Chapter 299 - 297 : A Productive Evening (2)

Chapter 299: Chapter 297 : A Productive Evening (2)

Arthur silently hoped the Nexus mainframe possessed more common sense than the System currently occupying his head.

"Arthur."

He looked up.

Athena was staring directly at him.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course."

"You’ve been staring at the table for the past several seconds."

"I was thinking."

"That would be a welcome development."

Arthur’s mouth tightened.

’This woman...’

"And how dare you call me unlucky?" he demanded. "Have you forgotten that you’re still alive because of me?"

Athena paused.

She considered his words for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"You have a point."

Arthur immediately straightened.

"Exactly!"

"Perhaps you’re not unlucky."

His expression brightened slightly.

Then Athena’s gaze drifted toward the shattered glass scattered around the room.

"Perhaps you’re simply the kind of lucky person who survives disasters that everyone around him then has to deal with."

Arthur’s mouth twitched.

Hard.

"...Wonderful."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"If you’re finished insulting me, can you tell me whether you’re coming or not?"

His expression grew serious.

"Innocent lives are at stake, Athena. This isn’t just about me."

That finally wiped the remaining amusement from her face.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Her gaze drifted toward Aiden once more before returning to Arthur.

"I’ll come."

Arthur released a quiet breath of relief.

"Good."

"But what about the other two blessings?" Athena asked. "Where do you intend to find them?"

Arthur gave her a pointed look.

"Don’t pretend you don’t know about Damian."

Athena’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

It was a small change, but Arthur noticed it immediately.

"The Goddess of Life and Light blessed him, didn’t she?"

Athena remained silent.

Arthur leaned back.

"He’s your student. You can’t seriously expect me to believe you know nothing about it."

Athena clicked her tongue.

"Tch."

A faint smile spread across Arthur’s face.

"So you did know."

"And apparently, so did you."

"Of course I did. I wasn’t foolish enough to allow Karina to be killed without considering whether we still had another way to obtain that blessing."

His smile gradually faded.

"Damian can help us."

Athena studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.

"I’ll speak to him."

"Tell him to come with us."

Arthur glanced toward the unconscious boy lying nearby.

"And Aiden is coming too."

Athena followed his gaze.

"Agreed. After what happened, I’d rather not leave him here alone."

She paused, then looked back at Arthur.

"But that still leaves the Blessing of Moonlight."

Arthur’s expression immediately soured.

Athena noticed.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Arthur."

He sighed.

"I know it’s been ages since the Goddess of Moonlight bestowed her blessing on anyone."

"Then where do you intend to start looking?"

Arthur leaned back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

"For now?"

He exhaled.

"I have absolutely no idea."

The admission left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But inventing an answer wouldn’t magically produce someone blessed by the Goddess of Moonlight.

Athena regarded him silently.

Then she rose from her chair.

"We’ll deal with that once we reach Elvania."

Arthur stood as well.

"I’ll prepare a portal," she said. "You go and fetch Damian. Tell him that I called for him."

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"You’re certain he’ll come?"

"He won’t refuse me."

Arthur had his doubts about how much that would matter when the message came from him instead.

Still, there was one thing he needed to clarify before leaving.

"Do you know where Elvania is?"

Athena looked at him as though he had asked whether she knew how to walk.

"I visited it many times while the elven king was alive."

For the briefest moment, something quieter entered her voice.

Then it disappeared.

"I know where we’re going. Now do as I asked."

Arthur nodded.

"Fine."

He turned toward the door and walked out of the room.

Behind him, Athena began gathering mana.

───────────────

Damian opened his door and stared at Arthur.

His expression suggested that the evening had just become considerably less pleasant.

"What do you want?"

Arthur stood in the corridor, already regretting this conversation.

"Athena called for you."

Damian’s eyes narrowed.

Arthur continued before the boy could interrupt.

"She needs your help with something."

For a moment, Damian said nothing.

Then he folded his arms across his chest.

"How do I know you’re not lying?"

