"What? Why are staring at me? Go on, I won't interfere in your drama" Eli nudged his sunglasses....Yes, he was wearing them inside the dark room, the lenses reflecting drama.
"...." Everyone blankly stared at Eli.
"Eli!!" Aadya glared at him.
"What? You also want some?" Eli asked as he theatrically showed her the popcorn, the aroma of buttery delight permeating the room.
Aadya was just about to respond when,
"Mr. Asher Eli" One of the figures called him.
"Yes?" Eli looked at the blinking screen, his nonchalant demeanour contrasting with the gravity of the situation.
"You have quite high arrogance"
"Oh, Thank you, I guess?" Eli frowned before shrugging it off, his response a blend of indifference and defiance.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Pfftt--' ahem, ahem'" Alysia, who maintained an indifferent face, suddenly burst into laughter, though she quickly covered her mouth. The tension in the room was momentarily shattered by an unexpected burst of amusement.
"Eli, What did I tell you before?" Aadya asked in a hushed voice, her eyes narrowing in a mix of frustration and anticipation.
"Hmm, Don't say anything unnecessary, right?" Eli asked with a pondering expression, his tone teasing and playful.
"..." Aadya bit her lips, torn between amusement and anxiety, unsure of how Eli's unpredictable behaviour might mess up more.
Suddenly, an annoyed mechanical voice came,
"You Mortal really think you are special...ah?"
Turning his head, Eli said,
"Yes, She is indeed special" Eli nodded, understanding how she is the sole ruler of the Flora Continent, much like Adriana and Lilith.
His words were directed at Alysia, who was taken aback by the sudden compliment, her heart beating crazily, a mix of confusion and intrigue swirling in her eyes.
"Grrr...I am not talking about her, You Moron, I'm talking about You!!"
"Me?...Oh, Well, duh, who do you think I am?...." Eli suddenly flickered as he said in a deadly tone, "A soulless man who is the master of a mythical beast...you guys are aiming for".
"...."
"What? Do you really think I don't know the fucking reason I am being brought here?" Eli said with annoyance, his casual demeanour momentarily replaced by a raw, unbridled intensity and he knew more than anyone what was 'Greed'.
He was enjoying himself with his lovely wife, and yet, these individuals called him at the wrong time as if he were their slave.
"...." Not even a single figure answered his question as if what Eli said was true.
"Eli!" Aadya glared at him to stay silent.
However, Eli looked at Aadya and
'Wink'
"!!!"
Eli's antics were getting on her nerves, his nonchalant flirtation adding a layer of complexity to the already tense atmosphere.
"Then, we don't need to waste time on him..." One of the figures said, getting attention from everyone. It continued,
"We want to hand ove--"
"Hey!" Eli, who was eating popcorn, suddenly stopped and glanced at the figure with blank eyes, his interruption swift and deliberate.
"Let me be clear, I am not handing over a fucking single thing to anyone from me" Eli said with an emotionless tone, his declaration carrying an air of finality, he motioned his hand pulling his hair as if saying he won't even give them his hair.
"And who do you think you are? Speaking disrespectfully in front of us!!"
"Who am I?....Hmmm.....ah.....
I am a Monster, that you don't want to see" Eli said with a smile, though it wasn't a smile at all. The chilling undertone in his words sent shivers down the room, a momentary glimpse into the complexity of his twisted character....getting twisted more.
"....ggrr...Do you think we let th-"
"Please calm down" Another mechanical voice interrupted and said to Eli,
"Well, I understand that's yours, so... Why don't you tell us where you got it? And how did you tame it....and most importantly what about the gauntlets that Dungeon Walker used and also his heart missing after retrieving for research purposes?"
"Hmmm... it's not that I don't want to tell you the place, but I already destroyed it, leaving nothing in this world and taming...I just showered it with love, I guess" Eli stated.
"I see.....Then?" The Mechanical voice asked Eli to continue.
"Hmm...that's All. 'Munch, Munch'" Eli said carefreely as he munched more popcorn.
"....I am asking about Dungeon Walker?"
"Well, I killed it and it died, That's all"
Aadya whistled her way out, evading an impending reprimand.
'Thud'
'sigh, what am I going to do with these brats...?' HeadMaster sighed thinking about how the situation went. He took drastic measures which might cause him to lose his position....'sigh', only a sigh coming out from his mouth.
"!!!!!"
Suddenly, he flinched, sensing two sky-blue eyes fixated on him from the ceiling, a stark reminder of something he wanted to avoid and needed to forget.
