Chapter 11: Sagacious Assumptions and Speculations (1)

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Ziro, who was stopped from her tracks, turned her head back towards Dmitri and simply nodded, well, she could not say no more.

She never expected this new guy knew about her, and from her deepest thought, she hoped he's not her enemy.

Even Dmitri lost his words.

"... ah... uh... er... w-wow... Ha... I- I did not expect that. I thought, you were hidden in the witch mountain."

Ziro immediately glared her eyes towards the new guy.

'Witch mountain? From what I remembered, that was much of a classified info.'

Even Eleseiyans didn't know about the secluded witch mountain, where the former Ziro was isolated starting from his childhood, from which Siwaliw and Paluti constantly seeking help from the witches in searching for the reason why Ziro became a cripple.

But why? Why did Dmitri know about him being hidden in the witch mountain? There's only one link between the two she could think of, he was one of the assassins who killed Ziro off the cliff.

Well, she could just really hope, it wasn't.

Because of that, Ziros suspicions heated immediately.

The atmosphere turned a bit awkward, as the two of them fell in a brief silence.

Dmitri shook his head while Ziro just looked the new guy with a 'Who are you exactly?' expression as her mind was already thinking how to escape if this Dmitri tries to kill her.

But...

"I-I am very sorry for my rudeness, Your Highness. I did not know you're that of a high status. I hope you could forgive me."

With a sudden change of his tone, Dmitri bowed his head towards Ziro.

A cold glint flashed Ziros eyes and her heart glowered with distrust.

However, she couldn't just accuse someone she'd just met and luckily saved her, could she?

So she could only thought, maybe she should go with the stream of fate for now, and rely on this guy, well, he may have some clues on how to get out in this cave.

Besides, she was actually kind of curious about what he called 'My Highness' earlier. And from what she could remember, Dmitri called Ziro as the keeper.

From this, she could only deduced that there might be some connection from her being transported inside the cave with what he'd just said, and maybe the reason why she was still alive, even though she was so sure, she died on the spring.

Through that, her mind relentlessly thought, and highly assumed, she became a specimen of whatever the thing inside the heart of this antre, and keeping her alive must be a top priority.

So, even if Dmitri turned out to be one her killers, he couldn't.

At instant, her mind suddenly remembered what Dmitri said earlier about himself, unable to harm her even if he wanted to, because if so, His Highness would definitely not spare him.

Hence, this new guy wouldn't even bother slitting her throat this instant. Well, that was as far as her assumptions went.

Above all, Ziros perplexity would just come into light after she meet the person in what-so-called the heart.

With her well-phrased assumptions, Ziro clamped her lips and immediately put on a shocked expression, matching it with a flinch of her body.

"Ah. No. No. That's okay. You don't need to be sorry or even too formal for now I think we need to deal with the horde first."

Unaware of what Ziro had just thought of him, Dmitri blinked twice.

"We? Ah no. Leave the rest to me, Your Highness. I'll keep them occupied. For now, you should hurry over the heart."

"That's what I'd like to do too but they'd caught up too fast."

Both of them looked the path towards the heart, only to see three jar monsters souls already gnashing its teeth and leering towards them.

Talk about bad luck, Ziro just really born for that.

"Blocking other escapes these monsters can't stop amusing me."

A sneering glint shot Dmitris eyes.

"May I ask you, Your Highness, of your tier? I may humbly need your strength on this one."

Another thrown question by Dmitri that made Ziro speechless, he's really good at poking on her bleeding wounds!

At first, hesitation hurled on her heart, but what could she do, lie? And make both of them in danger?

Then she decided.

"None."

She crisply answered without any hint of grief in her eyes.

Dmitri's eyebrows raised when he could not caught up with what she said.

"None?"

"... your heard it correctly. In long words, I can't cultivate. I'm a cripple."

Dmitri blinked slowly as both of their eyes only shot towards each other.

"I see."

And a short reply only casted out from his mouth followed by averting of his gaze.

"I may not know the truth, but I know those eyes of yours are lying at all. You have my greatest sympathy. Well then, just leave this to me, Your Highness. It would also be better if you crouched beside the spirit stones, just in case."

And he quickly shot a glance on the crystal rooted beside.

Ziro's eyes twinkled.

"So, that's called spirit stones."

She thought and immediately leaped towards the crystals.

Krrrkkkkaaa!!!

Menacing growl blasted from afar. Not later than a minute, the remaining beasts started charging towards them.

"So, you're the commander, eh. Talk about grade systems."

Without sniffing about what Ziro said, Dmitri narrowed his eyes and tensed his arms in an offensive posture.

" -- Zurrrryyaaaaaa!!!!"

Bursting with huge grunt, Dmitri snapped his arm forward right before his long sword, which at instant induced horizontal fiery slash.

Vshiiinggg!!!

Howls of anguish followed when four soul beasts were immediately blasted off from its existence. Leaving ten in total; the mantis which glidingly evaded Dmitris attack, and includes three sigbins waiting for loopholes.

Krrkkkaaa!

Extremely enraged, the mantis blazed over the blond swordsman, forcing its forelimbs up front and with a sudden halt, delivered a full strength razor cut.

However, Dmitri came prepared as his hands blisteringly danced about the hilt, gallantly pinned his sword on to his waist and with a forward of his shoulder, unsheathed the sword out of the scabbard revealing a clear slender blade.

