Chapter 294: Impression
The problem with Richard is his pastime.
His hobbies consume too much of his time, leaving him very exhausted when actual missions roll around. One cannot blame the Sect, but rather his indiscretion.
Moving on, there is Amnesis.
His wrinkles suggest he is in his late forties, yet he maintains a cleanly cut, faded black hair and well-trimmed beard. He is certainly as old as he looks, although his silver eyes are the result of the Masterwork Potion he consumed, whose effects necessitate such a unique hue.
He is one who is content with his status as Rank 2 and has no desire to advance.
Supposedly, he barely passed his first and only Apotheosis.
There are many Leviathans like this, and several of them occupy the Ouroboros Sect.
It isn’t a thing of shame to value one’s life, and since he is a rather effective and incredibly competent Seeker, even at Rank 2, there have been no complaints or interest in the higher-ups regarding his advancement.
The last one in the group is Rias—the wild card.
In terms of pure combat capabilities, she is the greatest—even counting Alistair.
Since the Exemplar Pathway is primarily designed for such things, it is only natural that this is the case; however, her fierce personality also adds to her great fighting potential.
With dark orange hair, as well as a rough look on her scowling face, she is widely deemed a pure brute by anyone she meets. And although she is more complicated than her initial impression would make her out to be, it remains the truth that her strength is no joke.
There is no one in this group who has ever beaten her in combat.
No one!
Leading them, and knowing all of these facts, is—of course—Alistair Wormwood.
His gentleman’s hat is now on his head, and his calm expression radiates deep maturity as well as insight. His handsome face and thin lips speak of someone in their mid-thirties, and his clear almond eyes give him a compassionate feel.
Although he is an Adept and their clear superior, this wasn’t the case just a few months ago.
Hence, he treats them more like comrades.
Even now...
’Comrade, huh? That word means a lot to me, but not to him.’ A bitter thought flashes across his mind as he thinks of Lucien, but he quickly banishes the image from his mind before delving too deeply into his suppressed rage.
"First, I’d like to ask you all what you think of Javier Aditi."
Everyone expected this question already.
The Captain was especially talkative when addressing this nobody Rank 1 from an insignificant place like the Randalorion Kingdom.
Of course, his being a Harbinger earned him some curious stares, but it’s not like he has shown himself to be an especially powerful adversary or ally. In fact, he would already be dead if not for the intervention of the Ouroboros Sect.
In that regard, the man owes them their lives.
"I think he’s interesting. I’d definitely like to know more about him." The first person to speak is Jamie, and although his voice is very bright, a certain darkness can be seen creeping into his emerald eyes.
Someone snickers in the background.
It is Elma.
"Interesting? I think he’s just so-so. His background isn’t so great, and although he appears to be approaching thirty, he is still only a Rank 1 Leviathan. His lack of knowledge shows how terribly lacking he is in terms of foundation, and I see nothing special about him. If anything, he may be a big hindrance to our mission."
"I see. So that’s what you think..." Alistair smiles wryly at the girl.
He isn’t very surprised by her reaction.
As someone from one of the important families who descend from the Fangs, she would certainly value background above many other things.
Thanks to her family background and natural abilities, it only took her a few months after becoming a Leviathan to reach Rank 2. Such a feat is fast, even by exceptional standards. At Rank 2, she is also far more skilled than the average Leviathan, showing her deep compatibility with the Aego.
In all his years as a Leviathan, Alistair has yet to see someone as exceptional as her.
’I was told to pay special mind to her by the superiors. It seems this mission is part of some sort of evaluation for her, but I don’t know the details, and I can’t get involved.’
Beyond him, an Adept, there are the Beta (B) Division Leaders, who are all Valiants.
Then, there are the Masters, who are Alpha (A) Division Leaders.
The task to monitor Elma came from one such Master—her older brother.
In terms of rank and authority, the gap between Alistair and such an individual is like heaven and earth. There is no possible way to overcome such a hurdle.
’But—’ A wry smile forms on Alistair’s features.
’Although she is very impressive and comes from a rather powerful family, she is certainly still very young. Her views are not as profound as an experienced eye.’
"Considering his unimpressive background and the mundane state of this Kingdom, it’s actually amazing that he knew so much." This time, it is Amnesis who speaks.
As expected from an elder, a veteran in the field, he hit the nail precisely on the head.
This is what Alistair noticed, too.
"How long has he been a Leviathan?" The old man asks their Captain.
"We can’t say, but it couldn’t have been very long since he doesn’t seem like someone who would let his family perish if he had the power to protect them. That Zarius fellow was the one who killed his family, and he surely turned him. He must have tried to undergo Apotheosis and perished in the process, allowing Javier Aditi to claim victory."
"I see. And how long ago was this?" Amnesis continues.
"Not too long. Based on the journal entries, it hasn’t been three years."
"Interesting..."
Alistair stares at Amnesis, and they nod at each other.
Javier Aditi’s growth is simply too exceptional!
In less than three years, he has managed to gather so much information about Aego, the Pathways, and so on. He basically knows the fundamental nature of the powers of a Leviathan, including the correct terms.
Such a thing isn’t normal for a Leviathan with no backing.
It has also been confirmed by the higher-ups that there haven’t been any major Temporal Activities in the Randalorion Kingdom for some time now, which makes the existence of backing basically nonexistent.
