Bro, I'm not an Undead!

An awkward, heavy atmosphere was strangling everyone except for one person. No, actually two people.

Everyone else felt conflicted, nervous or flat out scared. It hadn't even been two minutes since everyone had settled down in this formal meeting room but it felt like an hour was approaching with silence being the only talkative existence in the room.

Bull, Cast, Anara, Oliviana and several other important members, some of which belonged to the Purity's auxiliary services were also in attendance.

All except for Oliviana couldn't take their eyes off this white eyed man who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to save the city.

Following the brief introduction outside the walls, Skullius had been lead into Evic. The remaining Knights and Priests handled escorting the civilians back into the city while the rest took care of collecting the bodies of their own and burning those of the enemies – excluding the ones that were dazed from Skullius' unknown means.

Everything else was shut out by this executive committee as they gave priority to Skullius.

The Contract Knights were used to losses so they didn't give priority to mourning their dead at all while the Purity would deal with their dead after this meeting with... pious means.

"Are we going to go for another two minutes of this?" Skullius broke the silence.

Bull folded his arms and breathed out a sigh.

"Forgive us. That was a really... tense situation we had found ourselves in. Asides from the promised reinforcements whom we knew probably couldn't arrive in time, we were sure there was no help coming."

In other words, everyone was still in shock.

Signs of agreement registered from the people in the room to Bull's words in various ways.

Not only was their stand against the bandits unimaginably short, the eradication of their enemies was even more so, which was what made them all incredibly nervous.

Someone who was capable of dealing with an army of uncouth, morally unstable and organised criminals like this, with Masters among them to boot... was in their midst.

Bull and Cast had slightly different outlooks to the rest however because of what Skullius had said a few minutes ago.

"Allow me to ask once again, sir...."

"Festos. You can call me Festos."

"Yes, sir Festos. Who are you? Really."

Skullius sank into his seat and supported his chin with his hand. The look in his white eyes caused another burst of anxiety to shake the settling atmosphere in the room. Slight emotion was conveyed through them but no one could tell which.

"I was sent by a Grand Priest from Genhuis City. In order to get a curse placed upon me removed, he told me to come and help however I can here. Only then can I get my hands on something that can help me. Preferably a fast acting artefact," Skullius explained.

The Priests within the room marvelled.

Their fanatical brains immediately began to assume that the Deities had orchestrated an elaborate thread of events that saved the city and the people through this man.

How beautiful it was, the work of three Deities!

They were the only ones who thought this in the room, however. No one else did.

In fact, Anara's face hardened a bit. Even his usual prideful and serious visage had softened in the face of such a powerful ally but now, he couldn't help but wonder.

"Sir... Festos. Please forgive my impudence but are you..."

"I assume the Grand Priest contacted you about me. It's probably what you think. The one who once aided the Evenfall cultists... that's me," Skullius cut off Anara.

The Paladin Champion's face became harder, as did the faces of everyone here except Oliviana who wore a 'That's Bullshit!' disbelieving face. There was no way that was true. Skullius had helped in taking down Evenfall bastards in the past. He wasn't a saint or anything but she figured that if he fought against that evil bunch there was no way he would ally with them. Above that, the man hadn't gotten any time or luxury for such side quests.

Sadly, not everyone saw it that way.

Even the Priests were having different opinions about Skullius now, contrasting what they thought before.

Anara shifted in his seat before gazing intently at Skullius. He then spoke respectfully.

"I'm sorry, sir Festos but I cannot believe that story. It's probably none of my business to pry but there is no way someone like you would be kidnapping innocent people for the Evenfall. With your strength, you would have been recruited in their ranks instead."

Bull and Cast seemed to get the same idea from Anara's words.

"I agree but just as Anara said, it is not our place to pry. I'd say you have helped us plenty already," Bull said with hard nod.

Cast also nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

There was no doubt that Skullius wasn't a valiant Knight with great morality, evidenced by the way he killed the first batch of enemies. If some of the Priests actually had the means to see how some of the bandits had died, they would have been calling him an Incarnation of Boron instead, but this wasn't something Cast and Bull cared for.

The Carpet Keep harboured mad men with records of malice that outclassed Skullius'. His feats didn't cloud their judgement.

