135 Third bes (1/2)

Helial was slowly walking down a corridor of the Royal Academy. Behind him walked Lumia, Snowflake, Frankenstein and Lulu. They were all staring at him in curiosity yet none would dare shatter the silence.

Like, almost none.

”HAHAHAHAHAH !DID YOU SEE IT WHEN PSEUDONYM MOPPED UP THE FUCKING FLOOR WITH HIS FACE? I FUCKING RISKED CHOKING MYSELF WITH A FURBALL!” Snowflake's sudden yelling broke up the silence weighting over the group.

They all let out a sigh of relief. The heavy atmosphere really had made them uncomfortable, even though they didn't know how to wipe it away either. Truth was, Helial had badly lost to Pseudonym without the least chance to react. Despite his outstanding talent and leading attitude, which they had thought powerful enough for him to defeat stronger opponents, the match ended up in a tragedy. They all knew that if Helial had challenged a warrior in the Third Phase Intermediate stage, by going all out he would have had many chances of winning. With Pseudonym though it had been nothing like that.

The defeat was devastating.

After the match, Pseudonym's armor had no scratch. On the contrary, Helial had been knocked out without having brushed a finger against him.

”No worries guys. It's not like I'm depressed or feeling down. I was just thinking at what expects us next,” Helial said as he ignored Snowflake, who was rolling on the floor laughing.

***

A few hours before

Helial slowly opened his eyes. He tried to focus his gaze on the place he was in. Judging by the colorful mosaic he could make out on the ceiling, he was in his room.

A silhouette soaked into sunshine was sitting by his bed.

Helial moved his eyelids repeatedly to make it our more neatly.

”Master?” Helial asked Caesar, who was waiting for him to wake up.

”I paid visit to make sure the match with Pseudonym has cast no shadow on your heart,” Caesar said. His eyes looked serious.

The state of one's heart was at the very basis of Mana cultivation indeed. In the long run, peace of mind was far more important than fast level-ups. If Helial hadn't come to terms with the defeat and tarnished his heart in rage, his Dao would have probably ended up devastated.

The reason of Caesar's visit too Helial slightly aback. He didn't object though. After the months spent reading the manuals of the Royal Academy while listening to Iblis' advice, Helial could boast a pretty vast knowledge on Daos. The fact that Helial drew from Iblis's experience probably made him a far more informed expert than Caesar himself.

His only lack was that of experience.

”I'm too inexperienced. I know I haven't fought in enough matches yet. The fact Pseudonym beat me isn't a big deal to me,” said Helial without going too detailed.

However, Caesar was still concerned. ”Do you think you'll be able to beat him one day? Will you outdo his strength?”

Helial shortly glanced up at the embellished ceiling of his room.

Then he slowly gazed down until his eyes met the icy glare of Caesar.

”Do you think Pseudonym would ever hurt Lumia or someone I love without a reason, just to prove he's stronger than me or cause me any harm?” Helial asked Caesar.

The question caught the King of Orma off-guard. Yet he knew the answer. Despite his mysterious past, Pseudonym was too strong for the powers of Orma to turn a blind eye on him. If he were to increase in power, he'd probably become the strongest unrivalled Immortal in the Goblin capital, one day.

”No. Pseudonym firmly believes in pure absolute justice. He would never hurt someone for the sake of it nor to harm anyone else,” Caesar said in bafflement. He didn't see where this was going.

”Then I couldn't care less about outdoing Pseudonym,” Helial said in a yawn. ”It's late. We have group training, today. We need to form the parties. Circe…” Helial suddenly interrupted midsentence, as if he had just recalled something. He coughed as his face flushed. ”… My fiancé asked me to team up with her cousin, and I still haven't met him.”

Caesar raised an eyebrow. He felt surprised and calmer at the same time, but he wouldn't give up.

”Why wouldn't you want to defeat Pseudonym, given that he doesn't attack your family? Why doesn't the idea of being stronger than him appeal you?”

Helial stood up and began to wear the equipment bought at the Merchant Guild Caliban had delivered him personally. He shrugged.

”Power is no absolute deterrent. If it should become a deterrent towards every human being, the freedom gained by the powerful would become their prison instead. I don't aim to be the strongest,” Helial said casually, ”I want my strength to pave my way to freedom. I have no interest in using it to imprison others. If Pseudonym doesn't threaten me, I have no intent on competing with him.”

”But could you beat him in a match one day?” the King insisted. He was curious to hear his pupil give him a feedback on that.

Helial fastened his cloak. It was the piece of an equipment set recommended to him by Circe herself. ”Makes you look like a man,” she had told him, and Helial had nothing to object. The cloak had no Stats, so it didn't really matter to him. Helial would put it back into his Interspace Ring, Call of the Mermaid, as soon as he stepped into the Dungeon.

”If one day Pseudonym changed ideals and wanted to hurt Lumia, I would wipe him away from the face of the earth,” Helial said without too much thinking.

Caesar didn't have any more questions. He bid farewell to his pupil, wished him luck for the training, and then walked away. He had some important business for the well-being of Orma to care about.

***

In the present

Helial was walking with slow steady steps. The hubbub around him left him unconcerned.

Caesar's words were echoing out through his head.