Free Web NovelChapter 157: Continuation Of The Morning
While everyone was enjoying dinner, Mika peacefully slept in the guestroom he and the others were assigned to.
However, his deep slumber was disturbed.
[They are here now.]
"Hmm...?" Mika groaned with half-open eyes.
He took his time getting up.
"Who are you talking about...?"
[Ren Bugar and Louis Hayth.]
Mika tilted his head.
Louis left the mansion in a hurry this morning once he got notified to see the king. As the palace was also in Avagan, it was not surprising that Louis would return so early.
However, based on the butler’s information, Lena and Mika expected Ren, the son of Zhen Bugar, to arrive tomorrow.
"I suppose it would be less awkward if I greet them now." Mika murmured, putting on his clothes.
He went downstairs only to see that everyone gathered at the main entrance, including the working staff of the mansion.
"What’s going on...?"
He heard a lot of gasping and concern.
And when he looked closer, he saw Louis passionately hugging both Lena and Lily.
"I’m so glad nothing happened to you..." Louis said concerned.
The mother-and-daughter duo just gently returned his hug with a smile on their faces.
Meanwhile, Zhen had an even sterner expression.
"I expect nothing less from the captain of the Grand Order. With her there, it was only natural for the demons to fail their plan." a young man, standing right beside Zhen, stated all-knowingly.
The man, who was taller than the average person his age, appeared to be a few years older than Mika. His short and messy hair was dark red. He was well-trained and wore the same attire as Zhen, which made it obvious, who he was.
The red-eyed man was none other than Ren Bugar.
Ren smirked as he crossed his arms.
"Ren."
"Yes, Dad?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"It’s disrespectful to give her all the credit. You should know that other people were giving it their best to survive such a tragedy." Zhen scolded his son despite still sounding calm.
Upon those words, Ren corrected his attitude.
"I apologize."
Ren’s smirk vanished and bowed to his father.
"..."
Mika slowly approached everyone.
[It seems like Louis Hayth learned about the incident in Loogam from the king of Malnor.]
"Yeah..." Mika responded quietly.
Once he entered their field of vision, Louis’, Zhen’s and Ren’s attention focused on him.
But only Ren and Louis approached him.
"Who exactly are you?" Louis asked sternly with a cautious gaze.
"What is a boy doing here? Are you associated with Lily?"
Ren’s intimidation and jealousy were on full display.
Now, even Zhen moved.
"What’s going on, Louis?" he wondered.
Zhen must have noticed the tone Louis took towards Mika.
"...?"
Mika was still confused about what Louis meant.
Surely, he did not intend to make Mika introduce himself again.
"The king of Malnor, Norman Miller, asked me about you."
"!"
Mika widened his eyes.
He realized it now.
Because his group departed from Loogam yesterday at the same time as the other people heading to Malnor, including Norman, and because they rode a carriage prepared by Norman’s people, it was only obvious that he would know that they would visit the Hayths.
"He told me to especially take very good care of you, Mika Elbar." Louis added, narrowing his eyes further.
Standing at the sidelines, Sylvia got a hunch about what was going on due to her knowing about his actual feats and actions he took during the invasion.
On the other hand, Lily was clueless.
Her knowledge was only based on what Mika reported back then at the meeting right after the invasion’s end.
Until now, she had not found the right time to talk about it with him, but she, too, was curious how he was able to fight against demons.
Her current hypothesis was that he was secretly a relic wielder.
"Hm~? So the king has acknowledged you?" Ren hummed mockingly.
Mika was still thinking about how to respond but he quickly came up with another idea.
He leaned closer to both of them.
"You want to know who I am? I can gladly answer that if you break off the deal." he whispered into Louis’ and Ren’s ear.
"Y-you know about the d- Hmpfh!"
"..."
Zhen managed to overhear the words and quickly covered his son’s mouth.
"I guarantee you that this would do you more good than the deal." Mika added, since Louis was not convinced yet.
Louis heaved a small sigh.