They were the only ones who accepted this, sadly. The rest were eyeing Skullius in fear or with judgement. Particularly some of the Purity Knights and Priests in the room.

However, their opinions didn't matter when Bull and Anara were present.

WHOOOSH!

A murderous air suddenly engulfed the entire room, causing everyone's faces to turn pale!

The light within seemed to dim and the image of Skullius seemed to grow larger than their own, a claustrophobic feeling compressing their forms continuously!

The will to resist instantly dissipated from the combatants' eyes and faces!

For the non-combatants, it was worse as some of them collapsed from their seats and grew silent.

"You're all getting the wrong idea. Choice. That's all it is. I am what I say I am. I saved no one. I don't care for what happens to this city after I leave. I told you the mission I have and that's all there is to it," Skullius said in a voice that was neither as loud as a call or as low as a whisper.

"I'll kill the rest of the bandits. I know where they are and how many they are. It should be easy enough. That should be enough for you to put in a good word for me with the Priest, right?"

Skullius' question was directed at Anara who was frozen in fright. Despite feeling like his life was flashing before his eyes, he nodded quickly as not doing so felt like it would net him a quick death.

"Good. We set off as soon as you have everything within the city in order. I'll also be taking those remaining bandits with me when I leave. I hope none of you object."

Naturally, there was no objection.

Rising tension but no objection.

Skullius nodded and rose, leaving the room.

The atmosphere returned to normal in the room and the first person to gain a semblance of sanity was Oliviana who understood what Skullius had just done.

She followed after him and found him slowly walking through the streets where crowds were being escorted, the injured and dead being carried to different locations.

"So this is where you were?" Skullius said as Oliviana approached.

"You didn't expect a proper goodbye, did you?" the short woman said with an exasperated look.

"Not quite. I expected you to have communicated with Silrat though."

"Our deal ended when I arrived in Genhuis City. Me being housed by the Brynes and all was just an additional benefit."

"Oh," Skullius voiced. "I thought you would join the Association. It fits you."

"I thought so too. But it felt a bit... how should I say it? Too free? Maybe I missed extensive protocol, after all. But, Karrun told me about how relieving it is to work as a Contract Knight. Turns out that was exactly what I needed."

"Karrun told you that?"

"Yes. He used to be a Contract Knight in the Carpet Keep. He even gave me a recommendation that helped me kick things off."

Skullius had not expected this. It made sense when he imagined everything he knew about the short woman. Oliviana had met Karrun possibly four days before him. There was plenty of time for them to get acquainted and sort out this whole thing.

What the Hybrid Luman wondered was why she had left seemingly a day or so after he arrived. Instead of letting the thought rage in his mind, Skullius asked Oliviana about it.

"I guess I wanted to see to it that the entirety of my old life was left behind. You were my last student. I had to see you before I left. Not that we have much of a relationship but... sentiment works in mysterious ways," Oliviana said with a self mocking laugh. "The gall on me to call you a student is astonishing isn't it? I don't even want to know how you're so monstrous now."

She said this but nomatter how scary Skullius was, she never felt frightened of him.

Skullius gave a short laugh. He too felt a bit sentimental.

It was all thanks to Oliviana that he had grown rapidly over the seven days when he was imprisoned back in Inhone City. The skills he acquired and levelled up rapidly... it was all because she, the only one who could help him at the time, chose to help him.

(A/N: Refer to Ch.229).

In that short time frame, Skullius had discovered how powerful Oliviana really was and what a waste of talent it had been for her to remain in the College of Battle Arts.

"You're enjoying being a Contract Knight?" Skullius asked.

"More than I imagined. I'm valued. Maybe that's why," Oliviana answered before turning to Skullius and finding a strange look on his face.

There were... hints of sorrow.

In the entire time she had known Skullius, she hadn't seen him look like this.

Instead of asking about it though, she shifted the conversation.

"I know you were trying to avoid being seen in a favourable light in there because of the...uh curse , but you best keep it at that. You might end up creating the opposite result to what you want if you go any further," she advised.

"I know. I might have gone a bit too far already which is why I intend to correct that. To balance it out with some more good, I suppose. Where are the injured being taken?" Skullius said.

At first Oliviana didn't follow but when she dug into everything she knew about Skullius, she realised what he wanted to do.

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