บท 35: CHAPTER 34 – Unexpected.
*Beep**Beep**Beep*...
The moment Vestian's words were spoken, a beeping sound blared, alarming both Tomas and Vestian for a while as they knew exactly what made that sound—they better than anyone else knew it.
It was the sound of a lie detector, a device that could tell the truth and lie apart just by making a very annoying sound if it heard a lie. It was the very device produced by the church in order to find devil worshipers among the common populace and many other uses.
But soon, the implication of that beeping sound settled in their minds, making them realize what had just gone down...
"My lord..." Thomas, in disbelief and shock, let out those words, his gaze shifting between the device held in Alex's hand and Vestian, unable to believe what was going on.
The device beeped right after Vestian had spoken those words; Thomas had seen it clearly. He saw Alex take out that device the moment he asked his final question, and at that time, the device was making no noise.
It made things play in Thomas's mind—the events of the past, including the incident with Riya that had just gone down—flashing one after another, and slowly, his view on everything started to change.
He could now understand why everyone would just smile at Vestian no matter what kind of pain they were in.
"I-I can't heal people stronger than me for now. I need to practice more to be able to do it..." Vestian's words, which he had said once, echoed in his head.
'Was it because you couldn't heal them or because you didn't want to be found out...?' Sighed Thomas inwardly, his beliefs crashing down slowly, but it was then that another thought flashed through his head.
'Was I being manipulated for a long time as well—'
But before he could think more about it, as if coming to his rescue, wanting to save him from the mental torture, Vestian's voice was heard.
"What are you trying to prove with a defective piece, Alex Drakathor?" Questioned Vestian as he turned around, his expression eerily calm as if he wasn't concerned about anything.
"You have been pushing a very serious blame on me, a candidate pope, for a while. I can assure you that the church won't take this lightly." Vestina added, frowning in displeasure, not trying to run away anymore since he knew that it would just backfire.
'He's bluffing.'
Those serious looks and words, however, weren't enough to fool Alex, who knew perfectly well about Vestina from the novel's plot.
There was one line about Vestian's behavior in that book: This guy always smiled, even in the most serious situation, but if he is, for some reason, calm, then that means that he knows that he's fucked.
"My lord..." Thomas, listening to Vestian's words, uttered again, but this time there was some relief in his voice. He was utterly purely and completely relieved, making Alex squint his eyes.
Alex could tell that the situation wouldn't go as planned if he didn't do something so with a serious look on his face, he called out to Sophie, 'Sophie, do it.'
[...as you wish.]
Sophie, although not liking the decision Alex had made, still complied with his command, giving Alex what he wanted.
'I-I knew that he wouldn't do it—' Thomas, moving closer to Vestian, thought to himself, heaving a sigh of relief, but as if his emotional struggle—all the tension, confusion, disbelief, and relief—wasn't something gods wanted to accept...
*Ting**Ting*Ting*...
One after another, more lie-detection orbs fell out of Alex's hand, making tinging sounds as they hit the ground, and the expression on Vestian's face finally turned grim.
"I have more of these artifacts with me, so why don't you repeat what you said earlier? Surely the church isn't selling entirely defective products... correct?"
As soon as those words fell, a stiffening silence enveloped the surroundings, and Vestian, who had never been outsmarted, taken by surprise, couldn't help but clench his fists.
'Who is this guy? How does he know what my ability is? What else does he know about me?'
Such questions ran through his head as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. He couldn't just walk away from here, as he would be playing right into Alex's hands if he did that, giving him a chance to pull him deeper into this matter.
Saying that all of those artifacts were defective also wasn't possible, as that would imply that the church was selling defective items, making the image of the church go down the drain, and Vestian, who had been losing a lot already, would lose more. He might even lose his candidature.
He glared at Alex, realizing that even if Alex had not awakened a talent comparable to his mother's, which he doubted highly, he was still a factor that needed elimination.
Thomas, on the other hand, looking at the ongoing scenario and feeling the tension in the air, was left confused. What should he do now?
'Should I request my own lord to repeat those words? What if he were proven to be pure? Would that not mean I am betraying my very own beliefs and values?' He gritted his teeth, almost pulling his hair out in a frenzy.
This was too much for him.
Were he to trust a stranger and doubt his lord, he would be wrong, and if he were to trust his lord and he turned out to be wrong then his beliefs and values would be wronged. He didn't know just what he should do!
"Why do you remain silent, Vestian Holdstaffen? Could it be that you fear your truth being uncovered?" Alex, at that moment, spoke, his gaze focused on Vestian, who had a vein bulge on his head the moment he heard his question.
'This bastard...' Vestian, however, just clenched his fists harder, turning his knuckles white. The devilish grin on Alex's face told him that the game still wasn't over. It was as if he wanted to make another move. It was as if he knew what he was going to do!
'You think you know me, huh?' But as if something inside his head had been flipped, Vestian started grinning as well, making Alex's expression freeze, a frown making way to his head, and Alenia, who was standing in the shadows, had her body tense.
She was close, but her worry was not something that could be alleviated until she was right next to Alex, which she couldn't do as Alex had told her to not move no matter what. She had to keep recording.
"You believe you can anticipate my moves, don't you?" Vestina questioned, stepping closer to Alex, chuckling between his words, not playing the good guy role anymore.
"But you know," when he was just a meter away from Alex, he paused, still grinning, his head titled, and the next second...
*Woosh*
A silver sword appeared in his hand, which, without a second delay, was slashed at Alex as he continued, "You can never beat power with trickery!"
His exclamation sounded excited and crazed as if the only thing he wanted right now was to kill Alex.
If he could kill Alex, the only guy who knew about his secret, and escape from here before Vanessa could sense something amiss, he was sure that he would be fine, especially if he told the pope about him successfully killing Alex, something many expert assassins were scared to even try.
'You were a fool to come here alone—' Vestian sneered inwardly, pushing the sword down as Alex with all of his force, but...
*Clang*
The sound of his sword hitting another was heard, and before he could even tell what had happened, he found his body moving back with the same speed it was pushed toward Alex. His seven-star, star formation-level sword was pushed away.
But things didn't end there as the next instant, Alex, with a cracked black sword, as if it were about to break at any moment, rushed toward him, and before he could even say anything...
*Woosh*
*Clatter*
Alex's sword, which seemed to be breaking any moment, suddenly turned back to how it should look at its prime and slashed Vestian's fingers, making his sword fall to the ground, and so did the guy.
"GAAAHHHHHHHHH—"
He yelled in pain, his eyes wide as he went to his knees, gripping his fingers with his other palm, but soon, his agonized scream turned into a burst of mad laughter.
"—HAHAHAHAHA! You fool, you fell for it!"
With his eyes bloodshot, he roared, glaring at Alex, who was standing right in front of him, and from the corner of his eyes, Alex saw Thomas, who had been standing still for a while, moving toward him with a dead look in his eyes, as if he were being controlled, but that was not all...
"ALEX!!!!"
Even his aunt, whom he had told not to move from her spot, had rushed out of her spot, dashing toward him, trying to save him with a look of panic marring her face, but Alex, even in this situation, just smiled.
'Well, at least you called me by my name again...'
He chuckled a bit, but knowing full well that he didn't have time and that he was just some inches away from death, he closed his eyes, and then...
'Mom.'
That was all he muttered before everything froze...
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