Chapter 598: A Persistent Request
(Planet Ixtal, Soron’s Castle, Charles’s POV)
Charles and Soron sat across from one another in the dim chamber, the silence stretching between them heavier than words.
Gone was the radiant god who dazzled the masses with golden light and unshakable poise, for before Charles now sat the frail truth beneath the illusion.
The oversized drape that had once clung to Soron’s broad frame now sagged from his shoulders like a funeral cloth, the fabric pooling at his sides as though even it had given up trying to hold him upright.
His skin, once bronzed with vitality, carried the chalky pallor of sickness, his features sharper than Charles remembered from his last visit, as if time itself had carved away the flesh to reveal the dying man beneath the mask.
Even the faint tremor in his hands as he poured the tea betrayed how far he had fallen, and yet his eyes, though ringed with fatigue, still carried that unbearable patience, as if he were not fazed by his current condition at all.
"The boy is experiencing ’Existential Overload’ old man, he needs your help.
In the entire universe, I’ve never seen someone carry as many Green Intent lines as you do.
Please, I’m begging you, let him see it once." Charles pleaded, as Soron gently brought the cup of brewed tea to his lips.
He looked into Charles’s eyes, as if trying to see the extent of his desperation, before eventually putting the cup down as he smacked his lips.
"How much do you really know about the boy Charles? I can see that you care about him deeply..... but can you vouch for his true nature?" Soron asked, as Charles frowned at the question.
The way Soron framed the question, meant that he clearly knew something that Charles did not, and was hence deliberately setting him up for failure.
"What did he do?" Charles asked, as Soron shrugged in dismissal.
"So you don’t know..... Quite the mentor you are then. Your student is making quite big moves without you knowing." Soron teased, as Charles frowned even more.
"Your boy killed the Twelfth. The one parading as the Twelfth Elder, or I should say the Seventh Elder now, is actually a fraud.
Did you know about this?" Soron asked, as Charles turned ashen pale.
"Leo killed an Elder?" He asked, shock evident in his voice as Soron nodded in confirmation.
"With his own hands at that. Seemed quite angry when he did it too." Soron said, as Charles turned quiet.
He had not expected Leo to kill an Elder, and had also not expected him to keep something so important from him.
*Sip*
*Sip*
A few minutes passed, until he eventually regained his composure and said.
"If you knew about it, why didn’t you do something?" Charles asked, as Soron shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
"To be honest I don’t care..... I don’t approve of the current Elders Council, I don’t think you do either.
What the boy did was wrong, but he was smart enough about it to not let anyone else find out.
And hence I’ve let it slide.
As long as the masses don’t find out, I see no reason to take action." Soron said, as Charles let out a long sigh of disappointment.
On a personal level, he too did not approve of the Elders Council, however, he also understood that sneakily murdering them could not be the solution.
"Well, I’m sure the Twelfth Elder must have done something to deserve that death, but I’ll need to have a talk with the boy about his behaviour.
If he wants to uproot the Council, he should have the balls to start a revolution to do it.
And I’ll support him wholeheartedly along the way....." Charles said as he pinched the top of his nose.
"I—I don’t know what to say here, I still want you to help the boy.
But if you think he can’t be trusted, then I’ll have to think of something else.
But I’m running really low on time." Charles requested, as Soron gazed deeply into his eyes once more.
To be fair, he did not wish to show his weak side to anyone but Charles, because once it became public knowledge that Lord Soron, the protector of the Evil Cult was now a husk of a warrior he once was, the Cult would no longer be safe.
However, looking at the desperation in Charles’s eyes, he couldn’t refuse his request either.
"Why him? What’s so special about this boy that you of all people are begging me to help him.
Because last time we met, you wanted nothing to do with him.
I practically had to force you to train him.
So what’s changed between then and now for you to behave this way?" Soron asked, as he saw the conviction in Charles’s eyes light up.
"The boy’s special... I don’t know how else to say it, but he’s truly special.
He’s got a stable mind over his shoulders.
He doesn’t get carried away by praise or fame.
He doesn’t care about petty things like how others perceive him, or whether something is beneath him or not.
And he has this unshakeable drive to become better that’s almost fascinating to watch...." Charles began, as his voice lit up as he described Leo.
"He has the most insane natural born talent I’ve seen, but also the work ethic necessary to make it count.
And I’ve never seen a kid have them both.
You’ve seen it with your own eyes.... Him defeating a warrior a full tier above him, and he’s gotten at least twice as strong since.
It’s unbelievable almost.
Frightening even.
But, he makes me believe that the ancient prophecy might really be true.
If there was ever a kid who could become the next Timeless Assassin, it’s got to be him.
But he won’t get there if I don’t help him overcome this ’Existential Overload’....."
"You ask why I’m behaving this way.....
My answer is— I’m behaving this way because I need to do my part in helping him become this ultimate version of himself that I know he can be.
You’re dying old man
And I’m never going to become a God.
I know you’re not one to pin your hopes on a single kid.
And I know you believe in the prophecy like it’s an inevitable truth.
But for me, he’s your only viable replacement.
If you can hang on for 200 more years.
I know I can turn him into a God in that same timeframe." Charles answered, as Soron chuckled at his response.
"You’ve grown soft you fool..... never thought I’d see the day when you care about someone apart from yourself to this degree..." Soron observed, as Charles blushed slightly at the remark.
He knew he sounded like an obsessed teacher who cared too deeply about his pupil at this moment, however, that was exactly how desperate he felt.
He wanted to help Leo at any cost and he was even ready to beg Soron for it.
"Very well then, old friend. If you think so highly of him, I won’t deny your request.
However, I demand that you educate him before you bring him here before me.
And also that you confront him for his crimes.
I might have let one murder slip, but make sure to tell him that I won’t let another one go unnoticed." Soron said, as Charles beamed at his approval.
"Thank you old man..... I won’t let you regret this."