章節 140: Chapter 73: Those Who Stare At The Flames (Part 1)
As the glass doors open, two people walk in through them. And seeing the two of them, the person who office it is they walked into sighs.
Rosevelt: "How many times have I told you to knock before entering my office?"
Walter: "What's the point? You already know whoever and whenever is coming to your office by your ever active Aura Reading."
Rosevelt sighs again, seemingly tired from something.
Rosevelt: "That maybe so, but there's something called etiquette in this world."
Walter, making an exasperated sound, scratches his cheeks.
Walter: "That's a pretty boring subject, Phoenix."
Knowing that there's no way he'd be able to make Walter back off in this relatively unimportant argument; Rosevelt shifts his attention to the person beside Walter.
Rosevelt: "So, is she the one you think should replace Julius or Gin?"
Walter, hearing so, back-steps and lets the volcano beside her take the lead. She does so, impromptu.
Angela: "I'm Angela Holystone, a Volcano-"
Rosevelt: "I know."
Cutting her introduction short, Rosevelt stares at her with an unchanging and unimpressed gaze.
Rosevelt: "Are you saying that you, a Volcano, have gained enough power to be promoted to the position of Hellfire?"
Having the question asked so directly, Angela thinks for a bit before composing herself and giving the answer.
Angela: "Yes."
Rosevelt: "Hah!"
Despite her confident answer though, the Phoenix merely sighs and says,
Rosevelt: "What's your age?"
Walter: "Isn't it rude to ask a woman her age?"
Rosevelt: "It'll be ruder to just peek into her mind to find out instead of asking her."
Contemplating on that as if he never thought of it, Walter nods and says,
Walter: "I suppose."
Knowing that it's all just an act to annoy him, Rosevelt sighs and shifts his attention back to Angela, who doesn't waste another moment in answering.
Angela: "I'm 28."
Rosevelt: "Is that so?"
Not to say that he doubts her words but to say that he finds them interesting, Rosevelt looks away as he says,
Rosevelt: "To think that you are a Volcano at such an age, and are considered capable of becoming a Hellfire by none other than the strongest man in the world! You are quite something, aren't you?"
Rosevelt merely stares at the darkening clouds from his glass windows as he says so but it gives him a mysterious vibe that Angela finds slightly discomforting.
She had met this man once before but it had not been a meeting worth remembering, especially for someone like the Phoenix who meets countless people every day.
For her though, it had been a meeting she can never forget. After all, the Phoenix gave her such an honour as to calling her a 'Demi-Hellfire' after judging her specs.
That was 5 years ago.
If Rosevelt remembers that, surely he would think it's pretty normal that she has grown more powerful and has what it takes to become a Hellfire now.
Angela: "Well,"
With that thought in mind, Angela asks,
Angela: "So what do I have to do in order to be accepted as a Hellfire?"
Rosevelt chuckles upon hearing that question and answers, almost mockingly.
Rosevelt: "Normally, I'd just ask you to outmatch one of the Hellfires in their strong suit but, as things are right now, I think I have a better idea."
Walter and Angela both fumble their eyebrows as they hear his 'idea'.
Rosevelt: "Kill Abgere."
Angela: "What!?"
Rosevelt: "If those that replace those two Hellfires will be people that Abgere can also kill like he killed them, then there's no point in having them here."
He states plainly.
Rosevelt: "If you want to become a Hellfire, you need to show me that you are not going to get killed and increase the burden of everyone else after encountering the man named Abgere."
Though it isn't the most convincing explanation given the Phoenix's personality, Angela accepts it with a humble bow.
Angela: "Very well then, I shall bring you his head."
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I … don't know what to say.
After hearing what Trisha had to say in her Scrying session of Ethan, I am somewhat intrigued and somewhat anxious as to how Ethan will react to it.
For a whole minute now, he has done nothing but sigh.
Trisha: "I … didn't offend you … in any way, did I?"
She asks, hesitantly.
Ethan: "No, you didn't."
As he says so plainly, there's no reason to think otherwise, which is something pretty in character for him to be honest. Being offended from something like this isn't what I'd expect of Ethan Kales.
