Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 817: Questions

Great Elder Morthen Wargrave stood in silence as he stared at Asher. His mind couldn’t help but shift to the moment just two years ago, when the youngest had come to the Library just a few days before his final awakening. He remembered the boy saying he was there to read about the world, just so he would find out places he could go in case he failed his final awakening and was exiled.

Although the boy had said that back then, Morthen knew that Asher was never going to be exiled or banished. Yes, he would have been confined to the Wargrave Estate all his life. But a Wargrave could never be exiled, no matter the amount of rumors that spread amongst the maids and butlers.

When he had seen him back then, he looked nothing like someone who had spent a whole year drowning in alcohol and sorrow.

His mind couldn’t help but snap back to the True Awakening. At the time, they had only seen the youngest use Lightning, and they had all concluded it was his affinity. But now... they weren’t so sure.

"Who has an idea what the Youngest’s true affinity is?" Morthen asked calmly.

The moment he asked the question, it came to them. Lightning, Space, Gravity, Light, and now Fire.

"Maybe he has a unique affinity like the Father, Elder Brother, and Sister Wuthenya," the Seventh Moon, Mary, spoke, as that seemed to be the only explanation.

Everyone nodded their heads, as they knew that unique affinities like those gave sub-affinities.

"But," Apollo Wargrave, the laziest Wargrave, spoke, "if that was true, why didn’t he use any at the True Awakening? He basically used only Lightning throughout," his words factual and logical.

Everyone fell into their thoughts again. Although they would love to say that maybe the Youngest didn’t want to use it, or that maybe he focused all of his training on one element instead of multiple so that he could survive the True Awakening, they knew that wasn’t exactly true. Because even if it was, the Youngest would have at least used it once when it was convenient at a particular moment, and they could think of several scenarios that matched their thoughts.

"We can only ask Azaron and Malrik when they return. I’m sure they know something," Morgana, the Second Great Elder, stated.

Although at this moment she felt like knocking Azaron on the head like she usually did when he was a child. She was sure Azaron and Malrik knew more than they were letting on, and they were staking on Asher and reaping all the benefits.

’Tsk, I would have sent Morthen to knock some sense into him, but even Morthen staked on Asher based on pure instincts,’ she thought to herself.

But alas, she could only sigh. Although she was Azaron’s aunt, she couldn’t exactly scold him as she was the weaker one here. And her own brother, Morthen, who was on Azaron’s level in terms of sheer destructive abilities, wouldn’t bother with Azaron withholding information because he had already made his own money.

---

At the Luxury Viewing Box of the Principals, Cindralis could no longer act composed. Her expressionless face had long vanished, replaced by a smile as she stared at the scene before her. She could see the speechlessness the other Principals were experiencing. She could feel their disbelief. She could sense their minds shaking at the scene before them.

But she said nothing and only basked in the moment.

"Cindralis," Raiden of the Velkarin Empire began to speak, "are you sure this boy awakened only two years ago?" he asked.

He had to ask. The question was burning in everyone’s minds aside from Cindralis’s own.

"This is already public knowledge," Cindralis replied as she turned her black eyes to Raiden. "Why do you still feel the need to ask?" Her tone was flat and calm, a contradiction to the smile on her face.

Raiden and the others stayed silent as they gazed at the scene before them.

"Are you suggesting the Wargraves are faking the information on the Tenth Sun?" she continued without missing a beat. "And if you are suggesting that, I would remind you that the people you are accusing of such things are Azaron, and Malrik by extension." She paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, what’s the real benefit behind such a thing?" she stated in finality.

She could understand their disbelief and doubt. After all, she too had once thought the same thing. And at the end of the day, such a thing wasn’t possible, as there was no benefit to it.

Hearing Azaron and Malrik’s names, Edrik from the Vandross Empire spoke calmly, "Nobody is accusing anybody of anything, so don’t jump to conclusions and spread any false information, Cindralis," he clarified, as nobody suddenly wanted to be visited by Azaron and Malrik.

Iskarel of the Thalvorn Empire followed, "We are just shocked, that’s all," he stated. "After all, going from nothing to this level is impossible by every standard," he explained. "He didn’t just win, Cindralis, he dominated. I mean, look at him. Not a single injury, not a single bead of sweat on his body, not even a frown on his face, no panting." He paused for a moment. "It’s almost no different from when he killed those Rank 6 Monsters yesterday at the Swamp Forest," he explained in finality.

Iskarel stated what bothered them all the most.

It was the sheer dominance. Basic Sword Techniques. Movement Techniques. Even a self-created Rapier Technique. The boy had basically mastered it all.

If Asher had maybe won after pushing himself to the absolute limit, then they might have been able to digest the shock more easily. But this? Coming out with zero injuries, not even a hair out of place, really pricked at them.

"You all may say it is impossible," Cindralis began to speak, "but over a decade ago, when Malrik started his journey, I remember everyone expressing the same shock at the impossibility of his feats," she stated. "Just because your Empires don’t have the ability to produce such monsters doesn’t mean it’s impossible," she stated in finality and stopped speaking.

Deep down, Iskarel and Edrik both knew their trump cards, which they had thought they could win the Inter-Empire Competition with, were now no longer trump cards.

Only Raiden held onto his own hope, his eyes shifting to Arianna Haellight’s battle screen as he hoped she could somehow defeat this monstrosity called Asher Wargrave.

At the Luxury Viewing Box that contained the rulers of the four Empires, none of them spoke.

Calculations ran through their minds. Yes, they might have been smiling and laughing together, but it was all a facade. After all, the moment they ended this Inter-Empire Competition, one side could immediately launch an attack on the other without reason.

Their minds flickered. Although Azaron and Malrik didn’t look for trouble, it didn’t mean they would allow someone who was even more monstrous than them to grow in peace. If they killed a genius like this, it would be a big loss for the Zarethorne Empire.

Their minds couldn’t help but return to the nipping-it-in-the-bud plan they once had in mind.

As for Zolthemir, he was the most concerned. He couldn’t help but ask why Azaron kept giving birth to such children.

If there was anyone on the entire planet who was panicking the most, it was Kimberley Elox. She had received insider information from the source itself and still failed to make use of it.

But sigh... one could hardly blame her. She had simply made the same decision anyone with the same information she possessed would have made.