Chapter 28: Assistant [1]
"What... I..."
The words were stuck in my mouth. I had a hard ti understanding the situation. No, not quite.
An idea ford in my mind shortly after, and I was able to calm myself down.
"You're here regarding the incident."
This much should've been obvious.
Once my mind cald down and I processed my situation, I got a picture of the situation.
".....Perhaps you want a report? My side of the story regarding the situation."
The words flowed out of my mouth smoothly.
I had been puking just monts prior, and my head was still throbbing, but even in such a state, I was able to think clearly.
My pain had not been for nothing.
"I can do that, but I'd like to know sothing in return."
"....."
Delilah didn't answer and just stared at . With her arms crossed, she casually leaned her head back.
I felt a shiver run down my body as her gaze swept my body. It felt intense, and the hair at the back of my neck rose.
'As expected of one of the strongest people... Just standing next to her feels pressuring.'
I had already experienced this sensation before, during the examination, but compared to then, the pressure I was feeling was to a greater degree.
It felt suffocating.
And then,
"....Alright."
She blinked.
The pressure that was covering
disappeared. Almost as if it had never been there.
"Let's do that. You ask
a question; I'll ask one too."
"..."
I silently nodded my head.
Then, musing over my thoughts, I opened my mouth and carefully said,
".....You were there, weren't you? Watching everything."
Even now, the idea that the institute wasn't aware of this incident didn't make sense. Surely, their security wasn't that bad.
For an incident like that to occur to soone as important as .
The Black Star.
It just didn't make sense.
And it was with such thoughts that I was convinced of my theory.
But that wasn't all.
"I overheard the doctor say, 'The Chancellor personally brought you back'. Since you were the one who brought
back, I have reason to believe that you were the one who was watching."
I paused and mustered the courage to look into her eyes. They were deep. So deep that I felt like they could suck
in at any second.
But swallowing my saliva, I finished,
"...I'm right, aren't I?"
Silence plunged the room after I said my piece.
Delilah's gaze continued to linger over
as if she was trying to gauge my inner feelings.
Just when I thought she'd do sothing, her mouth opened.
"It is said that when an Emotive Mage reaches the last stage in their path, the fifth stage of completion and the perfect path, they beco capable of seeing emotions, not within them, but within others. In such cases, it becos almost impossible for soone to lie to them. Or hide how they feel..."
I quietly listened to her words.
While I didn't understand where she was going with this, the piece of information surprised .
'By the fifth stage...'
Did that equate to level five?
Was this what she ant by the fifth stage?
If so...
'Does that an that if I reach level five, I'll be able to tell whenever soone is experiencing said emotion...?'
That...
It sounded rather useful.
But still, what did that have to do with our conversation?
Could it be...
"....Are you perhaps implying that you can see my emotions?"
"No."
But she was quick to shake her head.
"With regards to Emotive Magic, I'm inferior to you."
Ah—
Was it just , or did she look a little annoyed? Her expression hadn't changed the entire ti but her tone seed to give off that impression.
Still.
"What does that have to do with my question?"
"Nothing."
The fuck—
"..."
She looked back at
without as much of a change in her expression.
I didn't know how to feel about this. What kind of weird nonsense was this? Before I could say anything else, she spoke again.
"Yes, I was watching you."
The casualness at which she said those words left
a little stumped.
She spoke in a manner that made it seem obvious.
Well, it was...
"And...?"
"You did well."
That...
What was I even expecting? Still, it did answer one of my questions. I had never been in danger and would've probably interfered if the situation called for it.
A test maybe?
A little part of
felt annoyed by the thought, but another felt grateful.
If it weren't for the situation that placed
in a point of despair, I would've never been able to progress my magic.
'Ah, yes... My magic.'
Suddenly recalling the fact that I had managed to progress my other magic, a sense of relief and joy washed over .
Finally...
"My turn."
"Hm?"
Ah, right.
She also had a question.
I prepared myself to hear what sort of question she had for . I, too, was curious. Was she just going to ask
about the situation? Or...
"Your tattoo..."
Uh—
"Could you show it to ?"
"..."
I sat stupefied, unable to process the situation. Out of all the things she could've asked, she had asked about the tattoo.
Just what exactly...
"....Are you not going to show it to ?"
Her tone lowered, and my body shuddered. Looking into her eyes, I could only see an icy coldness, and I knew she was being serious.
I remained composed and showed her my arm.
While I wasn't sure about her goal, I, too, was curious about my tattoo.
Perhaps... she'd be able to help
figure sothing out
"Hmm."
As she lowered her head to stare at that tattoo, her hair draped to the side, allowing
to get a better look at her face.
My gaze didn't linger for long, and I kept my expression firm.
But...
'Wow.'
She was really sothing.
I had a hard ti thinking if she could even be asured by 'earth' standards. She was simply sothing else.
'Get a grip.'
I was quick to shake such thoughts from my mind. It was rely a fleeting admiration on my part.
"....Inverted Sky."
