Chapter 190: Aethelstan's Guilt

After the meeting, the different Heroes were told their parents would meet with them soon, then they were dismissed.

"The summit requires absolute privacy for the logistical phase," a warden of the Bastion approached them, speaking annoyingly formal.

The man was clad in pristine white robes that blended seamlessly with the cathedral's glowing architecture. He gestured down a long, sweeping corridor with a bowed head. "The Heroes' Party is to wait in the western antechamber until summoned."

As directed, the Heroes walked the length of the hall in suffocating silence. The pale, shadowless light of the Bastion offered no comfort, only highlighting the deep, fracturing lines running through their ranks.

Aethelstan was in front as always, brimming with anger, side-eyeing Nessa as they stomped toward the antechamber. When Nessa caught his stare, he grunted. "What are you looking at?" And he looked away.

Nessa sighed. Dagna, Bromm and Ugmar shared knowing looks. Stenya and Vadrian frowned at each other. Corisande walked silently with head low, unable to take the image of the Hero calling her name out of his mind.

As soon as the warden guided them into the spacious, high-vaulted antechamber and the heavy oak doors clicked shut, the fragile peace shattered.

"Ask for his help?!" Aethelstan roared, the sound tearing from his throat like a wounded beast.

He erupted, crossing the room in three long strides and delivered a thunderous spin kick to a beautifully carved marble bench. The heavy stone cracked down the middle and caved inward with a deafening crunch.

"An alien! A peasant who crawled out of the mud of a fabricated world!" Aethelstan spat, his blue eyes wide and wild with aristocratic fury.

He spun around to face his team, his chest heaving under his royal breastplate. "They sit in there, the three most powerful men in Evernia, and they seriously debate begging a murderer to save them? Over us?!"

Vadrian and Stenya stood rigidly by the wall, their faces pale but nodding in fierce agreement.

"It's a disgrace," Dagna muttered, as if trying to fuel Aethelstan's fire. "The Elven King is weak for even entertaining the Great Scholar's madness."

Corisande shot a glare at her. "Do not ever speak of my father like that!"

Dagna looked at her, smirking. "Or what? You barely even know how to fight, pretty princess. Weren't you amongst the ones defending the murderer!"

"And you!" Aethelstan didn't care about Dagna's support. His furious gaze snapped across the room, locking onto Nessa.

He marched toward the Shadow Assassin, the heat of his anger radiating from his armor. "You dare stand before my father—before the Kings of the realm—and defend that cur? You dare call it self-defense?!"

Nessa did not shrink back. She stood perfectly upright, her dark hair framing a face carved from absolute stoicism. "I stated the objective truth, Aethelstan. You might be my friend, but I will not perjure myself to soothe your bruised pride."

"My pride?!" Aethelstan's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, threatening to pull it free. "Liraeth is dead! An Elven royal was butchered like a common goblin, and you sided with her killer! You are a traitor to this party, Nessa!"

"Oh come on, Aethelstan! I am loyal to the truth," Nessa countered, snapping back at him, finally becoming confrontational. "And you know what the truth is? You're not shouting because you are mourning Liraeth, Aethelstan. You are shouting to drown out your own conscience."

The room collectively held its breath.

"Watch your tongue," Aethelstan hissed, stepping so close to Nessa that he towered over her. "Do not test me."

"You are guilty, and you know it," Nessa continued, entirely unfazed by the physical threat. Her gray eyes bored directly into his blue ones.

"You engaged the Outworlder first. You drew steel because he insulted you, because he didn't bow to your title. Liraeth only cast that spell because she saw her leader attack. She followed your lead into a battle that did not need to happen."

Aethelstan flinched, a microscopic twitch of his eye betraying the direct hit to his psyche.

"She died," Nessa said, raising her voice like she was passing judgement on the prince, "because you could not control your temper. The Outworlder merely finished the fight you started."

"Shut up!" Aethelstan bellowed, the sound echoing violently off the ceiling. He drew his blade a fraction of an inch from its scabbard, the sharp shing of steel ringing out.

Corisande and Deron immediately stepped forward, their hands raised to intervene, but Aethelstan shoved past Nessa, pacing furiously toward the center of the room.

He was a prince pushed to the absolute brink of his sanity, humiliated by an Outworlder and now psychoanalyzed by his own subordinate.

"He is nothing!" Aethelstan yelled, pointing his gauntlet at the heavy oak doors that led back to the Kings. "He got lucky! He is a savage with a parlor trick, and Master Omares is mistaken to think we cannot do exactly what he did!"

The Prince turned back to the party, his eyes burning with a desperate, manic need for validation. "We are the Vanguard! We were summoned by the gods themselves to be the saviors of this realm! We are better than that Outworlder. I am better than him! So we deserve the chance!"

Aethelstan raised his hands, practically screaming at the vaulted ceiling. "Give us one of these new Gate Worlds! Give us a Demon Gate, and I will personally drag the main loot from all the final bosses back to my father's feet! I will prove that we do not need a peasant to fight our wars!"

Everyone fell silent after his words, then quiet footsteps were heard behind them.

"Very well."

Everyone turned in surprise to see Master Omares standing in front of the door. His expression was as blank and indifferent as a tombstone, and his hands were tucked neatly into the sleeves of his robes like always.

Everyone composed themselves, glancing at the Prince who looked terrified.

Omares tilted his head, looking at the paralyzed, sweating Aethelstan.

"You have gotten your chance," he said. "Prepare to challenge a Demon Gate World."