Tension


    Tense silence filled the room, causing even me to feel a little—no, quite a good amount of—difort.


    I was standing in front of an audience whose trust I had most likely lost, after all.


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    "I want to officially congratte everyone for a job well done."


    We were currently in therge ins just outside our base. I chose this spot because of how free the area was.


    Unfortunately, it did nothing to relieve the tension that was already built up.


    A day had passed since Aloe awoke from heratose state, and she was perfectly sound at the moment. She—as well as everyone else—was seated on the in, staring at me as I made my address.


    Edward, Ana, Beruel, Ivan, Jerry, Ciara, Aloe, Asa, Maro, Neron, Serah; my allies awaited my voice... and I had to deliver.


    "We currently have thirteen Arcanas in our possession. One is with Jane Urs, one is with Elrich Lenderwale, and the others are divided among you. And as it currently stands, we have the superior number."


    I nced in Beruel''s direction and smiled at him. It really was good to see him as a part of our team—though I had to thank Ana and Kuzon for their efforts in achieving it.


    It had been a day since Kuzon''s death and her express disy of disgust towards me. We hadn''t talked since then, and I could tell that she was still plenty upset.


    ''It''s best I leave her alone. In fact...''


    From the gaze of everyone around me, it was pretty clear how very skeptical they were going to be towards me.


    ''I told Aloe after she rested up yesterday, and she was also very surprised—well, more intrigued than surprised...''


    Thankfully, Aloe wasn''t annoyed. In fact, she was curious and wanted me to tell her more. It felt a bit too much, but I suppose her enthusiasm was justified.


    In essence, other than some exceptions, the members of the team weren''tpletely trusting towards me.


    And that brought about tension.


    ''Just do what you have to do, Jared. You don''t require validation to achieve the goal that is required.''


    In essence, I couldn''t waste my time worrying about my emotional needs, especially now that our n had reached such a precipice.


    "However, that doesn''t mean we have won the battle yet. Obtaining the Arcana was simply a preventive measure. It was executed so that the Nether Cult wouldn''t take the Arcanas themselves."


    I couldn''t have known that the n would be achieved with such rtive ease. I was certain that we would encounter more difficulty, but the team was fortunate to have survived the trials of the Labyrinths and in obtaining our prize.


    "Now that we possess the majority of the Arcanas, it''s only to be expected that they''ll choose to strike our premises. If they still do not have any idea about our location, then they will invade the Eastern Kingdom—perhaps even the allied nations."


    A wounded animal was far more deadly than a perfectly healthy one. While thetter would be more sedentary due to satisfaction, the former would be desperate.


    "We''ve wounded the cause of the Cult. It''s only inevitable that they strike."


    ording to the info I received from Beruel, there were currently three dangerous members of the Cult—of course, not counting their leader.


    "The First Seat is said to be unstoppable. As we saw in the Beast folk Nation, he possesses tremendous power." I dered.


    I had to ord respect to the man whom even Neron wasn''t sure of beating. Besides, Beruel wasn''t one who was fond of exaggerating the abilities of others over his own, but even he testified to the power of the First Seat—enough to make me wonder.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "With Kido dead, that leaves the Third Seat. She''s a Subus—a rare Crimson Demon who is said to bepletely immortal and indestructible."


    ording to Beruel, she was as tenacious as a cockroach, and none of his abilities worked on her. Images of Karlia popped into my mind when he described her, but when I asked for the Subus'' name, Beruel said he didn''t remember.


    ''I even mentioned Karlia, but he didn''t recognize that name. Just how terrible is his memory?'' Perhaps it had something to do with his view on women.


    Fortunately, it seemed he was changing his views a little.


    Well, names weren''t relevant. As long as we had the knowledge of their abilities and the way they operated, it would be fine.


    I refused to believe Karlia was a member of the Cult, and since there wasn''t enough proof to conclude on that, I decided to focus on the important aspects of the Nether Cult.


    "The final member to be wary of is the Maiden in White—the assistant of the Cult Leader."


    ording to Beruel, she was very strong... as well as old. She was the one that invited him to join the Nether Cult, and after asking around he found out that it had been the same for every Cult Member.


    Apparently, she had been the one managing the affairs of the Cult, and they never physically met the Cult Leader until the recent years.


    In contrast, this Maiden in White was always there, and her presence was something that even Beruel found to be scary.


    "She can''t be human." Was his finalment on the maiden.


    Also, as expected, he didn''t know her name.


    ''It can''t be Lilith, right? No way...'' The image of an old acquaintance shed in my mind.


    Lilith''s choice of outfit didn''t fit Beruel''s description, and it didn''t seem like she would be a part of a cult.


    However, it had been centuries since Ist saw her.


    I couldn''t fall into the pit of assumption.


    "We also have Stefan, Legris, and the Cult Leader—all of whom are very dangerous people."


    I had no idea what the Cult Leader could do, and neither did Beruel. However, if the three most dangerous members of the Cult could be in support of him and act in subordination to him, then he had to be very powerful.


    ''I won''t have any problem with Stefan, but Legris... now that''s an issue.'' My thoughts trailed.


    "In any case, I just want to implore us to be more careful and prepare for the bacsh of our actions. We''ll need to act soon too."


    I nodded at my audience, clearing my throat as I prepared thest portion of my speech.


    "I''ll be leaving for the Capital now. There are a few things that need to be resolved.


    *


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    [A/N]


    ? The story is slowly reaching it''s turning point. Ah, and don''t worry... there''s still a lot to uncover in this Arc.


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