Chapter 190: Chapter 190: He is neither, yet he is both
Chapter 190 – He is neither, yet he is both.
<...Do you accept, Last Born of the Desdemona?>
It was a question with an obvious answer already attached to it. Everyone knew that by this point.
Because of that, there was no surprise, only a cold fact, when Cassius answered.
"I accept."
His voice echoed through the minds of all spectators.
With his answer, the presenter didn’t respond again, but Cassius’s choice was registered by everyone.
And now it was official: Cassius Desdemona was going to pass the Exam for two people.
The other participants who understood what had just happened were completely speechless, unable to fathom how he could make such a decision at such an important moment.
Already, most of them were struggling heavily, unsure if they would even pass the first test, let alone the second. And here was someone choosing to take on a burden for another.
Some of them laughed quietly at Cassius, in fact glad he was burdening himself. That made it easier for them to win, they believed.
Others — like Meadow, Sarah, Cassius’s childhood friends, and even Esmeray and Raven — were undoubtedly worried about his decision. After all, his chances of being Palatine had dropped considerably.
Yes. They were not worried about whether he would fail. They knew Cassius would not fail.
What worried them was whether he would still become the Palatine of their generation, surpassing even Emrys Stormblessed.
They had been quite confident in him at the beginning. Especially Raven Hood. But now, doubt was creeping in.
Some others were entirely indifferent to Cassius’s actions. Emrys was among them, for he believed that even unburdened, the Last Born could not win against him.
Theophane was equally indifferent, but for a wholly different reason. She didn’t know Cassius well enough to care about his actions. However, for some reason, she had been unable to divine anything about him when she tried, just for the sake of it.
Everything about Cassius was wrapped in impossible threads of fate. And when she tried to force her way through, she seemed to see both the present and the future at once, making it impossible to learn anything.
Because of that, Theophane Celeste became exceedingly curious about Cassius Desdemona.
And that curiosity deepened when she saw a green-haired, black-eyed man with an arrogant flair flying with a spirit beside him.
’That man,’ Theophane licked her lips, ’is close to this Cassius?’
She moved immediately afterward.
In the same way, there were also other horribly talented individuals — ones Cassius knew from the game and would soon meet — who paid little attention to his actions.
Yet amid all these varied reactions, there were those who admired Cassius for his loyalty to a servant.
Omm Min Jambar was among them, alongside Jurkil Julaibib and his new so-called best friend, Diaila.
However, all of that was something Cassius did not care about in the slightest.
He had not done it for recognition. He had simply done it because, whether he liked it or not, Océane was his responsibility.
And Cassius was trying to learn to keep his responsibilities, no matter how heavy and burdensome they became.
Something Anesthesia was clearly struggling to understand.
"You are a damn fool, Cassius." She spat, looking at him sitting in the green grassy field beneath a large dark tree with green veins slithering through its body.
They were inside the Safe Zone, which looked like a downgraded version of an Eden-like garden.
The Safe Zone was enclosed by a powerful barrier that kept both monsters and sand outside.
It was not very large, only the size of a small courtyard. Still, it could easily hold twenty people.
Anesthesia stood in front of Cassius, frowning heavily as her eyes settled on the unconscious Océane on his lap.
"How will you achieve your goals with her?" She said. "I wanted you to win against Emrys, for Vorn’s sake."
In the nobles’ room, Ulrich’s eyebrows furrowed instantly at Anesthesia’s words, and he immediately turned to look at Cole and Sophia Amaris.
Their faces showed the same surprised expression. None of them knew anything had happened between Emrys and Anesthesia.
’This wretched daughter! Why was I not aware?’ Sophia cursed inwardly, realising the dangerous position she was now in.
Cole was glaring at her as if everything were her fault.
The other nobles watched this exchange but said nothing, focusing on the screen: half of which showed Cassius, the other half divided into smaller screens showing the others.
Everyone instinctively focused on Cassius. Even those who were supposed to be watching their own children.
"From love to hatred." Cassius chuckled at Anesthesia’s words. "That was quite fast. Tell me, sister-in-law, what did he do to make you hate him so much now?"
"You dare to ask? As if you are not the main reason for all of this?"
"Slander." He defended himself. "I was simply trying to let you see who Emrys really is, and who you are. And please, Anesthesia, aren’t you happier now?"
He tilted his head. "You are free from Emrys’s hypocrisy. You are free from his lust over women. And—!"
"Your uncle is no better." Anesthesia cut in. "He is walking the same path as Emrys, and I warned him of the consequences."
"What would you do to him?"
"To him? I won’t touch him." Anesthesia said. "But I don’t need to touch him to do what I want to do."
