Legacy of the Betelgeuse

(Three hours ago).

I was on my way to Krestan\'s house as soon as I went back to Fjel town after I brought Ivonna and the others to the Land of Sigrid. I look around the forest but I didn\'t see Avriel around his house. I thought that she went on her own or she was summoned by Jariel and informed her about my plan of annihilating the Headless Cult.

I didn\'t even near his house, but Krestan already know and opened the door for me. He looked at me and nodded up.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

I waved at him and summoned Azrael. Krestan\'s eyes were wide open when he saw Azrael already evolved.

"Krestan, I need your favor."

Krestan looked at me for quite a while and then he nodded and tilted his head toward his house.

"Come in..."

I sat on the chair without even asking his permission and Krestan was just staring at me with disbelief and then shook his head and sighed. He sat in front of me while he stared at Azrael with admiration.

Krestan looked at me and rested his head on his fist.

"What do you want?"

I looked at him.

"There are a few things that I want to tell you. First, I found the same gemstone that you had."

Krestan was surprised and leaned forward with curiosity and excitement.

"What did you say?! You found another Ulusr Gemstone?! Where did you find it?!"

I nodded.

"I found it in the Land of Sigrid. It was being used to help the Heroes of Orion in there. I don\'t think that I can bring it back to this world since it\'s a very important item over there."

Krestan slammed his hands on the table.

"What?! You managed to enter the Land of Sigrid?! What are you?!"

I chuckled and just smirked.

"I\'m just someone who knows almost everything."

Krestan squinted his eyes and leaned on the chair. I rested both of my arms on the table and looked at him.

"Now, since I can enter the Land of Sigrid whenever I want, I want to know who is your master. There are so many things that I want to ask your master about that Ulsur Gemstone and anything that he knows."

Krestan calmed down and then put his hand under his chin.

"If you want to know about him, I want you to do me a favor as well."

I raised my eyebrow.

"You also want to contact your master through me?"

Krestan nodded in agreement.

"That is correct."

I nodded with understanding.

"Alright, I can do that for you since it will benefit both of us."

Krestan hummed.

"My master\'s name is Gartner Mikkel. He used to be one of the heroes, and he picked me as his one and only student. I learned everything from him. He died when I was young, and he left me that Ulsur Gemstone to me and another item."

I raised my eyebrow.

"That item... is that a glass?"

Krestan scoffed and nodded.

"How did you know? But yes, that item is a big glass. I\'m keeping it hidden somewhere so nobody can steal it from me."

[Mikkel\'s Glass], I took it when I defeated Krestan back then. I thought he got it by accident, but I never thought that Krestan is Gartner Mikkel\'s student and inherited the item. It was glass as tall as me and that thing so light yet so tough that nothing can break it. That thing is not a piece of equipment, but still raw material. It can reflect all kinds of projectile spells. I forged [Mikkel\'s Glass] to make armor for myself, but then it became a waste since my dodge is already 100% and in the end, the armor became nothing but for a display. If I can get that thing in my hand again, I will keep it and give it to someone that worthy enough to use it.

Krestan sighed and pressed his hands together.

"So, what favor do you want to ask?"

I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows.

"I need you to be my bodyguard, and I want you to work for me instead of working with Jariel."

Krestan raised his eyebrow.

"What do you mean by working for you? I never worked for anyone, and never will be."

I raised my eyebrow.

"Then I will not help you to make a contact with your master in the Land of Sigrid."

Krestan sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I would never be able to win against you, huh? Fine, do whatever you want. I will follow your lead because I want to make a contact with my master. I don\'t even care about Jariel and his plan anyway, I only want to kill all the people who took away my limbs."

I nodded and smiled.

"That\'s a deal then. If you betrayed me, I will kill you without hesitation, Krestan. I really mean it."

Krestan clicked his tongue and nodded.

"Don\'t worry. I will not betray you and you can mark my word."

I nodded then we both shook hands. We then left his house because I told him to be my bodyguard and protect me before I go and meet Jariel in the pub.

We walked down from the hill and then I saw her standing and leaning on the tree in the forest. I looked at Krestan.

"There\'s someone that I want you to meet."

Krestan raised his eyebrows and looked at the forest. He squinted his eyes and saw Avriel staring at him. He looked at me.

"Who is she?"

I smirked.

"You will know once I introduced her to you."

We both then approached her. Avriel kept staring at Krestan and then she looked at me.

"Is there anything you need from me?"

I didn\'t know if she knows or not, I didn\'t know if she would join me or she already made up her mind and will help Jariel and she\'s currently spying on me. I took a deep breath and exhaled deeply then looked at Avriel.

"You know?"

Avriel tilted her head.

"If you asked me about you planning on annihilating the Headless Cult, then the answer is yes. If you asked me about something else other than that, then I don\'t know."

I hummed with understanding.

"I see... so? Which side are you going to choose?"

Avriel kept staring at me.

"Depends. If you can convince me to be on your side, then I will reconsider it."

I crossed my arms.

"Why are you going to reconsider it if I can convince you? Aren\'t Jariel is your father?"

Krestan was surprised when he heard that Avriel is Jariel\'s daughter. Avriel scoffed and closed her eyes.

"Well, I barely know my own father and he was not the same person that I remembered back when I was young. He... is just a stranger who raised me."

Avriel lied about the word she said and I knew that. I knew her long before this and she loved her father so much and she would follow him and does everything that Jariel asked her to do like a child playing with her father. I wonder why would she lied about that, was it because Krestan is here with us, or was it because of the bond between her and me?

I looked at Krestan and told him to give us both a moment. Krestan nodded and walked toward the cliff and enjoyed the breeze. I walked and leaned on the other side of the tree.

"Why you lied? You love your father more than anything and I can see that in your eyes."

Avriel scoffed and looked at the ground and kicked the pebbles on the ground.

"Was that too obvious?"

I hummed in agreement. I looked at Avriel.

"If didn\'t shed a tear back when you saw him for the first time in a long time, then I might believe you if you said that you didn\'t."

I sighed.

"I will not convince you to be on my side. You didn\'t owe me anything anymore, you gave me so much information and without you, I wouldn\'t be here and be who I am right now. Everything is thanks to you. So whoever you want to be with, I\'m fine with it."

Avriel peeked at me.

"Can you at least tell me the reason why you want to annihilate the Headless Cult?"

I started explaining everything to her about Hacal and his family, then the promise I made with Hacal. I already risked everything for the path I have chosen, and I know the consequences of my decision. Even though the revolt will fail, that doesn\'t mean I can\'t lead the revolt. With Krestan with me, I think that is enough to kill all the subjects in my own way. I explained that to Avriel and she understood.

I looked at Avriel.

"I\'m not a hero, I\'m not a villain. I\'m just doing what I want to do. Either it will bring glory or chaos, I\'m ready for it. Now, I want to ask you this question. What do you want to do and who do you want to be with?"

Avriel looked at me and smirked.

"You still haven\'t received the payment from the job of killing the three-headed snakes. So I will stay by your side until I received my payment."

I chuckled and smiled.

"Then I will not let you receive your payment, so you will stay by my side."

Avriel shook her head and scoffed.

I called Krestan back and I introduced him to Avriel. I then told them my plan after I\'m done dealing with Jariel and the Headless Cult. Both of them were surprised when they heard my plan, but they agreed to help me achieve my goal.

I looked at them both.

"Let\'s go."