"The emperor has decided about your engagement, Azariah," I halted my movement as I heard a disgusting voice.
I looked back only to find a dark-skinned boy with dark blonde hair looking at me while grinning.
With a sword hung around his waist, he stood straight like a prince charming.
'Sure enough,' I thought as I glanced around.
Despite choosing a less crowded place to practice, there were scarcely any students nearby, like they were forcefully removed away from here.
'He made sure we were alone before approaching me.'
"And who the fuck are you?" I spat, twisting my body to look at him, "his messenger?"
"I see, you still know how to use that nasty mouth of yours," he replied with a calm smile on his face.
"...and you still vanish in the dark, don't you?" With a smile, I jeered.
His face stiffened as he glared at me, clenching his fist.
But the outburst I expected didn't come as he took a deep breath to calm himself down.
"You know, Azariah, I pity you," he said, looking at me while shaking his head, "tch, tch, how good a boy you were, and now look what you have become?"
"Your father?" I asked, tilting my head with a slight smile, "wait, my son shouldn't be a monkey, wrong answer."
"Azariah!" he growled as he took a step forward.
"What do you want... Son?" I gloated, my smile turning into a grin.
Instead of replying, he smiled brightly, and I immediately knew he was going to say some shit.
"Hope you can keep this attitude of yours when Christina marries someone else," he said with a nasty grin on his face.
"..."
I didn't reply; instead, I just looked at him, folding my arms while being careful with the axe-hammer.
"You know, the emperor made the decision to annul your engagement with her as soon as she comes back," he continued, his grin widening as he spoke.
"....And?" I asked, tapping on my axe-hammer.
"And Prince Johnathan expressed his desire to marry her," he replied, his eyes showing clear mockery.
"Archie?" I asked, raising my brow.
"Azariah! Don't try to disgrace his name," he growled, pointing his finger at me.
"....So, our handsome 'prince' decided to show his true colors now?" I scoffed, looking at him.
"Christina is smart, she will understand how Prince Johnathan is a thousand times better than you," he replied, his gaze mocking.
"Yeah.... She is smart enough to see that all Archie wants is the dukedom behind her, not her," I commented, shrugging my shoulders.
"Oh... don't pretend that you don't know how Prince Johnathan always liked her," he barked, glaring at me.
"Does it matter?" I asked, smiling at him. "If she doesn't want to, Archie can't do shit about it."
"Ah, Azariah, you still think she likes you?" He smiled widely, looking at me.
"You think she will after what you did? After how you tried to force yourself on Arianell."
"....I give zero shit what you think, son," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"I have better things to do. Lauryn also called me before."
"Don't worry, the teachers are not present here right now," he replied with a grin.
"I still have better things to do," I replied as I walked past him.
"Like what?" He asked, blocking my way. "Watching those close to you get taken away by other men?"
I tightened my grip on my axe-hammer as I looked at him.
"Christina will marry the prince, Arianell will get married off for political power, Shyamal and Lucus's engagement is almost confirmed." Extending his fingers, he counted them.
"And that girl, Ashlyn, right?" He looked back, and I followed his gaze as well.
"I like her, so I will be the one taking her."
"Now, Azariah.... What are you going to do?" With a bright smile, he asked.
[...He is provoking you.]
'I know, most probably because Archie told him to.'
[Why?]
It's widely known in the upper nobility that I can't use mana and that I don't have much strength, making me a weakling in their eyes.
But... here I am, using mana and winning against likes of Oliver.
Of course, it's going to bring the attention of those at the top of the empire.
And this fucker is just bait to see how powerful I am right now.
[...They are wary of you?]
No....
They are afraid another Esmeray will be born in their society.
Someone they can't control by any means.
[Are you going to give in to the provocation?]
'I am not stupid, I can't win against him, what's the point of fighting then?'
"Oye, cat got your tongue or what?" He asked waving his hand, "or are you thinking about your pathetic self?"
"You know, Tristan," I said, smiling gently at him,
"as long as they are happy, I don't have any problem with them marrying anyone else."
Patting his shoulder and ignoring my own ache in my heart, I walked away from him.
As long as they are safe, as long as they don't die... as long as they are happy... I don't want anything else.
"Pathetic loser," he spat, but I didn't look back at him. "No one will be by your side!"
Thump-thump.
'Huh?'
I halted my steps as I felt something amiss.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
[Azariah?]
"Haah, haah."
I gasped for breath, clutching my chest as I felt my heartbeat increasing at an abnormal rate.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
[Are you alright?]
I panted heavily, trying my best to take some air in, but even breathing was hard for me.
"Argh..."
As if my heartache wasn't enough, my head also started to hurt, like a heavy rock was placed on it.
'What is happening?' I thought, before I focused on my status screen.
And... I got my answer immediately.
===========================
Name: Azariah Noah Aljanah [75], Inder Sephtis [25]
===========================
Inder's personallity....
"Fuck." I crused softly as Tristan came close to me.
"What, are you crying now?" He said mockingly looking at me.
"Go away from here." I wishpered as I looked at him.
"No, what are you going to do?" He said grabbing me by my hair.
===========================
Name: Azariah Noah Aljanah [65], Inder Sephtis [35]
===========================
Slap! Slap!
"What...are you going to...do?" Slapping my face twice he asked.
"I said go away!"
===========================
Name: Azariah Noah Aljanah [50], Inder Sephtis [50]
===========================
"Ah, I am so scared. What are you going to do, Az—?"
"Inder."
"HAAH!"
I choked on my own breath as I heard a soft whisper... a voice that I thought I had forgotten.
My vision blurred as I found myself in front of a girl with obsidian-black hair and eyes. She smiled gently at me.
Her hand intertwined with mine as we both sat in a room that felt familiar.
"If you're not there... then I can't call anyone mine," she said softly, looking at me.
"So... Please don't leave my side for the rest of my life."
And....
my vision blurred again....
"Sob..Sob.."
The next thing I heard was my own sobbing voice, my gaze downwards, my hands drenched with blood as I hugged her lifeless, cold body in my arms.
===========================
Name: Azariah Noah Aljanah [25], Inder Sephtis [75]
===========================
Thump-thump.
My vision cleared, my heartbeat returned to normal, and the headache subsided.
It was a strange feeling like nothing has changed but at the same time I felt everything was different.
"Hey, Schipperke," I called him as I grabbed the hand with which he was holding my hair.
"What do you cal—"
"Ever heard of a monkey with a broken face?" I asked softly, looking at him.
Swish!
And before he could even reply, without hesitation I swung my hammer at his face.