Villain: The Play of Destiny

"Lord Zyron, can you sign this, please?" Alana took out a piece of parchment and handed it to Zyron Nemerus as soon as they took their seats at the dining table.

It was the Quest Bond that needed to be signed by the one who had issued it.

Since they had finished the Quest, all they required now was Zyron's signature.

The Head of the Nemerus family read the agreement on the parchment and took out a Magical Pen.

"Have you decided on your rewards?" He asked, since he needed to mark them as well.

"We will take the Black Nest and the set of Earth-Grade Battle Armours." She informed him, and he nodded his head before signing the Quest Bond.

"The set has a total of 10 Battle Armours. How many feminine armours do you want in the set?"

"5," Kiara answered, and the man nodded his head before glancing to his right.

"Baigor," Zyron called out to his butler, who was standing on the side, and the tall man quickly stepped forward.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Process it, and bring the Property Deed of Black Nest as well as the set of Earth-Grade Battle Armours that we listed as rewards."

"Yes, my Lord." The man immediately excused himself and went to work.

Zyron then turned to curiously look at his guests, and the more he observed them, the more curious he became.

There was no hint of nervousness or hesitation in all four girls, and he could tell that they were only Martial Warriors right now, even though they were masking it well.

And this got him thinking and guessing their origin.

Would any normal Martial Warrior be at ease whilst sitting at the table with a stranger, who happened to be a Martial King?

No.

Then this only meant that these guests had noble origin, and they were not scared of being targeted or plotted against.

"What's with the interest in Guilds?" He curiously asked. "I don't suppose you need to become mercenaries."

"Ours is an Adventurer Guild and we created it for fun. We are not mercenaries. And being an adventurer comes with a lot of freedom." Kiara informed him, and the man chuckled at her words.

"Fair enough. Congratulations on completing your first Quest."

"Thank you." They all happily replied in unison, and Zyron turned to look at Keith, who was curiously looking at the pictures on the walls. "Where are you from, Master Argus?"

"Not Westesia." He answered with a smile and then turned to meet the man's eyes. "Are you related to the Barbarian Tribe of Zurks?"

The question prompted the girls to stop chatting and curiously look at Zyron, and the Head of the Nemerus Family quizzically raised his brow.

"Why the interest?"

"Just curious. After all, what's happening in the Elysian Empire is being spoken about a lot."

"We are Zurks," Zyron admitted. "However, our family settled in Crystal City at the time of its inception, around 1925 years ago. We are one of the four founding families of this beautiful city. Over time, our ways may have changed, and we have stopped considering Elysia our home. However, we are still proud Zurks, and the blood of our kin will not be forgotten." His voice deepened at his last sentence, and Keith nodded to him before getting up and walking towards the glassed wall, which overlooked the entrance of the Nemerus Estate.

"You have a few interesting guests at your door, Lord Zyron." He nonchalantly said, and the man raised his brow in confusion before he stood up and walked over to stand by his side and look outside.

Zyron's eyes dangerously narrowed when he saw an armed platoon at his gate, and seconds later, a servant came rushing into the dining hall.

"My Lord! Mirka of Elysia has come to see you." He nervously said. "She wants to have lunch with you, and she's..."

"Threatening us?" The Head of Nemerus Family coldly asked, and the servant tensed up and did not answer. "What did she say?" He asked again before turning to look at his subject.

"She demands that the House of Nemerus show their sincerity, or she will be forced to look at us as her child's murderers."

Zyron snorted at those words.

"Let her in. And she is only allowed to bring one person with her."

"Yes!"

"My apologies, Master Argus. But I will not be able to accompany you for lunch. My wife will join you at the table in my absence." He politely said, and then left the hall to deal with the crazed lady who had come to his door.

Keith returned to his seat, and Kiara curiously raised her brow at him.

"Should be a coincidence." He shrugged, and the girls nodded their heads, soon resuming their chit-chat.

Minutes later, the maids brought their lunch and served it to them, the rich aromas of spiced meats and fresh herbs filling the air, and it was not until the end of their meal that Zilya Nemerus entered the hall, and she seemed quite serious.

