Realm Lord
Chapter 144: End of Meeting

Chapter 144: End of Meeting

Ms. Pellion’s face immediately transformed, retrieving the same adorable pouting expression from earlier that had caught Arthur so off guard. Her lower lip jutted out slightly, and her golden eyes took on a wounded quality that made her look like a disappointed child who had been denied her favorite toy.

"Oh, what a shame..." she said with exaggerated disappointment, though the underlying threat from moments before still lingered in the air like a dangerous undercurrent. "Well, if you change your minds, you two are always welcome here!" The cheerful tone didn’t quite mask the calculating gleam in her eyes.

She turned her attention back to Lara and Kay, her demeanor shifting once again to that of a professional leader conducting business. "Now, let’s continue the meeti—"

"Wait." Arthur’s voice cut through her words like a blade, causing everyone in the room to turn and look at him with surprise. Ms. Pellion raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, her expression shifting to one of curious interest as she waited for him to continue.

Arthur stared directly at Ms. Pellion he spoke. "Why did it feel like my body itself was rejecting the proposition of lying to you? Is it an ability?"

Ms. Pelligon’s smile widened considerably, and she looked Arthur up and down with what could only be described as predatory appreciation, like a master craftsman examining a particularly fine piece of work.

"Very perceptive, boy! You really are promising..." she said, her voice carrying a note of genuine admiration. "Yes, it is an ability of mine. The longer someone stays around me and the more infatuated they become with me, the more vulnerable they subconsciously become." She leaned back in her chair, clearly enjoying the opportunity to explain her power. "Your body will start to yearn to tell me the truth... although usually people don’t even realize it’s happening and think they’re simply telling me out of their own volition. But you caught on... very impressive."

Arthur did not respond immediately, but internally he recoiled at the implications of what she had just revealed. The idea of himself being forcibly made vulnerable around her, of having his free will subtly manipulated without his knowledge, was deeply disturbing. It explained so much about how she had been able to see through his lies so easily, and it made him wonder what other mental influences she might be capable of exerting.

But he didn’t bother fighting it or making a scene, recognizing that there was still a meeting to take place and it was far too late to leave now.

Ms. Pellion went on to offer what seemed like a sincere apology for the intensity of her earlier interrogation, though Arthur noted that she didn’t actually apologize for threatening to kill them. With that uncomfortable interlude behind them, they resumed the meeting, and Lara and Kay began to explain various developments and situations that had occurred during their absence.

They confirmed several things that Arthur and Aziel already knew, such as the fact that almost two years had passed in the outside world while only a couple of weeks had passed in the castle. For Lara and Kay, the time differential was even more pronounced, as they had been trapped in the castle for even longer than Arthur and Aziel had been.

They also went on to explain the current state and recent changes in the world, most of which Arthur already knew from his own observations and research.

After covering the broader situational updates, Lara and Kay made a specific request. They asked if Arthur and Aziel would be willing to compile detailed reports about their experiences in the second realm, including comprehensive explanations of anything important they had discovered during their time there. The knowledge they had gained could prove invaluable to future expeditions and research efforts.

They offered to pay them a more than hefty sum for their cooperation, and after some careful consideration, Arthur decided to agree. He realized it was a perfect win-win situation: he would get the money he desperately needed to live comfortably and establish himself in this new world, while they would get information that they would be able to utilize far more effectively than Arthur could ever hope to on his own.

After settling the details of their arrangement, Kay and Lara delivered news that cast a shadow over the otherwise positive meeting. They explained that soon they would be joining the rest of the Pure Wings organization in District Three in the fight to take it back.

Arthur and Aziel were genuinely saddened to hear this. Having only just been reunited with them after such a harrowing ordeal, the prospect of seeing them leave again so soon was not what either of them had been expecting or hoping for. The bittersweet nature of their reunion was made even more poignant by the knowledge that their next separation might be even longer, or potentially permanent given the dangerous nature of their upcoming mission.

After the formal meeting concluded, there was one more somber task that Lara and Kay needed to complete, and they asked Arthur and Aziel to help them with it. They were going to inform Jake and Jonas’s families of their tragic passing and return the heads that Arthur was still keeping safely preserved in his realm storage.

Arthur hesitated for a long while, genuinely uncertain whether or not it was appropriate for him to be present during such intimate moments of grief. He wasn’t family, and he barely knew the deceased men. But after some careful consideration, he decided to tag along, determining that it was the right thing to do.

It wasn’t easy by any measure. Watching the families fall apart in tears, seeing their entire worlds get torn apart by the devastating news, was one of the most difficult things Arthur had ever experienced. The raw, overwhelming grief was almost unbearable to witness, and he found himself standing there silently, feeling utterly helpless as he watched people’s lives crumble before his eyes. All he could do was wish desperately that things could have been different.

Over the following week, Arthur and Aziel made the most of their remaining time with Lara and Kay, hanging out together whenever their schedules allowed. None of them brought up what Arthur had revealed in the meeting about Luke—they all instinctively understood that words would be useless in such a situation, and that the best thing they could do for Arthur was to help him move forward rather than dwelling on the painful past.

When Lara and Kay finally departed for District Three, the goodbye was emotional but hopeful. They promised to stay in touch and to reunite again when circumstances allowed.

With his newfound financial resources, Arthur purchased a modest but comfortable apartment in a decent part of the city. Aziel immediately insisted on becoming his roommate, a decision that Arthur questioned extensively but ultimately didn’t fight. Despite his friend’s occasional lapses in judgment, Arthur had to admit that having someone he trusted nearby was comforting in this uncertain world.

They settled into a routine that balanced normal life with their development as Chosen. They continued their training regimen and regularly ventured into the shallower, safer parts of the second realm to improve their skills and gain experience. Each expedition taught them something new about their abilities and the strange world they now had access to.

Soon enough, two months had passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. Arthur and Aziel found themselves sitting across from each other in their shared apartment, engaged in what had become an increasingly heated argument about their next steps and future plans.

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