Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 512: Childish Threat

Soon, another thought occurred to him, subtle yet persistent like a whisper at the back of his mind, what if he had something, but he simply didn’t realize he possessed something Cindralis actually wanted, something intangible or unnoticed that held value only to someone of her perspective and experience, and with that sudden flash of idea striking him like lightning across a dark sky, he spoke without delay, "what do you want in exchange for upping my missions clearance level?" He asked directly without bothering to play word or mind games, because someone as old and seasoned as Cindralis could probably scheme even in her sleep without conscious effort.

But with her current level of overwhelming power and authority, she didn’t even need to scheme anymore, since brute reality itself already bent to her convenience.

Hearing his question, Cindralis sighed softly, the faint sound carrying an inexplicable weight, then rose to her feet and walked towards the window with unhurried grace, each step elegant and measured, "You are just like your brother, the First Sun, Malrik Wargrave," she stared through the window as she gazed down at everything below from above, the entire Academy grounds stretching out like a miniature world beneath her feet, "he too had once stood before me and asked me to raise his missions clearance level, he had simply been too strong," she continued to speak as though reminiscing about something distant and faintly nostalgic, her voice carrying the quiet tone of memory rather than authority.

"You both are the same, the First and last Suns, both monstrous in every shape and form, both more talented than any Wargrave that had passed through my Star Academy," she continued, a small smile appearing on her lips, a smile Asher couldn’t see because she had her back facing him, hidden from his line of sight like a private thought she did not wish to share openly.

"I had asked Malrik what he would offer me in exchange for increasing his mission clearance level, and can you guess what he had said?" Cindralis paused for a moment as though waiting for Asher to speak or react, but Asher didn’t reply as he understood it was a rhetorical question and that she intended to answer it herself regardless.

"He said that in exchange, he wouldn’t call his Father and Mother to tear through the Separate Dimension, imagine a fifteen-year-old brat saying that with a straight face," Cindralis stated with a slightly amused tone, as it had indeed been ridiculous and unexpectedly funny to her when she first heard those bold, shameless words coming from a boy barely out of childhood.

"Did you agree?" Asher asked, genuinely bewildered by Malrik’s words, because he couldn’t understand what would even make him say such things so casually, nor could he picture himself making such a demand without hesitation. Even Asher couldn’t walk up to his Father, Azaron, and ask that he should cause trouble throughout the Separate Dimension just for the sake of a missions upgrade, the thought itself sounded absurd and reckless.

Cindralis paused for a moment at his question, her gaze still directed outward, then replied simply, "I did," she answered truthfully without embellishment.

Asher’s eyes widened a bit out of shock as he couldn’t believe his ears, disbelief flickering across his usually composed expression, ’that actually worked?’ he thought to himself, the idea sounding almost unreal.

"But make no mistake," Cindralis continued, her eyes still fixed on the window as she gazed outside at the distant movements of students and staff, "I didn’t agree out of fear for your Father or Mother, I only agreed to his childish threat because I couldn’t be bothered to deal with the potential consequences," she paused briefly then spoke again.

"I you know your Father, Azaron, well, you should know he would never agree to such a thing, no matter how much Malrik begged, as he always believes the Wargraves should grow on their own strength without relying on anyone," her head turned slightly in another direction as though looking at something different this time, "but your mother, Lily Of The Abyss, was different from your father, Azaron."

At the mention of his mother’s name, Asher’s heart couldn’t help but beat out of rhythm for a fleeting second, the sensation subtle yet unmistakable, because although he had never met the woman since his transmigration, the tales he had heard about her made him know she loved her children deeply with a fierce and unconditional devotion.

Yet, such a woman was taken from this world during childbirth, leaving behind only stories and echoes that felt both warm and painfully distant.

"Your mother, Lily Of The Abyss, would have listened to Malrik’s words and stormed this place on her own without hesitation, although Azaron wouldn’t, Lily would. And knowing the control women have over men who are in love, Azaron would surely follow her here to cause trouble regardless of his principles, I believe she was pregnant with you at the time," Cindralis continued without missing a beat, her tone analytical rather than emotional, "so I only agreed to save myself the headache, and of course your sister Wuthenya had pulled the same stunt and I shut it down immediately," she shook her head slightly as she remembered Wuthenya attempting the same trick as her brother with shameless confidence.

Asher simply listened without speaking as all these were entirely new pieces of information to him, fragments of family history he had never been told before, and sometimes he had always wondered just how strong Malrik truly was back in his class and how far ahead he must have been compared to everyone else, but it seemed even he needed to skip missions entirely because nothing available could challenge him.

’An overpowered character through and through,’ Asher thought to himself as a faint smile appeared on his face, half admiration, half exasperation. He couldn’t also help but imagine Wuthenya’s facial expression when her own tricks had failed, picturing her stubborn glare and annoyed pout, which strangely made the memory amusing despite himself.

"But I also later agreed to Wuthenya’s request after a few days of constant asking and disturbance," Cindralis continued as she sighed softly, clearly remembering the experience with mild fatigue, as she recalled Wuthenya coming to her every single day without fail, relentless as a storm, and she even went to the extent of threatening all of her classmates not to go to the Logistics and Missions Operation Hall for any mission or she would beat them all up when they returned after going against her orders.

And the funniest part was that every single student actually listened to her without protest, because with her assassin-like skills and overwhelming presence, who could realistically go against her without inviting disaster? She was beautiful, talented, and strong in every possible aspect, the type of person whose reputation alone could silence opposition before it even formed.

’The Wargraves surely know how to stir up trouble,’ Cindralis mused to herself internally, a trace of dry amusement crossing her thoughts, as she had ultimately agreed to Wuthenya’s request both because of the endless pestering and because Wuthenya possessed the absurd ability to fight against opponents above her own rank with ease.

Although she wasn’t as strong as Malrik or Asher, she was still a ridiculous genius who stood far above all her classmates like a peak towering over hills.

Cindralis’ thoughts couldn’t help but drift back to three months ago, the time when Malrik had attacked her directly without hesitation, a child who had once passed through her Star Academy now capable of battling and striking at her position without fear, and he was just over thirty years of age, which by their standards was still absurdly young for such power.

’Although out of all the Wargraves, only Apollo remains the calmest... well, I guess lazy would be the right word,’ Cindralis thought to herself with quiet amusement. To her, these were strangely funny memories, small anecdotes from decades of watching generations rise and fall, and she gazed down through the window once more as she stared at the students below like pieces moving across a vast board.

All in all, Asher wasn’t the first Wargrave to ask for an upgrade in mission clearance level, and Malrik wasn’t even the first student to do so, as other students who were also exceptionally talented had all made the same request in the past with varying degrees of boldness, but in the end, it was always up to Cindralis alone to accept or reject every single one of them, because the final authority of this domain rested solely in her hands.