All of a sudden, her crisp voice reached my ears, and our eyes t. Her hand grasped my forearm.
"Does that ring a bell?"
Her grip tightened, almost to the point where it hurt. But I remained steady.
"Inverted Sky?"
I pondered over her words and eventually shook my head.
"No."
I had no clue. Was this the na of an organization? Soone's title? Or the na of an object?
I really had no idea.
"..."
Delilah raised her head, and once again, our eyes t.
My body froze.
The deeper I stared into her eyes, the deeper I felt myself sink. An endless abyss seed contained within those eyes, rendering
stuck on the spot.
Her voice layered as she spoke.
"I'll ask again. Have you heard of it before?"
"....No."
My answer remained the sa.
I really hadn't heard of it before.
It was when I felt my breath leave my body that she finally released her grip on my forearm, and everything returned to normal.
Only then did I feel like I could finally breathe again.
"You don't seem to be lying."
She cocked her head lightly, pinching her chin as she leaned back on the wooden table.
"Strange, so strange..."
'What's going on with her?'
Her behavior was really strange. While she certifiably carried herself as soone of importance, she also gave off a rather odd feeling.
Like...
'Scary.'
I couldn't quite put it into words.
But she seed to have two sides of her. A normal one, and one that felt extrely scary. Just recalling her eyes made
shudder.
'I wonder which side of her is the real one?'
"Are you thinking sothing weird?"
I almost flinched but barely held myself back before shaking my head.
"No."
How did she know?
"....."
Her sharp gaze fell on , and I felt my back shudder.
Thankfully, it was only for a brief mont before she said,
"Your extra-curricular activity. The Cody Club..."
"....Yes?"
Why was she suddenly bringing it up?
"I've put your application on hold."
Hold?
"Why?"
"...."
She didn't answer imdiately and stared at . Her gaze didn't feel as pressuring this ti.
Then...
"You're weak."
She said sothing I was all too aware of.
"The weakest Black Star. That's what so people call you."
"..."
I pursed my lips.
"....I was the one that nominated you as the Black Star."
"..."
"And my decision was the correct one."
Surprised, I felt my eyes widen."
"Instead of joining the Cody Club, beco my assistant."
"....!"
"I won't be able to teach you much, and I won't protect you, but whenever I'm free, you can ask
for advice. You're talented in the Emotive field but untalented in the other."
For the first ti, her face showed signs of cracking.
".....That fifth state I told you about."
Her lips gently pulled up.
"I wonder if you can achieve it."
Her figure gradually blurred, disappearing from my sight like a gust of wind. But not before leaving a few words behind.
"Think about it."
Like that, she was gone.
"..."
I stood blankly on the spot for a couple of seconds before finally snapping out of it.
Did the one closest to the Zenith just ask
to beco their assistant?
"This is ridiculous..."
The entire situation was.
Her motive was rather obvious. For whatever reason, she wanted to observe . It perhaps had sothing to do with the tattoo on my hand, but I wasn't sure.
For now, it seed to be the most plausible reason.
'Should I refuse the offer?'
It was certainly a good offer.
However, I also understood that it wasn't one without its motives.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how beneficial it was to . To have soone as strong as her occasionally give
tips on an area I lacked... How many people would be jealous of that?
She also wasn't forcing
to beco her assistant.
It was an offer.
Whether I took it or not was up to .
Creeeaakk—
The door of the room opened all of a sudden, and a familiar figure entered. With a cast over his arm, he didn't look to be in the greatest of conditions.
Right, he also must've...
I was the first one to speak.
"....I take it you didn't have a great ti."
"I did not."
He looked at
up and down.
"....You seed to have had a better ti."
"Ha, yes."
My entire body felt like it was breaking. Every single movent hurt, and my mind was not in the best of shape.
Leon casually looked around and tilted his head.
"Was soone here?"
I raised my brow.
How could he tell?
"The sll."
"Ah."
That made sense. I proceeded to recount my events with the Chancellor. I didn't tell him everything and left a few things out. I still couldn't trust him. But I told him about the general situation and her offer.
His response after hearing all of it was...
"You should take the offer."
"You think?"
"It's a great opportunity for you. I wouldn't reject it if I were you. It's much better than..."
He stopped his sentence there as I noticed his left brow twitch.
I cocked my head.
"Better than what?"
"....Ehm."
His eyes darted away from , and he rigidly turned to face the door.
"I have to go."
"Why can't a nose be twelve inches long?"
He visibly flinched, and his expression changed.
At that mont, I recalled Delilah's words.
'It is said that when an Emotive Mage reaches the last stage in their path, the fifth stage of completion and the perfect path, they beco capable of seeing emotions.'
Staring at Leon, I could certainly see it.
The emotion he was feeling.
Fear.
Had I already reached that stage?
Hmm.
Obviously not.
But...
"I-"
Staring at Leon, I nodded my head.
Poor soul.
".....Because then it'd be a foot."
***
Bonus chap for hitting Power Stones goal! Save ...
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