"....I thought you already left Nex, Lady Lilith" HeadMaster stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he slowly kneeled down.
"It's an honour to meet you after a long time, Lady Lilith. Forgive me for my previous oversight; I was preoccupied with students' health and Dungeon circumstances" HeadMaster cupped his hands while lowering his head, a display of deference and contrition.
"...."
"I-I am sorry, Lady Lilith. N-No need to worry; Master Asher Eli, will not be removed from Nex...I-I will make sure nothing befalls him" HeadMaster's body was drenched in sweat as the weight of Lilith's presence pressed upon him.
"...."
"Th-there is no need to kill council members, Lady Lilith. I will take care of them...Please" HeadMaster pleaded.
"..."
"Huh? You want me to conceal the Ancient Resurrection script from Master Asher Eli? Why do you—N, No, I-I am sorry, L-Lady Lilith. I won't ask any-thing...I will do as you ordered" HeadMaster who was about to ask with doubt suddenly prostrated himself on the ground feeling the dread.
"..."
"I-I Understand, Lady Lilith, I-I will make sure to put a notice that 'No' Women should approach Master Asher Eli, Right?"
"...."
"...'gulp' Y-Yes, it's possible to announce it to the entire Nex Academia, b-but I think it might be a bit....I mean...Master Asher Eli may get suspicious..." HeadMaster hesitated to articulate further.
"..."
"Y-Yes, I will make sure everyone in the Elite and other classes knows about this. He is married and h-has a beautiful woman, unparalleled in beauty... right? -cough-cough- Sorry, I won't speak fr-om m-my di-dirty mouth, L-Lady Lilith".
"..."
"I-I-I am sorry, Lady Lilith. There won't be any accidents hereafter... .I will be with him w-whenever he enter Dungeon....I-I promise t-that... so, please.....-Ha-ha-" HeadMaster was about to express relief when he noticed those sky-blue eyes disappearing.
But,
'BOOOM!'
Not before destroying the entire room, leaving a huge crater on the ground where the HeadMaster lay with a red face, seemingly struggling to catch his breath.
"W-Why me, god? Is this -cough-cough- karma for killing those women?" HeadMaster muttered lifelessly.
While the HeadMaster faced his own death door, Eli, Alysia, and Aadya found respite inside a nearby coffee shop.
"Hey, isn't that jerk?"
"Yeah, and also that traitor with him?"
"Oh! Maybe they are really an item?"
"Who knows? They were trying to Kill Alexander, The true Hero, so maybe accomplice"
"Heheh...Look at those they are acting big and mighty but if not for Alexander they would be nothing but food to the monster"
"Yes, and what's more kneeling in front of that ugly monster...She is just a selfish woman who can only save her ass"
"hehee..."
'Wishper, Wisher'
Wishpers and Chatters echoed in the cafe but Eli and others didn't care as people didn't know the full truth.
Eli sat to the side, Alysia and Aadya sharing a table.
Ignoring others' words, they had serious conversations,
"Seriously, no one knows who those council members are, not even among themselves?" Eli asked in genuine surprise.
"Yes, to prevent corruption, When Nex created they granted special authority to seven individuals, one from each of the seven nations, and they operate discreetly, much like the way tokens were distributed" Aadya explained, sipping her coffee thoughtfully.
"Just like how they gave tokens".
Eli nodded eagerly, seeking more information, while Alysia simply stared at Eli's face.
"Council members are chosen by their predecessors, so even the HeadMaster is kept in the dark. They only appear during critical decisions or meetings of utmost importance" Aadya added, glancing at Alysia, who was oddly fixated on Eli.
"Why share all this with us? Won't Teach have a problem?" Eli inquired with a furrowed brow, questioning Aadya's willingness to divulge such information.
"Oh, don't worry. I just want to ensure my students are not entangled in dangerous affairs" Aadya replied candidly.
Eli stared at those green eyes and glanced at another one,
"Hmmm..." Eli looked at the sliver-haired woman, "Do you like what you see?" he asked with a teasing expression.
"H-Huh? N-No, I-I mean..." Alysia stuttered.
"You know, I did say 'date,' but I never thought I would go on a date with two girls, and even more so, one girl is a homeroom teacher... hehehe" Eli's teasing remark left the other two girls flustered but soon that changed into horrifying one.
Seeing their horrifying expressi--, 'Wait, is it really horrifying to date me?' Eli pondered, However, upon closer inspection, he realized their eyes weren't reflecting horror toward him but were fixed on something behind. He glanced back, only to furrow his brow.
"Hey Brat, You are still alive?"