Chapter 1735 Race [5]

Chapter 1735 Race [5]

Iridia replied with a shrug.

"It would be a shame if either of us was knocked out before we even found out where the crown was. Since you're one of my strongest competitors, it isn't worth fighting you yet."

It was sound reasoning, but incredibly strange coming from someone like her.

"I'm one of your strongest competitors? Since when?" August reiterated, sarcasm oozing from his tone.

However, Iridia responded seriously.

"Since the moment you tied with Eris Noct."

That battle changed the way all of the Holy Clan geniuses saw him. "Wait, but none of you saw that happen."

"We didn't need to. Eris herself told everyone that you tied, and she definitely isn't one to lie for other people's sake."

"Eris did that?"

"She's more honest than you'd expect. She just has a shitty personality that makes it irrelevant."

"I see..."

August nodded his head, somewhat accepting the situation.

Eris was stronger than most of the other geniuses who had participated in the heir wars. If he was able to fight her to a tie and force her to unveil her dragon form, then the rest of them couldn't carelessly fight him.

Still, calling it a tie was a bit much.

'If we kept going, I'd probably have lost.'

After all, Eris had an advantage in experience due to her age. Unlike the rest, she had a decent amount of practical experience to back up her strength, which was what made her scary.

Even after Bastille, August didn't improve much in the sense of personal battles. War situations were completely different from duels.

Still, since Iridia seemed in a friendly mood, August wanted to take the chance to ask her the question that had been bugging him. "Why are you even chasing the crown?"

It couldn't have been as simple as what he expected, right?

Iridia responded to his question with another. "Are you asking because you know, or because you don't?" "The former."

Her meaning was clear.

Suppose August believed that he had the proper means to take down the Ignis Clan. If he challenged them and won, then they would accept defeat and bend to his will until the moment he was not strong enough anymore.

That was the way of the world in their eyes.

This was a moment when August could also take offense if he wanted to. The fact that his ancestor meant nothing to them, their choice to participate in his death merely because of such a narrow-minded ideology was definitely an affront to his existence. But, since Iridia let his words go before, he decided to do the same.

"I hope you're prepared for that day to come," August said after a slight silence.

"I can be, but I'm sure my seniors are different."

"Is now really the time for jokes?"

"If not now, then when?"

Her changing tone was even more confusing than her nonchalance.

What happened to Iridia since the last time they'd met? 'Whatever it was, she's basically turned into a different person. Is it maturity...or something else?'

August wondered if she was still the same in her core or if something forced her to become something she was not.

Nevertheless, it wasn't something for him to concern himself with.

Since there was nothing left to talk about in this strange chance encounter, he could take his leave.

That was what he thought.

He assumed that it'd end with that.

But, as he moved through the mountains to regroup with his people, he was forced to voice his thoughts.

Once again, they cumulated into a single question.

"Why are you still here?"

He stopped on a random mountain and turned around to face the woman who had decided that she wanted to tag along.

August felt a headache rolling in. Was this going to be a bigger problem than he thought?