No high-rank Leviathan has even displayed a minute interest in this Kingdom, and since Javier Aditi has never left Randalorion, it makes very little sense that he would come into contact with a senior who would guide him.
There’s certainly the possibility of ruins and fortuitous encounters.
However, even disregarding how slim those chances are, the question remains why such valuable treasures would be sitting in this place.
If they were, and Javier found them, then he is certainly a special case.
That makes him extraordinary by default.
"I think he’ll make a fine addition to the Ouroboros Sect. Of course... you’d have to recommend him, Captain." Amnesis, after much silence, finally states his thoughts.
"Whaaaat?!" Elma shrieks in disbelief, her thin voice dragging out to display exaggerated surprise.
She clearly can’t believe that her elders are making such a positive assessment of this man whom she doesn’t think very highly of, even now.
"I agree. He seems like a chill guy. He’s also a Harbinger, so that’s pretty cool too...." Richard adds with a quiet shrug.
"Being a Harbinger isn’t all that, though. Depending on how many Fragmented Conceptions he has, he’ll have to undergo multiple Apotheosis. Looking at his Existence and display of abilities with Tracing, it’s clear he has already advanced one." Rias interjects, her tone harsh enough to match the unpleasant look on her face.
"... Though I will say that I am also curious about him. He displayed Frontflow capabilities when confronting the Cult, so he’d be able to keep up with me if he joined this team."
"I guess Rias is also in support. Since everyone’s impression of him is so deep, I guess the same goes for me." Alistair smiles at the group, although he keeps a cautious gaze out for Elma, who doesn’t respond but simply scoffs.
"The truth is that I am rather curious about how he got to know so much in such a place with very few opportunities to do so. He also grew to this point without knowing certain things about Potions, Alchemy, and multiple others... which I find odd."
"It was only for a moment, but did you see the surprise flashing in his eyes when you gave him that Armament? It’s almost like he was shocked that it didn’t have Trace Elements." Jamie adds, excitement embedded in his tone.
"There’s that too..." Alistair smiles broadly. "The man is clearly hiding something, and I intend to find out what it is. Until then, he does appear to be someone who can be used, so it won’t be a loss to have him on this assignment."
The last statement was directed at Elma, and the girl received it with silent grace.
Although she no longer pursues the matter, and calmness seems to have returned to her face, her thoughts are in a completely different state.
To put it mildly... she is boiling!
’Why are they making such a fuss over someone that unimpressive? You want to recommend him to join our Sect? Someone like that is not worthy!’
She silently grits her teeth, suppressing the anger that threatens to explode inside her.
’We even told him too much.’ She sighs, shaking her head quietly. ’A man like that should only be used and discarded...’
She would want nothing more than to air out her honest thoughts. However, since it seems most of her teammates have been fooled by this stranger’s bravado, Elma realizes there would be no point in trying to make them see reason.
For now, she can only watch.
After all, this is only a temporary team for her.
Her true team—where she really belongs—is among the Alpha Division.
Until then, she can only use these people as her stepping stone.
’Javier Aditi, huh? What a joke...’ With a silent sneer, she nonchalantly shoves him from her mind and focuses on more important affairs.
For example, her eldest brother’s decision to enter the Forbidden Territory.
’Now that father has failed his Grand Apotheosis, the burden is on Zach to take the lead in the family affairs. If not...’ Elma shudders upon realizing what could happen.
’I need to reach Rank 5 as fast as possible! For the sake of my family...’
********
I arrive in the Capital after only a few days of travel, and it takes me even less time to enter the Royal Palace.
Using Frontflow, the act of infiltrating the Royal Palace would be rather simple. However, there is no need to be sneaky when visiting this place—not with the kind of relationship I have with these people.
Upon reaching the entrance, the guards already recognize me.
They also recognize the Royal Seal in my possession.
Needless to say, entering the Royal Palace is a cinch for me, and so as I sit within my carriage and advance into the glamorous world that unravels before me, my thoughts continue to swirl with all kinds of things.
For one—who the likely perpetrator of this act is.
Common sense tells me it’s between First Prince Jakob and Second Prince Korrin.
But I cannot simply rule out any other player just because these two are the most obvious suspects. In that case, I should conduct this investigation in a fair manner and try to separate my biases as much as I can.
Only then can I arrive at the real truth.
Upon reaching the Main Building, I am given the warmest reception. This is per the order of the King, no doubt.
Something almost akin to a royal procession takes place, but none of that is worth noting.
My task remains the focus.
I am escorted to the throne room where King Claudius awaits, flanked by his remaining sons and the Queen.
First Prince Jakob stands to his father’s right—tall, imposing, with the bearing of a natural commander. Second Prince Korrin occupies the left position, his scholarly features composed but tense. The Queen, Elara Randalorion, sits beside the King, her regal composure intact despite the circumstances.
The Princesses are absent, per usual, so I am not really surprised.
Missing, of course, is Third Prince Claus.
The one I came here to find.
"Lord Javier," King Claudius greets me, his voice heavy with fatigue. "We are grateful for your swift return. I trust your... other matters have been resolved?"
He’s referring to the cult investigation, though he doesn’t know the full details. The Royal Knights must have reported what they saw to him, so he should know about Aunt Leila’s death, among other details.
However, he remains unaware of Dracus Krawford’s betrayal or of the Ouroboros Sect.
This is good—optimal, even.
The less the Royal Family knows about Leviathan affairs, the better.