Free Web NovelChapter 208: _It’s A Promise
"V–Valentine." Josiah’s eyes became cold the instant they fixed on the Necromancer. "What business do you have here? In fact—how did you get—"
"None of your business, Mr President." Valentine kicked off the armrest, ignoring the way the six suited men shifted with unease. His head tilted as he took two steps forward. "Just like Guide Ambrose’s affairs aren’t any of your business as well."
Ambrose felt like he’d just been ripped out of a black hole. His heart beat like war drums as sweat drenched basically every part of his body.
Josiah’s Sovereign Tongue was so close to getting him to spill. Even with Valentine’s Necrotic Mark strengthening his soul.
If the Necromancer had even been two seconds late... fuck!
’This isn’t fucking fair.’ His fists clenched as he discreetly glared at the Federation President. ’Not one bit. Just because he’s the head of our country’s Federation means he has the right to fuck with my head and rip out my secrets?’
"When will you and Hunter Gabriel understand?" Josiah brought up a finger. "I’m doing this for the good of the Federation. For the country. This... Guide—"
"Is nothing but that," Valentine didn’t falter. "Yes, he survived the pressure of an SS-Rank dungeon. But if you didn’t notice from the reports you gathered he came out hurt just like the rest of us in that raid."
Valentine dragged his feet forward by just a few inches. The movement—though subtle—alerted the suited men.
One spread out a palm, balling it into a fist before pointing it at Valentine. "Back off, Mr Lockwood. You—"
"Please," Valentine chuckled like he just watched a poodle do a flip. "Put it down. You do not want to be part of the next big headline."
Silence.
The men hesitated, their gazes flitting between Valentine and the President.
"Stand down." Josiah let out a short sigh. His eyes sharpened. "What I fail to understand more than anything, Lockwood, is why?"
"... Why what?"
"Why are you, Gabriel and other powerful Espers so drawn to this one C-Rank if he’s so ’meaningless’?" A pause. "You can sense something is off. You know it. So why not let me—"
"Strip him of his free will?" Valentine shook his head. "Nah—I’d rather not. I don’t want a repeat of history."
Ambrose, Devon and Viktor all exchanged glances.
Suddenly the tension in the room felt ten times thicker.
"Valentine," Josiah’s tone was cautious now. "What happened to you all those years ago was so much different."
"Really?"
"Yes. You constantly endangered lives with your abilities and I had to place necessary restraints until you could control them properly."
"Under whose directive?!" For the first time since Ambrose met him, Valentine raised his voice. Shadows glitched as he continued. "You had no right. No right to make me feel broken. To strip me of my power for so long until I saw it as a curse."
"I was trying to protect you, damn it!"
"I didn’t need your protection." Valentine shot back. "And neither does Ambrose. Go join the rest of the Federation in doing a terrible job trying to bring down that Void entity. For once in your life—stop playing God."
Josiah’s jaw ticked.
For several long seconds, he said absolutely nothing. The tension hanging in the living room became suffocating.
Then finally—the President exhaled through his nose. "... We’re leaving."
The suited men looked stunned by the abrupt decision but quickly obeyed, lowering their weapons and stepping back.
Josiah turned toward the entrance without another word. However, just before he crossed the doorway, Valentine spoke again.
"Oh—and one more thing."
Everyone’s attention shifted back to the Necromancer. His crimson eyes glowed faintly beneath the dim lighting.
"I know the Federation has people watching Gabriel, Viktor, Devon, myself and now Ambrose too." His voice remained calm despite the menace hidden beneath it. "If I catch any of your spies around us again..."
The shadows beneath the furniture stretched unnaturally. "I can’t promise to let them go."
One of the suited men visibly stiffened.
Josiah slowly glanced over his shoulder. "Is that a threat?"
Valentine smiled.
"No," he answered softly. "It’s a promise."
The room fell dead silent after that.
Then Josiah resumed walking.
The six S-Ranks followed immediately behind him until eventually the front doors shut.
And only then did Ambrose realise he’d been holding his breath the entire time.
"What?" Devon was the first to break the silence, staring between Valentine and the door. "What the hell did you mean we’re being watched?"
Even Viktor looked caught off guard now.
Valentine casually dusted invisible lint off his sleeve. "Gabriel figured it out a couple days ago."
"A couple DAYS?" Ambrose nearly shrieked.
His pulse skyrocketed instantly.
Paranoia crawled beneath his skin so fast it almost hurt.
Without wasting another second, he discreetly activated Spatial Awareness.
The invisible scan spread outward from him rapidly, taking in everything.
The walls.
The compound.
The nearby roads.
The surrounding greenery.
Nothing.
No suspicious aether signatures. No hidden Hunters.
Still, Ambrose couldn’t calm down.
Because if the Federation really had been watching them this whole time then how long before they escalated things further?
How long before Josiah stopped asking politely?
"That’s fucking insane." Devon dragged a hand through his hair. "Why didn’t anyone say anything?"
"Because there wasn’t much to say." Valentine shrugged lightly. "Federation surveillance isn’t exactly uncommon once powerful Hunters become involved in something politically sensitive."
His gaze drifted to Ambrose briefly.
"Though admittedly... your case escalated faster than expected."
That did absolutely nothing to soothe Ambrose’s nerves.
If anything it only made him more aware of how dangerous his situation truly was becoming.
One wrong move and everything would collapse.
Then suddenly something clicked in his head.
He narrowed his eyes on Valentine. "Wait." A pause. "How did you even get here so fast?"
The Necromancer stared at him for a beat before answering.
"The Necrotic Mark."
Ambrose blinked.
"When Josiah used Sovereign Tongue on you, your soul reacted violently enough for the mark to alert me." Valentine’s tone lowered slightly. "I came the moment I sensed it."
For some reason, those words hit Ambrose strangely hard.
His chest tightened faintly as their gazes locked. And for a brief second, the atmosphere shifted.
The Paranoia and everything in between blurred weirdly beneath Valentine’s stare.
It almost felt... intimate.
Then Valentine finally stepped back.
"Well," he drawled. "Try not to get interrogated by reality warpers again. It’s exhausting for everyone involved."
Before Ambrose could even respond, Valentine turned on his heels and found the exit on his own.
[Valentine Lockwood’s attraction points have increased.]
[Current attraction points: 72]
Ambrose stared blankly at the system notification hovering before him. Then at the empty spot Valentine had occupied moments ago.
His heartbeat quickened all over again. ’Well, things just keep getting more interesting.’
