The Gamer's POV-Chapter 204: Home of the Hollow Ones [20]

’Wow. He really does have... good eyes?’ Aurora thought as she listened to Cedric speak. ’Is it a similar ability to Leon’s? Is it his bonded ability?

Wait... does this mean that he didn’t even need Leon in his party?’

Aurora had seen Cedric fight and even she had to admit that he was on par with many of the highest ranking nobles, if not more formidable than most of them. To be honest, his abilities and skill didn’t even make him seem like a low ranking noble. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

’Come to think of it, I heard he didn’t even have a bond until recently. Then, just weeks before the eclipse, he suddenly manifested one this strong,’ she thought as her gaze drifted to Aika, who, while Cedric was talking, had shifted a feather into a small black raven and was now absentmindedly stroking it.

After Cedric spoke, she snapped out of her thoughts and looked back to him, then said, "How many times or how long can you use this eye of yours?"

Cedric looked up at her and replied, "It doesn’t have any limits. I can use it anytime I want."

Aurora could hear Leon in the back click his tongue pettily.

’Wow, Leon was right. Cedric’s eyes really might be better than his.’ She thought.

After a few seconds, she muttered, "Okay, here’s what we are going to do. We’ll wait in here a while longer to recover. In the meantime, keep an eye on the progress of the different parties. Depending on what happens, we’ll either plan our escape from this territory, or figure out how to join up with the others to help destroy their red bridge monsters."

Cedric replied tentatively, "Got it."

Aurora nodded politely and left with June.

***

Aika laid on her belly, then crawled to Cedric until she was looming directly over him, propped up on her elbows so her face was only inches from his. Then she began gossiping with a bit of excitement:

"So... while you were sleeping, I figured out who amongst the dead the princess values the most."

Cedric arched a brow. "And who is that?"

"It’s Alicia."

Aika’s eyes darted from his face to Aurora, who had sat back down some meters away from Alicia’s body. Her gaze then returned to Cedric and she added a bit quieter, "So we are bringing her back from the dead, right?"

Cedric smiled. "Well yes, of course. It’s even better that Alicia is the one we have to bring back."

Aika nodded enthusiastically. "Yep."

It had to be said that in the Lumierian Empire, the princes and princesses actually have a lot of power. Because of this, it was Cedric’s plan from the very start to curry favor with the princess.

He needed to show her just how relevant he was, and he needed to get her indebted to him. You see, since Cedric is no longer a member of the Martini Barony, if he should return to the Lumierian Empire, not only would he be broke, but he wouldn’t even have a place to stay. This was why he needed to get the princess to owe him.

In this case, if he could raise someone she values the most back from the dead, that would definitely be enough to get him everything he needed.

A small frown suddenly creased Cedric’s face and his tone grew a bit serious. "I just had a thought, Aika. Why don’t you bring people back from the dead? Why is it only me? Do it this time."

"Ugh, no way." Aika scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I’ve seen what it does to you, so why on earth would I do that shit?"

Cedric eyed her up and down. "Aissh. Tsk, tsk."

Then he rolled over onto his side, turning his back to her. "I don’t want to look at you right now."

Aika’s jaw dropped. "Come on, don’t be mad."

When she saw that he was actually ignoring her, she started to panic slightly. "Hey..." Cedric did not respond. Aika shook his shoulder. "Hey, come on now."

Finally, she sighed in defeat. "Okay, I promise I’ll do it after this time. Is that fine?"

Cedric smiled and turned back to her. "You promised. So you can’t take it back. After this time, you are the one who’s going to handle that part of Chrysalis."

Aika bit her lip and her face flushed with a mix of annoyance and regret. She looked like she wanted to take the words back the moment they left her mouth, but Cedric was already wearing that smug, self-satisfied grin that meant he had won.

She exhaled and turned around, lying on her back, then dropped her head onto his chest. "Tsk, fine."

"You’re heavy," Cedric joked softly.

"Shut up," Aika grumbled, closing her eyes.

***

...

..

.

Three hours later...

——

A violent explosion suddenly erupted from outside the temple, jolting the cadets to their feet. Everyone was instantly on high alert except for Cedric and Aika, who remained exactly where they were, seemingly unbothered by the chaos.

"What is that?" Dion asked as he sprang upright, his gaze fixed on the direction the noise was coming from.

It was powerful enough to cause the very foundation of the temple to groan. Hairline cracks began to run across the underside of the chamber, and dust and debris began to fall from the ceiling.

Aurora raised a hand, covering her face to shield it from the dust that was clogging the air. She then turned and walked up to Cedric, who was still lying on the ground with his head propped up as if he were watching a show.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked, her voice carrying a mix of dread, relief, and a lingering sense of disbelief.

Cedric smiled. Then, after a moment, he replied.

"Yes. All the red bridge monsters have been killed. That’s the bridge collapsing."

Aurora chuckled in sheer relief, and then she began to stumble back a few steps. She held her waist with both hands, her head shaking as a weary, breathless laugh escaped her.

"Yes. Thank gods!" Dion shouted, punching the air. "We did it!"

Evelyn turned and hugged Celeste tightly, while Audrey hugged Toki in pure excitement. Xavier let out a low chuckle of his own and ran a hand through his hair, while the other two cadets from Alicia’s party began to weep and jump in joy.

Levi, who sat alone leaning against a pillar in the corner, let out a small smile and for a moment, everyone seemed to forget the horror of the last few hours.

It was then that another explosion sounded, more thunderous than the first. This time, cracks began to run across the pillars too.

Aurora quickly composed herself and looked to the others. "Hey guys, we need to get out of here. I’m not sure this temple will hold much longer!"