23. Yvonne's Visit

"Keep calm. Just act natural," Blaze whispered to Robin.

"Natural! Yes, natural!" Robin encouraged himself, seeking to boost his confidence.

Blaze walked calmly to the door and opened it.

Blaze's eyes widened momentarily upon seeing her, but he swiftly regained his composure.

"Flawless acting," Aphrodite praised.

"What can I help you with, Principal Yvonne?" Blaze asked calmly in a neutral and natural tone, devoid of fear.

Yvonne raised her eyebrows in astonishment, as most students tended to be reserved when in her presence.

"Nothing in particular. I simply wished to converse with you," Yvonne responded, stepping into the house without waiting for his invitation.

"Robin Brooks? What are you doing here?" Yvonne asked.

"I—"

"He came to collect what he lent me," Blaze interrupted Robin, who was about to give an unconvincing and nervous answer.

"And what could that be?" Yvonne inquired, not believing the story.

"He lent me his robe, as I didn't have one," Blaze answered calmly, before gesturing for Robin to depart. Yvonne was taken aback by Blaze's actions, as she was accustomed to being the one giving permission to enter and leave as she pleased. However, Robin had a different opinion. The moment Blaze signaled for him to leave, he quickly stood up and rushed out of the room.

"Were you threatening him?" Yvonne asked coldly. However, Blaze remained unfazed.

"No. Maybe he has anxiety issues in front of the Principal," Blaze said as he passed her a chair.

Although Blaze appeared nonchalant, he was mindful of maintaining proper decorum. He recognized that Yvonne was his elder and held a position of authority that far surpassed his own.

Yvonne graciously accepted the treat and settled herself calmly into a seat, observing as Blaze made his way to the side to fetch her a cup of water.

"The Robin I know doesn't get nervous in the presence of his superiors," Yvonne commented, her gaze fixed on Blaze. Despite her scrutiny, Blaze remained composed and unfazed.

"Maybe it's because I wanted to borrow other clothes from him." Blaze passed her the cup of water and said, "I have nothing to offer except this cup of water."

"That's fine. Let's leave Robin and talk about you," Yvonne said as she drank the cup of water.

"Do you know that after that show of your talent, many nobles have their eyes on you? At your age, the maximum time you can absorb mana is three hours. Sixty percent of your filled liquid core is supposed to be your limit, but you surpassed that," Yvonne explained, but Blaze kept silent as he knew there was a follow-up.

"I tried to take you as my student. That way, you will be under my protection, but you threw it in my face. Why?" Yvonne's eyes reddened as she stared at him with pitiful, puppy eyes.

"Are you asking as the Principal or Miss Yvonne Hydron?" Blaze asked, his expression remaining unchanged despite the emotional appeal in Yvonne's eyes.

"Is there a difference?" Yvonne inquired, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she regained her composure, no longer exhibiting signs of sadness or tears.

'Give the woman a f*cking Oscar award,' Blaze screamed inwardly. He finally met his match.

"A massive difference. A difference between official and casual," Blaze said, not allowing his thoughts after his facial expression.

"I think I will go with Yvonne Hydron," Yvonne replied after much thought.

"The reason is that I want to stay away from the nobles. Staying away from political games will save my head," Blaze replied with a serious expression, losing his nonchalance for the first time as he peered into Yvonne's eyes. Yvonne did the same.

"Clash of actors!" Aphrodite squealed from the background as she giggled. She knew Blaze avoided meeting nobles because of his forbidden marking. He was lying while making it sound like the truth.

Yvonne finally retracted her gaze and nodded.

"You should try to avoid Princess Cherry," Yvonne advised.

"Because of Liam?" Blaze asked.

All this while, he has been standing while talking to Yvonne.

"It's complicated. Don't ask, or you might end up dead," Yvonne said calmly before standing up to leave. She walked slowly until she was out.

After she left, Blaze sat down calmly on the chair as he stared at the ceiling.

"What's wrong?" Aphrodite asked.

"She wanted me to inquire about Cherry's situation, as that would give her control over the conversation. If I had asked, it could have been interpreted as having romantic feelings towards Princess Cherry. Furthermore, there was a risk of being drawn into political schemes if she had revealed any sensitive information. However, I'm not a naive teenager," Blaze responded in a composed manner, offering his explanation to Yvonne.

"Isn't that good? Getting you to the people at the top, since you want revenge against the Tower Empire?" Aphrodite asked in confusion.

"I don't like going into a game where the game board is set and controlled by another person," Blaze said.

"Gameboard?"

"Yeah! Game board. If I set up and control the game board, I will know every secret way out. Hacks will be at my fingertips. However, I'm not powerful enough to set up the game board right now. My position will only be a pawn."

He stood up and started training as he flexed his body.

Blaze observed that while his mental acuity was sharp, his physical response did not match the same level of proficiency.

———

When it was night, Blaze sat in his tree as he tried to absorb mana.

"If I were you, I wouldn't absorb mana throughout the week. Your mana veins were already injured from absorbing excessive mana during the activation of the 'ancient moon curse'. It was something useless that saved you," Aphrodite advised Blaze, cautioning him against further injury.

However, Blaze ignored her and carried on with his action. The threat of being used as a pawn is still clear in his head.

As the blue tattoos glowed in response, Blaze felt a sharp and debilitating pain coursing through his veins. He clenched his teeth tightly, attempting to endure the agony, but it intensified as the light emitted by the tattoos grew brighter.

Despite the excruciating pain, Blaze attempted to absorb mana, but he felt as though there was a blockage in his veins. The mana in the surrounding area was unable to flow into his core, and the wild mana that had been trapped without an outlet began to wreak havoc in his veins like a raging bull.

Blood started seeping from the pores of the skin of his arm like water making its way from the cracks of rocks before another trickled down the side of his mouth, nose, and eyes.

In a morbid display, the blood within him began to seep from his body and various openings, forming a grotesque cascade that trickled down onto the leaves of the surrounding trees. The once vibrant blue tattoos adorning his skin now bore witness to this twisted spectacle, as they became unwilling vessels for his tainted oozing blood. Each drop of blood that fell upon the leaves created a macabre tapestry, a haunting reminder of the grim fate that had befallen him. The atmosphere grew heavy with an unsettling stillness, as if nature itself held its breath in the face of this morose display.

But Blaze paid no heed to the agony coursing through his veins or the grotesque display unfolding before him. With unwavering determination, he pressed on, forcing himself to absorb the mana despite the excruciating pain. His mind was focused solely on harnessing the power that lay within the mana, ignoring the toll it was taking on his body.

In a cruel twist of fate, Blaze's unwavering determination proved powerless against the forces of nature. As he pushed himself to the brink, his veins could no longer withstand the strain, bursting open in a gruesome display of crimson. Blood oozed out uncontrollably, staining the ground beneath him.

Suddenly, Blaze's heart betrayed him, succumbing to an unexpected slumber. It ceased its rhythmic beat, leaving Blaze in a state of vulnerability and uncertainty. The world around him seemed to fade into a hazy blur as his consciousness wavered on the precipice of oblivion.