Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Chapter 599: Confrontation (1)

Third Person’s POV

Ethan nodded and gave the answer that he had prepared before,

"I am Eryndor, and I come from Dark North City."

The moment the words "Dark North City" left his mouth, something strange happened.

Dominic’s eyes suddenly brightened.

The reaction lasted only a second, yet it was obvious.

Then, for reasons Ethan could not understand, the old man’s smile widened considerably.

And for the first time since entering the room, Ethan felt that Dominic IceHeart had become genuinely interested in him.

"Hmm, so you are from the Mist Domain."

Dominic lightly tapped a finger against the armrest of his chair as he studied Ethan with those unusual, powdered blue eyes.

"Tell me, Eryndor, how did you come into contact with Shixea?"

The question sounded casual and almost harmless, yet the moment it left the old man’s mouth, Ethan’s mind immediately became alert.

A faint sense of danger rose within him.

More importantly, Dominic had instantly recognized Dark North City and associated it with the Mist Domain.

That alone was enough to make Ethan suspicious.

According to Shixea, Dark North City was a remote settlement situated near the edge of the continent.

She had repeatedly assured him that almost nobody within Ice Emperor City paid attention to that backward region, let alone knew anything substantial about it, yet Dominic had recognized it immediately as if he had known that place for a long time.

Not only that, he had connected Ethan to Shixea almost instantly.

That meant one of two things.

Either Shixea had lied to him, or Dominic Iceheart knew far more than she had anticipated.

Suppressing the thoughts running through his mind, Ethan maintained a calm expression and answered in a measured voice.

"Is that necessary, Headmaster?"

His crimson eyes met Dominic’s gaze directly.

"I received admission into this academy through legitimate means.

My badge should be sufficient proof of that.

I don’t believe I am obligated to explain my personal history or my relationship with Her Highness Shixea."

The room suddenly became quiet.

In fact, it was too quiet.

Even the faint sound of wind and snow striking the tower windows seemed to disappear.

Dominic’s smile remained, yet his eyes slowly narrowed.

It was as if he were examining Ethan from an entirely new perspective.

A strange pressure gradually filled the study.

It was not a pressure born from immense and powerful mana or any trace of a powerful being’s aura.

It was simply the feeling that a dangerous predator had become interested.

Ethan instinctively became more vigilant.

But, without any warning whatsoever, Dominic vanished from his position on the chair.

There was no fluctuation following his vanishing and no impending sign of his arrival or presence.

One moment, he had been sitting several meters away, and in the next moment, he was directly in front of Ethan.

So close that Ethan could almost feel the old man’s bad breath.

Extreme alarm surged through Ethan’s body, and his pupils contracted violently.

His instincts took over, and without thinking, he attempted to retreat as he followed the flight instinct of his body instead of fighting.

However, before he could move more than a fraction of a meter, he discovered something horrifying.

Invisible restraints had already wrapped around his entire body.

They felt like ropes, yet they were not physical.

They bound his arms, legs, torso, and even his neck.

The sensation was so strange that Ethan couldn’t immediately determine whether it was mana, soul power, or something entirely different.

In the next moment, his feet left the ground.

He felt himself slowly floating upward and being bound helplessly in the air.

At the same time, every muscle in his body became taut.

He attempted to circulate his strength, but nothing happened.

He attempted to move, but again nothing happened.

For the first time since awakening from his icy slumber, Ethan felt completely powerless as he realized that the difference in strength between himself and Dominic was simply too enormous.

Yet despite the shock flashing through his eyes, there was no sense of terror or despair in his eyes.

One of the reasons for that was the existence of a certain trump card hidden deep within him.

The other reason was far simpler, and it was that his instincts did not sense killing intent from him, while his logical conclusion told him that Dominic wanted information and was doing this to simply extract it from him.

Realizing this, Ethan didn’t show his true emotions as he didn’t want the shrewd old man to go even more extreme.

Instead, he deliberately forced a trace of panic onto his face.

His voice even trembled slightly.

"W-What do you want, old man?"

The kind smile that had previously adorned Dominic’s face had completely disappeared.

For the first time, Ethan saw the true expression hidden beneath that gentle exterior.

It was cold, calculating, and dangerous as he stared directly into his eyes.

"Tell me, Eryndor."

His voice was calm.

"What exactly is your relationship with Shixea?"

He stepped closer.

"And do not attempt to lie to me."

The old man’s powdered-blue eyes seemed capable of seeing through every secret.

"I already know that you are the young man whom my Little Aunt Arlene discovered beneath the frozen mountains of the Aurora Mountain Range."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed at this sudden info bomb, but Dominic continued.

"She has already informed me of everything."

A faint sneer appeared on his face.

"That foolish woman Shixea probably neglected to tell you this, but it was her son Erius who took you away from Arlene and presented you to his mother."

The old man slowly circled around Ethan.

"And now that I have finally seen you with my own eyes, I can also see that your mana veins have been sealed."

A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes, and then he chuckled.

"What a pitiful situation."

His gaze swept across Ethan’s body.

"I do not even need to guess what happened afterwards. Shixea undoubtedly used those seals as leverage and blackmailed you into working for her."