Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Cain had many questions but there was only one he could openly ask.

"This Duchess is from hundreds of years ago? How is it possible that she could be alive today?"

Anna seemed to be getting more and more suspicious of the line of questioning but in front of the other students, she could only swallow them for now and answer.

"Officially, the history books state that the gods granted the Heroes immortality after vanquishing the Betrayer."

'Bullshit! Those so called Gods wouldn't move, even if the world was to face ruin.'

Gaius immediately retorted yet Anna continued as nobody but Cain could hear him to begin with.

"They were celebrated as saviors, and granting them eternal life was seen as a divine gift. Essentially it was a way to preserve peace and stability through their continued presence. At least, that's what the books say."

She hesitated then, just slightly. A pause most wouldn't notice.

"But... I have my own theory."

That drew some attention. A few students perked up. Cain didn't move, but he watched her more closely now.

Anna walked to the side of the board and began idly tapping the chalk against her palm.

"It's not something you'll find in the curriculum," she said lightly. "But if the records are so incomplete, and if some of these individuals truly survived across centuries, then... maybe they didn't receive immortality from the gods at all."

She paused again.

"Maybe," she said slowly, "they kept fragments of the Betrayer for themselves. And found a way to harness his immortality for themselves."

There was a ripple of whispers through the classroom, wide eyes and hushed shock. A few hands covered mouths in disbelief. But Anna raised a hand before anyone could speak.

"That's just my personal theory though," she added, her voice taking on a dry edge. "And I'd appreciate it if my students kept it at that. I quite enjoy having a job. I don't need the church breathing down my neck and branding me a heretic. I still have to pay rent, you know."

The classroom broke into soft laughter. Even the tension seemed to lighten for a moment.

But not for Cain.

His skin crawled.

That theory... It was far too plausible. Too close to home. Did she know just how right her little theory really was?

He had consumed a piece of Gaius with his Gluttony skill. It had granted him a corrupted, degraded version of Gaius' immortality. A taste of what it meant to defy death. A taste that came with its own price.

If the Heroes had done the same, if they had stolen pieces of the Betrayer and infused themselves with it...

Cain clenched his jaw.

The thought was repulsive.

Gaius didn't speak, but Cain could feel the cold awareness blooming between them. The same realization. The same disgust.

Immortality through betrayal. Through consumption. Through carving away someone they had once called master.

Maybe the worst part was how easily it explained everything..

The rest of the lecture passed in a blur, Cain hearing only fragments as his mind spun with images and implications. The laughter and note-taking faded into background noise. He barely noticed when Anna stepped back from the board and clapped her hands together.

"Well," she said, "that's enough unapproved theological speculation for one day. Class dismissed."

The room erupted in motion. Chairs scraped back. Papers shuffled. Voices rose all at once in eager chatter as students rushed to pack up and escape. Cain didn't even have time to fully register it before half the room had emptied into the hallway.

Anna blinked in disbelief at the speed.

"Don't everybody leave all at once," she shouted after them. "It's not like I have feelings or anything!"

That only made the rest of the class laugh harder as they poured out the door. A few shouted half-hearted goodbyes, but most were already gone.

Cain stood slowly, ready to follow.

But before he could take a single step, Anna turned her head slightly.

"Cain," she said, her voice flat, cold, and laced with authority. "Stay. We need to talk."

His entire body tensed. A slow, creeping panic began to rise in his chest.

She knew. She had to know. A connection to the Heroes? The only question was what faction was she part of. Based on what he had heard, she might be part of the Neutral faction but what she had taught him today might have veen a trap set by the Hardliners.

His breath caught in his throat. Muscles coiled, ready to bolt if she made even one wrong move. He didn't care that they were still in a classroom. If she tried anything, he was gone.

But before he could act, Gaius spoke in his mind.

'Calm yourself. She's not hostile.'

Cain didn't answer, but his pulse didn't slow either.

'Her mana,' Gaius continued, 'it's familiar. Not quite like mine... but close. Very close.'

Cain blinked. That didn't comfort him.

'You think she's... like you?'

Gaius was quiet for a second.

'We definitely have a connection somehow....'

'That's a super helpful explaination Master.

'Oh shut up! Let's see what she has to say.

With no other choice, Cain slowly sat back down, his hands still tense on the edge of his desk.

Anna didn't look at him right away. She moved to the door first, closed it, and locked it with a soft click that echoed louder than it should have. Then she pulled the blinds shut.

Only then did she turn to face him, arms crossed loosely, gaze unreadable.

"You asked a lot of pointed questions today," she said, voice softer now but no less steady.

Cain didn't respond.

She raised an eyebrow. "Most students just want to sleep through this class. You, on the other hand, seemed very interested in the old Heroes. Their survival. Their connections. Their immortality."

Cain held her gaze but said nothing.

She sighed.

"I'm not accusing you of anything," she said. "Not yet. I just think we should be honest with each other. At least... a little."

That caught him off guard. Honesty?

"You seemed awfully interested in the Dreamonia Kingdom today."

Cain scratched his cheek awkwardly. He couldn't think of a reason to explain why he had asked that.

Anna closed the distance between them and slammed her hands on the desk.

"How did you figure out my disguise?! How did you find out I was the daughter of the Duchess?"

Cain blinked for a few seconds in stunned silence. He was sitting down so why did it feel like he was floating lost in space.

"....What?"