"Umm…by the way, Lucian, do you by any chance…happen to know why or how we both got stuck here in the abyss directly from the banquet?" Alstair's voice broke me out of my stupor, and I glanced at him.
"Ah, yeah. I know we were attacked by those masked terrorists or something, but they would've needed a sovereign-rank person to pull that off, I mean only a Sovereign rank or higher could utilise that much mana to create an abyss portal or do a sneak attack at us without being noticed. And as far as I remember, all the sovereign ranks were busy dealing with the Clan Lords."
"It's a bit confusing. Even if a sovereign rank had moved and created a portal to the abyss, it would've taken them some time, and the Clan Lords definitely would've picked up the trace as soon as they started creating it, even if it's a sovereign rank, clan heads are of Deific rank, they should have detected some movement of someone as strong as a Sovereign rank."
"But I think we both know how suddenly that portal formed and how it sucked us in. It definitely wasn't the work of a Sovereign rank that's for sure…." Alstair continued to babble without giving me any space to intervene.
"AGHHH! Just thinking about this is making my head hurt," he said, running his fingers wildly through his hair.
*Sigh.*
'Should I tell him? Well, I'll keep the system part hidden. He's helped me, so telling him a bit of the truth won't hurt.' I finalized the decision in my mind.
"Actually, just before I got sucked into the abyss, I think I saw a figure running out of the banquet very sneakily from the corner of my eye. It was just for a fraction of a second, but I'm completely sure of it…and if what I just said is true, that person is dangerous. They don't know what they're playing with."
"And before you ask, no, I don't think that person was with the attackers. Their clothing was different from the attackers'. If they were truly with the attackers, they would've fought instead of running away." I chose my words carefully, only revealing a bit of the information I had gathered from that vision.
"Hmmm. I see. That person…they're either very brave or way too foolish to not know their place. Just thinking about it is funny a fool who tried to mess with two great clans at the same time… We sure have a lot of work to do after going back home, huh? Well, whatever. At least I now know a bit of what happened back then. Thanks for sharing it." Alstair responded, his face etched with a grin.
As I was about to open my mouth to ask him when this 'Zeydris' guy would be coming back, a voice came from the door Alstair had entered a few minutes ago.
"Oh, seems like the other kiddo is awake now."
'Perfect timing, I guess.' I recognized this voice it was Zeydris, the same voice I had heard before he knocked me unconscious a few days back in the forest.
"Oh, seems like Mister is back. Good timing, I'd say. You can ask him things you're curious about directly…and maybe he'll spill the tea about the deal he was going to make with us, as I mentioned earlier." Alstair chimed in, confirming my thoughts about the voice belonging to Zeydris.
I gave him a nod of understanding and looked directly at the entrance of the room, expecting the person in question to appear.
I didn't have to wait long. A man entered the room. The first thing I noticed about him was his blood-red eyes, followed by his long yet elegant blonde hair and skin so pale it felt like it hadn't been touched by sunlight for centuries.
"You must be Mister Zeydris, correct? Alstair briefed me on what happened. I thank you, Mister, for saving my life back then. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't be here speaking to you right now." I thanked him genuinely.
Cough! Cough!
Zeydris and I both turned to Alstair as he suddenly started coughing.
"You okay? Do you have something to say?" I asked him.
"Ah! No, no! Nothing, it was just a dry cough!" He replied, waving his hands quickly to dismiss my question.
It was a bit suspicious, but I didn't think it was my place to pry any further.
"Ah, yes. Lucian, correct? It's a pleasure to meet you properly. And don't worry about the past, anyone in my place would have done the same." Zeydris's voice drew my attention back to him.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Zeydris. Alstair and I are both indebted to you not only for saving our lives but also for giving us food, shelter, and protection from the abyss monsters until now." I said, and he gave a nod. His face remained stoic, betraying little emotion.
"Well, if you've heard the story from Alstair, then you must know about the proposal I talked about, or at least heard a bit from Alstair." He said, looking at us both. We nodded in response.
"I won't beat around the bush and will get straight to the point. I would like to train you both for a few years in this abyss."
"Huh?" I was caught off guard by his sudden announcement, but I guess Alstair already had a hunch about it as he didn't show much reaction.
We exchanged glances, then looked back at Zeydris.
The answer was obvious for both of us who would want to stay in this hellhole for a couple of years?!
Just as I was about to decline his proposal, he spoke again.
"Lucian." He looked at me intently. "If you accept this deal and train under me for a couple of years, I'll tell you more about your brother, what he's up to right now or where you can find a trace of him."
"And as an advance payment, know this: your brother isn't dead. If you want to learn more, complete the deal."
My mind went blank after I heard that.
"W-what do you mean?!"
"And how do you know my brother and what he is up to?!" I demanded.