"Do you love him?"
"That’s none of your business."
"Indeed it isn’t." He shrugged, then gently set Océane down on the ground.
He stood, cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. Inspecting his essence, he found it had fully recovered thanks to the potion he had drunk.
Satisfied, Cassius began walking toward the one and only entrance of the Safe Zone, his steps crunching against the grass below.
"Hey! Where are you going?" She asked, following him.
"Even though I don’t regret using my Tier Four artifact, it still makes my heart ache in horrible pain." His voice suddenly turned pitiful, as if he were deeply anguished. "So to soothe my anguish and heal the wound in my heart, I need to obtain some artifacts."
"What?" Anesthesia exclaimed, frowning. "How?"
Cassius didn’t answer.
Once at the entrance, he created a blood throne with his blood manipulation and sat leisurely upon it, then crossed his legs.
He took out the cane he had stored earlier and leaned it gently against the right armrest.
He exhaled, puffing out a plume of steamy air, and peacefully closed his eyes, waiting patiently.
Anesthesia and the spectators looked at him, puzzled. However, some of them already understood what Cassius intended to do.
Isolde was the first to guess, and she was proven right immediately, as two participants emerged through the dust-coloured dune and walked straight toward the Safe Zone.
They were both male, the smaller one holding a sword in his hands while the large, bulky man carried an enormous greatsword.
They stopped a couple of metres from Cassius sitting on his throne, wondering what he was doing there.
"What—!"
"Your offer." Cassius cut in without opening his eyes. "Tell me what you intend to offer in order to enter the Safe Zone. I accept artifacts, information, and even Elysia Points. The Points you will hand over once we enter the Academy. After you have made your offer, you can stand aside and wait for your peers. I will choose the twelve who offered the most valuable things to enter the Safe Zone."
Finally, Cassius opened his red eye, smiling with benevolence.
"If everything is clear, you may begin."
One of the men, the large bulky one, growled and took a menacing step forward. "Who do you—!"
"Any violence against me will be dealt with mercilessly." Cassius said. "And I shall not repeat myself on this. Now either you make an offer, or you choose to disqualify yourself."
Without any surprise, the big man did not agree. He roared and charged straight at Cassius, his eyes dripping with murderous intent, his greatsword raised for a swing.
Space itself seemed to shudder under his overwhelming strength.
"Alright." Cassius said lazily, and as he rested his chin on his right palm, a portal opened beneath the big man, and crimson chains erupted from it, wrapping around his body in seconds.
The man paused, surprised by the suddenness of it. Before he could do anything, Cassius flicked a finger toward him, sending out an intense shockwave by detonating a high concentration of fire three times in a very confined area.
The shockwave slammed into the man and sent his greatsword flying from his hand.
"You! FREE ME!" He bellowed, thrashing with all his strength, but the more he moved, the tighter the chains became, and the faster his blood was drained from him.
Horror began to flood his mind, and at last he realised the situation he had put himself in.
The big man lifted his dark black eyes toward Cassius, about to beg for mercy.
But Cassius was now pointing at him with the tip of his cane.
"I warned you, and you didn’t listen. Now, big man, choose." He smiled, his red eye glowing sinisterly. "Either you forfeit, or I kill you here and now. You have three seconds."
The big man’s mind froze, and by the time he came back to his senses, the three seconds had already passed.
"Time’s up." Cassius said, and slammed his cane back onto the ground, causing crimson fire to burst from the impact and surge straight toward the big man like molten red veins spreading through a crack in a tree.
He screamed in horror and pain, opening his mouth only for the fire to pour inside. His scream grew louder still as the flames began to consume his flesh and blood alike.
And so, while the big man burned, Cassius turned his attention to the second one, who was literally shaking in place, staring at him in ghastly terror.
"So?" Cassius tilted his head, his voice unbothered. "Do I need to repeat myself again?"
The spectators were dead silent, watching Cassius on his blood throne, speaking calmly while a man burned beside him.
That scene — and the one of him saving his maid and choosing to be burdened for her — warred against each other in their minds, leaving them unable to answer the question of who Cassius truly was.
Was he benevolent and loyal?
Or was he cruel and evil?
The sharpest among them already understood that Cassius was neither...and yet was both.
Anesthesia, standing beside Cassius, watched the scene and smiled coldly soon after.
Before the young man could even answer, she created her own throne with her purple essence beside Cassius’s, sat on it like an Empress crowned by the world, and spoke first.
"I want a gift too." She said arrogantly. "What will you offer me?"
The young man nearly lost consciousness.
—End of Chapter 190—
