Chapter 80: Do You Know What Time It Is?
Sultan wanted to speak, mumble a few more words practically. But he didn’t have the strength, nor the courage to. Not now, at least. He stumbled backwards, and then apart, before collapsing on his knees as the golden staff was released from his clenches and fell to the ground.
Vaniti and I only stared, with Koga at his side, he wouldn’t dare to attack. Not against me, and not against my Consort either, if he had just seen what I could do, who’s to say I wouldn’t do it against him?
Well...the area would be devastated and not to mention the case of someone being hurt in the process. No way I would pull off a spell of that level on the ground. It might level the entire city, honestly.
If it wasn’t any more apparent that I only unleash crazy skills when I’m high enough in the sky, that is.
I took a step forward, not proud, not cocky or arrogant. Controlled. Sultan’s reign is over. And yet, he didn’t look me in the eyes. He didn’t want to. He couldn’t.
"It’s over, Sultan. All of this. You dragged it out as far as you could, and...to be fair, I wish it didn’t have to come to this," I tell him. Sincerely. If only he could’ve resigned as early as I wanted him to.
Then maybe things wouldn’t have to come down to this. Maybe...Cloudjumper wouldn’t have spiraled out of control and release her pent-up frustration and anger towards me...towards someone everyone idolized crucially.
And maybe Vaniti wouldn’t have to see her Sovereign in such a bad state as she did earlier...those were things in my control that only Sultan—if he had just locked in from the beginning and just concede.
But...I guess everything happens for a reason, right? Especially with the man who tried to get fate itself to bow down to him.
I eye the Golden Staff. An insignia inscribed at the middle, but it doesn’t look like anything i recognize. Not draconic, nor elven, nor...anything else, really.
I tried sensing any mana coming from it, either. Nothing. It was odd, but if that was the thing that helped Sultan see the future...
...and to extent, made Jonah’s life worse, endangered Bortabelle, and also allowed him to win practically ever election in existence just by knowing what to say in account for the future.
Then it has to end here. It had to stop.
Vaniti brushed past me, which I didn’t even notice. It caught me off guard once she did, and she turned her head around.
"Shall I?" It was weird, a question to be asked in this moment. I didn’t understand what Vaniti could’ve wanted with Sultan of all people. Seeing as the two never met before. At least not to my knowledge.
Even if they did, Vaniti would’ve let me known in advance.
But even then. Her request for permission to do...something—clearly, was vague.
I furrowed a brow, "I mean...go ahead. But don’t do anything rash."
She nodded, and took one more step as she halted before Sultan. Her shadow casted over him as his fingers dug deep into the ground. When he looked up, his frustrated face accompanied with aged wrinkles made it all the more noticeable.
His anger.
His desperation.
And more importantly—his loss.
But there was something else. I saw it in his eyes, the more he looked at Vaniti, the same way you would look at something peculiar...but yet familiar.
His lips no longer curled, and the tension in his fingers faded away. Vaniti stared him down through the blindfold, and she didn’t say much of a word.
Her hand had already committed an action.
She grabbed onto his hair, onto the man whose image is far more important than his physicality. Vaniti did it with such ease, that even I forgot who was the real Sovereign here.
Koga wanted to take a step forward, seeing as to how he was behind Sultan, but all it took was one sharp look right at him. Our eyes locked, then, knowing he could read my lips.
I mouthed to him.
Move, and you’re dead too.
He refrained from taking that next step instantly.
Shifting my attention back to Vaniti and Sultan, her grip was still tight. Sultan tried to release it, or force Vaniti to release it, but he was constantly failing.
"Y-you...! Unhand me right this instant! I’ll...I’ll..." Sultan was running out of words, no longer composed or relaxed as he naturally was or could be. I only watched. Sometimes our eyes would meet, as if he was expecting me to take over.
But maybe that’s the thing. I’m too...lax, for my own good. Not as aggressive as most people would like to make me out to be, you see.
Vaniti here, is the complete opposite. And maybe, just maybe she knew that I wouldn’t have the energy, nor the means to do it. I mean, I could—but that’s not the point here.
Nevertheless, after waiting in silence, Vaniti finally spoke. Face neutral as always.
"...From where you’re kneeling, it might seem as if you’ve ran out of luck, no?" She asked, calmly. Her words had no venom or any ill intent behind it, actually.
It seemed as if she was talking to Sultan formally.
Even the Chancellor noticed it. His body tensed up, just slightly. His eyes locked onto...
...
...
Vaniti’s blindfold was clenched right in her left hand, her other hand holding his hair. And it seemed as if—no.
She was looking right at him.
Both of her emerald and pearl eyes, and despite the fact she can barely see anyone clearly and not in the same sense that I could...she took it off.
Why?
Her eyes are very sensitive without the blindfold. It’s like waking up and the first thing you see is your phone on max brightness—the only catch here is that eventually, your eyes would adjust just normally.
For Vaniti.
Her eyes would never adjust.
Which tells me, the only reason why she did that...
Is because of some personal vendetta against Sultan.
And as I assumed right.
Because what I saw on Sultan’s face next, was nothing more than just a mixture of both emotions I suspected.
Fear.
And, the other.
Remembrance.