Chapter 301: Invictus (III)
Chapter 301: Invictus (III)
Slowly the three Soul Forging existences stood up, and the expression on each of their faces was extremely bitter. They came to the Daybreak Magic Tower full of pride and haughtiness as if they were divine beings visiting an insignificant mortal.
Only now, after those arrows almost killed them, did they understand that they were nothing but insects in front of a monster, and the only reason they were not dead is that they were not worth the effort.
Sirius could not control the emotions overflowing his heart. Despite his lack of talent, he always considered himself a gifted being and was extremely narcissistic. Even though the other Rank 4 life forms in his kingdom had a bad opinion about him, he always kept his head high since they did not dare to show their contempt for him in the open due to his father.
To someone like him, being humiliated by a Rank 3 life form and told that the only reason he was still alive was that he was unimportant, could be even worse than death.
Kolo continued staring at the floor and did not dare to look in Ezequiel’s direction. Fear had already broken his fragile will, and the only thing he wanted was to leave this place and never come back.
Jenner was the first one to regain her composure. Her body was soaked in a cold sweat, and her heart kept beating very hard due to the near-death experience she had just encountered. She looked at the man who accompanied her and transmitted a message to his mind.
“Deliver the first part of the report we prepared, but do not mention anything about the second part. Be very careful with your words, and if you fail me, I will make sure you suffer the consequences.”
The message and the tone the Soul Forging existence used made clear that the relationship between them was not a good one.
The one who accompanied Jenner was someone Zatiel knew, Tritus Fonder. He was the old man who had come to examine Zatiel’s rune and the link between the Daybreak Clan and the Empire Commercial Association.
When he first met Zatiel, although he did have the appearance of an elder, his life force was still strong, not like now that he appeared to be with one foot in the grave.
A self-mocking smile appeared on the Trius face as he sighed. He got near Ezequiel’s throne before kneeling and bowing.
“Lord Ezequiel, the contract signed between Zatiel Daybreak, leader of the Daybreak Clan, and the Empire Commercial Association stipulated that any blame due to a problem with the goods sold through our channels would fall on him. Since Zatiel Daybreak is not present in the Magi World and we are unable to contact him, the one leading his organization would serve as his representative. Therefore, the association asks you to take responsibility for the Rank 3 Magi who end up hurt and the Rank 2 that died due to the pills sold by your clan.” Tritus talked with a very respectful tone, and even when he spoke about taking responsibility, he posed it as a request and not an order.
Ezequiel noded when he heard those words. He was prepared for this since it was the original goal of this meeting.
“In any deal, trust and responsibility are important. If our pills had indeed harmed the buyers, we would take care of their injuries and even bring back those who had died, regardless of the cost. However, the reason for those people suffering is not because of something that came out of our clan.”
“My Lord, evidence was delivered by the clans and families that made the accusations against the Daybreak Clan. The association made examinations on them, and we verified that they indeed were pills coming from your clan.”
“The pills those people consumed were indeed made in the Daybreak Clan, but they were part of the batch that was stolen more than a year ago. They were altered by a Master Alchemist, making them time bombs to anyone that consumed them. I am not certain if the leaders of those clans and families knew the true purposes of those pills, but the fact that no one that formed part of the core of those organizations was harmed, led me to believe that they had some knowledge about what was truly going on.”
Tritus did not know how to respond to that statement. Things had already escalated beyond his capabilities, so he chose to remain silent.
Jenner’s eyes widened when she heard those words. As a puppet of the people behind the attack against the Daybreak Clan, she had some knowledge about the scheme behind the defective pills.
“If you don’t have evidence to prove those…” The Magus stopped her sentence when she felt Ezequiel focusing on her with a smile on his face.
The Neo-Demon made two identical pills appear and sent a crystal to Jenner and Tritus.
“One of these pills is part of the evidence submitted against the Daybreak Clan, and the other belongs to the stolen ones. In each batch of pills created by us, there is a unique chemical chain that serves to identify them. These two pills have the same chemical chain. In the crystal, you will find our investigation and irrefutable proof that the harm to those people had nothing to do with us.”
“How did you get that pill?.” Jenner was shocked, and her face grew pale.
As the head of the association, one of her duties was to make sure the evidence against the Daybreak Clan was hidden and stop anyone other than the people she served from manipulating them.
This type of failure would cost her greatly. There was no need to mention if she could keep her position since even her life was in danger now.
A smile appeared on Ezequiel’s face when he saw the sense of defeat in the woman’s eyes.
“You have filled the Empire Commercial Association with people like you, incompetent individuals that do not understand the severity of their action and whose reasoning is easily clouded by greed.”
Hopelessness filled Jenner’s heart when she heard that. If Ezequiel’s words were true, then all the blame for the failure in the scheme against the Daybreak Clan would fall on her.
The Neo-Demon did not care about the woman, and he focused on Tritus once again.
“Now that the problem with the pills has been handled, we will address another subject. Tell me the original message you were supposed to relay to me.” Ezequiel’s voice was calm and even friendly, but Tritus felt that the slightest mistake would doom him.
Even though Jenner had warned him about revealing that information, Tritus understood that what awaited him if he lied, would be worse than death.
“You must hand over the alchemist named Sophia as well another ten alchemists of your clan immediately so the organizations headed by Rank 4 life form that lost people due to your pills and the Empire Commercial Association can begin their punishment. The alchemists must be people of your clan that have the dragon bloodline, and they…” Tritus stopped speaking here as he was afraid of what would happen if he said the next part, but Ezequiel’s pressure was too much, and he continued after a moment.
“They must also be females.”
“I see.” Ezequiel’s eyes were empty, and no emotion could be seen in them. There was a cold aura that surrounded his body, and a monstrous killing intent began to permeate the entire floor.
“Tell me the names of the people that made that request, and also everyone who should have taken part in delivering punishment to my clan.”
“My Lord, I don’t have any information about those people or their desires!.” Tritus was truly frightened.
“Aren’t you the Vice-Head of the association.?” Ezequiel’s empty eyes focused on Tritus, making this one tremble.
“I no longer hold that title, my Lord. I did not come here by choice.” Tritus could not help but display a sad smile on his face when he spoke those words.
Ezequiel’s eyes narrowed when he heard that. The man was so terrified that he would not dare to lie. Since he was of no use, he focused on Jenner.
“Do not resist, or you will die.”
The Magus did not have time to process Ezequiel’s words before a strange power reached her brain and began to manipulate it.
“AHHHH!” Jenner cried as an immense pain began to assault her. The screams stopped in less than thirty seconds, and she fell to the floor.
The Magus was only unconscious, but the damage she received would be hard to mend.
When Ezequiel saw she was still alive, he no longer cared about her condition and focused on the data the Elder Brain had obtained.
There was no information about the one who is attacking the Daybreak Clan from the shadows, but he did obtain the names of those who wanted Sophia and the rest of the women.
‘Due to your desires, all that you have known and built will be destroyed, and I will make sure you are defiled until your bodies are broken.’