"Let’s go to my office." he said.
Mika distanced himself from Louis and followed after him.
Zhen and Ren came along as well.
"You can go to sleep if you want to." Lena said to Sylvia and Lily before she went after them.
"Huh? Wait, I want to go, too!"
However, Sylvia pulled Lily back, shaking her head. freēwebnovel.com
"It’s better if we stay out of this for today." she explained.
The atmosphere was already tense when they were walking to the office.
"..."
"..."
Mika sensed the hostility aimed at him by Ren.
Once they entered the room, Louis took his seat at his table with the Bugars standing beside him.
The room was dark with only the lamp on the table being the light source.
Lena showed her support for Mika by standing beside Mika.
"I guess this may also be the appropriate time to continue our conversation from this morning." Louis began.
Unlike last time, Mika received plenty of rest and was therefore prepared for any surprises.
"Don’t worry. I won’t attack you out of nowhere this time." Louis stated, noticing Mika’s body language.
Mika opened his mouth.
"Just like I said a few moments ago, if you want to know who I am and what connections I have to the king, then you have to call off the deal."
Ren was gritting his teeth.
He was trying his best to hold himself back because his father was present.
"Sorry, but I can’t do that. You’re saying that the information you would give me would be more valuable than the agreement between me and the Bugars but how can I be sure of that?"
Louis did not know it yet but Mika was the person his daughter was searching for all the time. And the deal he made was to find said person, in this case Mika.
So that was why his information would be more worth than the deal.
"Dear, he is-"
Yet again, Lena was interrupted.
This time, it was Mika, who stretched his arm to the side, signaling her to stop.
"Mika...?"
He looked at the three.
"The deal said that it would be nullified as long as Lily or her lover is stronger than Ren, right?"
"Yes." Louis replied.
"Then, when can I prove it?" Mika declared with an apathetic gaze as he cracked his knuckles.
"Hey... What the hell are you talking about?" Ren asked threateningly as he stepped forward.
"Are really telling me that you’re her lover or what...?"
His eyes were wide open.
"Ren, please let me handle this matter."
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Louis stood up.
"N-no, let me handle him. You don’t need to dirty your hands-"
Louis held up his hand with the palm facing Ren.
"Didn’t you learn your lesson this morning already?"
"..."
Mika remained silent and drew his sword.
[If you do this, then you will reveal your identity. Are you sure about this?]
"No matter what I do, I have to reveal it at some point in time, so why not now?" Mika muttered.
After all, if he truly wanted to beat at least one of those three, then using his full power was a requirement.
"Furthermore, beating them all now would be the quickest solution to such a stupid farce."
Then, he turned his head to Lena.
"Ms. Hayth, can you please step outside?" Mika asked politely with a smile.
"S-sure..." she replied.
After she left, Louis posed a question.
"What’s the reason?"
Mika still kept his smile.
"I don’t want to embarrass her husband in front of her eyes."
Flames started to gather around Louis.
"Let’s see if you can still talk like that to me after this."
Louis was more than ready.
However, his composure broke upon seeing Mika changing his appearance.
"That appearance..."
[2 minutes and 59 seconds left.]
Even Zhen and his son were surprised.
"Just like she always describes it to me..." Louis muttered flabbergasted as he lost focus.
"W-what is that, Dad...?"
"..."
Zhen was speechless and ignored his son’s question.
Mika took up his fighting stance with Excalibur.
And with Louis being completely shaken, Mika seized the opportunity.
"!"
[2 minutes and 56 seconds left.]
No one could even react when Mika managed to get behind Louis with Excalibur close to Louis’ throat.
"W-what...?"
Shocked, Ren took a few steps back until his back hit the wall.
[You completed the basic requirement for the side quest. However, you can get more rewards if you defeat Zhen Bugar, Ren Bugar or both of them.]
[Do you wish to continue?]
Mika carefully put his sword down from Louis’ throat and turned his gaze to the other two.
"Yes."
