Chapter 40: Necessary Evil

After Zen lost consciousness, Shreya waved her hand and all the assassins on the ground and turned all the assassins on the ground into ashes.

"Sigh. Days are always interesting with this boy," she remarked with a smile on her lips. Not long ago, her routine centered around the academy and personal training. Now, with Zen, each day brought something new and things were never boring.

She then picked Zen and went inside where Evelyn and Anna were waiting for them.

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"Brother! What happened? Is he injured?" Her eyes darted anxiously between the unconscious Zen and the Shreya who was holding him, awaiting answers.

Shreya, standing at Zen's side, reassured them with a calm demeanor. "Don't worry, he is just exhausted and will be up in a couple of minutes." Her words acted as a balm, and both Evelyn and Anna released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding. 

Seeing that both of them were calmer, Shreya put Zen on the ground.

Evelyn, unable to quell her concern, pressed further. "Was the fight very hard?" Her eyes held a mix of curiosity and concern. It was highly improbable for Zen to use all his energy while fighting a small group.

Shreya's response carried a mysterious weight. "Let him tell you. This is something you should hear from him." With that, she left the room, leaving behind the other three.

Evelyn and Anna exchanged glances, silently agreeing to await Zen's awakening. Just as Shreya had predicted, Zen began to stir after a mere couple of minutes. The air in the room seemed charged with anticipation.

Evelyn stood up, her eyes never leaving Zen's face. "He is waking up." Her voice held a mixture of relief.

As they approached Zen's side, his eyes slowly opened, revealing a storm of emotions. Fear gripped his chest, visible in the beads of sweat on his forehead and the uneven rise and fall of his chest. The weight of whatever happened weighed heavily on him.

Evelyn swiftly supported Zen and helped him sit. "Easy there, darling," she murmured, steadying him. She readily understood that the fight left more mental marks than physical.

Seeing Anna and Evelyn beside him calmed him down.

"Brother, what happened outside?" Her gaze bore into Zen, seeking answers.

Zen's response was a bitter smile. "I guess I took the hardest step of my life," he admitted, his eyes reflecting the gravity of his recent experience. Without hesitation, he began to recount every detail, holding nothing back.

As Zen started recounting the incident, both of them were astonished to hear how easily Zen dealt with the assassin. They knew he was capable and it wouldn't be too hard for him to deal with a bunch of assassins, but knocking them out in just a few minutes surpassed their expectations. When he revealed the subject of taking a life, a pin drop silence descended upon the room. Even Zen, as he spoke those words, seemed to carry the weight of the moment when he swung his halberd.

Anna, breaking the hush, voiced the question that was on both their minds. "Brother, do you regret it?" She was very concerned about Zen's state of mind. She trusted Zen, but the impact of his actions on his own conscience mattered a lot.

Zen's response was firm and resolute. "No! I don't regret it."

"Oh!" Shreya entered, her phone projecting Elizabeth's image. "So you are now fine with killing people?"

"Mom!" 

"I called Shreya as soon as I got the report," Elizabeth explained with a warm smile. "I am proud of you, son."

Hearing Elizabeth, he just smiled. "As for your question master, I still think killing is evil. But it is necessary. I will never kill blindly, but if someone dares to stand in my way, I will not hesitate to swing my blade at them." His words resonated with a resolve

Very good! That's what I wanted to hear." Shreya nodded approvingly at Zen's resolve. 

"Anyways, do you have any inkling why those bastards targeted you?" She delved into the heart of the matter. 

"Umm… I guess." Zen squinted his eyes. "I cannot prove my hypothesis, but I think it is Oliver Banks." 

"Why would Oliver Banks target you?" Shreya demanded further explanation. Getting targeted by the prince was not a small matter and Zen might get entangled in something dangerous and unnecessary.

"Well…" Zen proceeded to narrate the encounter with Oliver's entourage, and how that bitch ordered him to kneel and how he ignored him. Hearing the story, Evelyn's blood pressure increased to an all time high.

"Darlinggg" She screamed as she shook Zen from his shoulder. "You are crazy. Why do you have to poke a hornet's nest? You basically showed the prince a middle finger. What if he targets you?"

Evelyn was from a great noble family. As someone who was just below the royal family in hierarchy, she has seen all the methods royalty could take to force things their way. Although nobles carried a great deal of power, one tacit agreement was always between them. Never anger the royal family. When the royal family takes action against someone, only destruction awaits them.

One could say that as the direct subordinate of the royal family, Evelyn was raised to be afraid of them. From her childhood she was taught to just kneel and lower her head in presence of royalty. If they declare right is left and left is right, you just agree with them.

But Zen was different. From his childhood a strong sense of pride was brewed inside him by Elizabeth. This pride never allows him to bow his head, whatever the cost. Additionally, after meeting his grandfather and learning about his background, his pride was cemented even further.

"So what if he targets me?" Zen asked unfazed as he held Evelyn's hand. "Evelyn, I am not gonna obey a grown-up kid with a moon-sized ego. I do what I want to do." He sneered.

Evelyn's concern deepened, "But what if he targets you here? Even Shreya cannot actively help you because you are dealing with a future monarch."

She was worried about Zen's safety. She knew that he was protected but only when he was on the verge of death. What if Oliver decided to toy with him, not seeking his life but rather inflicting pain to vent his anger?

"Well, worse comes to worst..." Zen replied with seriousness, "I will just ask for help."

"Pfftt!" Shreya couldn't contain her laughter at his response. "Stupid disciple, isn't that way too shameless?"

"What?" Zen feigned innocence.

"Don't you shout that these nobles usually go cry and call their parents and grandparents?" Shreya asked incredulously.

"Hmph," Zen retorted stoically, "so what if I am hypocritical? In a duel or in a fair fight, I won't involve anyone. But if someone wants to use his age or background, I will show them what family means."

Silence fell upon the room, everyone was speechless by Zen's 'righteous' speech. Each person present wore an expression of incredulity, 'Just how much thickness do you need to become this shameless?' they all wondered.

"Hahaha, good, my son!" Elizabeth burst into laughter out of nowhere, "Never kneel in front of anyone. If that emperor decides to go against you, I will cut his hair and write 'baldy' on his forehead with permanent paint."

The shamelessness seemed to be a family trait, passed down through the generations.

"Well, anyway, don't worry about anything and focus on your training. By the way, Evelyn, you also have people following you now."

"Thank you, mother," Evelyn responded with a chuckle.

"Alright, kids, good night!" Elizabeth cheerfully hung up.

"Oh master, I heard you pointing something to Evelyn about her attack, what was it?" Zen asked.