CH16: Request, Choice, Conditions...

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CH16: Request, Choice, Conditions...

I opened my eyes to see the familiar ceiling of my Pryford home.

Then, the recent events came rushing in.

'I'm alive.' This was the first thought in my head.

"You're awake, cub of Lionheart." I heard the voice of the man responsible for knocking me out.

"My name is Leo." I said to the man who was sipping a cup of tea while seating not far from my bedside.

"It looks like you don't have a concussion since you can still argue with me."

"Why aren't I dead? I thought you wanted to kill me."

"You actually believed that?" The man laughed. "If I really wanted to kill you, do you think I, a Champion, has to come in person? Any of my subordinate is sufficient to kill a brat who hasn't even awakened his Pangea."

The man placed down his cup.

"You really can't hold mana, can you?" He suddenly said.

I didn't respond.

"I'm here on the behest of your mother. You have a choice to make."

"My mother?"

"Yes, I was there that night when Amelia gave birth to you. She asked me to test you and give you a choice when you came of age. Which is why I'm here."

The man stood up and came to my bedside.

"Before I tell you your options and you make your choice, there's something I need to tell you." The man bowed his head. "Leo, I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you."

I was stunned.

It took me a while to process that an exalted Champion was bowing his head to me. It took another beat to comprehend what he said.

"What do you mean?"

The man raised his head to look me in the eye.

They say the eyes are the window to the Soul.

And from the man's eyes, I could see... guilt.

"It was because of me, your father died. It was my fault your mother got poisoned. And it was for my family you are now without mana."

Strangely, his first two statements welled a rage in me. However, his final statement cooled me down. I realised there was more to the story than met the eye.

For one, it was no one's fault I couldn't manipulate mana. This was how it was meant to be from the beginning.

In that case, what was going on was the backstory Loki created to explain my condition.

So, instead of being angry, I was curious about just what backstory the Lord of Mischief cooked up.

"Wording things like that can cause confusion. Can you please explain in detail to me?" I said.

The man was surprised... probably by the maturity of my response.

He nodded.

He took a seat.

"My name is Rowland, son of Kroft. I am the Guildmaster of DoomMane."

A Guild was a group under the Hunter Union. It was a collective of like minded Hunters. Usually, a Guild had a direction, purpose or goal which it used to gather its members. Other times, people joined Guilds due to the presence of a strong leader, from whom the can get protection from.

The work of a Hunter is a dangerous one. Joining a Guild can help secure your interest better.

"Your father and I founded the DoomManes together when we were younger." A reminiscent smile adorned the man's lips. "Our goal was to form the strongest team in the Union. A team that could pry into the heart of the Beast Domain. For that, we only accepted elites who could both rise up the ranks and still work as part of a cohesive team.

"And we were such a good team. We had the potential to rise from the lowest D-rank Guild to the highest S-rank.

"However, about sixteen years ago, when the Guild just rose to a B-rank Guild we caught the eyes of an A-rank Guild who wanted to absorb us into their fold. Of course we refused. But the other side didn't take it well.

"Both your father and I were Lords at the time, which was one of the reasons why DoomMane rose to B-rank. However, the other side had a Champion, which was a requirement for an A-rank Guild. I forgot about this in the heat of the moment and told the representative who came to us, 'why would we join a Guild that later won't be qualified to touch our shadow?' I unknowingly sparked off a feud with a vindictive Champion."

The man gripped his hands tight. He gnashed his teeth.

Eventually, he took a series of deep breaths, then continued.

"I didn't know at the time that it was the Champion keeping the Guild afloat. It recently lost a group of its strongest members and most of the remnants were Knight and Nobles. All its Lord Rankers had died. My careless comment triggered the Champion's old wounds and he ordered for DoomMane to be destroyed.

"As leaders of the group, both your father and I were the first targets. Assassins were sent after us from the three major Assassin Guilds. Your father is the only reason I'm alive. Lionheart sacrificed his life so I would survive." A tear fell from the corner of his eyes.

He paused. He shut his eyes while looking up.

Soon, he shook his head and continued,

"However, we weren't the only ones targeted that night. My family was as well. Members of the enemy Guild attack my home themselves. They killed all the guards but your mother managed to get my wife and son out.

"You see, Amelia was raised from young to be my wife's maid and protector. Even when she became Xander's lover, she never forgot the duty ingrained in her."

He looked at me with pity again.

"Amelia was at 6-rings and a very strong Noble-ranked Hunter at the time. The enemy couldn't defeat her on their own. Then, she broke through to 7-rings during the pursuit. The enemy could no longer get past her to my family. Instead of withdrawing, they used a wicked weapon... Mana-stealing poison."

"The alchemic poison that takes away a person's mana? How did they get the hands on it? I thought only the upper echelons of the Union could... I see. The Champion gave it to them."

"Yes. The Champion foresaw the possibility of his members failing. So, he gave them the Mana-stealing poison capable of taking away the Mana of 7-rings and below.

"My wife, son and your mother were exposed to the poison. In that moment, your mother's training kicked in. She sucked up the poison in the surroundings into herself.

"My wife was at 5-rings and barely a qualified Knight-ranked Hunter. Your mother knew she couldn't resist the poison, not when she was pregnant with my second child. Amelia thought she could keep the poison at bay with her 7 rings. Unfortunately, things didn't turnout that way."

"She was a newly risen 7-rings, plus she was pregnant with me at the time too, right? It's already a feat that a pregnant woman could still fight. She wanted to control a poison in her system on top of that?" I pretty much deduced everything that happened after that.

