Chapter 413 - 408 — Obsessed

Chapter 413: Chapter 408 — Obsessed

Zephyrion allowed a moment of silence to pass before raising his hand and pointing towards the forest.

"I went into the forest to relieve myself, and somehow ended up getting jumped by a bunch of big, burly brothers."

Nourald’s eyes darkened.

"Who were they?"

"Those fellows you warned me about. They demanded money from me, and when I refused, they decided to beat it out of me."

"Lasner... that breathless bastard."

Nourald’s expression grew so murderous that the Aerelith around him couldn’t help but exchange uneasy glances and take a step back.

"Where is he?" Nourald demanded coldly.

Zephyrion shrugged, his expression unchanged. "Probably still lying somewhere in the forest, regretting his life choices. I beat the crap out of him and his lackeys."

Nourald blinked. Even the others around them were left speechless.

"Wait... he beat Lasner and his crew?"

"All five of them? By himself? You’ve got to be joking!"

"Isn’t Lasner one of the ten strongest in our year?"

"Brother..." Nourald regarded him with a hesitant look. "When you say you beat the crap out of them... you mean all five? At once?"

Without a word, Zephyrion brought out the small pouch and emptied its contents onto the ground.

Thud. Thud.

Nourald and the others could only stare with their mouths agape as a pile of valuables formed before them.

Zephyrion met Nourald’s astonished gaze.

"You mentioned that they’d been extorting the others, so I figured I might as well recover what they took. If any of this belongs to you, feel free to take it back."

The others exchanged uncertain glances, and it wasn’t until Nourald gave an approving nod that they began approaching the pile, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Holy Breath, he really did beat them!"

"My relic! That’s my relic! I thought I’d never see this beauty again!"

"Hold on, doesn’t that mean he’s strong enough to rank among the top ten? Breathless!"

"Who cares about rankings? The man’s a hero!"

"He might be from another colony, but he’s a brother in my eyes!"

A chorus of praise erupted around Zephyrion. As they passed, several Aerelith patted him on the shoulders, offering appreciative smiles and words of gratitude.

Soon, as the crowd gradually dispersed, Nourald was left standing before him, a wide smile plastered across his face.

"Brother... have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"I only did what needed to be done."

"And that’s precisely what makes you amazing! Do you know how many people would’ve just looked the other way? How many would’ve decided it wasn’t their problem? But not you, brother. You’ve got a good heart."

He placed both hands on Zephyrion’s shoulders and gave him a gentle, appreciative smile.

"Thank you, brother."

"For what?"

"What do you mean, for what?"

"...Why are you thanking me?"

Nourald’s smile turned somewhat sad. "Because you had the courage to do something I should’ve done a long time ago. I’ve known what Lasner’s been doing for ages, yet I kept putting it off." He paused briefly before giving Zephyrion’s shoulders a gentle squeeze. "You’ve opened my eyes, brother. Truly, thank you. Now, tell me, how can I possibly repay you?"

Zephyrion shrugged off his hands and began walking away. "There’s no need."

"Ha! Nonsense, brother! I insist! What would you like? A bowl of my famous chicken soup? My special steak with that heavenly sauce of mine? Name your desire, and consider it done!"

Nourald was smiling, but there was a seriousness in his eyes.

"In that case, help me with something that’s been bothering me. Tell me more about Lariat."

"Ah, the witch." Nourald’s expression immediately soured. "Of all the wonderful things you could’ve asked for, you chose her? What a tragic waste of a favor. But very well, brother. What do you want to know?"

"What’s her problem? Why does she always look like she’s one insult away from killing someone?"

Nourald took a moment to consider the question.

"Well, Lariat and I go way back, all the way to our junior days. I had the great misfortune of being assigned to the same training camp as her. She was ridiculously talented even back then, but unfortunately, she was also a commoner. And you know how things can be for commoners in places like that. Let’s just say she wasn’t treated particularly kindly."

"So that’s why she hates everyone?"

"Well, not quite. I think things truly took a turn for the worse after her parents died. Apparently, the higher-ups covered up the circumstances of their deaths and brushed the whole thing aside as some unfortunate mistake."

"So she holds the entire elite class responsible..."

"Precisely! She hates us with a passion." Nourald sighed helplessly. "Which, frankly, I find rather unreasonable. I mean, look at me, brother. This face, this charm, this magnificent personality. How could anyone possibly hate me?"

Zephyrion ignored that and asked another question that had been bothering him.

"So what actually happened to her parents? Who killed them?"

Nourald’s smile grew strained. He glanced cautiously from side to side before leaning closer and lowering his voice to a whisper.

"It was... the Ferrans."

Zephyrion suppressed a frown.

Nourald mistook his silence for shock and nodded solemnly.

"Terrible, isn’t it? Apparently, her family lived in a border town that got caught up in one of the Moves. One moment, they were living peacefully in Aerelith territory, and the next, their entire town was deep inside the Ferran Empire. Her parents didn’t survive."

"Honestly, brother, if there’s one thing she hates even more than us elites, it’s Ferrans. I’ve heard she spends an absurd amount of time studying them. Their customs, their abilities, their mannerisms, everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could sniff out a Ferran from a mile away."

"..."

"But..." Nourald smiled and gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. "You needn’t concern yourself with any of that, brother! It’s got nothing to do with you. And between us, as much as I enjoy calling her a wicked witch, she’s actually got a rather admirable sense of justice. So don’t let her frighten you, hm?"

"...Right."

After that, Nourald returned to the other Aerelith, joining in their laughter and lively conversations.

However, sensing an intense gaze directed at him, Zephyrion turned his attention towards the edge of the camp.

There, Lariat stood leaning against a tree, her sharp, piercing eyes fixed directly on him, as though a predator had finally locked onto its prey.

’Oh, for fuck’s sake.’