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Chapter 58: [Weapon Selection] [End]

Within the hologram, an image of my mother appeared, her features flickering slightly in the holographic light, but her silver hair and emotionless grey eyes were easily noticeable.

It had been more than five minutes since her hologram appeared, and for the whole time, she had been ignoring me, focusing on her work as if I were not worth her time.

"Mother," I breathed, having waited long enough. My voice was barely above a whisper.

"....How many days has it been since you arrived at the academy?" She asked without looking at me, her voice as emotionless as always.

"Six... days," I replied, my leg tapping anxiously on the ground as I struggled to contain my nervousness.

"Not even a week has passed, and I receive a complaint," she scolded, her eyes still on her paperwork. "Is this how you\'re going to prove your worth?"

"Mother—"

"What was the reason?" she asked.

"....."

"I am asking something, Azariah; what was the reason for you to nearly kill him?"

"...He tried to insult me and sa—"

"I have known you since you were a child... Your lies won\'t work on me," she interjected sharply, her gaze piercing.

".....He tried to insult yo—"

"You wouldn\'t have reacted that way if he had insulted me," she interrupted again, silencing me. "Like I said, your lies won\'t work on me."

"....."

"Let me guess then," she continued, resting her chin on her hands. "He tried to insult one of the \'promised girls,\' didn\'t he?"

I flinched involuntarily at her words, lowering my gaze slightly.

"That\'s disappointing, Azariah," she commented, her voice devoid of emotion, as she looked at me.

"....." I didn\'t reply; my head still lowered as I stared at my hands resting on my lap.

"Have you heard about the emperor\'s decision regarding your engagement annulment?" She asked, extending her hand and drumming her fingers on the table.

"Yes."

"Do you have any problems with his decision?"

"....I don\'t have any problems," I replied, shaking my head while clenching my fist.

"Hmm, that\'s good then," she replied, nodding her head. "And about the boy\'s father... I will take care of him."

"Yes, Mother," I replied softly.

"....How do you feel after beating that boy?" she asked.

"... Nothing."

"Good, it would have been even more disappointing if you had felt happy after defeating a pest," she remarked as she reclined in her chair.

"....Can I go now?" I requested, feeling my nerves racking by being in front of her even though it was just a hologram.

"....I have one more thing to tell you," she replied, glancing at me. "I have a task for you."

"A task?"

"Yes.... A task to prove your worth," she replied, causing my heart rate to drop.

"M-mother, there wasn\'t anything like that in our deal," I replied, trying to remain calm.

"That was before... when your body couldn\'t take in mana," she replied, focusing on my body, "but now you can use mana, changing everything."

"Bu—."

"I won\'t change my decision, Azariah."

"....Will I prove my worth if I complete this task?" I asked, looking at her.

"Yes, you will," she affirmed, nodding her head.

"....What do I need to do then?" I asked, calming down.

It\'s an opportunity I can\'t miss; I can be free from at least turning into a crying puppet.

"You will need to kill someone for me," she stated bluntly, watching my reaction closely.

Not as terrible a task as I thought it would be, I have already killed innocents; one more won\'t change much.

"Who do I need to kill?" I asked, taking a deep breath.

"A child," she replied, making me halt.

"Pardon?"

"I said you needed to kill a child."

"W-why a child?" I asked, my voice a little cracked and my lips trembling without me noticing.

"Think it through, Azariah. It\'s either your life or that child\'s life," she replied, her voice devoid of any emotion.

"B-but mother."

"I am not asking, I am telling you... You will be given the task of killing a child. Do you accept it or not?"

"Mother."

"Do you accept it or not?"

"....."

"If your answer is no, then say it; the child might live a peaceful life, but you will not."

"..."

"I need an answer, Azariah."

"....Yes."

"Good... Then I will inform you when her security is the lowest." Nodding her head, she replied.

And with a beep, the call ended, leaving me alone in the room.

"El."

[Yes?]

"...If I want to live, I need to kill a child now."

How low do I have to go now just so I can live?

A child....

[... From the way your mother talked, she should be an important person.]

"She?" I asked, titling my head.

[Your mother said \'her\' security.]

"Yeah, she did....."

Things we do to live,huh?

"Sigh...."

Sighing, I rose from my seat and made my way toward the exit.

With a soft click, the door swung open, and I stepped out into the corridor.

