Outrage and Explanations

__________ POV Ashton__________

Being direct will have both advantages and disadvantages. But I was already planning on being direct. I just need to convince them of my reasons.

"What!? You too!?" Asked a short man wearing yellow clothes. I think he should be the tiger of the zodiacs. At least that's what he looks like. Although 'cat' would be much more fitting.

He was almost growling at me, the others were also looking at me with hostility. Cheadle just looked shocked, her ears were a bit lower than usual.

"How many betraying scum do we have among the association?!" The angry Ponytail Dragon was really not taking this well.

But I'll let them get a bit mad, just so their regret over the misunderstanding will make them more likely to agree on helping me.

"W-wait! Please explain... What is your plan exactly?" Asked the chairman, silencing any further incensed shout. Well, I was hoping she wouldn't try to defuse the situation so early.

But this also works. Just as I was about to speak, Beyond helps me by furthering the misunderstanding of the Zodiacs with one of his own.

"Hah! Obviously, he is a hunter that thinks for the future of the human race! He must have been in the same situation as me when father prohibited hunters from entering expeditions."He said with a knowing smile.

He was not going to even attempt to insult me after my previous overreaction.

But it seems he still thinks he can use me as a piece. A part of his plan to further his standing and convince the Zodiacs to help him escape and join the expedition.

It's not that hard to tell after hearing the entire story. But his shoddy attempt is actually somewhat helping me.

Now that I think about it. He really is similar to Netero, he was also arrogant in his youth. The dark continent humbled him greatly, but it seems the son didn't take after his father.

Beyond has a lot of his father's ego. I don't know what he's got from Linne, but I can't see much of her timid personality in him.

Still, Beyond must've gotten lucky in his last expedition, otherwise, he wouldn't want to go back there. Netero and the others didn't have it easy at all, maybe it's because of the route they took.

The expedition was killed mostly by disease, so they likely never encountered any of the powerful predators of my homeland.

They probably tried to eat something from there or stepped into the diseased marsh. I don't think I ever got sick during my stay there, but I am a bit more sturdy than a regular human.

I wonder when he'll stop rambling about the fate of humanity and the advancements we could make if we organised expeditions more regularly.

He's somehow implying that any expedition until now was even remotely successful...

All of them lead to many deaths, and the last expedition didn't even bring a sample of what was wanted back to Lake Mobius. All they did was bring a disease into their homelands.

One that, thankfully for them, didn't get to spread around too much. I think it got contained properly, that's all I know from what Netero told me.

I didn't inquire as much back then, now I'll have to find out more.

Smokey also decided to interfere with his own words.

"Why don't we all shut up and listen to what Ashton has to say?" I guess out of everyone here, he should have the best idea of what my relationship with Netero was.

He knew that I wouldn't work something like that behind Netero's back, I'd do it right in his face. So he doesn't even consider me a possible traitor.

The room seemed to quiet down instantly. I guess Smokey is quite respected in the association.

Beyond wanted to keep going, but a glare from me shut him up instantly.

"Well, first off, this is a single man expedition. Not a group of hunters disrespecting the rules of the last Chairman." They seemed to perk up at this, Beyond was also completely taken aback.

"W-wait! You plan to go there on your own?!" Since he also experienced the Dark Continent, he knows that a one-man expedition is basically suicide.

Actually, everyone in this room knows that. Cheadle looked horrified at my words, she really took a liking to me. But they don't know what I'm about to tell them.

"This is more of me returning to my home. Netero and I first met on the Dark Continent, I helped his group thrive in that environment, and I decided to come to Lake Mobius to see what there was to do here." I won't give my actual reason or any information about Relics of any kind.

But I will have to inform them of my origins in order to further gain their trust. If they believe me that is.

"That's impossible!! No one would be able to live in that place!" Screamed Beyond, he seemed to be a lot more surprised than the others.

But I could see it in their eyes, this was furthest from what they were expecting.

"Officially, I was a stowaway, only the four of us knew the truth, but now only me and Linne remain. So it doesn't matter anymore." My words got slower as my expression grew more tired.

"Wait... How old are you exactly?" Asked a girl with orange hair and bunny ears, I think this is the rabbit... As if that wasn't made obvious by her getup.

"Well, I lived for quite some time before meeting Netero and the rest. I should at least be older than him, maybe by a bit." I don't want to alienate them by telling them that I am the oldest living human.

"How come you look so young?" This one was asked by none other than Cheadle herself. She didn't seem to be all that surprised by my age reveal.

"Oh, that's due to my diet while I was living there. A lot of things found there are beneficial to one's vitality... Although the dangers far outweigh the benefits..." My words seem to have taken the more greedy ones by surprise.

"What do you mean!? You survived just fine, that means it's possible right?" Asked tiger boy, looking around for the agreement of others.

"Well... I am also much stronger than everyone in this room put together..." This argument isn't going to win me any opinion points.

But I don't want to have too many people visiting my home so brazenly. They would just litter the beautiful landscape with their bodies.

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