Emperor's Reckoning

Chapter 706: Gratitude

Lyon was at the top of the massive rubbles with his arms crossed. His fresh azure cloak was fluttering its life off of his shoulders. The impact from his fist left the identity of Alchemy Union to dust.

He let out a heavy snort before he stepped into the air and fell with a T-pose. His black hair fluttered in midair before he landed his two feet on the ground with a thud. 

Everyone immediately turned their head over. This was the very same man that had come to Alchemy Union yesterday. He came with a blast of attention, now, he descended from the ruins of the First Hall.

“So that’s how it goes,” said Mavis after he finished explaining what had transpired. With his meddling in this issue, the live witnesses were being put on a bridge of decision.

They could side themselves with the Red Lotus, but if they did they would be the enemy of Mavis. They could side with Mavis, but it would mean distaste to Ning. The wisest action now was to stand still on the bridge and watched. Being neutral provided them with the best chance of living.

“T-Then…. hmm…” the headmaster furrowed his brows. (The story aligned… but I can’t help but feel something is off). His weary eyes looked around and saw the witnesses stay shut.

“It was an unfortunate event headmaster, the Sky Clan, however, will help you rebuild the First Hall,” said Mavis with a smile. 

His words caught the surprise of the onlookers. The Sky Clan was a massive clan whose richness was untold. How wealthy the clan was, was not the question that ever lingered in the minds of the commoner. 

“Oh no, young master Mavis. Please don’t do that,” said the headmaster as he pleaded.

Lyon raised his brows noticing this. Alchemy Union was a neutral ground but from the way the headmaster addressed Mavis, it was different. It seemed like the headmaster was afraid of the aforementioned Sky Clan of the Sixth Heaven. 

“We can do the rebuilding ourselves, we have the finances for it,” said the headmaster with a hint of cold sweat.

“Are you sure? What about the goods that you lose in the ruins?” asked Mavis as he raised one of his brows.

The headmaster shook his head, “The loss of the goods is destined. We could scavenge the surviving ones in the meantime, however, please don’t involve in this matter, young master Mavis.”

“If you said so hahaha!” Mavis laughed freely.

(What does he want?) Azleid furrowed his brows.

“Young master Azleid!”

“Young master Azleid!”

His guards came rushing in before one of them asked, “Are you alright, young master Azleid?”

“Hm!” Azleid snorted. “You think something like this can kill me?”

“A-Absolutely not, young master!” the guard nervously answered with a straightened spine.

Azleid pain no heed no more. His eyes shifted back at Mavis and Ning before grinning. “This is an interesting development, I was going for the Angush Pill but it seemed like something is going to grow from the ground.”

He averted his glance toward Lyon. The man was shrouded with mystery the moment he met him on the second floor. Lyon was nonchalant and felt nothing against his overbearing presence. He thought that Lyon was a person of interest before Ning slapped his hand away. It was unruly of her then, but it sparked the might that Azleid had never expected out of an alchemist. Now, the First Hall was no more.

“Oh my god, the First Hall of the Alchemy Union is in ruin?!” asked one of the guards.

Azleid let out a snort before he turned and left.

“W-Wait for us young master!”

Some of the onlookers managed to notice the bigshot left Alchemy Unions. They wondered what his opinion was but Azleid was known not to speak a lot of words about something. His opinion mostly remained inside his own mind—rarely out.

“Then, alright,” said Mavis as he shrugged his shoulders before he caught a glimpse of Azleid leaving Alchemy Union. “Oi, why are you in such a hurry, Azleid!”

Azleid had his shoulders stiffened as he paused. His brows were twitching. He couldn’t believe that Mavis would call him out all of the sudden. He let out a snort before resuming his path.

“Heh, what a cold boring guy,” commented Mavis. Perhaps, he was the only one that was brave enough to have a say about him in public.

Cecile snorted as she smiled.

Hilde calmed her chest. Her heart had beat more than it should in the last few minutes. She just saw the same young man that conquered the annual tournament that they held, destroyed the First Hall of the Alchemy Union. Not even the Golden Dragon Kingdom would dare to lay their claws against this holy organization. 

“Hah~ What a roller coaster,” Hilde sighed. She was sure to keep an eye on Lyon, but she couldn’t keep an eye on the one antagonizing him. Never did she think that someone would prick his reverse scale like that. Destruction was imminent, she was near the incarnation of death at the time. She couldn’t even utter a word, let alone raised her hand. 

Cherie immediately ran up to Lyon. “Young master Lyon, are you alright?”

“I am, thank you,” said Lyon as he nodded.

“Oh,” Cherie was a tad disappointed but she nodded. “Then, that’s good.”

Hilde snorted as she crossed her arms (That woman is really like her mother!). However, her snort was immediately welcomed by a raised brow of her own as she saw Cecile calmly approaching the source of trouble. “W-Wait, what are you trying to—?! MMMM?!”

Kesya clamped her mouth with her palm as she grinned beside her hair. “Don’t interfere, there is nothing to worry about.”

Ning, Mavis, and the rest of the onlookers were looking at the auburn beauty approaching the former. 

Her beauty was ethereal, and her tall figure was something comparable to a half-giant. It only took them one look that she was a person with severe authority. Her confidence was beyond comprehension as she stood alone against the guards from the Red Lotus. 

Ning furrowed her brows. Only a wall of five cultivators stood between her and the auburn beauty. Cold sweat started to form on her temple unbeknownst to her consciousness. She was nervous, it was a feeling that was foreign to her. (Why… who is this woman! Why am I getting nervous?! I’m Ning of Red Lotus damn it!) she further furrowed her brows in her attempt to pacify further noticeable unease.

Cecile crossed her arms with her chin raised a little.

“Tch!” Ning opened her eyes wide. Veins started to push her cold sweat as she saw the smug on Cecile’s smirk. Her jaws were clenched with a gaze that could kill. The woman in front of her was the one that casually flipped Lyon’s situation—in addition to Mavis’s interference. Lyon’s position was secured and it was all because of the woman in front of her. 

“Please don’t come further,” said the wall of five cultivators as they readied their stance. All five of them were nervous. They never thought to shed a cold sweat on someone they never met before, but here they were. Her presence was something that could only be conjured up through experiences, many of which they didn’t have. 

“I think you owe something to my dear husband,” said Cecile before she smirked.

“W-What? Hah? What are you talking about?” said Ning as she crossed her arms. The hard-headed woman refused to back down as she too raised her chin. However, due to the height that Cecile had, she looked more like a joke in Cecile’s eyes.

“Heh, Miss Ning, this man had become a corpse only because my husband can’t stand that he was using the great Red Lotus’s name. Imagine if he were still alive, abusing the status that he didn’t have,” Cecile shook her head as she sighed.

“KH?!” Ning’s eyes were trembling with rage. She couldn’t believe that she was still trying to get something out of herself. She thought it was a done deal.

Mavis chuckled inwardly (This woman is indeed a superior one. She still attacked her even at this state, amazing!). (Then again,) Mavis glanced at Lyon (This one is really something else, even I would never think that he would pulverize the First Hall).

“Hmph! What are you trying to say?” asked Ning as she put her arms on her waist.

“Gratitude,” said Cecile with a smile. “My man is not that complicated. He didn’t need gifts, he didn’t need vicious treasures, a simple gratitude is enough, a simple ‘thank you’ if you will.”

The five guards slowly undo their stances before they stood calmly, however, their young miss was cursing inside. There were a thousand curses as she looked at the smug on Cecile’s face. She was never challenged this way in her entire life before, Cecile was the first—a mere words to defeat her pride.