Kaelen was not sure why but the sword seemed to get heavier with every slice he did. He at first ignored it but it appeared that he was going to have a hard time if he continued and so he stopped.
He looked at Lyren once more and then at Sera. He wore a smile that meant he was about to say something just outrageous.
"How about this, I will give you this sword but you will give up on the core," Kaelen was not taking a step back and he seemed to be pushing his luck.
Those around did not understand what was going on but it was quite a show. They expected Sera to retaliate but she was not the one to have second guesses.
"Fine," she replied and since Kaelen had gone ahead and made his deal public, he was obliged to fulfil it. He could not help but feel like he had been cheated from how there was no hesitation at all.
He handed her the sword after sheathing it and he waited to see her reaction to it but she picked it light as a feather. Maybe he had been cheated after all.
He watched as she pulled it away from his hand and she walked away. Kaelen could not help but feel bitter. He had been rash when he beat up the kid. If he had known, he would not be settling for the beast core and he would have been fighting on equal terms.
He might have appeared to have the initiative but if he dared to spill the beans to anyone, Sera would also take the initiative to report that he had beaten up a commoner.
This was where she had her boot on his throat and he could only watch as she went to claim her prize as the legitimate founder even though he had found the kid first. He clenched his fist and looked at his gang.
They were also surprised by how smooth that had gone. There should have been disagreements but the two knew that if they dared to disagree in public, they would risk giving away the valuable information they were carrying.
And that was how the story was going to remain a secret between the three until they were finally out. Still, he could feel there was some tension building up.
Now Sera was going to have to do a load of explaining. Kaelen had gotten the core but he had done the least. He had just destroyed the rear tendons.
The two who had done the true work were the spearman who was yet to regain his hearing though he was beginning to feel better.
He was seated away at the base of a tree with his eyes closed. He of all people deserved to be included in the discussion of who was to get the core.
The second contender was James. If anything, he was the worthiest to receive the core. After all, he had landed the killer blow.
They were all arrogant but it had come to bite them on the back and had it not been for James, they might be dead already.
This alone justified giving James the core. Yet, the core had been exchanged for a sword that carried no weight. Each and everyone of them could afford it.
This was where Kaelen's scheme got dark because he was pitting Sera against everyone. They knew she was competent but they also did not like how she had acted the few hours that passed.
She had freed the commoner even though it was out of pity. Her decision saved them but they had witnessed how she was showing some preferential treatment. This alone was enough.
And now, she had made a decision to trade the core for the sword. This hurt them even though they did not voice it. The power balance was being disturbed.
James personally was bitter but he could not say anything. His victory had been snatched from him. At least he should have gotten an explanation but he was shown cold shoulders.
Sera stopped and looked around. She saw the eight stage cultivators had seeds of doubt planted. Kaelen was not just a brute.
"You cans share the spoils amongst yourselves. I am not interested."
Her tone carried some warning and finality that she was going to answer to no one. After all, being a leader meant also carrying hate and bad blood.
She did not mind the small sacrifice if it meant that her position was going to rise and she was going to be able to do much more in her new position.
For her, it was a worthy sacrifice.
She reached Lyren who looked at her with a curious gaze. She held the sword forward and as he held it and tried to pull it, she did not let go and she had a complicated gaze.
Well, this was to be expected. He tugged the sword but she did not let go. It seemed that she was lost in her thoughts.
"Let go, Sera," Lyren said and tugged again.
This brought her back to her senses but Lyren did not seem to notice the gazes filled with hostility that turned to him.
He had just called her by her name and he had not used any formalities. That was a crime that was highly punishable. Those who were powerful than you were supposed to be addressed as seniors. What Lyren had done was blatant disrespect.
Sera let go of the sword and her gaze focused.
"Don't forget." She said and left. When the others tried to inquire why she let him disrespect her, she gave a simple answer.
"You call me senior and I call you juniors because we are from the same academy. He is not part of us and hence he is not part of our system. Our laws only exist when we are as students of the same academy."
Her words were logical and easy to accept. Even Kaelen did not have a counter for this. But just when Kaelen thought he had had his sweet victory, she turned to him and he had a bad feeling. She was about to do something very disadvantageous for him.
"Kaelen, are you ready to take responsibility for your actions? I am told that it was under your order that they used the sound flare. I thought it was already clear that we should not use the sound flare unless it was an emergency or when you found it.
"As the leader of this expedition, I deem it fit to hold you responsible because it was the flare you commanded that attracted the beast.It might be dangerous to stay here any longer so we set sail immediately.
"Also, I find your actions for torturing a commoner very much against the ethics set by our academy. If I as the leader were to overlook this, I would be deemed as incompetent.
"That is why I find it very fair if the one who received the core was not the mastermind behind the attack but the hero who saved the day, James.
"If you have any complaints, you shall speak them out to the academy or else that solves it. We leave in ten minutes. Everyone should get ready," Sera's words were like a guillotine.
Kaelen's neck did not stand a chance as he was stripped off all his rights to have the core he had gone through great lengths to acquire. And it was all because of that one boy.
He had no counter for any of the allegations as he begrudgingly gave the core to James. Everyone agreed with her. It was for this reason they were doubting Sera but she had once again shown them all why she was number one.
They all agreed that it was Kaelen's fault that things had turned out like this. That flare he had used was the reason they had a meeting before setting off so that they could revise their formations and roles.
They had survived just barely and it was rightfully because James had killed the deer when all hope was lost.
Her judgement was final and the group was back into one piece. Kaelen was the angriest as he wore an ugly look. He just clenched his feet in defeat.
Lyren chuckled as he realized he was deeply looking down on Sera. She was actually a sly fox…