"Please let us know if you need anything, sir," one of the hotel staff members said politely while holding the door open to the grand presidential suite.
Avendial stepped inside with an air of calm confidence.
The sun was setting beyond the expansive glass windows, casting a warm glow across the luxurious room.
The golden light danced on his silver hair, making it shimmer, while his clear blue eyes radiated a sharp presence.
"No, you may leave," he replied.
The staff, not sensing any hunger from him—given the simple fruits and assorted beverages already stocked in the refrigerator—retreated without a thought of offering him a heavier meal.
"Have a good stay, sir," they said, their voices fading away as the door closed behind them.
Once alone, Avendial moved deliberately, unbuttoning his suit and shrugging it off.
He pulled out a handkerchief, which held within it an empty capsule stained with remnants of black blood.
Some small traces of the substance still lingered inside that capsule.
Proceeding to a nearby drawer, he retrieved a plastic pouch and placed the handkerchief inside it.
While his actions may have seemed disjointed, they were part of a broader strategy he had mapped out.
His initial priorities had been focused on securing Aria first, followed by Margaret.
To avoid any complications, he had distinguished between his past knowledge—where his priorities had been based on individuals he had previously met—and his current circumstances that included Leo and Billie, whom he had only just encountered.
However, it appeared that a slight shift had occurred in his priority list.
Initially, he was intent on securing Aria, then Margaret, and subsequently Etrinia, but now it seemed imperative that he first focus on securing Etrinia.
'What an unexpected gain...'
Standing there, looking through the glass, his eyes settled on the pouch in his hand, where the handkerchief—with its crucial capsule—was resting.
He felt a surge of realization about the unexpected yet significant value of this find.
It quickly became apparent that once the royal family learned about the weakening grip they had on their subjects, they resorted to desperate measures to prevent any harm from befalling them.
In a treacherous act, they laced the last batch of the pill with poison and administered it to all the Empyreals who dared to contemplate switching allegiances or seeking freedom after acquiring the cure for themselves.
As a result, every Empyreal loyal to the royal family met a gruesome fate, akin to that of a pig or a dog abandoned by its master.
However, a few among them were aware of the lengths to which the royal family would go to maintain power, including Princess Katheria Arinphiam, who had foreseen the impending betrayal.
Though it doesn't matter too much, given how smart people tend to be killed one way or another, given how the royal family had already established a foundation which could be considered as at the top of the hierarchy, even inside the tower.
Though there were other organizations too, but among them the royal family was well known.
They just took care of others by pushing them to their death otherwise continuous chasing attacks and all the methods at their disposal given they just needed to say the word and more than 20% of the whole awakened individuals inside the tower would hear their command.
'Now, it depends on her,' Avendial thought, looking towards the pouch.
He was just thinking about how he would not be able to force Etrinia into submission, making him deal with her in the same way he did with Aria, complicating things even further.
Putting the thought inside his mind, he placed the pouch in an envelope before putting it inside the travel bag that he intended to deliver to the Croceaus territory to safeguard it until then while also securing Etrinia.
So this capsule had definitely a significant effect in giving him a clear upper hand while dealing with Princess Katheria or Empyreals of the same category as hers who were artificially prepared by the royal family.
He, while looking towards the glass window, watched as night fell, the city starting to bustle with night glimmer lights and the highway filled with cars and people.
Standing at the window with both hands resting in his pockets.
Tring
Inside that lone room, his phone rang, prompting his hand to move inside the pocket before taking his phone out and placing it over his ear as he heard the voice of Aecilia from the other side.
:: Aria is here. ::
"Send her inside my room," Avendial replied as he closed his eyes to compose himself and get over the swelling thoughts right now.
He looked at his phone as he ended the call, placed it back in his pocket, and moved toward the bathroom area inside the room while unbuttoning his shirt.
He left the phone lying on the bed as he went inside the bathroom.