I Became the Bully Extra in a Novel I Hate

Chapter 38: Permission

"Remove him from my sight."

The pressure in the room lifted immediately. Like a hand opening.

People around the hall exhaled without realizing they were doing it.

The black-haired Vernon man grabbed Vak by the arm and hauled him up. He looked at the Patriarch.

"The Vernon family will hear of this. Vaelis."

The Patriarch smiled. "I’ll expect a meeting with your father then." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

The man held the look for one second. Then turned. "Let’s go. We’re leaving."

The red-haired woman looked between them. Back and forth. Then she followed.

Avara moved to the Patriarch’s side immediately. "What was that. Why did you—"

He looked at her. The look of someone who doesn’t want any interruptions.

She stopped. Looked down.

"My my, Vaelis." Ealon’s voice came from the side. Unhurried. Slightly amused. "You’re really the only person I know who would incapacitate a guest at their own banquet."

The Patriarch said nothing.

The main door opened.

Vak was still bleeding. He had a hand pressed to his face and his white suit was ruined and he was pointing at the Patriarch from across the hall with the specific fury of someone who had never once been told no properly.

"You.. You think you’re getting away with this!"

"You better shut up, or you’ll go home with missing limbs." Velja said as he cracks his knuckles.

The room went still.

"I’ll tell father! I don’t care if you’re an Archmagus! This is a crime against Magus! The Council will hear—"

Mercenaries moved in behind him. His squad. Forming up.

This guy is pathetic.

’THIS IDIOT.’ Vexis appeared at his shoulder, voice cracking at the top. ’Who does he think he is threatening my father like that!’

The Patriarch stepped forward.

The air changed immediately. Not dramatically. Just heavier. Like the ceiling came down two inches without moving.

Arthur’s next breath took more effort than the one before it.

"Dear, please—" Avara’s voice. Different this time. Not concern. The quiet of someone who knew what this man looked like right before something irreversible happened.

"Boy."

The Patriarch’s voice was low. Completely even.

"Tell your father I’ll gladly welcome them here." He tilted his head slightly. "Tell me. If your father hears about this. What will he do?"

Vak’s expression went cold.

"Gather every mercenary in your company. Rally them here." The Patriarch’s lips moved. Almost a smile. "I simply don’t care." A pause. "Or would you prefer I come to your estate myself."

"You— you can’t do this! The Council—"

The Patriarch leaned in.

Whatever he said, he said it quietly. Just for Vak.

Vak’s face changed.

The fury went somewhere. What replaced it wasn’t calm. It was the specific expression of someone who had just been shown something they couldn’t unsee.

"I.. understand." His voice came out small. "I understand."

He nodded. Once.

Then he left.

The mercenaries followed.

What the hell did he say to him.

Roz was silent on his shoulder.

Vexis was grinning.

The Blauenstein left ten minutes after.

Arthur didn’t push his anchors toward their table again. Ealon had already seen him once. He wasn’t going to hand him a second look.

He watched from his seat instead.

The Patriarch and Ealon spoke privately near the far end of the room. Low voices. Heads slightly angled toward each other. The conversation of people who didn’t need to raise their voice to make a point.

Then it broke. Ealon straightened. Said something final. The Patriarch nodded once.

They parted.

Arthur watched Ealon cross the hall toward the exit with the rest of his family.

He was not going to look over here.

He looked over here.

He stopped in front of Arthur’s table.

Oh shit.

Oh shit oh shit oh—

"Neat magic you have there." Ealon’s eyes moved once across Arthur’s face. Calm. Unhurried. "Vexis."

’WHAT HOW DOES HE—’

"I— what magic?" Arthur forced a smile. "I’m not sure what you mean."

Ealon smiled back.

Then he turned and walked out.

Arthur sat completely still.

He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t threaten. Didn’t warn. Just acknowledged it and left.

That’s worse. That is so much worse.

Arthur breathed out slow.

God. So much happened tonight. I’m exhausted.

"Vexis."

The Patriarch’s voice from across the emptying hall.

"My office."

Cael was already there when Arthur walked in.

Standing near the left wall. Still face. Hands at his sides. Like he’d been there a while.

Arthur looked at him.

Then at the Patriarch behind the desk.

"Wha—"

"I’ve known everything from the start." The Patriarch gestured at Cael. "Did you really think I was clueless?"

Arthur said nothing.

Roz on his shoulder said nothing.

Vexis went quiet.

Arthur was sweating.

"I ordered Cael Aftell to be your shadow. He’s been in your life since you were children. Close enough to see everything. Trusted enough that you’d never question it." The Patriarch stood. "He reported everything to me. And I was the one who ordered him to tip off the operation to the Allright council."

’What.’ Vexis said. Flat. ’Cael did?’

Arthur looked at Cael.

Cael looked back with that face. The one that gave nothing. The one that had been giving nothing the entire time and Arthur had read it as loyalty and it was loyalty. Just not to him.

He’d been so certain it was Ivan.

He sat with that for one second. The specific feeling of being wrong about something you’d stopped questioning.

Then the analysis came in behind it.

Cael always positioned nearby. Always the first to know when something moved. "Are you sure about this" in the alley wasn’t doubt. It was a man checking the status of an asset.

Pretty slick honestly.

"When I learned someone was actively hunting you." The Patriarch’s voice pulled him back. "That changed things. I didn’t expect you to come forward and admit your involvement in the operation."

"I deeply regret what I did to those students." Arthur lowered his head. Still sweating. "Please forgive me patriarch."

The Patriarch looked at him for a moment. Then gestured to Cael. "The report."

Cael straightened slightly.

"The Vernon family has direct ties to a criminal organization called The Covenant. Active throughout the Emerald Kingdom. Their recorded offenses include assault and kidnapping of elves."

The Covenant. That’s not in the novel. Not anywhere.

"Beyond that. Forces from the Emerald Kingdom have been observed near the Creslan border. The nearest point to elven territory. My intel indicates they’re preparing for military movement. Not diplomatic."

Arthur stared at the wall.

What Chapter is this shit.

This wasn’t in the first arc. This wasn’t in the second. This was somewhere past the point the author had actually written and Arthur had zero map for any of it.

The Patriarch looked at Arthur. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"I have the legal grounds to exterminate the Vernon family entirely." A pause. "But that would be too boring."

He stepped around the desk.

"Tell me, Vexis." His eyes moved to Arthur’s face. "Do you want revenge."

Vexis drifted forward beside him.

’Yes.’ Quiet. No caps. Just the word.

Arthur’s mouth opened involuntarily

"Yes."

Not his own voice.

BRO WHAT THE HELL?

’What?! Do you seriously think Vak will let us be?’ Vexis turned around to face Arthur. ’And do you think I’ll let him pass? After he ordered a product of theirs to assasinate us? My body!?’

But—

’I don’t care if I have to kill him. That matter isn’t something you just let go.’ Vexis glared. ’Vak will pay.’

Arthur sighed.

The Patriarch’s lips curled.

"Then I give you permission to destroy them."

A beat.

"Starting with that insolent brat."

His eyes didn’t move from Arthur’s.

"Vak Vernon."