Hurt Their Pride

Gris was sure that Blayz was not the type to easily forget and return to inform him about forgotten matters. The person knocking on the door was clearly not Blayz or Alberic. He became cautious as he recalled the narrative about the Silverth family.

The residents of Blayz's mansion were not only his foster children. There were other adults, mostly women, who were the biological mothers of those children.

They all knew that Blayz was a villain. Some of those women were villains themselves, helping him spy on the empire. This was revealed when Lux arrested the Silverth family towards the end of the story.

There were no detailed explanations about Griswalden's time at Blayz's mansion since he was not the main character. That's why Gris felt unsafe staying long in the mansion and asked for a piece of land. No one would watch him because everyone in the mansion needed Blayz's permission to leave within a specified time limit.

"Hello, my brother!" Alaric waved his hand as the door swung open.

Gris narrowed his eyes. Seeing Rowan and Rowena, he was sure Joana was one of the five children who passed the Death Forest Test.

"What brings you all here?" he asked cautiously. If they came with ill intentions, he would summon the scorpion to bite them while he escaped. He would not win against those four youngsters with his current power.

Rowan noticed Gris's wary gaze and replied, "We just want to get to know you better. Aren't we going to the academy together?"

"That's right," Rowena quickly added. "It would help if we got to know each other. We don't know what could happen at the academy."

Pandemonium Academy was created specifically for villains, so there were no detailed explanations about it because Lux trained at Virtue Visa. As Rowena said, anything could happen at the academy, and Gris agreed with that.

He did not know anyone in this world. Going solo was a safe option once he became stronger. Whether he liked it or not, he had to build connections with others to survive. He stepped aside from the door as a sign that he welcomed his guests.

"Would you like some tea?"

Rowan and Rowena exchanged surprised looks. They thought Gris would ask for time to consider their words.

"Anything is fine," Alaric answered as he sat down.

Gris went to get the tea that Alberic had brought earlier. He served it for everyone. "Alberic said this tea is good for restoring stamina."

Since Alberic's name was mentioned, Joana could start a conversation naturally. "I saw Father and Alberic leaving your room," she said briefly, not asking anything because Gris still had not lowered his guard.

Gris drank his tea to encourage the others to drink it, too. Trust is important in a relationship.

Although the four came to offer a mutually beneficial relationship, they stared at the tea for a long time before deciding to sip it a little. It showed that they approached Gris not based on trust but on seeking opportunities. If they truly wanted him from the start, they would try hard to show that they trusted him.

"There's no poison in it, right?" Gris smiled at the brief relief that appeared on their faces. He then continued, "Father came to see me to make sure of my power."

Alaric exclaimed, "I knew it! He must have come because you unexpectedly passed the test."

"Yes, that's one of the reasons."

"What do you mean?"

Everyone waited eagerly for Gris's response. Blayz would only meet someone if he considered them worthy of his attention.

"I just got my class. It's a necromancer."

The four were too shocked to speak. They covered their mouths. The room would have been silent for a long time if Joana had not screamed because she dropped her teacup, and the hot tea spilled on her thigh.

The desire to know more about each other was nonsense. Joana was sure the main reason the others approached Gris was to gather information.

Blayz visited Gris before the other children. Joana wanted to know what they talked about so she could prepare herself when Blayz came to her.

"A-Are you talking about the blessings of the gods?" Rowena asked hesitantly.

Gris nodded. "It seems Lord Veilrath is concerned about me going crazy because of my mother's death. I received his blessing earlier than I expected."

"But isn't Lord Veilrath neutral?" Alaric rubbed his chin, recalling the history of the doomsday known to everyone. He looked at Gris seriously. "You've chosen the villain side, right? Father must have instructed you to do so."

"I haven't chosen a role yet."

Joana no longer cared about her burnt thigh. "Your role was determined from the beginning. You have to be a villain to enter the academy!" she exclaimed angrily.

The atmosphere changed instantly. Gris discovered that the four were upset because he had received god's blessing earlier. They had trained hard with the hope that the deities would pay attention to them.

Knowing that a child who failed his experiment got a class would definitely hurt their pride. From their perspective, Gris did not try as hard as they did. He stated he had not chosen a role yet, further fueling their anger.

"Doesn't father object to that?" Rowan seemed calmer than the others. His question made his friends hope Blayz would scold Gris.

But they knew their hope was useless. They saw Blayz leave Gris's room with a happy expression.

"It seems like you're too shocked to remember that my class is a necromancer," Gris explained calmly. "There are rules I have to follow after becoming a villain, such as not being able to kill people indiscriminately. I don't want to be punished."

Everyone fell silent. They understood what Gris was trying to say. He would kill humans to test his powers. No wonder Blayz was not mad because he would surely support his son's idea wholeheartedly.

"When did you choose your role?" Joana asked, her voice sounding anxious.

Blayz was insane, and everyone in the mansion knew it. To develop Gris's power, he could do anything.

Getting a necromancer class was rare, so Blayz would protect Gris no matter what. If Gris pointed someone out as a sacrifice, that person would be brought by Blayz for him.

Taking an outsider was a risky move. Blayz, being rational, would likely suggest Gris buy an enslaved person. But no one knew what was on Gris's mind now.

That's why Joana, Rowan, and Rowena looked worried. They may have passed the test. Unfortunately, that could not guarantee that Blayz would protect them. Moreover, they had not received the blessings of the gods needed to gain their father's full attention.