I was looking forward to the rewards I would obtain after completing the ’I Am Innocent’ quest.
To maximise the benefits of revealing my potential and also grow stronger, I could only wait until this issue was settled.
I didn’t have any plans of aligning myself with the Okafor and Mazrel Clans. One was a Berserker Clan, and the other a Magical Swordsman Clan.
They fell short against a Beastmaster Path powerhouse like the Zahara Clan.
If I wanted to ensure my security, then the best protection would be powerhouses of the Summoner Path or Mage Path Clans, or another Beastmaster Path Clan of the same standing.
Otherwise, it would just be a game of cat and mouse until the Zahara Clan found a way to corner them.
"I will listen to your advice."
Sarafina smiled approvingly.
"Can I see Instructor Fredric’s confession?"
"Not yet. There’s something we need to discuss first before I can show you the confession." Sarafina shook her head.
"What is it?" I asked, after a brief hesitation.
"I want you to agree that no matter what happens, you will testify against the descendants of the Zahara Clan, whether it’s in front of the instructor Committee, the Disciplinary Committee, or any higher authority," Sarafina said, her voice serious.
"If you agree now and choose to break your promise later, then you should also be prepared to fear me. I won’t mind taking the risk of eliminating you myself before fleeing the academy, so think carefully before making your decision."
Oh! So that was what it was.
Sarafina reasoned that the Zahara Clan might try to bribe me into keeping silent after learning of this situation. This text is hosted at novel•fire.net
Since I was still a descendant and heir of the Zahara Clan, there was a high chance I might accept the compensation and break our agreement.
"Even if the Zahara Clan offers up the heads of fifteen generations as an apology, I will not accept it. So you have nothing to fear. In fact, I am more worried that you two would back down if the Zahara Clan threatens you."
Sarafina furrowed her brow.
"I didn’t know you hated them that much," she said with a glint in her eyes.
"Hate? That’s a strong word for this kind of situation. This is a personal issue which I don’t want to talk about."
I stretched my right hand forward.
"Can I see his confession now?"
"I don’t know what you’ve gone through within the Zahara Clan, but, unfortunately, they would lose a talented descendant like you and a chance to gain a foothold in the Magical Swordsmen Path because of their ego," Sarafina said with a sigh.
She took out a smartphone from her back pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to me.
I placed the smartphone in front of me and played the video on the screen.
[ Third Person P.O.V ]
Ezekiel watched the video playing, showing Fredric tightly tied to a chair with chains around his neck and hands.
The chains rattled and glowed brightly whenever he tried to move.
The camera zoomed in on him.
Ezekiel quickly guessed that Sarafina was the one holding the camera.
"Do you think I wanted this? Do you think that I enjoy lowering myself to those Zahara brats? Hah... You seriously don’t understand what you’re getting into by interfering with this." Fredric’s trembling voice resonated from the smartphone speakers.
"Can you handle the consequences of your actions? You and I both know that you cannot. You’ve already settled the issue regarding Chioma’s position in the Star Auction Auditorium."
"As long as you hand that bottle over to me, I promise I’ll overlook what you just did. You have ten seconds to do so. Otherwise..."
"Didn’t I just ask you a question? Stop blabbering nonsense. I’ll be taking the pill, and you will have to fight me for it if you want to get it," Sarafina asked, her tone becoming fierce. "Do you understand?"
Fredric’s expression turned deranged.
"Good. Now then, tell me why you are aiding the Descendants of the Zahara Clan scheme against Ezekiel Zahara?" Sarafina asked.
"Because... because they discovered my secret. I... I sustained an injury in a dungeon that severely damaged my sword embryo years ago. The pills were the only thing that helped sustain it, or else they would have collapsed long ago. And the academy would have thrown me out like trash. I would have lost my reputation and everything..."
He clenched his fists, veins bulging along his arms and forehead.
He resembled a madman.
A pill used to sustain a sword embryo, preventing it from collapsing.
Ezekiel had read about numerous strange pills when he first learned that his spirit veins were defective, till he uncovered that the Zahara Clan had lied to him.
But he had never heard of a pill like that.
He didn’t even know such a pill existed.
The pills must cost a fortune, and not even someone like Fredric had the wealth to continuously purchase them for years without going bankrupt.
Ezekiel never expected Fredric to have gone through such an experience.
Was this the reason why he had agreed to carry out the Zahara Clan Descendants schemes?
It made sense if it was.
Still, Ezekiel didn’t feel pity for him.
Instead, his expression turned curious and serious simultaneously, then he continued to listen attentively as Fredric continued,
"I don’t know how they did it. But the Zahara Clan Descendants discovered the pill and manipulated the trade. By the time I could purchase another one, I realised the pill was now scarce. I couldn’t afford it at the price it was being sold."
"They reached out to me and promised to provide me with several batches of the pills if, in exchange, I turned a blind eye to whatever schemes they carried out against Ezekiel. Soon, I realised that there was a problem with the pills they had given me. They were drugged with an addictive."
"So I consumed them faster than they were meant to last. Before I knew what was happening, it was too late."
Bad news: Unfortunately, I was unable to break through my earnings, so I earned nothing last month.
Good news: The update is now 2 Chapters per day... I hope I don’t get burned out and also manage to break through my earnings for this month... hopefully.