Chapter 284 - 279 — Increased Stake
Ingrid was heavily principled, the sort who believed nothing worthwhile should come without hard work. For someone like her to deliberately break those principles just to help him meant something.
It meant she cared more about helping him than upholding them.
Zephyrion scoffed. "Why did she have to do that?" he muttered, even as the smile on his face only grew wider.
He lifted his head and happened to catch his reflection in a mirror along the wall. His lips were curled so high that the expression almost looked unnatural on his face.
’I’m smiling, huh.’
He reached up, touching the corner of his lips as though confirming it for himself. Then, a moment later, an even stranger realization struck him.
’I like this.’
The last time he’d experienced someone in his family genuinely looking out for him had been a decade ago. Back then, it had always been his mother, and after she disappeared, only Lumi had ever managed to fill that void. Though even he wasn’t entirely sure where the two of them stood now.
Still, he would never have imagined that his sister would one day care enough about him to break her own principles, much less that something so simple would make him this happy.
Zephyrion let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this uncertain about himself. In a way, his mother’s rules had always made life so simple. They gave him guidelines to follow, boundaries that made every decision feel clear.
But now, he’d broken them. And this time, it wasn’t only with Lumi. Ingrid was included too.
He missed Lumi, and he liked talking with his sister. These were emotions, dangerous emotions that could derail him from his goals, yet somehow, he didn’t want to stop feeling them.
’So this is how I truly am.’
In a way, he’d always known. After all, his attachment to his mother had bordered on obsession. Whenever he truly became attached to someone, that attachment was hard and unbending. Obsessive. He’d made it his life’s goal to find out what happened to his mother. Hell, he wanted to control the world just to ensure she would be safe.
His emotional attachments were difficult to sever. Perhaps that was why he’d always kept an emotional distance from people in the first place. Somewhere deep down, he was afraid of losing someone again, just as he’d lost his mother.
Zephyrion sighed heavily. These thoughts of self-reflection were quite exhausting. Realizing things about yourself you’d never quite understood before was a strange feeling. Somehow, he felt as though he understood himself a little better.
’If I can’t sever the bonds, I have to find a way to make them work.’
His mother’s rules, at the end of the day, were still right. If he couldn’t bring himself to sever these bonds, then he simply had to make sure they never interfered with him or his goals.
A chime from his rune tab drew his attention. Zephyrion glanced down, frowning the moment he saw Ingrid’s name on the rune tab.
’What now?’
He opened the message, and as he went through it, his eyes gradually widened. This new message was simply filling him in on the developments of the situation. Apparently, she had informed their father and Garrick, and they, along with Garaxe, had immediately come to the academy.
’Hmm... he also came? Odd.’
Garrick and Garaxe he could understand, but he was somewhat surprised that his father had come as well. Thinking about it for a moment, however, he quickly arrived at the most likely conclusion.
’He’s probably trying to protect the House’s honor. He didn’t come for me.’
Zephyrion scoffed. It wasn’t like Ingrid. It couldn’t be. A moment later, he shook the pointless thought from his head and focused on what actually mattered.
’A thousand high grade elixirs.’
Just thinking about it sent his heart racing. That was practically a lifetime supply. With that many, he would never have to worry about the fog again. Hell, he could practically gulp elixirs like water. Even if he had to threaten Garrick, there was no way he wasn’t getting his share of the spoils.
But first, he had to win.
Amongst the messages she’d sent, Ingrid had also provided him with one particularly important piece of information.
House Commander Rhydan couldn’t see what was happening within Southern territory. Everything from the Guardian Pillars inward was completely blank to him.
Meaning, as long as they remained within their own territory and stayed away from the Northern fortress, Rhydan would be just as blind to their movements as everyone else.
It was extremely useful information, and Zephyrion fully intended to take advantage of it. Nodding to himself, he lowered his rune tab. The stakes of this war had just risen drastically.
Now, there was simply no future where he wasn’t winning this.
...
The courtyard was filled to the brim with many cadets, their endless chatter and whispers echoing throughout the northern fortress.
In the midst of it all, Malach stepped onto the podium, a benevolent smile resting on his face.
"Oh look, finally, it’s Lord Malach."
"He’s so handsome..."
"Shhh! Quiet, he’s about to speak."
Almost immediately, the chatter began to die down until the entire courtyard fell silent, every eye settling on him.
"Before anything else, I would like us to give thanks to the Iron Father for seeing us through another day. Please, join me in a moment of silence."
Malach placed a fist against his chest and lowered his head in silent prayer. Every cadet followed, including the head cadets standing behind him.
A moment later, Malach raised his head.
"My fellow cadets... I’m afraid the news I bring you today is not good."
The benevolent smile was gone. His eyes had softened, his entire expression carrying such genuine sorrow that if Gordon and the other head cadets didn’t know the kind of person Malach truly was, even they might have been fooled.