The Legendary Fool Chapter 45: Friends?

I- she she really wasnt lying,

Tom was utterly baffled.

They had known each other for a few minutes if trying to kill each other counted towards that making their relationship too shallow for an emotional appeal to work. She was strong enough to compel him to act, so trickery or deceit held little aning. She had revealed an identity to him that she, in her own words, would kill to keep a secret; yet claid that if he wished to leave, she would not stop him.

This woman is completely crazy!

It was hard to stop his cheeks from flushing a little, though. Well, not like he could control a perfectly natural physiological response, right?

You werent wrong, you know. I do want sothing from you. Sothing selfish, Aleph began, her tone relievedas if a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. The reason why I was tracking Zakerans group was because I couldnt see any way to accomplish my goals, atleast, not alone. If I was to conquer the hardest sector of the Zelez Dungeon, I needed a team, She explained.

Tom found the sincerity in her tone almost off-putting, entirely caught off-guard by her willingness to be honest.

The Naless District is a hub for ambitious youth that gather from all over the Syrelore Kingdom in search of wealth and glory. Fallen Noble I may be, but I still have access to considerable wealth and resources, a small chunk of which I was willing to expend to hire a team.

So why didnt you? Tom asked, his tone coming across as sceptical. Surely this wasnt the first ti she was tracking a group, considering how seriously she seed to take her goals and the difficulty of the task she had planned.

Aleph sighed.

The best among the Naless District are either chosen by the Academy or the other organisations within the Noble District. The ones that are left behind, well.. In an effectively lawless district, power is inevitably conflated with greed. Their resentnt at their failure needs an outlet and it is hard to return to a life of tending to herbs after youve gotten a taste of true adventure.

So you were looking for disposable manpower, Tom pointed out, his voice coming across harsher than he had intended for.

I, Aleph began, her tone defensive before she sighed again. Well, I wont lie to you. Though in my defence, the only reason why people choose to stay in this shoddy, beaten-down, thief- filled town is because they are precisely looking for opportunities like these.

Then why didnt you approach them?

Nylev Jaxenor recently conquered the hardest sector of the Zelez Dungeon and now he is celebrated as a hero. The part of the story they dont want the general populace to know was that fifteen academy students headed down the dungeon, over half of them Noble descendants and he was the only one who returned.

Tom felt a chill run down his spine.

So they werent powerful enough? Tom asked, struggling to keep his expression from wavering.

Zakerans group? Ha, Aleph dryly chuckled. His group is only third in overall strength, but he was the least belligerent among my options. Do you know what the most important factor in clearing a Dungeon is?

Uh. a powerful card? Tom offered, not really knowledgeable enough on the subject to give a aningful opinion.

Trust, Aleph replied, her expression deathly serious. Those from common backgrounds dont trust the Nobles. Those from the side-branches dont trust the main-family branch Nobles. Those from different Noble Houses manipulate and sche against one another. My own family was too mistrustful of the other houses to cultivate any aningful relationships with them and when our Ancestor passed away. there was no one left to stand on our side.

So you want to trust you? Tom asked, his tone incredulous. Why do you think that I am worthy of your trust?

Because you are an outcast, Aleph calmly replied, as if she had been waiting for his question. Because, Aleph reached for her eye, pinching at them to reveal that she had been wearing a crystalline contact lens of so sort. This artefact lets see the statuses of people below or equal to my level.

Toms voice dropped as he muttered grimly, You saw

Yes. I saw you change your display na.

Well fuck.

I know that your [Soul Card] is a fake too. A [Common] ranked card cannot allow you to slot as many cards as you have, especially not at a asly level 6. The natural conclusion that I draw is that your real [Soul Card] specialises in illusions, which makes its value rather limited to most Nobles. Yet, your actions seem to indicate that you are being pursued by soone and if I had to guess, it would be soone of a Noble Stature.

Are you threatening ? Tom asked, his voice falling dangerously low.

Nope! Aleph cheerfully replied. Im making you an offer. The power you have I will teach you to refine it. Hone it until you approach my standard. The resources I have, I am willing to share. Knowledge, by the looks of it, is sothing you desperately lack- I shall give you the answers you seek. Instead of trying and failing for the sa reasons my family did, I would much rather trust soone and see where that leads, Aleph had a small grin on her face as she extended her hand forward for a second ti.

Tom noticed as her hand lightly trembled, the anxiety she was holding at bay behind a cheerful facade revealing itself a little.

You expect to head to a dungeon that is almost guaranteed to kill in exchange for your tutelage and you call that friendship!?

The light in Alephs gaze dimd a little, her gaze lowering as she inwardly let out a long sigh. She knew she knew that no one would possibly accept her offer if she was upfront about the risks but she had to try. Forcing soone held no aning and lying to them would only an getting them killed for no reason.

The truth the truth was really all she had left to offer and the boy before her was the closest she had gotten- perhaps the closest she would ever get after months of searching. And ti was running out.

A warm hand wrapped around her own, offering her a firm shake.

Its a good thing I left most of my sanity back ho. Friends?

Friends, Aleph replied as warm tears trickled down her cheeks. Friends, she repeated again, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aleph Longstradia had gotten so used to lyingabout her past, about her goals, about her ambitions, about her desire for revenge that the truth had set her free.

For once, her words were spoken without any falsity or deceit.