Did something happen You want to slow down And someone called you out here huh RandidlyÆs questions skittered out of his mouth like nervous lizards This was Azriel The one who pursued speed and strength to perfection A quick Aether scan indicated that she had obtained the Class Mourning Star Vanguard She wanted to slow down
Azriel shrugged and then pushed her hair up behind her ear She was wearing obsidian studs in her ears Nothing has really happened aside from having my soul emptied out and used as a vessel for my masterÆs image and almost dying from it So nothing specific IÆve just Traveling with Rejt and fighting monsters I donÆt know For the first time I donÆt have a concrete goal It disturbs me I think thatÆs why I came here at all
I received an invitation that demanded I come to this address and look like a queen It seemed amusing and IÆve quite enjoyed the process
Randidly was silent Setting aside the issue of this strange invitation it was hard for Randidly to imagine the glory and image focused Azriel switching to take things easy How long had this been going on
You are still very poor at controlling your facial expressions Azriel commented She shook her head But I understand well enough what you are feeling RejtÆs expression was even more exaggerated when I told him He thought it was a joke for almost a month before he believed it and tracked me down So IÆve had plenty of time to think about why I felt compelled to do this
how long have you been taking a break Randidly asked
As she chuckled at RandidlyÆs continued surprise Azriel brought up her hand to cover her growing smile Ha truly terrible at hiding emotions ItÆs been almost six months I still participate in daily training but I donÆt worry as much about pushing my limits IÆm more focused on experiencing the essence of the moves I use And honestly IÆve continued to grow In a different way but itÆs somewhat fascinating
Six months Randidly frowned as he tried to understand what Azriel was saying She had slowed down her training personally Azriel The one so driven that she had been willing to sacrifice her soul for the plots of her Master
Although RandidlyÆs thoughts stuttered back to the same point like a broken record that was because Randidly was still scrambling to understand the situation
Azriel sighed Admittedly I have no doubt that you would be able to kill me within a minute if we were to fight right now I am growing in a way I cannot put a value on but it wouldnÆt have been enough for me in the past But for me now it is just enough
When Randidly was silent again Azriel snorted But then her expression grew sad Randidly IÆll just say this The sort of world that you can create by being good at fighting isnÆt that what we have already earned
Not that I plan on ceasing my efforts to improve Azriel shrugged But I am simply attempting different methods of growing stronger Without the goal of assisting my Master Even though I came here to help you grow There are many ways to grow Perhaps I will someday be the key for you to evolve beyond your current means
Azriel Randidly couldnÆt find words to explain what he was feeling This strange twist came too suddenly Perhaps a reason that it felt like such a strange betrayal was that it smelled suspiciously similar to the slow corruption that Alta experienced In this case it pushed Azriel toward a peaceful Path but it definitely wasnÆt something that felt like a positive development
Again his Alpha Cosmos seemed to be slipping out from his fingers while he dealt with other things Even though RandidlyÆs talk with Lucretia about letting this place developed as it would was still fresh in RandidlyÆs mind that didnÆt mean that this didnÆt send a fresh sliver of fear crawling into his heart
But Randidly seized that sliver of fear with an iron fist of Willpower
And this is exactly why the Grim Chimera was so affected IÆve kept my insecurities too tightly bundled to let them breathe Randidly thought sadly Then Randidly shook his head wildly God damn it spending so much time working on images had made me almost maudlin in terms of self reflection ItÆs a double edged sword
Thanks Randidly released a deep breath His heartbeat slowed to deep even strokes AzrielÆs eyebrows rose Randidly shrugged I just mean IÆve become more and more of a leader to the people around me ItÆs honestly kinda a relief that you donÆt give a shit what IÆm doing and you are looking for your own Path
Ha No thanks is necessary The relief of not having to rely on you is reward enough Azriel smirked Randidly punched her shoulder lightly The glittering curtain of her hair swayed as she took the blow in good cheer
Also I feel compelled to ask Azriel studied RandidlyÆs face Why did you feel the need to take up the reigns of leadership now You had avoided them for so long And you certainly donÆt have any natural talent in that area
RandidlyÆs expression turned sour I have a question for you what came first the king or his Crown Recently IÆve discovered
Well well well A low voice cut Randidly off Both he and Azriel turned to regard the new arrival to the courtyard Striding out of the lantern lit paths a tall man who looked like an anthropomorphic lion regarded the two sitting on a bench with blazing eyes IÆm glad to see that you arrived here safely Azriel Blanche But what I wonder is how did this man slip past my guards
Azriel looked at Randidly in amusement Ah the mysterious host has arrived So you were not invited
I was not Randidly said slowly His eyes began to glow emerald But I do know this man
Indeed Then let my introduce myself I am Lazar Stone the finest diamond merchant in the capital The manÆs gaze flickered as he studied Randidly but then his eyes were drawn to Azriel like metal to a lodestone Azriel after seeing you once I I had to admit that it hit me like a physical weight IÆve been watching you from afar for weeks
Liar Azriel interrupted the lion man in turn Then she frowned slightly Well not about the watching Has that been you ThatÆs good it seems that I wonÆt have to go looking for the culprit
Then she turned to Randidly You know his real name
Strangely I do Randidly said quietly Even now he was surprised he hadnÆt realized the other man was approaching After all Aether flowed cleanly between the two of them This man was one of the four individuals who responded when Randidly needed to ground his connection to the Alpha Cosmos when he had created the Domain His name is Lazareth Armgrast Prince and heir apparent to the Armgrast Empire And it appears he has a crush on you
Chapter 995
LazarethÆs face flushed red Do I look like the type to whose feelings are so mediocre that they can be described with the term crushÆ And you now that I have given you a look I recognize you as well Not your name or your face but I can feel the energy that flows through you Which means you are the key to leaving this forsaken world
Randidly raised his eyebrows Not that it should be surprising that Lazareth could recognize their connection but his motivation seemed strange Oh
I felt your call when all the strange happening began occurring in this world Lazareth said quietly His smile was wide enough to show his razor sharp canines IÆve lived one hundred and fifty years here struggling every day under the burden of this cursed place And I can sense that you hold the secret to escaping YouÆve connected me to the world and when I seize control of it
Ah so your emotions fall somewhere between a crush and just one more meaningless event within this cursed place Azriel smirked How genuine
Lazareth immediately flushed No I this this and that are Azriel for you
While Lazareth was stumbling over his words Randidly watched the lion man with serious eyes Although it was somewhat shocking to hear what he had said wasnÆt wrong Randidly Lazareth and three others were intimately connected in a stabilizing formation to anchor his Domain on this side just like his physical body and his original four Aether connections attached him on Earth