Chapter 325: Zier Grey. (1/2)
”Are you in any position to make deals with me right now?”
Ozul found it hard to believe this purple-haired boy could still ask for confirmation. After all, he knew how much this boy was afraid of him right now based on the waves of nervous emotions thrown at him.
Under his scrutinizing gaze, Zier didn't know what to say.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn't afraid. Still, he didn't want to back down from this.
”I... It doesn't matter. If you don't make a promise, I wouldn't know if I will end up dead later anyway.”
He was lying. Not to Ozul, but to himself.
Growing up only trusting his grandfather, he knew that promises didn't mean a thing to people in power.
”So, promise me to keep everything a secret and you wouldn't harm me. Otherwise, kill me right now...”
He also knew that if his secret were to be out, people might use him and his fate might turn out even worse than death.
Yet... he didn't want to die.
He wanted to hold onto a sliver of hope. His reasoning told him that a mere promise wouldn't hold anyone back from harming him later, but right now, he was willing to fool himself just to avoid instant death.
As Zier stood firm on the ground, Ozul was admittingly surprised at his unfounded bravery.
'These waves of emotions don't belong to a person ready to die, heh...'
”Alright, what is your name?”
”Huh?”
As Zier had even begun to brace himself for death, he didn't expect the opposite party to ask for his name.
”It's Zier! Zier Grey!” he shouted.
”Hmm.”
Ozul nodded his head and spoke,
”I, Ozul Ashfall, vow not to harm you in any kind, Zier, regarding the secret you're about to reveal.”
As his oath resounded in the forest, a gentle breeze appeared out of nowhere, brushing past Zier's face. That cool caress made him aware of his reddened eyes.
Fortunately for him, he didn't think Ozul noticed anything under the veil of darkness.
He was merely lying to himself, holding onto an illusion that this man named Ozul would've taken his promise seriously. However, now, his wavering heart calmed down.
That oath did not belong to a man who would back down from his words later!
”I...”
For a few moments, he didn't know what to say anymore. He never predicted this outcome, and he was more than grateful for it.
”Hurry up now,” the same voice reached his ears again, reminding him of the little time they had.
”Uh yes!” Zier shouted before reaching Blaze and dropping on the ground near him.
Ozul looked at all of this with an indifferent face, but his eyes closely followed whatever Zier was doing.
He had never dealt with poison before, and the situation was serious. If this purple-haired lad wasn't here, he would have tried to deal with it using the Ball of Purity himself.
It would have been a risky move and he wasn't even confident in succeeding, but in case there were no other options, he would've given it a try.
'Now that I think about it, I should have thought about curing the poison before I let them fight these three...'
A kind thought appeared in his heart, but he shook his head internally, trying not to think about such unnecessary thoughts.
”So... about my secret...” Zier turned around, facing Ozul.
He held a small black knife in one of his hands and an unsure look in his eyes.
But a moment later, the uncertain look in his eyes disappeared, replaced with a resolute determination as he remembered the oath Ozul had just taken.
He closed his eyes with a force great enough to imitate his expression to that of pain even before anything had happened.
This action was justified just a moment later when he drove the knife into his other hand, instantly cutting through the skin!
A painful hiss left his mouth, but he tried his best not to shout out aloud in this forest now filled with occasional growls from distant Beasts.
Ozul quietly watched this scene with interest. He didn't ask any questions as he believed they would be answered if he just waited for a little longer.
Zier threw the blood-smeared knife away as the warm blood began pouring out of the cut.
”I'm special... or so my grandfather used to tell me,” Zier slowly muttered while moving his bleeding hand towards Blaze, ”Anyway, my blood is different.”
Zier moved his hand above the darkened hand of Blaze as his blood dripped on the wounds.