"Do you disagree? Would you like to go on?" Kuzon stared at .
His smile was condescending, but I realized that he had every right to look at in that way.
We had both co a long way since our Ainzlark days, but so things never truly changed.
'I lost... and overwhelmingly so at that.'
This had to be the first ti I would suffer such defeat in battle ever since I was a kid.
It felt really shitty.
"So, Jared, my information."
"Y-your... wha—?!"
"My information. The location of the Nether Cult."
'Ah, that...' For a mont, I had forgotten the reason why we started fighting in the first place.
"One... sec..."
Now capable of using my Magic, I used Healing Magic on myself and also used a potion from my Special Storage.
Fortunately, none of my internal organs were affected, so it wasn't fatal.
I healed up in no ti.
"A-ah, much better..." Rising from my position, I looked in Neron's direction and signaled him to bring down the barrier.
Once he did so, the mbers of our team slowly began moving in our direction.
"Jared, the location," Kuzon said impatiently.
'He's leaving already, uh?'
I tried my best to make him stay, but I wasn't strong enough.
The reason he agreed to our match was probably because he knew the outco already.
I had thought I was in the big leagues thanks to the whole Demon saga, but was I really just at the starting point?
"It's located at the very center of the world, between the four continents." I sighed, glancing at Kuzon's stoic face.
"There's nothing there's though."
"That's what they want us to think. I tracked one of their mbers there."
"And you think they didn't notice?"
"They did mid-eting, but it was already too late by then. I had gotten my information."
"I see... It's just highly doubtful that they wouldn't have sensed sothing I was able to."
"Well, I used a different thod."
Our conversation was so fluid that I almost didn't believe we were fighting just monts earlier.
"Alright then. I believe you." Kuzon said, smiling at differently.
"What?"
It felt weird that he wasn't giving his usual cold expression or mocking gaze.
"I just thought you didn't do very bad, Jared. You perford better than expected. We were just a poor match." He shrugged.
"Tch. Whatever. Now that you've gotten what you want, you can leave."
Neron and the others arrived right in ti, and the first to speak was—of course—Lemi.
"Hahaha! Serves you right, Jared! This is the first ti I've seen you get beaten like this. It feels strangely satisfying."
"S-stop that..." I murmured, not even having enough strength to resist her teasing.
It felt horrible, though.
'My own daughter...' I almost wept in sha and disappointnt.
"Not so fast, Jared. You said I could have whatever I wanted if I won. I've still not done that." Kuzon smiled ruefully.
His expression now looked more like the snobby dude I knew him to be.
"Urgh, alright. What do you want? And don't say my Arcanas, cus I'm not giving."
"What? Arcanas? Hmm, that could work, but that won't be necessary. I already have one, so it's fine..." Kuzon shrugged.
"So, what do you want?"
I could feel so gazes on , while others were on Kuzon. It was really embarrassing that I lost to him when everyone was watching, but there was nothing to do about it now.
'I'll just grant his request so he can leave. We have a lot to cover in our search, after all.'
"I think I'll need one mber of your group to help with sothing... a mission."
"What?"
"That's what I want. You're not going to deny that right after I beat you up so much, right?"
I had no right to refuse, but what was this guy saying now?
"Didn't you say all of us were dead weight?"
"Not all of you. Also, I apologize for calling you dead weight. You're far more capable than I gave you credit for."
'Yet I still lost. Just how capable did he think I was before now?' This thought troubled but I simply decided to listen to what he had to say.
"So, who do you have in mind? ?"
For a mont, silence pervaded our vicinity. Kuzon blankly stared at , and I also blankly looked around .
"I would like to have your expertise, but I'm not cruel enough to stand in the way of your mission. I'll take a mber that won't affect the productivity of your team—at least, not too much."
'Who could that be? Is there soone here who's not dead weight and is also not too essential to our search for the Arcanas?'
Kuzon's eyes darted in a particular direction, and before I could turn to look, he had already vanished and grabbed the person to his side.
"Hiyaaakkk!!" The girl's thin voice pierced the air as she was both flustered and confused.
"I'll be taking you." He carried her like a sack by his side—that was how small the person of his choice was.
"W-what are you doing? Let go!" Ana yelled, trying her best to break free, but failing nonetheless.
"A deal is a deal. Isn't that right, Jared?" Kuzon smiled, looking at for confirmation.
"Well..." I t Ana's gaze.
Though she was complaining, I could tell that she was enjoying this. It also seed like she liked Kuzon a lot.
As for him... I wasn't sure yet.
Still, I didn't want to stand in the way of whatever was going on between them. Plus, we had a deal.
"Will she be safe with you?"
"I'm not sure. But it's not like she'll be any safer by your side."
That stung a bit, but I accepted Kuzon's words anyway.
He wasn't wrong, after all.
"Fine. A deal is a deal."
"JAREEED?!" Ana yelled at with disbelief in her eyes.
"What are you doing, Jared? You're letting that dude take Ana!" Lemi yelled at in disbelief.
"Well, I better take my leave now. I don't want to get into this conflict. Also, it seems you've beco more popular with the ladies, Jared... must be tough making a choice."
"Wha—?! You bastar—"
Before I said anything more, Kuzon vanished in a flash of lightning.
"That guy..."
I found myself conflicted about what to think of the young Midas.
Truth be told, my mories of what I knew of the Midas Empire were a blur. But, I still had so fraction of it.
'Are they all powerful monsters like him... those Royals?' I smiled to myself.
In the end, I never gained any special Magic or additional knowledge from Kuzon.
It felt like a total waste of ti... well, almost.
Reviews
All reviews (0)