Alaric just let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.
"It’s fine," he said simply.
Livia’s tense exposure was loosened into somewhat... relief?
And she gave him a nod.
Then as if sensing his presence, Mirenna’s sharp voice cut off mid-sentence.
When she turned toward the entrance, her expressions transformed into a practiced diplomatic smile which didn’t reach her eyes.
Caleb straightened as well, his shoulders squaring in a weak attempt to reclaim some dignity.
He shot one quick, resentful glance at Alaric before looking away.
Alaric paid them no mind, he simply moved to lean against the far corner of the chamber.
Outside at the gate, Livia remained in place, her grey eyes fixed on Alaric’s distant figure.
Is he really him? she thought as her fingers tightened against her pendant.
"Livia, dear." Mirenna’s voice brought her out of her trail of thoughts, when she her staring at Alaric for too long.
"Come here."
She blinked rapidly, coming back to her usual composure and walked to her mother’s side, before stealing one final, conflicted glance at the hooded figure in the corner.
As if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t find quiet words for it.
Tap! Tap!
After a few moments of tense silence, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Two figures entered the chamber.
Selene looked at the lone figure, leaning against the corner wall.
"Let’s go, dear. Our purpose here is done," then without waiting for a response, she turned and headed for the exit.
Alaric pushed himself away from the wall with a quiet grunt, and followed her out, leaving the Duskwoods to digest their defeat in private.
The moment their footsteps faded down the corridor, Mirenna’s diplomatic smile crumbled like ash.
Her blue eyes hardened to chips of ice as she turned sharply toward her husband.
"What did she demand?"
Varell’s rigid posture finally sagged as he exhaled in what could only be described as defeat.
"Exclusive access to our shipping routes through Millhaven Port during the autumn trade season."
"And?" Mirenna raised an eyebrow, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
Varell simply shook his head.
"Nothing else. Just this."
Only then did Mirenna release a long, sigh of relief.
"Good thing she didn’t go that far," she muttered, rubbing her temples as if trying to massage away a growing headache.
"I was imagining much worse scenarios."
Varell nodded grimly. "Yes, but..."
Then he turned his head to the golden-brown haired boy and hardened his gaze.
"We’ve lost Elina Glimor."
The words came out in a low, cool tone that.
Caleb straightened immediately, his eyes blazing with unshakeable resolve.
"Don’t worry about that, Father. We’ve known each other for a long time, and I’m pretty sure she likes me too. All I need to do is make her fall for me completely."
"You’d better succeed, boy," Varell’s voice carried a warning edge. "Because unlike her pathetic predecessors, she ain’t dormant."
"Just leave it to me, Father. After joining the academy, I’ll do it..." Caleb’s lips curled into a sly, predatory smirk that spoke of schemes already forming in his mind.
Seeing the confident gleam in her son’s eyes, Mirenna’s earlier fury vanished as if it had never existed.
She reached out to pat his head. "I believe in you, my dear son."
He gave her a firm nod.
Meanwhile, as the trio continued their plotting, just a few steps away from them, Livia’s jaw clenched tighter with each word, her eyes darkened as her expression shifted to one of pure, undisguised disgust.
******
Tap! Tap!
"That was fascinating,"
"That was fascinating," Selene murmured, a satisfied smile playing on her lips as she and Alaric made their way through the altar’s marble corridors toward the exit of Altar.
"I’m glad you enjoyed it, dear aunt," Alaric replied with a slight shrug, though he immediately winced as the movement sent a sharp pain through his ribs. The healing potion he’d taken earlier seemed to be working slower than usual for some reason.
Selene gave no reaction to his deliberate emphasis on the word aunt.
She simply moved ahead, elegant as ever.
As they reached the altar’s grand entrance, Alaric noticed a cloaked figure near the steps.
Their features were completely hidden beneath a deep hood, and it looked like as if they had been waiting for someone.
Selene stopped.
"You go ahead. I’ll return shortly," she said, and walked toward the figure without looking back.
Alaric blinked, watching her aunt approach the stranger.
Who is that? he wondered, eyes narrowing slightly, but only for a moment.
Then he shrugged.
Whatever.
Then he continued toward their waiting wagon. The coachman straightened seeing him coming and gave a respectful bow.
Alaric just nodded and climbed into the wagon, settling into the cushioned seat with a quiet sigh of relief.
