The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 360: Chapter 355 — Summit

”Information.”

Valdric blinked in confusion, but Severin merely continued.

”With enough information, you can outmaneuver just about anyone in this world. Set traps, deceive, manipulate, exploit weaknesses... hell, you could have someone dancing to your tune without them even realizing there’s music playing.

”And for decades, I’ve devoted myself to gathering every scrap of information I could find about this empire, making sure I had everyone firmly under my thumb. Even the church was nothing more than another means of furthering that goal.

”I was so damn sure no one knew this empire better than I did. No one could possibly outmaneuver me, but... haha, to think I was so wrong...”

Severin let out a self-deprecating laugh, finding the entire situation almost laughable. However, his amusement gradually faded, and his fingers tightened around the relic as a chilling look entered his eyes.

”To think there was someone who knew even more than I did. Someone who knew about a secret of the Eryndor household that I hadn’t even caught a whiff of. He knew exactly what happened, understood what it meant, and knew precisely how to turn it to his advantage. How... fucking irritating.”

For someone who spent his days manipulating others, Severin absolutely despised being manipulated himself.

Yet, someone had reached out to him after he left the academy, someone so powerful that Valdric hadn’t even been able to sense their presence, let alone realize Severin was being spoken to. And this person had somehow provided him with an astonishing amount of information.

”Frost...” Severin murmured under his breath.

”Just give the word,” Valdric said, his gaze sharpening. ”I’ll find whoever’s behind this.”

As much as he would have loved that, Severin sighed and shook his head.

”Don’t bother. It’ll be a waste of time and resources. This bastard knows far too much about us, while we don’t even know where to begin looking for him. If he doesn’t want to be found, we’re not finding him.”

He glanced at the relic, idly twirling it between his fingers.

”Besides, he’s just handed us a rather valuable opportunity. Whatever he wants, it seems our interests happen to align, at least for now. And something tells me this won’t be the last time we hear from him.”

He paused for a moment, considering the implications.

”He’ll come knocking again soon enough. We’ll decide what to do with him then.”

Valdric barely understood anything Severin had said, or rather, he simply didn’t care enough to concern himself with it, and nodded.

”...As you wish.”

A moment later, Severin turned his attention back towards the distant smoke.

”Now, what the hell happened over there?”

”...the Calderalth spawn advanced to Herald rank.”

”....”

For a moment, Severin simply stared at the smoke.

Then, he burst into laughter.

”Hahaha! What a fucking child! Who the hell enters Herald at eighteen?!”

His laughter gradually subsided, though the amusement remained on his face as he continued staring at the curling smoke, his gaze growing increasingly cold.

”Well, that certainly makes this little gift all the more valuable.”

Severin continued twirling the relic between his fingers, his mind already working through the possibilities. Eventually, a thought seemed to occur to him.

”...remind me, when is that thing with the Pyrians again?”

”The peace summit?” Valdric frowned slightly. ”Sometime in the middle of next year, I believe.”

”Perfect.” Severin’s lips curled into a smile. ”Absolutely perfect. With a little planning, we might just be able to get rid of several irritating problems in one fell swoop. When the time comes, I’ll need you to deal with Kastor. Think you can handle that?”

For the first time, a chilling grin spread across Valdric’s lips.

”Leave him to me.”

...

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Zephyrion’s breakthrough into Herald shook the entire academy, both literally and figuratively.

The explosion had drawn everyone’s attention, and upon seeing the shirtless figure hovering in the sky and feeling the overwhelming aura radiating from him, it was as though someone had suddenly stopped time itself.

Everyone froze.

Now, an hour had passed since then, and Zephyrion found himself trapped in the newly built mess hall, surrounded by a swarm of cadets who bombarded him with questions nonstop.

”Prime! How does it feel to be a Herald?”

”...pretty good.”

”Prime! I’ve heard rumors that you’re not actually human. Is it true you’re an alien from another planet?”

”...I’m human.”

”Prime! Do you think I can become like you someday?”

”...if you work hard enough.”

”Prime! Can your farts destroy mountains now?”

”...why would you even ask that?”

”Are you single, Prime!?”

”....”

”How many babies do you want to have?”

”....”

”Take off your clothes!”

It wasn’t long before the questions became increasingly bizarre and outright inappropriate, with some of the female cadets staring at him with dazed expressions that made their intentions rather obvious.

’...what the hell is wrong with these people?’

Lumi naturally stood protectively beside him, glaring at anyone who came too close, while Tobias and the other cadet heads looked increasingly helpless in the face of the growing chaos.

Nedra, in particular, though, was staring at him with an expression that practically screamed, See! I fucking knew it! He’s an alien! Who’s laughing now, huh?!

In any case, the increasingly desperate demands for him to strip were more than enough reason to make himself scarce.

And in all his life, it had to be one of the easiest escapes he’d ever made.

He merely ramped up his speed and perception, and the world immediately slowed around him until the entire swarm of cadets appeared to be moving in slow motion.

Zephyrion casually picked up Lumi, then walked out of the mess hall, letting out a weary sigh at the sheer exhaustion of having to deal with so many people.

By the time he reached a hallway some distance away, he set Lumi back on her feet and returned his speed to normal. Almost immediately, the shocked gasps and confused exclamations of the cadets reached his ears, while Lumi herself blinked at him, looking just as bewildered by their sudden change of location.

’...damn. I’ve gotten a lot stronger.’

It was insane. He’d achieved all of that without even using a single rune art, relying solely on his passive physical attributes.

His power felt almost boundless, and every fiber of his being seemed to be brimming with an overwhelming amount of strength.

He couldn’t help but recall his first encounter with Heralds, back when he’d been ambushed on his way to the house. The difference between how he’d felt then and now was almost unbelievable.

Reaching the exit, Zephyrion was just about to move again when a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

”Ah, there he is! Finally!”

Zephyrion wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, he’d sensed his presence a while ago.

He turned towards the voice. Arcturus Aur Enrydor was leaning casually against a nearby tree with a wide grin on his face.