But my steps halted as I spotted a familiar figure leaning against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, making her focus on me.

"What did she say?" Lauryn asked back, looking at me.

"She kinda threatened to kill me," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Stop lying," she replied, frowning.

"Yeah, don\'t believe it," I replied as I walked closer to her. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"Did she say something about Christina?" she asked as she started to walk.

"Are we the latest gossip now?" I grumbled, falling a step behind her. "First,that doggy then my mother, and now you."

"Someone is deliberately spreading the news," Lauryn replied, glancing at me.

"...I can think of who he is," I muttered as we made our way out of the parent meeting building.

"So, did she ask?"

"Yeah, she did."

"Did you ask her for help?"

"Why should I?" I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "I was already bored with her... and my mother said she would find me a better one... so I might as well go for a different chick."

Lauryn halted her steps, turning back to stand in front of me, looking into my eyes. "...You are the worst kind of person to fall in love with."

"....I know," I replied as I walked past her. "And it\'s not like I am asking to be loved anyway."

"Where are you going?" she asked, making me halt.

"To my class?" I replied, glancing back at her.

"Come with me." Turning on her heel, she replied, walking in a different direction.

Rubbing my neck slightly, I walked behind her.

And it didn\'t take us long to arrive at the place where the weapon selection was happening.

"No one\'s here?" I commented as I looked around the empty hall.

Students have returned to their classes," Lauryn explained.

"Mind telling me why we are here?"

"Didn\'t I tell you to come towards the Katana section after you were done with your....weird weapon?" she replied as we arrived at the section that had Katanas placed on them.

"Yeah, my axe-hammer," I mumbled as I looked around, "I almost forgot about that."

"Stay here; you can go find it later," Lauryn replied, gesturing for me to remain where I was.

With swift movements, she retrieved one of the katanas from the stand and tossed it in my direction.

Without a word, I caught the katana as I looked at it.

Encased in a sleek black sheath, it was perfectly balanced in my grasp.

Grabbing the hilt that was wrapped in smooth, black leather, offering a comfortable grip on my hand, I took out the blade inside.

As I drew the blade, a bright flash of red caught my eye, revealing the stunning beauty within.

The katana\'s crimson hue seemed to dance in the light as I looked at it carefully.

"But why a Katana?" Glancing at her, I asked as I placed it back in the sheath.

"There is an old saying," she replied, folding her hands. "Strength didn\'t kill Gabriel; swiftness did."

"Gabriel, huh?" I mumbled to myself, looking at her.

"Your way of using mana is different, right?" She replied with her own question, and I nodded my head.

"The way I see it, it\'s as if you\'re not just reinforcing your muscles but also your bones. You\'re able to exert more force than should be possible."

"I guess, but what does it have to do with a Katana?" I asked as I looked at the weapon.

"Katanas are my specialty, and the way I see it, you can fully utilize their full potential," she replied, taking a step back. "Draw your Katana as fast as you can without using mana."

I nodded, taking in a deep breath as I adjusted my stance, the sheath of the katana snug against my waist.

With tense muscles, I gripped the hilt tightly, readying myself for the swift draw.

In one fluid motion, I surged forward, unsheathing the blade with all the speed I could muster.

SWISH!!

The Katana sliced through the air with a faint sound.

"Now, do it again with mana." She gestured for me to step back, and I complied, sliding the Katana back into its sheath.

"Huuh."

With a sharp exhale, I focused my concentration, channeling mana into my hand.

The silver runes glowed softly as I pushed myself, not holding back until my hand began to ache with the strain.

SWISH!!

Bang!!

This time, as I drew the Katana, it sliced through the air effortlessly, but my lack of control caused it to hit the ground with a resounding bang.

"Urgh..."

A tingling sensation shot through my hand, the aftermath of my exertion, as an electric pulse raced along my nerves.

"...You need proper training." Lauryn mumbled as she came closer to me.

"...I know." I grumbled as I jerked my hand to get some response from it.

"Your weapon selection ends here," she declared abruptly, the sound of her clap echoing in the empty training hall.

Glancing up at her, I was met with a bright smile that sent a shiver down my spine.

"What are you thinking...?" I couldn\'t help but ask, instinctively taking a step back from her.

"Your training will be fun," she replied cheerfully, her smile widening as she turned and walked away.

What the fuck is she planning??