Chapter 238 - Hurman's Unyielding Commitment

Hurman's shoulders drooped immediately and Oli's gaze sharpened. Everyone else in the room, however, was baffled by Rhyner's statement and emphatically looked at Hurman's shadow.

"I guess there's no use hiding…" 

Stepping out of Hurman's shadow, Vloz revealed himself to everyone else in the room. Standing at least three-krin tall, and with an even longer body, Vloz's sudden appearance instantly changed the atmosphere of the room.

"W-what is that?!" Nixt shouted with a blend of confusion and excitement in his voice.

"Hurman… What's going on?" Lizbeth asked, terrified to see the giant feline at Hurman's side.

"I wasn't expecting a beast… And you're a Blood-spotted Leopard to boot…"

Brandishing a cheeky grin, Oli looked replied instead, "You're well-read."

"And you're quite calm," Rhyner laughed in response. "I don't know anyone your age that wouldn't be cowering in fear of such a massive, high-perennial beast--"

"High-perennial?!" Everyone around the room shouted collectively.

"Yet here you are standing more confident than ever." Rhyner continued his speaking despite the shock the others showed. "There's plenty that we could be talking about right now and the last thing I was expecting when I called you two in was this. But there's no changing things now… Hurman, would you care to elaborate on why this beast was in your shadow?"

"Would you rather I explain that myself?" Vloz stated, speaking aloud with telepathy. 

"So long as we can get to the bottom of this, then sure. But you'll also need to explain why I shouldn't force you into a blood seal right here and now."

Vloz took a moment to look around before sighing. "Rhyner… It doesn't feel like I'm standing before a territory leader, but a region's king."

"Thank you." 

"It's obvious by the sheer amount of perennials in this room. Lizbeth, an early-perennial, your wife, a mid-perennial…" 

"You're sharp… I like that," laughed Rhyner.

While Hurman shook his head, accepting a fact he was guessing all along, Vloz continued, "And it seems I was misinformed, or the Practor Family and the rest of the territory has been misled. Your professors are both high-perennials. And to have a peak-perennial serving under you as well… Of course, it would feel like I'm meeting with a region's king."

"You know, the sharper your assumptions are, the more I long to form a blood seal…"

"Sadly, I can't accept such a seal anymore," replied Vloz, catching Rhyner by surprise with his friendly tone. "I'm currently working under a different territory, the territory that Oliver originates from."

Leaning back again, Rhyner nodded and smiled. "And that's why Oliver's so strong… I'm guessing he's the son of a territory leader. Why else would he have his own high-perennial bodyguard? But that wouldn't explain why he's here in my territory. Care to explain that? Also, I'm sure you'll have proof to back up your claims in case I decide to take you both by force. Correct?"

"Rhyner, since when have you needed to use such force?" Hurman spoke up.

"While I'm glad you finally called me by my name, it doesn't mean you understand my current circ.u.mstances or the circ.u.mstances of my near future. And this is an opportunity I'm not willing to miss with that in mind…" claimed Rhyner, acknowledging Hurman with a nod. "But you still need to explain why you were helping this leopard hide in plain sight. I'm sure you've all discussed this in great detail given how composed you three are right now."

"Of course…" Taking a moment to pause and breathe, Hurman looked to Oli and stated, "In the end, I've agreed to a deal with Oliver to take the Practor Family to his family's territory."

"What?!" 

Hurman shouted, but Lizbeth was the first to object, "Hurman, are you serious?! You can't--"

"I have no ties to this territory apart from my appreciation for everything I've learned from the institute. And with my family joining me, I see no reason why we shouldn't accept such a chance to join another territory."

"What are they offering?" Rhyner asked plainly. "What was it that got you to agree when you have never accepted any of my offers?" 

"Freedom."

"Freedom?"

"Working under them would give my family status equivalent to what the Forell Family experiences here. While it's technically possible to achieve the same thing here, it would take much longer for us to achieve that without your help, Rhyner, and your help is what keeps me from accepting your offers."

"Hurman, what's wrong in--"

"I'll give you a list," claimed Hurman, surprising Oli and Vloz with his outspokenness. "First, your help always requires something in return. And whenever it has regarded me, you've only ever sought me as a direct subordinate and nothing else. You've made no offers that don't include subjugating my family and I. Am I wrong?"

"... No."

"Second," Hurman continued, "They've given me something that you've never managed to get. Had you been able to offer me something like this, then perhaps I would've agreed to marry Liz after Hilda died…"

The sudden change in tension left the room quiet. Lizbeth and Lizza wore the most shocking expressions while everyone else was floored by Hurman's unyielding confidence.

"And what would that be?" Rhyner finally asked.

"An earth cultivation technique that has a cutting nature."

A bit perplexed, Rhyner twiddled his fingers over the top of his desk. "You found one?"

"They did." Pointing at Oli, Hurman mentioned, "It may seem that I've overvalued such a thing, but that technique will change everything within my entire family, not just me."

"That's fair, I suppose… And you think I would just let you leave?" 

"Yes. I do."

"... You're wrong…" Sighing, Rhyner showed the disappointment in his eyes. "Hurman, regardless of what the public thinks, I value you too highly to just let you walk away."

"No, you value the pairing of my skills and bloodline too highly," Hurman corrected mat-of-factly. "You see my earth and water affinities as a perfect match for Liz. You want her children to have a wider chance of having dual essence. Or in the best-case scenario, like in the case of your son Burt, to have all four affinities of their parents."