"Master Argus." She did not take her seat but called out to him, and Keith quizzically raised his brow at her.

"Yes, Lady Nemerus?"

"May I have a word with you?" She asked, glancing at his girls, and he nodded his head before standing up.

The two of them walked to the glassed wall, and Zilya erected a sound barrier around them so that no one could listen to their conversation.

"Is everything okay?"

"Have you been to the Elysian Empire in the last few days?" She straightforwardly asked, and even though Keith was surprised to hear her question, he did not show it on his face.

"Yes." He nodded and then feigned some confusion. "Is there an issue?"

Zilya kept looking into his eyes as if trying to see past his half-mask and read the truth.

"Mirka of Elysia is here to see you. She needs to ask you a few questions related to the death of her child."

"Her child?" He furrowed his brows.

"His name was Droga. And he was a Martial Tyrant and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ninth Platoon of the Golden Army." She informed him.

"I have never known someone with that name." He shook his head without the slightest hesitation.

Zilya frowned at his words but nodded her head.

"Can you come with me?" She asked.

"Of course." He smiled and then followed her out of the hall.

The girls were a little curious about what was happening, and he silently sent Kiara a signal from their Sacred Rune of Marriage, conveying to her that everything was fine. And she engaged her sisters in a chat, delivering them the message by using their family's language, Eldeimior, which no one who was listening to their conversation could decipher.

Zilya led Keith into a drawing room, where three people were sitting at a small dining table.

Zyron meaningfully looked Keith in the eyes and gave him a subtle nod before asking him to take his seat.

"This is Lady Mirka, a Martial Queen, and Military Chief of the Western Kingdom of the Elysian Empire. And this is her eldest son, Cairo."

"A seven-decades-old Martial Prince. Impressive." Keith smiled at the man, who looked awfully similar to the brother he had slain in the wasteland.

"You can tell my age?" Cairo frowned and narrowed his dark eyes.

"You are weaker than me, so, of course, I can see your age." He stated it as if it was the most basic of things, and all the people at the table frowned at his words. "Argus."

Cairo frowned at the hand that Keith drew to him.

"They say it is unwise to shake hands with a master of poison. My apologies." He was politely refused, and Keith smiled and drew back his hand.

"Smart." He appreciatively nodded his head and then met the eyes of the lady who was scrutinising him.

She looked to be in her middle-ages, but she was much older than both Zyron and Zilya. And she was stronger too, almost on the brink of becoming a Martial Empress.

Her wise eyes, which had seen a lot in the world, scrutinised him, and he did not shy away from her gaze.

"You killed my child." She said, as if she had seen it with her own eyes, but Keith smiled at her words.

"I am afraid I have never known the son you are talking about." He lightly said. "You will soon become a Martial Empress. It is only a matter of days now."

"You are not stronger than me." She smirked, and he shrugged at her statement.

"I am not." He admitted. "Perhaps, I have been around Martial Emperors enough to get a read on their strengths."

"That's a bluff." She called it out, and he chuckled.

"Is there a reason why you are targeting me, Lady Mirka?" He asked.

"You killed my son." She coldly said, exuding the pressure of her presence, and he shook his head.

"Do you really believe it to be true?" He called her out. "Tell me. Why are you targeting me?" This time, his words were cold, and Cairo could not help but tense up.

If he doubted it before, he was sure now that Keith was indeed stronger than him, and he was also sure that this man who sat across him had indeed not killed his brother.

Even Zyron and Zilya were frowning, but Mirka's face remained indifferent.

The silence at the table that lasted for a minute had started to suffocate them, but eventually, the Elysian spoke up.

"Where are you from?"

"Not Westesia." He answered straight away.

"From where exactly?" She pressed, and he smiled at her.

"I cannot tell you that." He shook his head.

"Why?"

"I don't have to." He bluntly said, and looked right into her dark eyes. "You haven't answered my question yet. Why are you targeting me?"