Makar always liked to downplay his achievents to make sure that he wouldn’t be complacent because of his talent, but maybe it was too much.
After Dominic and Samantha t, she offered him money and had promised that no one would ever know. But more than that, she had given him a new sense of purpose, a new belief in himself that Makar had never given him.
Makar’s discipline had always felt like a chain, heavy and oppressive. But Samantha’s approach was freedom, offering him the belief that he could rise above it all, that he could beco more.
From that day on, he started to learn from her from ti to ti and before long Dominic had chosen to side with her, convinced that she truly understood him, convinced that with her guidance, he could be everything he’d ever dread of.
The more he had worked with her, the more he had beco enamoured with her ideas, her vision. The more he saw Makar’s limitations and his inability to see beyond the rigid walls he had built around himself.
__ __ __
Dominic glared at Makar with disdain apparent on his face.
"How would you understand, you old man?"
Makar, visibly shaken, staggered backward, struggling to steady himself. He reached for a nearby table, gripping it tightly to keep himself from collapsing.
His breath was laboured, Dominic’s words hitting him harder than any physical blow. He didn’t think his proudest student had fallen to this point to even swear at his own master.
"It’s already too late"
Dominic said, his voice laced with finality, as if he had already decided that no apology or explanation could change the inevitable.
Zoe, still standing in the background, looked between the two n, her expression a mix of confusion and concern.
"What’s happening?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine curiosity, though she had no idea what had just transpired between the two n.
Makar took a deep breath, trying to compose himself before speaking.
"Let explain, Lady Zoe," he began, his voice strained but controlled.
"You see, when a gate opens, researchers need to register the event"
"It’s not just about the loot or what’s inside, it’s about the research"
"When a gate opens, there are fluctuations that must be asured"
"Unless you’re soone who can hide the fluctuations and close it at top speed, it’s impossible to go unnoticed"
"The kingdom give importance to these gate readings, and they want to record everything," "They store the data, track the fluctuations, and make sure the information is useful for future expeditions"
"The researchers who give the readings are entitled to 10 percent of the loot"
"We give details about the gates that help the adventures who venture into the gate reduce their risks, and in turn, decrease the death rate"
"But the ten percent isn’t for like who is a contracted researcher"
"Contracted researchers like beco contracted because we don’t always have the funds to continue our work"
"That’s why we go to families or organizations for support"
What he didn’t say was families like the Pearce well, that’s a lifeti benefit for soone like him. In short, he exchanged his freedom for funds and research.
If he could prove himself useful to Zoe, he would be able to continue his research, albeit with so limitations.
But... he would have access to topics of his choosing if permitted by his lord, as long as there’s no direct conflict with what his lord wants and if he proves that the work is worthy and catches the eye of the Lord.
Makar’s eyes flicked back to the tablet that Rex had handed him earlier.
{ExiledScholar: I am finally able to talk now}
{LunarScholar: Quickly, less they notice}
It wouldn’t take a genius to know that the other party was Samantha, with how Dominic had been muttering about her every so often.
The data Samantha had just receive, if she could get her hands on the gate readings, she would not only earn a small fortune but also gain achievents for herself as a researcher.
Zoe also had a frown on her face. Even if the ten percent was just a drizzle in her pocket who would want their hard earned efforts stripped away by soone who wasn’t even part of the team.
Dominic couldn’t hold back the laughter that bubbled up from his chest, a dark chuckle that filled the room. But as his eyes flicked around the room, he noticed sothing odd.
Amidst the tension and confusion, Rex sat calmly, sipping his drink from a cup with a look of utter tranquillity.
Zoe, too, seed perplexed, scratching her head and clearly at a loss for how to handle the situation. Despite the storm that was brewing, Rex seed oddly out of place.
She couldn’t help but notice Rex, who was so calm and got closer as she asked,
"Brother Rex, why are you so calm"
"Did you figure out sothing"
"You are not hiding it from are you"
She thought that acting cute would get her the answer she wanted but it didn’t happen. Rex, still holding that calm smirk said.
"Just wait"
Almost as if on cue, the tablet beeped with a new ssage. Everyone’s focus snapped to the table that Makar was holding.
{LunarScholar: Why haven’t you sent it yet?}
"It didn’t arrive" He glanced at the side of the tablet, seeing the ssage that had failed to send. The data had never gone through.
"It didn’t arrive"
He muttered under his breath, his voice barely a whisper, but the impact of those words hit hard in the room, especially towards Dominic, whose face turned dark and couldn’t suppress a bitter laugh.
"How? You’re lying," he said, his voice growing louder, disbelieving.
"You must be lying!"
His words ca out in a broken rhythm, as though he were trying to convince himself. He repeated them over and over again, like a mantra, hoping to reassure himself that Makar wasn’t telling the truth.
His eyes darted between the tablet and Makar, his heart pounding with confusion but looking at them .
"You must be lying," he whispered again.
He was still unwilling to accept the situation, unwilling to believe that everything had gone wrong just when it seed like they were so close.
Makar, still standing there, tightened his grip on the tablet. Thinking of sothing, with a strange smile on his face, he held it up for Dominic to see. The screen flickered, showing the failed transmission, and the words were painfully clear.
It was like everything had slipped through his fingers at the last mont, and he couldn’t understand why. It didn’t make sense.
Dominic’s face twisted in agony as he struggled to accept the truth before him.
"No, no, how?"
His mind was reeling with confusion and fury.
"How could this happen?!"
His voice cracked, and he instinctively turned toward the one person he had to bla for all of this, Rex.
"You...." he began, eyes blazing with rage. "
You... You were the one who caused all this, you fu...."
Before he could finish the sentence, one of Rex’s n, who was holding him, struck him across the face with a sharp punch. It was as quick as a shadow and the force of the blow knocked a few teeth off Dominic’s mouth.
He couldn’t even feel the pain, yet the two personals grabbed Dominic and pulled him outside of the tent.
Dominic tried to fight back, his mouth open to scream for help, but before he could get another word out, towards the tent. A small, desperate scream echoed briefly, then beca muffled.
A few monts later, Dominic was shoved back into the room, looking disoriented and bruised. His face was pale, his eyes bloodshot.
He couldn’t et anyone’s gaze, especially Rex, as he just looked down. The pain and injuries on his face spoke for itself, and although he wanted to speak, every word died on his lips. His body trembled, but not a single sound escaped his mouth.
Even if he wanted to speak, even if he had sothing to say, he couldn’t, as his mouth had been stuffed once again, muffling him.
He knew better than to challenge Rex any further. Rex just sat there, watching the aftermath unfold.
"Well," Rex said with a casual shrug, his voice smooth and almost indifferent.
"Since everything has been taken care of... I’ll excuse myself,"
"I need to prepare to leave"
"Thank you Lord Rex, without you this would have been not possible"
With that, he nodded slightly, turning to walk toward the tent exit, leaving the rest of the chaos behind him for others to clean up.
As he stepped outside, his two n followed him after making sure that Dominic couldn’t move nor run away, leaving Zoe and Makar to figure out what ca next.
Makar stood by, still holding the tablet in his hands, his mind already racing to understand the full extent of what had just occurred.
Zoe, still perplexed by the turn of events, looked at Makar, her confusion evident. Makar, however, now seed to have an inkling of what had truly happened.
He glanced at the tablet in his hands, a sinking realization settling into his chest. His eyes flicked to the door Rex had just exited through before his attention returned to Zoe.
As if reading the unspoken question she wanted to ask, Makar began explaining to her.
"About the failed transmission, Lady Zoe..."
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