Emery couldn't keep his face from distorting when he heard those words from the Alpha King. The latter was asking him not to go against Corvin, which had the same meaning as letting the death of his master go in vain.
There was something in the Alpha King's words that seemed to be able to influence his decision, but the memory of his deceased master, Xion, was enough to keep him firm in his resolve. No matter how he thought about it, abandoning his revenge was simply impossible for him.
"No. No, I cannot."
A slight disappointment could be seen in the frail-looking king's eyes. However, after letting out another long sigh, he just shook his head and said, "The Corvin brothers are the most influential faction after the Silvermane. So I'm afraid I cannot help your case."
There was a pause in the Alpha King's voice before he added his words. "But at the same time, I can assure you that I will not be involved in this matter as well, which means your secret shall be yours to keep."
The other party might have deemed what he had just said as inconsequential, but those words really made Emery heave a sigh of relief. He could feel the tension in his entire body being relieved just like that.
But then, the Alpha King apparently had not finished, as he quickly said, "On the other hand, I am very interested in helping solve your condition."
Before Emery could even comprehend what had just happened, what followed was an outpouring of support from the Apex faction, which he now knew was completely under the Alpha King's control. There, he would take a test to look deeper into his bloodline, in hopes of helping him maximize his talent.
It was an unexpected proposal from the Alpha King. However, those were apparently still not as generous as what the latter did next.
With a glance from the king, Warwick took a wooden box from the cabinet on the wall. The old wolf handed Emery what was inside. His eyes couldn't help but widen when he saw that it was a vial of blood.
There was only one, but it was enough to make him flabbergasted.
"This is… "This is it, isn't it?"
Warwick responded to Emery's almost incomprehensible words. "Yes, this is one of the remaining ancient wolf blood."
Despite its ordinary look, the vial of blood was what Emery desired the most, and right now it was only inches from his grasp. However, he couldn't just accept it like that. He quickly turned toward the Alpha King and asked.
"Why?"
Various thoughts swirled in Emery's mind when he saw the Alpha King chuckle before he said, "With what you did at the Academy, you earned it." "Besides, I would love to see more surprises happen in this year's Royal Hunt, just like the ones you did at the Magus Academy."
Those words were quickly followed by another fit of coughing, this time even more violent than before. With a gesture of his hand, the old wolf Warwick closed the silvery veil once again before leading Emery out of the room.
Simply put, the Alpha King wished only one thing for Emery—to give him a good show at this year's Royal Hunt, which was also something he definitely wished for himself.
When he finally returned to the lobby area, Emery's face lit up to see Tatyana already standing next to Morgana. Although there seemed to be nothing wrong, he could see that her condition was weak, as if she had just gone through some kind of torture.
"You did not have to do this." Emery gave Warwick a stare.
The old Warwick ignored his remark; instead, he reminded Emery not to say anything about what he saw today and also that he would come to visit him soon to follow the Alpha King's wishes.
"Lets go," beckoned Emery to Morgana and Tatyana before making his return to the residence, where everyone was already waiting with concern on their faces.
"What happened?" Annara asked instantly.
As it turned out, Andrei had gone after them to the Red Pagoda and heard about Tatyana being bought by the Silvermane Palace. Since Emery wasn't sure how much he could reveal, he decided to just say that the Alpha King knew his identity and was in favor of his history enough to let them go. He did not mention anything related to King's illness.
Convinced that Emery was hiding something, Annara followed him to his room as everyone dispersed. What she didn't expect was the fact that just as she stepped through the door, she saw him holding what they were looking for.
"The King gave that to you! What the hell did you do to him?"
Emery was silent, ignoring the bat girl as he analyzed the blood vial.
[???]
[WolfBlood]
[Equivalent to Tier 7]
It was indeed a very precious item, but Emery did not have the ability to analyze the details of the said ancient wolf blood. Slightly impatient, Annara said, "What are you waiting for? Drink it already! I will stay and monitor your condition closely."
Instead of doing as he was asked, Emery decided against it and put the cork back on. Before Annara could say anything, he handed over the vial to the red-haired girl and said, "I need you to go back and give it to Bob. I need him to analyze it in more detail."
Because it was so valuable, Emery would rather wait and let Bob look at it first before drinking it. This way, the frog hybrid would have a better understanding of the elixir, something that he hoped would benefit Silva's condition.
On the other hand, Emery found himself unable to trust the Alpha King's words. He's had enough of people betraying and controlling him in the past, and now he can't trust the Alpha King's words easily. The more generous the offer, the more careful he needed to be.
"You want me to return to Ouroboros already? I just got here!" Annara complained about hearing such a request. Emery simply said, "I can't trust this to anyone... I will go myself, but I will be very busy these next few weeks to prepare for the Royal Hunt."
Rolling her eyes, the red-haired girl snatched the vial and stored it securely before saying, "Alright, I get it." "Just don't get yourself killed while I'm gone."
With the time needed to analyze the vial, Annara would be leaving for another few weeks. Meanwhile, Emery will start his training with the old Chief Beowulf.