Ixion flashed a dubious smile and raised his hands with open palms. He drew his eyes across the bleak room with maps pinned to the stone walls.
An old, large round table sat in the very center; the wood was rotten. Cracks littered the singular thick leg.
The chairs surrounding looked like antiques from early Catatran rather than something one would actually deign to use. The spruce weathered and molded by the nasty sewer fumes.
An out-of-place oak cabinet in the corner seemed to have undergone the same trauma.
Finally, there was the dim candle in the center of the table.
"Don't you think this place is a little drab for a righteous and dignified group such as the Oathsworn!"
Reina pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips.
"I thought you said our cause was a 'charade.'"
'Ooh! She's sassy now!'
Probably because she wasn't in the public eye. No reason to cloak her identity when all present knew it.
Ixion boisterously laughed.
"I did, I did. But does that make it not righteous! In fact, all heroes are dignified fools! The greater the villain they aim to take down, the more of an idiotic idealist they are."
Reina opened her eyes slowly.
"Where have you been, truly? Don't be discursive. Speak plainly and honor our agreement. You already violated it once; violate it again, and I'll feel inclined to remove you by force."
Reina gripped the dagger hidden under her tunic.
'Super scary!'
Not really.
The girl was strong.
But Veritas was stronger.
Much stronger.
'Something we both know, girl.'
Ixion hadn't particularly made much of an attempt to hide his strength.
Ixion coughed, then said:
"I was in hibernation. Hiding in a storehouse wall here or there. Granted, I did lie about residing in the nasty, foul, smelly sewers. Such a place is undignified for one such as I."
Reina rolled her eyes, then sat back down and looked at the others gathered, who had horror-stricken expressions, save for one red-haired woman who seemed unperterbed.
"I briefly warned you all about this man… but I didn't think you'd all meet him so soon. Or that he'd show up here of all places—"
"Yeah, the sewers were not what I was expecting!"
Reina cast a side-long glance at Veritas. She bit her lip and took a deep breath.
"Think of him as a trial member we can't get rid of. But, one more question, Veritas. How did you find this place?"
'That's a little harsh to say to my face!'
Ixion lowered his hands and shrugged with a thick grin adorning his face.
"I followed you."
Reina looked concerned and frightened.
The fact that Veritas had found the place at all suggested that it was the truth — a scary truth.
She'd been followed and had been none the wiser. Anyone would be frightened given those circumstances.
Especially a lone girl—
'Wait a second…'
Ixion paled, and his smile dropped.
'Am I a creep?!'
Following younger girls from the shadows!
It wasn't exactly what he'd done in this case, but it was something he'd done in his soul form on multiple occasions.
'Someone. Call the Royal Guards! Royal Assassins! Anyone! This Veritas fellow is a creep! Lock this pervert away!'
Reina shook out her unease, then calmly said:
"We can proceed with the discussion as planned. If he truly wanted to disrupt our cause, he has the power to do so. If he hasn't yet, that means he can somewhat be… tolerated."
'Ouch! Stop hurting this King… this General's heart! I've taken enough mental beating learning of my own predatory behavior.'