An Offer’s Consideration

Shock coursed through me as I heard the familiar name of someone I had considered a friend in the past.

"S-Stefan… is also…?" My eyes twitched slightly in disbelief.

I was already aware of the atrocities he had committed for the Nether Cult, but I had viewed it through a sympathetic lens when I considered his family's history and the inherent inferiority complex he had developed over time.

He desperately wanted to surpass his cousin and rival me, but, much to his despair, the gap kept getting wider.

In the end, he sought the Nether Cult for more power.

'Maria doesn't remember much about their fight, but she told me what she remembered. She defeated Stefan and managed to rid him of Nether through her Familiar's Purification Magic.'

He had managed to escape, but I didn't expect him to be on Legris' boat.

'No… what am I thinking? It makes perfect sense!'