He leaned back against the soft fabric, finally allowing his eyes to close as the tension began to drain from his battle-worn frame.
The sounds of the altar, distant conversations, footsteps on marble,faded into a peaceful hum as exhaustion claimed him.
He then brought his hands up and rubbed his face wearily, the memory of that blazing phoenix still burning vividly in his mind like an afterimage that refused to fade.
"Hey system, you know what that was?" he asked, his voice muffled by his palms.
Then a familiar cyan panel popped in front of him.
[That was an imitation of Ashurael, the Guardian of Truth and Divine Flames.]
Alaric sighed deeply, letting his hands drop to either side as he stared up at the wagon’s cloth ceiling.
"So all of that was real then? He was actually present during the trial? I never thought a god like him would be... available enough to personally oversee every Phoenix Trial."
He shifted, straightening in his seat with renewed curiosity.
[No, Host. That was not Ashurael himself.]
[What you experienced was an echo of his divine essence embedded within the sacred flames, triggered during the trial by your nearly evoking it.]
[The actual deity does not manifest in this realm.]
Alaric raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
[Because the barriers between realms prevent direct divine intervention. They cannot simply—#@#&....]
[ERROR!]
[System level insufficient. Cannot provide requested information.]
Alaric clicked his tongue in frustration and leaned back against the cushions. "Should’ve known you’d hit another wall."
But the system panel didn’t flickered and hovered in front of his eyes.
[Host is strongly recommended to avoid direct engagement or prolonged contact with any divine entities or their manifestations. Such interactions carry significant risks to which are advised to not get into.]
Alaric raised an eyebrow at the unusually serious tone but chose not to press further. He closed his eyes again.
******
"How has the day been, milord?" Selene offered a respectful nod as she approached the hooded figure.
"It has been quite eventful, Lady Selene,"
The figure gestured toward a luxurious carriage waiting nearby, its dark wood polished to a mirror shine and bearing no identifying crests or banners.
"Shall we discuss the matter you wished to address?"
Selene inclined her head gracefully. "Of course."
She stepped into the carriage first, settling herself on the plush velvet seat with practiced elegance.
The hooded figure followed, taking the seat directly across from her with careful and deliberate movements.
Once the carriage door closed, providing them with privacy, Selene leaned back slightly, her emerald eyes glinting with the usual calculating intelligence.
"So, have you given thought to my earlier proposition? Milord" she asked, her tone casual but her smile carrying subtle undertones of expectation.
Then the man reached out and pulled his hood back.
Revealing his greying hair and his grey eyes that held the sharp intelligence.
He then tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the leather armrest, eyes studied Selene’s face with the calculating gaze of someone weighing risks against potential rewards.
Meanwhile, Selene maintained her composed smile, waiting with the patience of a skilled negotiator who knew when to speak, and when to let silence work in her favor.
"You’re quite bold to make such a request, Lady Selene," he said finally, his tone neither accusatory nor approving.
She nodded without hesitation.
"I know, milord, but... It would benefit both of us greatly."
The man stroked his neatly trimmed beard, appearing to be deep in thought.
"But what about the others? Those houses also have their shares in this arrangement, and..." He let his hand drop, his eyes narrowing. "What makes you think I’ll agree to such terms? If I recall correctly, I only said I would consider it, not that I had agreed."
But Selene’s smile never wavered.
"You saw him for yourself today, didn’t you, milord?" Her voice carried quiet conviction. "What I’m proposing is not a permanent binding, but a temporary partnership."
The middle-aged man simply stared at her. Though he didn’t voice agreement, neither did he rebuke her suggestion.
He had indeed witnessed the trial, seen the way the boy moved, the precision with which he finished his opponent, the raw potential that had been displayed within those sacred walls.
What that boy was truly capable of.
After a long pause that stretched between them like a drawn bowstring, he finally nodded slowly.
"Very well, Lady Selene. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how this... arrangement develops."
Selene’s smile deepened with genuine satisfaction. "You have my deepest gratitude, milord. This partnership will prove most fruitful for both our houses."
And then after a bit more if talk, she stood up and exited the wagon.
-------
Chapter End.
----
[A/N]
Yo guys welcome back.
And sorry for inconsistent updates, and there will be only 1 Chapter today, as I have to travel for some work.
Bye, enjoy.