Chapter 56: What Admiral Zeke Wanted
Was it because of the stone embedded in his chest?
Aisha didn’t know if there was even a method to suppress erratic miasma inside a sentinel’s body other than guiding. But with how the Association was known for developing ways to help and protect the lives of every single guide and sentinel in the empire, it might not be strange if they decided to give their admiral a treasure that no one had ever seen or known before.
Her palms itched.
Suddenly, a thought of comparing her own abilities with that mysterious stone appeared in her mind. Something deep inside her didn’t like this idea, but she pressed down the feeling quickly.
It’s not my business, she reminded herself.
She already messed up once by guiding a certain wanted criminal who developed a strange attachment to her.
However, moving her gaze away from the marking on his body turned out to be a mistake.
Because now, her line of sight fell directly onto something entirely different.
"!!!"
Heat instantly climbed up her cheeks.
Shit.
Zeke noticed where her eyes had landed. Silently, he reached over and picked up a robe hanging on a hook by the door, and pulled it over his shoulders, tying it loosely at the waist.
Without meeting her eyes, he spoke flatly, "Wait for me outside while I get dressed."
Aisha didn’t need him to tell her a second time.
She turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her a little harder than necessary.
Once she was in the hallway, she leaned her back against the wall and let out a long breath. Walking into a room and seeing a man completely naked before her was too shocking.
In both her lives, this was the very first time she had witnessed such a scene.
But she couldn’t be blamed for her reaction. When would she have ever had the time or even the right person to explore that area?
The most she had ever done was look it up on some sites or read about it in books.
After calming herself, Aisha felt conflicted. She looked down at her hand, wondering why she felt like that strange pull when she saw him earlier. Was this just the natural instinct every guide felt when they saw a sentinel in trouble?
She pressed her palm flat against her thigh, forcing herself to stay composed.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Zeke came out, already fully dressed.
He looked entirely different from how she remembered him at the academy. His pale hair, usually left loose around his shoulders, was tied back in a low ponytail, with a few stray strands slipping free near his temple.
At this moment, his sharp and stern aura was completely retracted. He looked gentle, harmless, and gave off a domestic feeling.
Looking at him now, it was impossible to connect this soft appearance with his identity as a high and mighty Admiral of the Association.
"Come with me," he said, not even waiting to see if she would follow.
Neither of them talked about what happened inside the bedroom.
Aisha walked behind him down the hall, entering a room she hadn’t seen before. It was apparently his private study.
"Sit wherever you want," Zeke said, gesturing to a chair near the desk.
"There’s no need. I won’t be staying long."
He didn’t push the matter, only leaned back against the edge of the desk, arms loosely crossed.
Aisha decided there was no point drawing this out further. "What do you want to know?"
Zeke shook his head. "Nothing."
She frowned slightly, her suspicion deepening. Her thoughts went back to the marks on his body.
"I cannot guide you," she said, her voice sharper than she intended.
Whatever was sitting quietly in his chest, and whatever that stone did to keep it tame, it was not something she planned to touch.
"I’m not asking you to guide me." He spoke evenly, as if expecting her to say exactly this. "I want you to let me feel what you did to Nykos."
Aisha’s expression didn’t change in the slightest, though her heart went completely still. "I didn’t guide him."
"I know you keep saying that."
"Because it’s true," she said. "Moreover, the Admiral already knows my rank. It is only D-rank. My purification value does not even cross the passing line. No matter what you think I did to a sentinel like him, a person of my ability is simply incapable.
"That doesn’t matter," Zeke replied. "Even with a D-rank and a low purification index, basic guiding should still be within your capability. I am only asking if you can perform at this level."
Aisha held his gaze for a moment. She knew he was making up an excuse just for her to guide him. Even if it’s just basic guiding.
At this moment, she understood. If she did not give this man some sort of compromise today, she would not be able to leave.
If she kept rejecting him blindly, his suspicions would only grow. A single ordinary demonstration was a minor issue compared to having a suspicious Admiral constantly investigating her background.
"Fine," she said. "But not right now. We will do it after the match."
Zeke raised an eyebrow. He clearly did not expect her to add a condition. "Why?"
"Because I don’t trust you," Aisha spoke bluntly.
He didn’t argue. After a short silence, he gave a slow nod. "Then it will be after the match."
With the initial issue out of the way, they shifted the conversation to the main reason she had sought him out. Aisha laid out the situation.
"This matter must be kept quiet," she said when she finished. "If it leaks, things will be troublesome for me and my classmates."
"I’ll do what I can," Zeke said.
It wasn’t a promise. But coming from a man like Zeke, those words carried enough weight to suffice.
Aisha had no intention of lingering any longer. Being confined in a closed room with him for too long made her uncomfortable. Her fingers twitched faintly at her side, fighting that unwanted instinct. It was an urge to reach out and press her hand against his body.
She didn’t trust that instinct at all. Even if it was something her guiding ability wanted.
Not wanting to stay and test her self-control, she prepared to leave.
"I’ll take you back," Zeke offered, breaking her train of thought.
"No need." She was already halfway to the door. "I plan to walk around a bit before heading back."
Zeke watched her retreating figure for a moment. Just as she reached the door, he spoke up again. "Do you think you’ll win?"
Aisha paused and looked back over her shoulder.
A faint, confident smile played on her lips.
The sight caught him completely off guard. For a second, Zeke’s stoic mask slipped entirely.
"I don’t lose," she stated.
Before he could recover fully, she added, "Do you know somewhere I could train? Someone no one will bother me?"
"My residence," Zeke said, answering almost before she’d finished the question.
Aisha gave him a flat look. "That’s too far. I’d waste half my day just traveling back and forth.
Besides, what kind of relationship did they even have for her to casually stay in his private estate like it were her own?
"I need somewhere closer to the academy grounds," she clarified.
Zeke seemed to realize his slip of the tongue. "There’s a restricted estate near the school grounds. It should work for what you need."
She nodded in agreement. What she did not know--and what he had no intention of explaining--was that this piece of real estate was personally arranged for him by his biological father, the Chief of the Association. It was meant to be his resting place while he stayed as the academy’s combat instructor.
Leaving the matter resolved, Aisha stepped out into the corridor.
Making her way out of the building, she was only halfway down when a sleek, compact flying shuttle suddenly arrived directly in front of her.
The automated door slid upward, and Ares leaned his head out, waving at her with far too much familiarity for someone she’d just met today.
"Hey! What a coincidence!," Ares chirped like a bird. "Admiral told me to be your driver and tour guide for the day."
Aisha measured his expression for a breath of time. She truly possessed zero understanding regarding the geography, layout, or resources of the Association sector. Having a local guide who knew the pathways to lead her around was not something she would reject.
"Good," she said, directly stepping into the cabin.