Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 294: Another Private Visit

“That’s why you did it?!” Zelsh shouted, unafraid to speak his mind in the silenced space. “You attacked the home of a prefecture lord to help an insignificant adept hide his techniques?!”

“No.”

Confused and enraged, Zelsh shouted again, “Then why did you do it?!”

“I did it to help an extremely significant adept hide his techniques,” the man stated, forcing Zelsh’s mind to more fully accept Oli’s importance.

“Then... why is that boy so important?”

“You don’t know.”

“Then tell me why!”

.....

Sighing, the man soon let out a single chuckle. He proceeded to find himself a seat on a comfortable sofa. The man then motioned for Zelsh to take a seat as well, all while keeping the same simple and calm smile.

A moment passed but the man said nothing and didn’t move.

“What are you going to say?” asked Zelsh.

“I’m waiting for you to calm down.”

Letting his shoulders droop and his head sag, Zelsh sank into the sofa across from the man. Another moment passed while Zelsh slowed his breathing and forcibly relaxed his tense body.

“See? Doesn’t that feel better?”

Zelsh sighed, “For now, maybe. But the more surprises you give me, the harder it is to relax.”

“My actions only seem drastic to those that don’t know the whole truth.”

“Which is?”

Leaning into the arm of the sofa, the man chuckled again. “Thank you for playing along. I knew you wouldn’t try and turn this all on me, but it’s still nice seeing you handle it so well. You’re strategy for hiding Oli was brilliant. Getting all of your representatives to forfeit so they would stand out along with Oli, a great tactic that deserves some praise.”

“Still, that doesn’t stop anything. That only led Lord Treeda here,” argued Zelsh.

“But it’s easier for me to distract one prefecture lord, and not two.”

The expression on Zelsh’s face tensed once more as his eyes widened. “You... would’ve distracted both prefecture lords? At the same time? ...”

“Thanks to you, that wasn’t necessary. Now, we can move along smoothly and avoid plenty of complications that Zrand would have tried to impose,” claimed the man, not changing his delighted tone in the slightest.

“... Who are you?” Zelsh questioned again, trying to imagine someone able to take on two prefecture lords at once.

“That doesn’t matter to you. You know I’m stronger than you and you believe that I’m stronger than Lord Treeda, that’s all that matters regarding your knowledge of me. However... the same isn’t true about the boy...”

Zelsh was silent. Finally, the man had changed his tone of voice and Zelsh wasn’t going to interrupt, given where the conversation seemed to be headed.

The man continued, “You’ve now proven yourself faithful and reliable. And now, failing to fulfill what I require of you will only bring you more condemnation...”

“That’s not what–”

“But upon fulfilling your role, you’ll be in a position beyond your wildest dreams. And the same goes for your family and loved ones.”

Swallowing his objection, Zelsh nodded and calmed down once more. “Then... what role is that?”

“You’ve already accepted the role. The moment you decided to not mention me to your prefecture lord and hid Oli from prying eyes... That was the moment you can never take back. Now, you’ll have to face the consequences of siding with me, both the negative and the positive,” claimed the man.

“There’s an upside to this?” laughed Zelsh.

The man laughed as well, nodding confidently, “Of course! I wouldn’t force you into such a situation without offering a payout beyond your comprehension. I was just waiting for you to prove faithful before explaining things properly.”

Turning his head and staring out of the corner of his eyes, Zelsh asked, “Then... you’ll explain everything?”

A subtle nod. That’s what the man offered while lifting himself from the sofa’s comfortable arm. Leaning forward with his elbows on his thighs, the man brandished a rare, toothy grin. His perfectly white teeth put his pale skin to shame, but it offered a sight that Zelsh wouldn’t forget.

“How much do you want to know about Oli?”

Taking in a sharp breath, Zelsh took a moment to ponder that statement. “Didn’t you warn me that learning about him may condemn my entire family?”

“Only if you had turned down my offer. But you can’t do that anymore. You’ve accepted my terms and you’ll face those consequences upon failure, regardless of knowing the truth or not,” the man stated, getting Zelsh to ponder his next question. But the man also added, “As the boy’s instructor and teacher, however, I implore you to ask every question you have, regarding the boy. Otherwise, you won’t be able to fully prepare Oli for what I need, and then you’ll face those dire consequences regardless.”

“So... I either don’t ask and I fail to meet your expectations, leading to the destruction of my region and family, or I learn more than I should, putting my region and family at unquestionable risk?”

“I’m glad you’re sharp. Oli will need that from his instructor.”

Zelsh took some more time sitting there, letting his thoughts brew and bubble. He wasn’t sure how to feel. Whether accepting Rhyner’s offer to train Oli was the greatest blessing he’d received, or it was the greatest condemnation that had been forced upon him.

“Take your time. I’m in no rush at the moment,” the man added, taking out a bottle of wine that Zelsh had never seen before. “Would you like some?”

“... No thank you.”

“It will help the information go down easier...” teased the man.

Laughing and sighing at the same time, Zelsh dragged his hand down his face. “I’m... going to regret this, won’t I?”

“Who knows? Life is what you make of it. The best you can do is work hard with the hand your dealt, though life isn’t fair in offering everyone the same deck of cards.”

“... Pass me a bottle...”

“That’s the spirit!” Chuckling, the man retrieved multiple bottles and lobbed them over to Zelsh one by one. “You’ll need every drop. We don’t want you stressing over the hand I’m about to reveal.”