"I managed to reach them but it was too late. The Mana-Stealing poison had already infiltrated far too deeply in Amelia's body. Her rings were already falling apart and I didn't have enough merit to exchange for a cure from the Union.

"Amelia came to Pryford after that. She used the quiet to focus on using her Mana to keep the poison at bay. She refused help from anyone as that could make the poison flare and infect the person as well as rampage in her body, thereby surely harming you.

"At the end of the day, it did harm you. Your family paid the price for my comments."

I ignored the man's moment of self-pity and asked,

"You said my mother asked you to test me. What was that about?"

"I visited Amelia occasionally to check up on her. During one of those visits, she ask that, if anything ever happened to her, I should let you grow up with Asta and not interfere with your life until it was close to your fifteenth birthday... your Second awakening. I was to test if you were a predator or sheep."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Xander used to say that there were two types of people in our current era; Sheep and Predators. Sheep are the people who live peaceful, quiet lives within the Human Domain while Predators are those who seek for game anywhere they can find it, especially within the Beast Domain. According to your father, only Predators have what it take to be Hunters."

I nodded in understanding.

"Your mother asked that, if I determined you were Sheep, I should make sure you lived a quiet, peaceful life in Pryford. I wasn't to expose you to the savagery of the outside world."

"And if I am a predator?"

"I was to give you a choice, and grant one request within my ability."

"And what did you decide?" I smiled inwardly.

"You are a defanged Predator... but a predator nonetheless. And something tells me you will find your fangs in the future."

I grinned.

He has good eyes.

"Then I have a choice and a request?"

"Yes. You can ask me for anything as long as it was within my power and it is not too detrimental to me, I will give it to you. As for the choice, you need to decide. Will you stay in Pryford or come with me to Landrose City and join your father's Guild?"

I rose from the bed to a sitting position. I folded my arms as I fell into thought. I tried to deduce the hidden details of my mother's decision.

Rowland wasn't in a rush. He quietly waited for me to make my decision. After all, in his eyes, it would decide my fate... the fate of the cub of his best friend, his Vice-Guildmaster and benefactor.

We spent about ten minutes in silence.

I used my experiences to piece together a likely scenario. However, it was still an hypothesis. There were still some things I had to confirm in person.

In the mean time, I said to Rowland,

"Before I decide, there's something I want to know."

He nodded.

I stared him in the eyes.

"My father realised both of you couldn't escape; one had to stay behind for the other to live to fight another day. He decided to sacrifice himself because you were the Guildmaster while he was the Vice Guildmaster. It was his duty.

"My mother was trained from young that your wife's safety was paramount so she didn't hesitate to suck up the poison that could've harmed your wife and her son. Although it was unfortunate that I, an innocent bystander, landed in this predicament, I can understand why she did what she did. It was her duty.

"So, I ask you, who believes he set all these in motion... you, who survived, have you done your duty?"

Rowland's eyes widened so much, it looked like his eyes would fall from their sockets.

Suffice to say, he didn't expect what I said.

However, his mood quickly turned solemn as he replied.

"I cleared all tracks that could lead to Pryford. Then, I led the DoomManes to lay low for the next five years. The first thing I did after becoming a Champion was to lead the Guild in a war against the Hellscars. I had the Champion Scar's head in my hands by the third day of the war. Hellscar no longer exists in this world!"

"Very well." I nodded. "I will keep my request for later, but I will follow you to Landrose. However, I won't become a charity case. I will find a job to do once I get to the capital. You only need to get me there and provide shelter."

"But-"

"There are reasons my mother made me wait till now to decide if I wanted to go to Landrose." I cut in. "First, it was to give me the chance to have a worth... to not become a charity-case from your family. Second, do you truly believe everyone in the guild would accept me just because I am Xander Lionheart's son. I'm just a kid and I'm not that naive. I don't believe you are either. If that wasn't the case, why has your wife never visited me?"

Rowland looked at me like he had seen a ghost.

"She-"

"Please, do not insult my intelligence by lying." I cut in again. "You're a Champion, yet you found the time to come here. I'm to believe your wife couldn't do the same?

"Don't get me wrong. I don't blame her. If anything, I understand." I shrugged. "If I had a guard who died protecting me, I'm not sure I would spend too much time taking care of their family. At best, I'd just have someone else do it. After all, they did their duty.

"Aren't you the same? Can you tell me you personally look after the families of all the men you've lost? No, right? That's just how it is. That's human nature for you. You're only here because of what my father meant to you. He was the best friend who gave his life to save yours. Heck, I wouldn't think much of it even if you decide not to honour your promise to my mother."

I sensed Rowland's body tremble.

I ignored it and continued.

"Then, there are the members of your Guild. Sure, those who knew my father might welcome me. However, do you think the new bloods amongst would accept me with open arms. Me, who can't use mana? No! I would be looked down upon and bullied.

"These are why my mother made you wait till now. So, I will follow you to Landrose, but I will live on my terms. That is my bottom-line. If you don't agree, then there's no need for us to continue further. You can consider your promise to my mother done. I will find my way to Landrose."

Rowland stared at me incredulously.

'Lionheart, oh Lionheart. Your son isn't an ordinary Predator, but an Apex one. Perhaps that's why the world cruelly defanged him.' I think this was the thought going through his head.

After a while, he said,

"I agree to your terms, young Lionheart."

(To be continued...)