465 T??? L????? P???? I???????? (3)
“Hehe, well, after making such a large statement as openly taunting not one but now three different Tier-3 team leaders, we would have to be complete idiots not to drag you in for an Interview.” Taking the initiative and leaning forward to shake Cynrik’s hand, Roni was the first to speak.
“Idiots? You? never Miss Roni but him; we all know how big of a goofball Mr. Cesar can be from time to time.” From around the arena, a collective laugh could be heard as a chorus of people found Cynrik’s witty humor entertaining.
“Oh, quite the silver tongue you’ve got there, kid,” Roni said with a wink as she flirtatiously traced the inside of Cynrik’s palm with her thumb before releasing her grip on his hand.
“Hey, why am I the butt of the joke….” Cesar half complained while puffing out his bottom lip and shaking Cynrik’s hand too.
“Can’t help you there, big guy; after all, we watched you get launched across the room earlier. I hope that noggin of yours is okay cause that wall sure seemed to have a crush on you. Or at least that’s how it appeared to us, uncultured laymen.” Another round of laughter followed Cynrik’s playful banter, causing even Cesar to join in this time.
“Uncultured, you say? How can that be possible? Judging from your last name, you should be a part of the prominent Jetlensr Family. Even your Grandfather, Lithlen Jetlensr, is a well-known member of High Society and even an Academy Headmaster.” Raising an eyebrow at Cynrik’s statement, Roni took the conversational reins away from Cesar and officially began the interview.
“I’m going to stop you right there, Miss Roni.” Holding his right hand up and cutting off the woman across from him, Cynrik tilted his head to the side and propped his elbows on the commentary desk.
At that moment, Brance stiffened and ran to the railing of the stadium seating while screaming into the mind link.
p、A,nd A-n、o、ve,1 [DON’T FUCKING DO IT, CYN!]
His abrupt actions sent Saylin and the newly returned Geralt on high alert as they looked up at the jumbotron with wide eyes.
—
In the Pinhurst Mansion, Cinyah was on her feet screaming at her son on Tv, much like Brance was.
“CYNRIK AYKE JETLENSR, VEER AWAY FROM THE TOPIC! DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT SAYING ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THAT MAN!” Cinyah howled, frightening everyone in the room except Rikard.
Rikard had both hands around Cinyah’s lithe waist and was pulling backward with all his might on his wife to keep her from attacking the projection on the wall or damaging any furniture.
—
In a hotel not far from the venue, a fuming mad Lithlen stood in the center of a large hotel suite. By his side was his grandson and the brothers’ cousin Leelan.
“Little bastard child, if you ruin the public opinion of our family I have spent centuries building up, I swear to everything I am, I will make it my goal to fucking eradicate you and that brother of yours.” Lithlen snarled through gritted teeth as he smashed his glass of wine into shards, spilling red liquid all over the white fur carpet.
“Don’t worry, Grandfather, he is nothing compared to me. You know how high my stats are and how strong I have become. How can a mere newly advanced Tier-3 even come close to beating me?” Leelan said with flickers of blue lightning flashing around in his eyes.
—
At the commentary desk, Cynrik could be seen wearing a cocky smirk as he heard Brance screaming into the mind link.
“I say I am uncultured precisely because of that man’s identity. What kind of man shuns his own son because of the person he fell in love with? Even if I was born from the main family’s bloodline, do not think or believe I am one of them for a second.”
“I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was not handed resources on a silver platter to eat like junk food. My younger brother and I obtained every bit of our power ourselves. So yes, I can be considered uncultured and from humble beginnings.” Leaning back and examining the stunned expressions on Roni and Cesar’s faces, Cynrik ignored the screaming in his head coming from Brance and the crowd’s reactions.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, I am sure that Lithlen Jetlensr is a fine and upstanding member of society, but as far as being a parent or grandparent goes, well, I have not experienced anything but bitterness and disappointment.” Using a sarcastic tone but keeping his facial expressions neutral, Cynrik slowly blinked.
“So…Can I consider what you just said as why you chose VSFA instead of Finwan Academy?” Choosing her words carefully due to the annoying voice yelling in her earpiece, informing her to either end the interview or change the topic, Roni pushed for more answers.
“Hmm, partially, I suppose that can be counted as a factor. However, between you and I, Miss Roni, we can say I had a bit of a falling out with that man and leave it at that.” Adding a wink at the end of his statement, Cynrik glanced in Brance’s direction and activated [Mana Sight] only to find his brother with one leg over the railing, ready to rush across the arena to stop him from talking at any second.
[Relax, you idiot, I won’t say anything detrimental to our health. Plant the seed and let the general public come to their own conclusion; that’s the idea. Also, get back behind the railing; you’re a bigger clutz than me, so you will likely fall when trying to jump down from that height.]
“Quite an interesting point of view; sorry if my colleague pushed a topic you may deem personal. How about we talk about your Team? I noticed five of the seven members, aside from yourself, are all newly advanced Tier-3s. How do you feel about your chances of making it into the later rounds of the event?” Noticing how Roni had been silent for too long, Cesar picked up the ball and continued the interview.
“In my opinion, if what I’ve seen here today is the best the Academies in our country and the surrounding ones have to offer, we should have the championship in the bag. Putting aside the mediocre and frankly weak Tier-3 teams, I have only found a handful of interesting people. Even so, no one outside my Team is on my radar as a potential threat.”
The moment the taunting words entered the air, the arena fell silent as thousands of hateful glares were simultaneously directed at Cynrik. Even the audiences watching from elsewhere went silent before breaking out in a thunderous roar mixed with taunts, cheers, and jeers.
“Those are some mighty big words, Mr. Cynrik, ones that generally turn a person into the enemy of the masses,” Cesar said with a worried expression; however, instead of responding immediately, Cynrik burst out into a loud fit of laughter.
“Ha…ha…ha, oh Mr. Cesar, Mr. Cesar, I think you are severely misinformed. When have I ever said I was a Good person? I very much am the monster under your bed, the menacing bully that takes your lunch money; hell, you can even call me an Anti-Hero. If you want the knight in shining armor Hero type, that’s my younger brother’s job and personality.”
Chapter 0465- Team Leader Press Interview (3)
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