Ethan: "Though, I would like to know why you had so much interest in Scrying upon me."
That IS a good question.
Trisha: "Well, as a Seer, I have a sense of who will be an interesting subject and who won't. And you seemed like the most interesting person here."
Hearing so, he cackles.
Ethan: "Is that so?!"
I don't know about interesting but Ethan definitely is the most complex and unpredictable person here. Maybe, to a Seer, those very qualities are the definition of 'interesting'.
Sona: "If we are done with that, could we get on with the business we have here?"
She prompts them to and they comply by shifting their attention back on the purple ball.
Trisha: "Very well now. What was the place you wanted me to Scry the location of?"
Sona: "The Psychic Library."
Though Sona's answer comes in a pretty plain voice, Trisha finds herself in complete shock for a moment.
Trisha: "THE psychic library?"
Sona: "Yes. Is there a problem with that?"
Trisha makes a troubled face as she is asked that and Abgere and Gabriel furrow their brows at it. Ethan and Sneha just keep looking and Sona finds herself intrigued by it all. I, personally, try to show as less of a reaction as possible.
Trisha: "Well … I wouldn't say it's impossible … but, well, if I was really capable of doing something like that, don't you think I would have found the library myself by now?"
A fair argument.
If someone can find the Psychic Library, a place that is bound to increase one's intelligence as well as power, there's no reason to think that they won't try to find it.
However,
Ethan: "I suppose something like this was bound to come up in our conversation."
He says so with a sly smile.
Ethan: "And it's a good argument, I'll give you that."
Getting up from his seat and turning to the fireplace, he continues.
Ethan: "After all, who wouldn't want to become more powerful and/or knowledgeable about the world, if they can."
Trisha, Abgere, Gabriel and Sneha look at him with a confused visage.
Ethan: "However, there are forces in this world who don't want us to find out the truth. These forces do all in their power, which is a lot of power by the way, to stop us from ever learning about the truth."
'These forces' obviously refers to Ozyllus. However, since he's using a plural term, maybe there's someone else it's referring to as well.
Ethan: "Maybe those forces are controlling you even now, stopping you from realizing that you can indeed find the location of the library, albeit in an indirect fashion."
That's very likely.
Ozyllus controlling her to think that way is very likely. And if that really is the case, we can try to get his conditioning out of the way.
Ethan: "Maybe that is the case."
Yet, this guy and his vague remarks leave me unable to act based on just that.
Ethan: "Or, maybe there's something more."
Abgere: "And what would that be?"
Standing next to the fireplace, staring at it with strained eyes, Ethan answers,
Ethan: "Maybe your aunt doesn't want us to find out the location of the library either."
Abgere: "And why would she-"
Surprising almost everybody in the room, Trisha stops Abgere from saying anything else.
Trisha: "I guess my senses were right. You really are the most interesting person in the room, Ethan Kales."
Ethan: "I beg to differ, but in any case,"
He turns and looks at us as he asks,
Ethan: "What deep, dark secrets are you hiding that stop you from Scrying out the location of the Psychic Library?"
Trisha: "If they are deep secrets, how can I just tell you what they are?"
So to say, that she really does have some secrets.
Ethan: "Fair enough, but I can take a guess."
He says with a smile, the type of smile he usually has – a malicious grin.
Ethan: "When I was looking at this fireplace earlier, my eyes captured something inside it that quite intrigued me."
I turn to the fireplace, and try to use Aura Reading but Ethan puts up a hand to stop me, knowing that I'd try to do that.
Ethan: "Two, or maybe three, or maybe even four days have passed, but the residue of something you burned here hasn't gone away."
Trisha eyes him suspiciously and Abgere looks at her, somewhat confused as to what is going on.
Of course, Ethan Kales just continues, not caring about either of the two's reactions.
Ethan: "Fabric and blood, probably cotton clothes with blood on them. That's what you burnt here some days ago."
Trisha doesn't deny it at all, but instead shows a defeated smile.
Ethan: "Mind explaining what the secret behind that is?"
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