A vein twitched on Arthur’s forehead.

’I knew it.’

Of course.

Of all the people he could have been sent to fetch, it had to be this irritating bastard.

Damian continued to regard him suspiciously.

’This bastard doesn’t trust a single word I say.’

Arthur took a slow breath.

"You can ask her yourself."

"Then she can contact me herself."

Arthur stared at him.

Damian stared back.

Neither seemed particularly impressed by the other.

Under different circumstances, Arthur might have argued. He might even have enjoyed trading insults with Damian until one of them finally lost his temper.

Unfortunately, tonight was not one of those circumstances.

He had too many problems to deal with, too little time to solve them, and absolutely no patience left for this nonsense.

"Alright."

Damian frowned.

"Alright wha—"

BAM!

Arthur’s fist struck before Damian could finish his sentence.

The blow was quick and controlled, landing squarely enough to shut down the conversation without causing any lasting harm.

Damian’s eyes rolled upward.

His knees buckled.

Arthur caught him by the collar before he could hit the floor.

For a moment, he simply looked down at the unconscious boy.

Then he nodded to himself.

"There. Much easier."

He adjusted his grip on Damian’s collar and began dragging him down the corridor.

The boy’s feet scraped against the floor.

Arthur paid them no attention.

He had delivered the message.

Damian had refused to cooperate.

And now Damian was coming along.

As far as Arthur was concerned, the matter was settled.

───────────────

By the time Arthur returned to Aiden’s room, a shimmering blue portal had appeared near the far wall.

Light rippled across its surface, illuminating the surrounding furniture with a cool glow. Intricate runes formed a circle around the opening, rotating slowly as Athena maintained the spell.

She stood beside the portal and turned toward the door when Arthur entered.

Her gaze immediately dropped.

First to Damian.

Then to Arthur’s hand gripping the unconscious boy by the collar.

Finally, her eyes returned to Arthur’s face.

Arthur dragged Damian into the sitting area and lowered him onto the carpet beside Aiden.

Now there were two unconscious students lying on the floor.

Athena said nothing.

Somehow, that silence was considerably more threatening than an outright reprimand.

Arthur straightened and looked at her.

"What?"

Her golden eyes remained fixed on him.

"He didn’t believe me."

Silence.

Arthur gestured toward Damian.

"I told you the bastard would be difficult."

Athena slowly closed her eyes.

For a moment, she looked as though she were reconsidering every decision that had brought her into contact with Arthur.

Then she opened them again.

"I said he wouldn’t refuse me."

Arthur shrugged.

"He refused the messenger."

"You could have called me."

Arthur paused.

That was, admittedly, true.

He had been so irritated by Damian’s attitude that he hadn’t even considered the obvious solution.

Still, admitting that aloud would accomplish absolutely nothing.

"We’re all here now," he said instead.

Athena looked at the two unconscious boys.

Then she looked at the portal.

Whatever argument she might have made, time was no longer on their side.

She released a quiet sigh.

"Let’s go."

Athena turned and stepped toward the blue light.

Arthur immediately bent down and gathered Aiden and Damian, lifting one beneath each arm.

Athena glanced back.

"Be careful with them."

"I am being careful."

Her gaze dropped toward Damian’s dangling feet.

Arthur noticed.

He lifted them slightly higher.

"More careful."

Athena gave him one final warning look before stepping through the portal.

Her figure disappeared into the rippling blue light.

Arthur watched her go.

Then, without a second thought, he threw Damian into the portal.

The unconscious boy vanished into the blue light.

Aiden followed a moment later.

The portal swallowed both of them without resistance.

Arthur dusted off his hands.

"There."

He glanced around the room one final time.

It had been a remarkably productive evening.

At least, that was how Arthur chose to look at it.

He turned toward the portal and stepped into the light.

Behind him, the portal began to contract.

Its runes dimmed one by one as the blue glow folded inward, shrinking until only a tiny point of light remained.

Then even that disappeared.

Silence returned to Aiden’s room.