OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 154: Parting

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With a pop, Emir poured himself some champagne, and after a few small sips, he voiced out:

"Blugh... How do people like this shit? Just give me that whiskey bottle back, this won't do for me."

Emma giggled and did as she was told, pouring herself a glass and then shoving the bottle straight into his hands.

"Drinksh up, Emir! Youuuuu deeeeeefinitely need a breeeak ashter all youfe beeeen thaaaroughhh."

(Drink up, Emir! You definitely need a break after all you've been through.)

After smelling its scent for a moment, he said:

"That I will... We celestials aren't even affected unless it's something strong, and bro, you said this was 85 percent alcohol?"

Jake's eyes finally left his terminal as he asked:

"Are we seriously moving on from what Emir said? And Emma, I'll ask you again for the millionth time, how the hell did you know that he was about to show us a contract?!" Lyra let out a giggle and said:

"Don't mind it, Jake, you're just a bit slow, and yes, it's only 85 Emir, you'd need to drink about one hundred of those to actually feel a buzz."

Whistle-

"I wishhhhh I haaaad an AIIII companion toooooo, you'reeee aaaalready a giaaaant Emirrrrr, hoooww coooomeee yoooouu haaaaaveeee it alllll?" Emma complained with puffed-up cheeks.

(I wish I had an AI companion too, you're already a giant Emir, how come you have it all?)

Scoffing, Emir looked at Lyra.

"How about newly awakened celestials?"

"Not many, about 10 or so..."

He then gazed back at the table, which had about twenty or so bottles of whiskey, vodka, beer, and champagne.

Shaking his head, he turned to Jake, finally answering the questions he had been asking for the past twenty minutes:

"She didn't know, she just guessed that I was about to propose a contract to keep things confidential. You're overthinking it."

Sighing out loud, Jake complained:

"But it's Emma, goddammit, I'm supposed to be the smart one in the group!"

"You are, though... I mean, look at her." Emir replied with a chuckle as he pointed at Emma.

She was somehow stumbling around, even though she was sitting on a couch.

Appearing to have finally understood how to move her head, she looked up and noticed Emir pointing at her.

"Wahysh shesh apeentingatmeh?" She mumbled with a tilted head.

(Why is he pointing at me?)

'I should probably stop her before she kills herself, I ain't losing a new group member so quickly.' He thought.

Standing up, Emir walked over to Emma and forcefully took the beer bottle from her grasp. Despite her attempt to resist, her newfound strength as a first-subrank awakened was no match for Emir, who was now a paladin, the third and highest subrank of an awakened.

"I remember you telling me to be careful with drinking, but look at you now... I guess it came from experience, eh?" He said with a chuckle.

She silently looked at him for a while and then slowly began to drift off to sleep, not bothering to keep up appearances one bit, forgetting that she was now in front of her superior.

Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to Jake.

"Are you still stuck on that contract? You know I made it equal for both parties, right? It only favors me more because I'm your goddamn boss!"

It was the same contract he showed Mariane, he even kept the same clause she changed, so Emir was being very generous to them, especially considering his personality.

"But what kind of name is Azazel?! A hunter group with the name of a devil!" Jake rebuked.

"Mate, friend, brother, in what hell-driven world would Azazel's story be considered so simple?"

"...He's often misunderstood, seen as both a devil and a figure of rebellion. But remember, in some tales, he's also depicted as a force of change, challenging the status quo."

Stepping up to him, he bellowed:

"Isn't that why you accepted this contract, knowing it benefits me? Isn't that why you joined my group? TO CHALLENGE THE ORDER AND STAND AGAINST THE MONSTER TIDE?!"

He paused for a moment, then headed towards the door.

"If your answer to that is yes, then let's focus on the mission and act with purpose."

Tsk-

"You're being reprimanded by a fourteen-year-old, how embarrassing." Lyra slyly commented from the side.

Not being able to contain himself anymore, Jake stood up and rushed Emir.

Lyra was about to intervene, but she heard Emir's voice echo in her head:

[Let him be, he won't do what you think he will. The plan worked...]

And he spoke true, as Jake came to a halt right in front of Emir, extending his hand in a gesture

of mutual respect.

Emir reciprocated the gesture, clasping Jake's hand firmly, the connection between them speaking volumes.

With a subtle but warm pressure, Emir pulled Jake closer, embracing him in a strong yet friendly man hug and giving a couple of reassuring pats on his back before releasing him.

"I know all of this information is quite a lot to take in, trust me, I was in that position too, but I accepted it, and now I'm here, showing you the ropes..."

"You have two options, follow the same path I tread or die, betraying my trust in you. After all, this contract of ours isn't so lenient, and I definitely would rather have you pick option

one, but I digress. Do not disappoint me."

Jake, not disheartened in the slightest, replied with a smile:

"No worries, boss, I'll follow your orders~."

Emir chuckled at his weak attempt at making a joke and said:

"Good. And I'll say this again, welcome to the team, you are now a part of something greater

than both you and I can imagine."

Needing no gesture, Lyra stood up and followed after Emir.

"Well, goodnight Jake, I'll talk to you when I hear from Nathan, it might take him some time to officially create the group, he has to go through a lot of legal jargon after all..." "Yeah... I'll be waiting for the day when we can officially join, but until then, we'll be behind your every move, boss.... Oh-thanks for coming, by the way, Emma didn't have this much fun in what feels like forever, and I'm really thankful for that." Jake said, his tone sounding tired.

They both exchanged nods and smiles before making their way down the stairs, leaving the house shortly afterward, with the locked doors and gate automatically opening for them as

they exited.

And just as they stepped outside, Emir turned to Lyra and asked:

[When they talked about what happened on the front lines, was that true?]