Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 402: There It Is

Hearing Zarek’s words, the bored expression that had settled so deeply on Azaron’s face vanished instantly. His gaze sharpened, and for a brief moment, his expression turned utterly apathetic, flat and devoid of emotion. Then, slowly, a smile crept onto his lips. However, before it could stretch into a full-blown grin, it disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, as Azaron snapped out of whatever vivid imagination had begun to take shape in his mind.

”How is Asher?” Azaron asked immediately, his tone no longer bored. ”Did Malrik save him?”

Azaron knew the Assassin Guild Leader well. If that man truly wanted someone dead, then death was almost guaranteed. Because of that, Asher’s safety, and his current condition, were the only things that mattered in that moment.

”He is safe,” Zarek replied calmly. ”And no, Malrik didn’t save him. He wasn’t even present. The Tenth Sun won on his own against whatever the Assassin Guild Leader threw at him.”

For a brief moment, Azaron was silent. Then he spoke, his voice softening noticeably. ”It seems... he is all grown up.”

His thoughts drifted naturally toward his wife, Lily. ’She would be proud,’ he thought to himself. ’Happy, even.’

”He is indeed all grown up,” Zarek agreed. ”In fact, he appears to be even more ridiculous than the First Sun, who has been recorded as the most talented Wargrave in history.”

A faint smile graced Zarek’s lips as he spoke. Although the Wargrave Suns and Moons were not his children, he felt something close to familial affection toward them. In many ways, he was like an uncle to them. He had served their father faithfully and had watched each of them grow from childhood to powerhouses feared across the Empire.

Though he had never fulfilled any traditional duties an uncle might have toward nieces and nephews, it mattered little. The Wargraves were far too powerful to ever need his protection or guidance.

”It seems so,” Azaron murmured. ”I’m sure Malrik will challenge Asher to a battle once he grows a bit more. It perfectly suits the kind of thing he would do. After all, he takes immense pride in protecting his siblings. Seeing Asher grow stronger than him one day, and realizing he can no longer protect him, might hurt him more than he would ever admit.”

A faint smile appeared on Azaron’s face as he spoke.

Although he did not speak with all of his children every day, Azaron understood each of them deeply. He knew how they thought, how they acted, and what they valued. Malrik had always been proud of his strength and abilities, and he had every right to be. After all, few, if any, in recorded history had climbed to the peak of the world at the mere age of thirty.

Yet beyond power and pride, Malrik loved his siblings deeply. He took great pride in his ability to protect them, to always stand in front of danger on their behalf. The knowledge that one day Asher would become just as powerful, perhaps even stronger, would inevitably make Malrik feel conflicted. He would likely believe, even subconsciously, that he was no longer talented or strong enough to fulfill his role as their shield.

Although Azaron had spoken of a battle between the First and the Last Sun in the future, he knew it would never be a battle born of hatred or resentment. It would be a battle of love, a battle of siblinghood, a battle proof, and one of acceptance. It would be the moment where Asher would prove that he no longer needed the protection of the First Sun, Malrik Wargrave.

Azaron already knew Asher would never be the one to ask for such a battle. Malrik would be the one to challenge him. It would be his way of letting go, of setting Asher free from his shadow.

’Maybe after his defeat... he can become even stronger,’ Azaron mused to himself, briefly entertaining the thought of Malrik losing.

’I wonder how my other children will react when they see the youngest surpass them all,’ his thoughts continued to wander.

However, his drifting, fatherly thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Zarek’s voice.

”So,” Zarek asked calmly, a soft smile on his face, ”what comes next?”

Azaron’s golden eyes shifted toward him, meeting Zarek’s dark gaze directly. ”Do you even need to ask?” he replied. ”I’m sure you already know what comes next.”

At last, the grin Azaron had been holding back spread fully across his face.

Although the Wargraves were known primarily for their overwhelming power rather than their intelligence, it did not mean they were foolish. And even if they were, they had people like Zarek who would never allow them to miss the obvious. The agreement with the Assassin Guild had been in place for decades, but Zarek was not naive enough to believe the guild would simply swallow all their losses forever.

With Lily of the Abyss dead, no more Suns or Moons would ever be born. That meant the Assassin Guild would never again have the opportunity to eliminate a Wargrave at the True Awakening.

Azaron himself had not expected the Assassin Guild to break the agreement so openly. He was not a man who often thought far ahead. Yet the reason he smiled now was simple, this was good news. Exactly as Zarek had said.

He had been confined within the bungalow for far too long. He did not need to personally fight while his knights could handle most threats, and the Emovirae, monsters, and beasts roaming the world were far too weak to interest him.

But now...

Now, he finally had something capable of erasing his boredom.

As if sensing its master’s intent, Azaron’s red spear, Ender, appeared beside him in a blur. The weapon hummed softly as it floated midair, vibrating as though eagerly anticipating the carnage to come.

’There it is,’ Zarek mused silently as he leaned back, watching Azaron grin like a madman.

This, this expression, was exactly what he had been hoping to see when he delivered the good news. It was not every day that Azaron Wargrave was given the opportunity to battle someone standing at the very peak of the world.