Chapter 274: How did you defeat him?

"It doesn’t matter.

I promise I’ll get even stronger and once I do,

I will visit you."

Lucian spoke with a big grin on his face. Rhydan heard those words and a big smile appeared on his face as well.

"I will be waiting."

Others around them seemed surprised.

They did not think someone like Rhydan would talk to a... Demon-Class Blood-Altered Human in such a friendly manner.

Just... what happened between them?

Not that Rhydan or Lucian cared about those around them, they only kept staring at each other.

Then suddenly, Lucian’s eyes moved somewhere else.

A person standing a short distance away.

It was Silvian.

And as if he sensed his gaze, the Vampire Noble looked back at Lucian, then, he looked at Naomi, or more specifically, towards the mark on her wrist and—

"Congratulations."

He gave a respectful nod.

"Thank you."

Naomi smiled.

Silvian nodded again, then, he walked away, ready to leave together with his people.

Clearly, he wasn’t pleased by the result, but he wasn’t petty or childish enough to challenge it. The result was always Aevrienne’s choice, and she seemed to have made it.

He wouldn’t be embarrassing himself or his house by causing a scene.

Lucian did not mind his behaviour, actually, he could understand it.

The Veyr family was losing its influence.

Aevrienne’s contract could have made quite a difference.

That was why Silvian was here in the first place, to return with Aevrienne’s power and move his house back to its former glory.

That, however, would need to wait now.

Silvian would need to think of something else, and... it wouldn’t be easy.

Just then—

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

A loud laugh was heard.

Lucian froze, instantly recognising it.

Naomi was the same, she recognised it as well and because she did, she just facepalmed and prepared herself.

That was when Isolde Verraine pushed through the crowd, then she spread both her hands, one of them now holding a different flask.

Since the last one was broken, the witch quickly got a new one.

Lord Whiskers was still sitting comfortably on her shoulder and after she took another giant chug—

"Rejoice!"

Isolde declared loudly.

"The threads of causality have aligned exactly as foretold!

Just as I predicted!"

"You predicted you would be eliminated?"

Naomi raised an eyebrow.

"Of course."

Isolde seemed offended.

How could she even ask that?

That too, when she had spent so much time with her?

She looked at Lucian, Lucian only nodded silently, asking her to ignore his friend since she was a little slow.

Isolde too, just shook her head and showed the compassion she was so known for.

In the end, she just raised her flask again and decided to explain to the ignorant.

"The Wheel of Fate had whispered the truth into mine ears long before I even met you!"

She spoke as she placed her hand on her chest.

"I merely listened to its sacred guidance and offered myself as the necessary sacrifice so the chosen ones might continue onward!"

"You got stabbed."

Naomi stared at her with a flat look on her face.

"A sacrifice."

"Didn’t seem like a sacrifice."

Lucian commented with an amused smile.

"Yes, you were trying very hard not to get stabbed."

Naomi nodded as well and Isolde—

"A convincing performance, even if I do say so myself."

She nodded again.

"Method acting."

Lucian nodded.

"Exactly."

Isolde nodded as she stared at him, he nodded with her again.

And Naomi—

She just pressed her forehead.

Why...?

Why did the world bring these two together?

But...

For what it’s worth, she could say without a doubt that the Trial did not just give her Aevrienne’s contract, she also got... Isolde.

A slightly, no, very dramatic, but loyal friend.

Naomi smiled at her, Isolde smiled back as she walked towards them, wanting to talk to them, more specifically with Lucian because she wanted to see how he was doing and how grave his injuries were.

So she kept staring at him, at the blood, the damaged limbs and she...

"You really did defeat him..."

She spoke silently, for a moment, her dramatic expression disappeared and was replaced by this genuine surprise, wonder and... care.

"You doubted me?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow.

"I saw Varek when he came out."

Isolde answered, this time, there was no trace of her usual goofiness in her voice.

"And I thought there was absolutely no possibility that you were responsible for that."

"You underestimate me."

Lucian grinned.

Naomi on the other hand—

"What happened after he came out?"

She asked a more important question.

"It caused quite a scene."

Isolde answered as she remembered the chaos.

Honestly, ’quite a scene’ was an understatement.

Varek came outside without a single limb, with his entire body covered in blood and this terrified look that no one would ever expect to see on his face.

That sight alone stunned everyone.

But then—

They acted.

Actually, Varek wasn’t the first person to return from the Trial in such a state, there were some other people who appeared in an even worse state.

They were...

Varek’s victims.

And these victims...

They spoke and because they spoke, anger rose.

Sure, the people here couldn’t go inside the Trial to do anything but...

They sure could wait outside.

And Varek—

He might have been able to escape using the chaos as a shield if he had come out normally but...

When he was in the state he was in?

That was entirely different.

So when Varek appeared, terrified of the being inside the Trial, outside, his worries were... far greater.

"The Enclave took him."

Isolde gave a brief explanation, not wanting to talk more about it.

"Several Vampire Houses wanted him immediately, but with so many injured Hunters among his victims, the Enclave refused to hand him over on the spot.

They will probably retain him while everyone else argues about who gets the privilege of ruining the rest of his life, I imagine."

"Sounds healthy."

Lucian nodded.

"Very."

Isolde nodded.

Then—

"So?"

She glanced at him.

"How?"

Lucian tilted his head.

"How did you defeat him?"