Kayneth looked at the corpses on the ground and the items they carried. After discovering a large amount of mercury residue and identifying several magic props exclusive to their faction, his expression instantly turned cold. His eyes brimmed with murderous intent.
Such a situation pointed to only one conclusion: there was a traitor within their ranks. And not just any traitor—a high-ranking one. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had access to faction-exclusive magic props.
Because of the unique nature of these items, only those on the faction's trusted list could possess them. Yet someone from that very list had betrayed them.
Taking the faction's rewards while stabbing them in the back? It was time to clean house. If you dared to betray the El-Melloi faction—prepare to die.
"You must have been caught in an unexpected disaster," Kayneth said, addressing the others. "On behalf of the entire El-Melloi faction, I apologize. Please don't hold this against us. Incidents like this are all too common in the Clock Tower."
Aslan nodded. Even among the fairies, there were factional disputes and the occasional shadowy hand behind the curtain. The Clock Tower was far dirtier. As for Akuta Hinako… after living over two thousand years, what sort of tricks hadn't she seen? From blunt force to honeyed words, from covert scheming to blatant power plays—the lands of China had already played through every scenario with immaculate precision.
Neither Aslan nor Hinako blamed Kayneth. To some degree, he too was a victim of this mess.
Aslan thought for a moment. Since Kayneth was taking the initiative to extend goodwill, there was no harm in responding in kind. On the one hand, the El-Melloi faction was undeniably powerful. On the other, the Clock Tower was crawling with hidden dangers. If he had been used as a pawn this time, who knew what might happen next?
He liked to investigate while enjoying himself. There might be abnormalities in this world, but he had no interest in wasting time playing power games with the Clock Tower's schemers.
Being part of a faction might put a target on your back, but in most cases, it also meant protection. Regular members were seldom harassed. In fact, to keep someone from defecting to another faction, groups like El-Melloi would go out of their way to shield allies from disruption.
A little kindness now would go a long way.
Aslan took off the shield he had been carrying and tossed it to Kayneth. Seeing the other man's puzzled expression, he waved a hand casually. "Since Teacher Kayneth has shown me kindness, I can't just walk away empty-handed. This shield is my gift to you."
Kayneth's eyes widened as he examined the dense engravings in fairy script etched across the shield's surface. His gaze flickered back and forth between the artifact and Aslan, and for a moment, all the poise he usually maintained vanished.
At that moment, Kayneth really wanted to yell. Did this prodigy in front of him not understand how rare a shield inscribed with so many fairy characters was? Kayneth himself, a genius by Clock Tower standards, had studied fairy script—but only recognized a handful of symbols. And now he held a shield covered in them.
Never mind what magical abilities it had. The script alone was priceless.
"You're just giving this to me?!"
His voice trembled, but Aslan only nodded. He had at least ninety—possibly even a hundred—similar shields stored in his equipment warehouse. If a piece lacked unique abilities or couldn't even transform, it was usually something he had made casually.
If he weren't worried about exposing his abilities or true identity, he would've gifted Kayneth a specialized outfit capable of transformation. After all, in Aslan's opinion, if someone with his skills gave a gift that didn't showcase transformation tech, it would seem disrespectful.
Even if he wanted to offer a lesser weapon, he'd need to have it in reserve. Technically, this was an incredible bargain for Kayneth. But to Aslan, parting with a "worthless" item to gain political capital was well worth it.
More than worth it—he considered it a net gain. With Kayneth's endorsement, no one would question his identity again.
And going forward, he could act more freely under the protection of the El-Melloi faction.
Kayneth carefully tucked the shield into his magic costume, ensuring it wouldn't be damaged in the slightest.
"I will remember this favor. If you ever need anything, come to me."
Adjusting his mood, Kayneth's signature prideful smile returned. "Alright. Let's get out of here."
Kayneth had always been proud. Outside of his mentor, there were few people he'd ever acknowledged. Gratitude didn't come naturally to him. Still, no one present minded the lack of a flowery thank-you.
Afterward, Aslan clearly felt the benefits of having a faction behind him. Upon returning to the Clock Tower, some of the subtle gazes he'd sensed before vanished entirely. Whether they had been attempts to win him over or probes for weakness, all interest faded the moment he aligned himself with a faction.
Perhaps Kayneth had truly viewed the shield as a treasure. Though Aslan was now part of a faction, inter-factional hostility hadn't reached him. Kayneth must have blocked it on his behalf.
Unfortunately, peace didn't last.
As the sweltering summer faded and the crisp winds of autumn began to stir, Aslan received a new mission from the Clock Tower—this time, one exclusive to the Archaeology Department. He wouldn't need to bring Hinako with him. In fact, his earlier philosophical musings seemed to have struck a chord with the immortal herself.
It seemed that Hinako was finally beginning to open herself up to new experiences. Perhaps to vent her long-suppressed restlessness, the two-thousand-year-old fairy had even started experimenting with heavy metal rock.
-End Chapter-
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