Chapter 107 -
'A spectacular accomplishment!'
Ixion hadn't expected to mark anything off his bucket list today, yet he had! He'd found the meaning of life!
'I'd put it on there as a joke…'
But Ixion was quite certain of his internal truth!
'Thank you, Runa!'
Ixion laughed and waved as he sent the cat off to Se'van's lecture.
He'd spent the last three hours talking with Runa about life in the palace as well as who she was before Ixion had bought her.
'She led quite an interesting life!'
Though she always seemed to be second fiddle to someone else's hand.
Ixion smiled as he leaned back on the bench of the elegant white gazebo.
'And she has quite a useful ability.'
Being able to calm an ally's emotions was a much more tremendous ability than one would be led to believe. Who else could steady the heart of someone who'd just watched their childhood friend impaled by a fiend's claw? Or watched their parents be bisected by a blade?
Plus, there was the secondary inversion of the ability that was like a watered-down version of Despair's. She could heighten a target's emotions and breed a slight madness in one's mind.
The effect was minimal in its current state, but it had the potential to be deadly if utilized properly. Well, not straight up lethal, but it could definitely offset an opponent and allow one to land a critical blow.
Not that Ixion was ever intent on Runa having to use it that way.
Left alone with his thoughts, Ixion closed his eyes, taking in the smell of roses as it drifted along the gentle breeze.
The rustle of petals bristling against one another made Ixion think he wasn't alone.
Actually, he wasn't…
An unexpected visitor had stepped into the garden when Runa stepped out, following Ixion silently, like the lost pig he was.
Ixion opened his eyes then at the uninvited guest and said:
"And to what do I owe this displeasure?"
Despair, sitting on the opposite bench in the gazebo, leaned back with a placid expression.
"You owe it to yourself, my friend."
Ixion smiled at his long-lost friend.
"Ah? Do I? What is this about, exactly?"
Despair took out a black-dyed rose and began twirling it in his hands.
"Why exactly have you provoked me? Killing my loyal followers. Are you meaning to declare war?"
Ixion took a deep breath and laughed.
"I guess they could be considered loyal followers. Though are they truly followers if it's not by choice?"
"If one lacks the ability to choose, then the world chooses for them. And the world has chosen them to be my followers. Now, don't be discursive. Why did you kill them?"
Ixion looked over at the swaying hedges, desperately in need of a trim. Sadly, the main gardener was ugly and had been fired for that transgression.
"Should I not have? Their existence in my kingdom irritated me, so I saw it fit to have them removed."
After a light chuckle, Ixion added:
"Don't take it to heart, asshole. But could you kindly vacate Catatran? Oh, and could you let the gate hit you as you leave?"
Despair's stare slightly hardened as he stopped twirling the rose and held it up toward Ixion.
"Woah, woah! No need to get violent now!"
Despair lowered the black rose. In his low, grating voice, he demanded:
"Then tell the truth."
Ixion gave an exasperated sigh, then said:
"I was looking for you, the ever-elusive Despair. Or more so, what you've been hiding from this dear friend of yours. You see, I was quite curious about this 'key' you claimed to have manufactured. I wanted to see the validity of your claim."
Despair scoffed:
"Killing seventeen humans for something as fruitless as that. Shouldn't you know I cannot be found unless I wish to be found?"
'Humans, huh…'
Ixion nearly laughed after doing just that.
Though he hoped his near laugh didn't fall into the territory of future irony.
Shrugging, Ixion looked back at Despair.
"Say I keep killing your thralls, what do you even plan to do to me?"
Despair smiled. A warm smile.
"Oh? I'd do nothing to you. You have your role to play, after all. But I do have my ways to keep you in line if you continue to act out."
Despair's eyes narrowed as his icy glare drifted to the door Runa had just exited from.
Ixion's own effervescent expression died down at the quiet threat.
"Just how much do you trust I'll comply with the directive the Wanderer of Fate gave me?"
Despair scoffed lightly.
"Enough to know I could kill everyone you know, and you'd still be a loyal slave to fate."
"I'm not such an easy man to predict, Despair. You should know that better than any other. So, try me if you dare."
Despair nearly laughed.
"Your bluffs—"
Then Ixion's steadfast glare made him surrender that notion.
'I am a crazy bastard, after all.'
Ixion had no intent to defy Sloth at the moment, but depending on whatever atrocities Despair dared to commit, his spite just might get the better of him — enough spite to destroy five worlds!
Despair took a deep breath, then a long exhale.
"Look, Ixion. I'm not back in Catatran to cause you harm. I'm only here for research purposes."
'Research purposes…'
Ixion could easily guess what for.
"How did you know?"
"Sloth had informed me you'd be leaving, letting me get free access to your little secret chamber."
Ixion glared at Despair.
He didn't particularly like that he'd be letting Despair do his 'research,' but there was nothing he could do about it since he had to visit Praxis.
Well, he was going to leave Zabaniyah behind to watch over Reina and observe the happenings, but she alone would never be enough to defy Despair.
Especially so when Despair might as well have been her father and the man she'd spent most of her time with after recovering her senses.
'What a folly my life is.'