Chapter 75: The Snake’s Gambit.

"Now that all other matters have been settled..." His smile remained as calm as ever. "Would you care to have a little chat with me, Zenith?"

Silas pointed toward a table tucked away in one corner of the banquet hall, inviting me over as I nodded.

"Of course, Senior. But before that, could you give me a moment to apologize to Senior Ruvian?"

He gave a small nod in return.

I walked toward the fallen Ruvian as he still twitched on the floor like a pathetic bug.

It barely took a few steps before I stopped beside him and crouched to meet his eyes. Even through the unbearable pain coursing through his body, he was staring at me with hatred and barely hidden anger.

I leaned in slightly and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Consider this your warning because the next time I see you anywhere near my sister..."

My voice was barely above a whisper as a cold smile spread across my face.

"I will slaughter everyone you hold dear in the most painful way imaginable." My smile never faltered. "And then when you are at your lowest and are regretting all your life decisions, I will kill you too."

His eyes trembled.

"And trust me, Ruvian Divus Auremont, I know exactly what you did and what you will do. So if I were you, I would be very careful to not rely on imperial status to be saved."

"Y-You... b-bastard... I-I will... ngh..."

Ruvian naturally didn’t take my threat seriously and immediately began cursing at me but I didn’t care. In fact, it was exactly the reaction I had expected.

I never had any kind of intention to forgive him anyway.

After all, that bastard had turned Amyra’s life into a living hell and forced her to become... something she never wanted to be.

Without wasting another moment, I rose to my feet and walked toward Silas, who was waiting for me.

Amyra called out from the side but I simply gestured that I would speak with her after my conversation with Silas.

***

As I followed after Silas, my thoughts wandered toward this particular bastard. For all the nobility he projected outwardly, he was a man who would soon murder his own father.

A snake among giants who prided themselves on honor.

Even now, when I deliberately gave up my victory to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention, this bastard intentionally declared the match as a draw.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Those senior students, filled with superiority complexes and desperate to keep their fragile pride, would now have every reason to find useless trouble with me.

And I knew exactly why Silas had done this.

It was a classic negotiation tactic.

Apply pressure first and then offer salvation.

Which also meant only one thing.

This bastard wanted something from me.

Soon enough, we arrived at a table carefully secluded from the rest of the banquet, making sure that no one would overhear our conversation.

Still, the moment we sat down, Silas released the mana of his peak Enlightened Rank, creating a soundproof barrier around us.

He was regarded as one of the greatest geniuses of his generation, having reached the peak of Enlightened Rank by the beginning of his third year.

He was far beyond people like Maximus, who was still stuck at the beginning level of Enlightened rank despite being a fifty year old professor.

Most even believed Silas would reach at least tier three of the Ascended Rank before graduating which was an achievement only a few had achieved by his age.

"What is it you wished to discuss with me, Senior?"

I asked politely.

"Drop the act, Zenith." Silas’s smile never faded but his eyes sharpened ever so slightly. "You may have fooled everyone else... but not me. Not after the bloodlust you unleashed upon Ruvian."

His eyes remained fixed on me.

"I don’t know what you are talking about, Senior."

Naturally, I denied.

But he simply shrugged.

"We giants of Kharos are born for battle. Our instincts are honed through countless fights from the moment we first understand how to walk. Do you truly think that spending a few peaceful years in this refined academy could ever dull those instincts?"

He leaned forward slightly.

"I must say... you are quite the interesting one and for a second there, even I was terrified by the bloodlust you released."

His grin widened.

"And no matter how hard I try... I still cannot understand the weight your soul carries." He studied me for several silent seconds before speaking again. "It was so overwhelming that it seemed to match the aura of my father, the great King of Kharos."

His eyes locked onto mine.

"So tell me, Zenith, what exactly did you do? Was it some kind of trick or was it your Talent?"

Honestly, this was something to be expected. Even though my bloodlust was directed completely at Ruvian, I knew a sharp bastard like Silas would have noticed traces of it.

He wouldn’t have sensed its true extent but even the remnants were overwhelming for someone living in the First Ring of the Great Sea.

"Don’t worry." Silas tapped the table. "It’s completely fine if you don’t wish to share your secret. I won’t force you."

I finally looked him in the eye, my expression completely calm as I spoke.

"As I said before, Senior, what is it that you wish to discuss with me?" A smile appeared on my face. "Or, more accurately, what is it that you actually want from me?"

Silas let out a chuckle before composing himself and looking back at me.

"You truly are quite an interesting person, Zenith von Ruinbringer." He continued in the same calm tone. "Even though a third-year student, the president of the entire student council, is sitting in front of you, asking you a question, you don’t have a single trace of fear."

"It almost makes me curious about what else you are hiding and what makes you so confident... but I will restrain myself from prying too deeply."

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"As for what I want, it’s actually quite simple..."

"...How about you join my faction?"