NOVEL NEXT B1 | Chapter 86 - Fear
The Base
Moments before Alexia’s Arrival
William very nearly flinches the moment he hears another loud clap from wooden panels attaching together through that girl’s magic. But he calms down just as quickly again while mentally chiding himself for showing weakness again.
Ever since his entire force was wiped out by that single girl, and he says girl generously because she is over half a century younger than him from what he’s learned despite their appearances, he has been too frightened to step so much as a toe out of line. And every single time a loud noise akin to a snapping neck sounds, he finds himself filled with both fear and anxiety.
It didn’t help that the girl sent her twin sister to kill him for points.
But at the same time, William somehow feels thankful she didn’t do it herself. Almost as if that alone was some kind of blessing.
How his idiotic subordinates were able to act out against her team right after being instantly annihilated by her is beyond him. But he didn’t exactly select them for their intelligence. He chose them for their obedience and family connections.
And with the damned duke’s daughter betraying him at the very first opening, leaving him and everyone else behind for the Reaper to take their lives without a moment’s hesitation?
His trust in any of his old acquaintances has plummeted beyond belief. Not to mention the Reaper’s trust in him, which was practically nonexistent to begin with.
My only way to survive now… I have to get The Reaper to take me on as a subordinate. That’ll be my only way to live without worrying about someone else betraying me… or without the Reaper herself taking my life.
He feels a shiver run down his spine at the memory of her glowing purple eyes filled with naught but a single emotion. As if he and his underlings were just insects biting away at her twin’s legs that she needed to get rid of.
And no matter the reassurances from the others that she is actually a nice person, he still can’t get that image out of his mind. The utter indifference the girl shows towards her enemies.
He never wants to be her enemy again.
William occasionally glances in the direction of the bridge, wondering just when she’ll get back.
After he was contacted by the former viscountess of the Kingdom with an offer for her protection in exchange for the heads of two people – The Reaper and her twin – he found a new possibility. A way to regain even the slightest bit of trust and position amongst the group and in the Reaper’s eyes.
As a double agent for The Reaper should she need one.
William’s gaze immediately snaps back towards the bridge again when he hears the warping and glitching sound of the Reaper’s teleportation, following which he sees her glitching into place on the bridge before walking over to talk to Aidan. And William immediately whips his gaze back around to focus entirely on his work, feeling terror just looking at her.
Then he waits for her and Aidan to cross through the base, and waits even longer after that until Aidan gets back from talking with her.
After he does, William takes a deep breath and clears up his work for the time being before heading over to the Reaper’s clearing, vaguely sensing Aidan following him with his stealth magic. Stealth magic that William will have to warn him has more than a few ways to be detected even by someone of the same or lower level if they have a high enough level skill in Mana Manipulation.
William continues walking through the jungle until he arrives at the Reaper’s clearing, following which he walks up to her house and takes a deep breath. All while he senses Aidan standing behind him, the man believing himself to be invisible to him.
But he doesn’t say anything. Because he knows it would just make him seem even more suspicious to them.
Instead he clenches his fist to mentally prepare himself before finally reaching for and ringing the doorbell.
And not long after, he hears a thump sound from behind him, making him swirl around to find the Reaper having just dropped from the balcony instead of going through the house to open the door.
William’s eyes widen with fright at the woman as she directly meets his gaze with her own purple eyes, a look of indifference in her gaze matching that of the one she had before when she killed his subordinates.
“Now what could you want?” she asks, tilting her head ever so slightly and crossing one arm over her stomach while tapping her chin with her other hand. Still with that indifferent look in her eyes.
William doesn’t waste any time as he bows low to the ground and says, “I apologize, Lady Reaper, for bothering you today, and for attacking your sister and her friends before. I deeply regret my actions and do not expect forgiveness.” He waits for a second before rising again to his full height, which, ironically, is several inches taller than her. Which doesn’t help his position.
“I assume this isn’t the only reason you’ve come here?” The Reaper asks, no longer tapping her chin as she narrows her eyes slightly, sending another chill down William’s spine.
He hurriedly nods his head and says, “You’re correct, I also came here to tell you about the former Viscountess Rose Carter who has been contacting me. She wishes for me to bring her you and your sister’s heads in exchange for taking me in, but I do not wish to betray the group and chose to let her believe I was working with her before telling you.”
The Reaper doesn’t say anything for several seconds before her gaze changes to a more normal and warmer one as she glances at Aidan, who should still be using his stealth skill, and says, “What do you think, Aidan?”
Aidan appears, canceling his stealth skill with a sour look on his face – likely due to her finding him with apparent ease – as he says, “He doesn’t sound like he’s lying, but I’m pretty sure he’s only doing this out of fear.”
William feels his entire body freezing stiff at that comment.
Shit!
“Yeah, I thought so,” the Reaper says, turning her gaze back to him again, her gaze once more becoming indifferent as she says, “I guess this makes things easier then.”
Makes what easier?!