Engagement [2]

"So, what do you think of him?"

Solomon asked, glancing at Freya.

Freya looked over at Azriel, who was now chatting with his sister, Caleus, and Celestina.

They had already finished discussing the plan for when Neo Genesis would attack.

The way Azriel was smiling while talking with his sister made Freya think of one thing since she met him.

"He stinks."

"Eh?"

Solomon looked baffled, surprised by Freya's crude remark about Azriel.

"Death... it's all around him."

To Freya, Azriel just reeked of death.

It made her skin crawl.

"He smells of death? Really? If I'm honest, he smelled normal—nice, even."

Freya turned her head towards Solomon.

"I can't explain why, but that's just how he smells to me... and it's not just that."

"Oohhh, there's more now, is there? You're surprisingly talkative today, Frey..."

Solomon said, intrigued and eager to hear more of Freya's opinion on Azriel.

Freya ignored his remarks and continued looking at Azriel.

"Ever since he stepped foot in this room..."

Freya narrowed her eyes at Azriel.

"Not a single truth has escaped his mouth."

She could feel it.

Those eyes of his...

They were full of lies.

Though he might have fooled everyone else with his act, he couldn't fool Freya.

'Still, it's impressive...'

When someone lies, there are usually signs in their body language or behavior. Yet Azriel exhibited none of these—no gaps, no tells.

But Freya knew he was lying.

If she was confident about one thing, it was recognizing the eyes of a liar.

Solomon, surprisingly, remained quiet, watching Freya intently.

"Same goes for you. Both of you are hiding things about the attack from me."

Once again, Solomon stayed silent, a calm smile on his face.

"That boy has his own agenda. He doesn't expect the plan he made to succeed, not in the slightest. In other words, he's using us—me."

Toying with Saints as if it were a game...

'He's quite bold, but...'

"That's not all you've figured out, is it?"

This time Solomon spoke up, his gaze conveying that he found the situation extremely amusing.

It wasn't.

Perhaps the most unsettling thing for Freya was...

"The way he looks at everyone here... It's as if he knows everything about them. Even me."

She stared at Solomon intensely, but he just chuckled and raised his hands defensively.

"Heh, relax. I promise I haven't told him a single thing about you."

She could tell he was not lying, but that only made Freya more unsettled.

If not Solomon, then who?

Or was it just a facade of confidence?

'He is dangerous.'

For a mere grade 3 intermediate, Azriel exuded a potential that, if fully realized, might become beyond her control.

"So, what are you going to do?" Solomon asked.

Freya didn't hesitate in her response.

"If he wants to use me, then I'll simply use him."

Suddenly, her lips curved into a slight smile, catching Solomon off guard as he stared at her wide-eyed.

"When the attack happens, the parties inside the dungeon will continue if they survive. They will only come out stronger, even if some are sacrificed in the process. As for Azriel Crimson... I am giving him the title of Apex."

"Huh..."

Solomon looked stunned.

The title of Apex was only given to those ranked first in their respective years. By granting it to Azriel, Freya was already planning to make him the top-ranked student in his first year. 

She didn't doubt that no one equal to Azriel would appear in the entrance exam.

It would be ridiculous.

Even if Azriel held back, his fate was sealed. No one would argue with the decision, given his strength.

"You lied to him..."

"If he lied to me, it's only fair I do the same. Besides, having the Apex of the first years as a grade 3 intermediate will only motivate the other students to work harder. He'll be forced to actively play his role as Apex, leading the students during the attack."

What she was doing could be seen as reckless, a gamble on how things would unfold during the attack, but...

She wanted stronger heroes.

If this worked...

Her wish might finally be fulfilled.

"...You will invoke the wrath of the Crimson Prince for this."

Solomon's tone sharpened as he tried to warn Freya, but...

She merely raised her eyebrows.

"Prince or not, he's still just a grade 3 intermediate. Besides, it's my academy, and CASC falls under my rule as the representative of the four great clans."

"Haa... If that's what you say."

Solomon stood up, shaking his head exaggeratedly as he planned to grab something to eat before he left. As Freya watched him, he suddenly stopped without turning around.

"A word of advice... you shouldn't—no..."

He shook his head again.

"Both you and Azriel are underestimating each other too much... Though, I guess that's what makes this more interesting."

*****

The banquet was finally coming to an end, and the guests were starting to leave. Azriel was no longer in the ballroom; instead, he was sitting in a separate room on a couch.

Opposite him, on another couch, sat his parents and Ragnar.

They had called him to this room for some reason but hadn't elaborated, apparently waiting for someone else.

'I want to sleep...'

The fact that Freya had agreed to his plan was a relief.

For the past two months, ever since meeting Nol, he had played his role without breaking character, all leading up to today.

And it paid off.

Physically he might be fine, but mentally he was dead tired.

'Maybe I can finally loosen up a little...'

As he waited for the other person to arrive, his thoughts drifted to the void dungeon.

Each floor was filled with void creatures, becoming more dangerous the lower one went.

Solo diving in the void dungeon was almost seen as suicide.

Still, Azriel considered the void dungeon a blessing.

How could one grow stronger?

The answer was simply the void dungeon.

No one who wasn't a master would be crazy enough to venture into the void realm to grow stronger, nor could anyone significantly grow by hunting void rifts.

So, the best method was the void dungeon.

How the void dungeon worked was a mystery to everyone and even Azriel.

Each floor had a boss, and killing the void creatures caused their bodies to disintegrate into sparkles, leaving only their mana cores.

For a proper adventurer or someone aspiring to be a hero, the void dungeon was heaven.

Suddenly jolted from his thoughts by the sound of the door opening behind him, Azriel turned to see Celestina entering the room.

'What is she doing here...?'

Azriel looked at her, confused.

"Celestina, dear, why don't you sit down next to Azriel?"

His mother spoke softly, but both Celestina and Azriel could sense the firmness in her tone—she wasn't taking no for an answer.

'What is going on...?'

A sinking feeling began to settle in Azriel's stomach. The looks Ragnar and his parents were giving him were unsettling.

Celestina, equally confused, sat down beside him.

Their shoulders were almost touching.

As Azriel was about to speak and ask what was happening, Celestina beat him to it.

"Why were we called here?"

Azriel looked at his parents and Ragnar with the same question in his eyes, his unease growing.

It didn't take long for Ragnar to deliver a bombshell of an answer.

"We want the two of you to get engaged."