This time, a piercing 'shing!' reverberated on the air meeting up with howling winds when the two blades clashed together.

A creaking metal sound broke off the whispering silence of the cave as each of them never intended to pull out from their clash.

Krrkkkkaaa!!

Boiling with rage, mantis gnashed its mandible while it hastened its flight, gaining tremendous power, consequently driving Dmitri slowly off of his feet.

Ziro who was cradling next to the spirit stones, clenched her fists on her lap as she could only watch how Dmitri being overpowered by the jade beast, enough for her to think she should storm over Dmitris side and kick that irritating face of mantis.

Well, of course, she couldn't erase her wariness, but choosing between her suspicions and helping Dmitri to survive, she would rather not hesitate picking the latter.

"Ugh! What a tremendous power."

Dmitri clenched his teeth as his right hand started trembling, just a little bit more or his veins might explode.

"You leave me no choice..."

He quickly raised his left hand occupied by the scabbard, and with a long blew of his breath.

"Come! Lucere!"

Zzzzzzttttt!!!!

At instant, a greenish orb suddenly popped out above Dmitri and shot a deafening light beam towards the mantis.

That very moment, mantis screeched and quickly pulled out its razor claws and glidely retreated to avoid the retracting condensed beam.

Piercing boom blasted each time the orb fired its light laser.

"Don't let it escape!"

Dmitri crisply commanded.

This time, Ziro's worried expression suddenly changed, as her mouth couldn't stop from gaping.

Amusement filled her eyes once she saw that bubbly orb dancing up in air as though it wasn't deadly at all.

'So this is a summoned Contracted Beast. It's cute.'

But beyond her astonishment, her eyes suddenly blinked when a familiar faint gushes of wind caressed her face.

Shhkk!!

"...! Dmitri, behind you!!!"

Ziro crowed and immediately stood on her feet.

Because of that, Dmitri's figure suddenly flinched, and without a trace of hesitation, swiftly brushed his foot back and with a turn of his waist, lashed his sword at a great force.

But...

'Eh? Behind me? Was he joking around?'

...creases formed on his forehead when he cut nothing behind. Once checked, his eyes only laid nothing but a dust cloud swirling beneath his sword.

"...on your left!!"

Ziro's voice quickly plunged in Dmitri's ears.

At instant, Dmitri pulled his arm back, fully concentrating his energy on his sword, and then scorching flame immediately swallowed the blade up to its tip. In no time, Dmitri let out a dragging grunt when he made an explementary turn and thrashed his arm towards his left.

The ground trembled and reduced to pebbles as it was ignited with an explosion. However, Dmitri's sword felt no flesh at all.

'You've got to be kidding me.'

"There's nothing here, Your Highness."

With that, he threw a glance towards Ziro, only to see him unguardedly standing feet away from the spirit stone, while his eyes firmly closed.

'What? What's he doing? He would get himself killed!'

Panic welled inside Dmitri's chest as his gaze rolled around for any sneak attacks for the prince.

'Damn it! He is such a pain! I have never expected cripples could be this too careless!'

'Y-your Highness! You shouldn't close your eyes in a f-"

"Shush!"

As irritation slowly biting her being, she accidentally hushed in an officious rift of her voice.

That's primarily because from the moment sigbin concealed its presence, she immediately followed its vortex sheds and was able to track its movement, not until when this Dmitri cried out.

"With all due respect, did you just hush me?"

Anger welled in his chest as his pride couldn't take how this measly cripple young prince just made him an idiot following his orders around while taking his good intention into an irritating noise.

Ziro clamped her lips together as she just raised his chin to plunge into deeper hearing.

With all the loud blast going on behind, Dmitri tensed his jaw and gripped his sword tightly.

"You know what, I'm really disappointed in you, Your Highness."

"..."

"I actually hoped you'd change my perception towards the royalties given that you are a cripple yourself, I thought you'd understand being powerless... being at the bottom... but I'd just realized regardless of being cripple or not, you... you, nobles are all just the same."

Feeling all the tension on his trembling voice, Ziro slowly lifted her eyelids and threw her sight towards the swordsman.

Their eyes met.

Clearly, in Dmitri's face was a trace of an absolute resentment.

He just mentioned about the royalties, did he mean those who have first blood lineages? From the blood lineage system, only those who have first blood lineages had the right to become a royalty.

They shall be the one who'll rule each countries of the lower realm, even if they exploit their power or use it in greater good.

She was rather intrigued if who's King Nāga, her new father, from the two options she got? Searching for the former Ziro's memory did not even give a speck of answer.

By that she immediately shrugged that query and pulled her mind back to the current situation.

From this moment, Ziro really wanted to refute all hurtful words Dmitri said, but there was a part of her that makes her not do it, telling her what he felt, might be the same as her loath feeling for her painful past.

Ziro slowly put on a concerned expression. Averting her gaze, a sudden guilt welled inside her heart telling her maybe she might be wrong about Dmitri after all.

Regardless, she must do what she needed to.

"On your right."

And a calm grief-stricken voice came out of her mouth.

Just right after her, Dmitri immediately scowled. His eyes widened and absolutely filled with annoyance. His temple broke off bulging veins as he could not take such hard-leveled head this crippled prince got. Didn't his words have even reached Ziro's ears?

"You really are - !"

Slash!!!