?” I asked shamelessly.
“…No!” Liz yelled, flustered by my audacity. “I’m telling you that you’re an idiot! You risked your life for a–”
Before the alluring beauty could continue speaking, I interjected.
“Miss Snyder,” I began. “With all due respect, I believe what I did was right. You know the situation in the North is worsening, don’t you?”
Liz’s eyes widened. “No, it’s not…”
I rolled my eyes. “I come from a ruling house. Leo Kurogami is my master, and I trained at Mount Hua for six months. Do you truly think I wouldn’t be aware of the North’s condition?”
Liz bared her teeth before heaving a soft sigh. I shrugged again.
“The vampires are becoming increasingly aggressive each day. We don’t know what the future holds. In the impending times of uncertainty, we will need strong warriors like Nero. You know how strong his Gift is, don’t you? He could be akin to a God! But for him to live up to his potential and help us in winning the war, he must stay alive first.”
Stunned by my abrupt assertion, Liz’s eyes widened in a mix of shock and amazement.
“Win the war, you said?” she asked, half disbelieving and half astonished.
I shrugged. “Of course. Isn’t that the goal of every soldier, to let us win the war and finally end this madness?”
“Ha… Haha… Hahaha!” Liz gazed at me in disbelief for a moment before erupting into a series of erratic chuckles.
I sat there quietly, my fist balled up as I rested my chin upon it. After a while, Liz finally composed herself and regarded me with a wide grin.
“So you want to win the war? The seven-century-old war that many tried to end but failed? They paid for their failures with death… or even worse. What makes you think that you’ll be any different?”
A faint smirk played on my lips. I tried to keep myself from bursting into laughter as I cocked my head to the side.
“What makes me believe I’ll be any different, you ask, Miss Snyder? It’s the question of sheer survival. If we want to survive, we’ll have no choice but to bring an end to the war. We’ll have no choice but to win it.”
A scowl formed on Liz’s face. “I’m afraid that I… don’t understand.” 𝑜𝐕𝓁𝒩xt.𝗇𝓔t
“It’s all right,” I sighed, rising from the chair. “I didn’t expect you to understand it either.”
At least not yet.
Extending my hand, I continued, “Anyway, it’s about time for the practical exam to start. I would appreciate receiving my reward if you don’t mind.”