Born in Blood

Chapter 371 Hypocrites

Knowing the reason why Nessa had been so contemptuous towards him, Liam genuinely felt disgust.

Why did Nessa hate Liam so much?

Because of Gerald's death.

Who was Gerald?

Liam actually had to wrack his brain to remember who that was.

But then, a memory flashed through his mind.

The Korsan Lands mission.

Gerald was another party member.

A cowardly, weak boy that Liam made the grave mistake of choosing for the mission.

During the fight with the Blooder, Gerald's right eye socket had been hit with a spiked pole.

And that pretty much sealed his fate.

Now, what did this have to do with Liam?

Wasn't Nessa over that incident?

Well, no.

She was not.

In fact, as time passed, Liam could deduce that it only grew worse.

To a point that she was basically haunted by it.

Haunted by Liam.

That was one of the thoughts Liam picked from her mind.

Liam's King's Eye connected with her mental sphere.

Through her vision, Liam's face was replaced by the Blooder's!

It was clear that she had some sort of trauma.

But blaming Liam?

For a death out of his control?

For something that happened out of mutual agreement to enter the Citadel?

It was beyond pretentious.

Upon hearing Liam's words, Nessa flinched.

Fear.

She was afraid.

Her eyes trembled.

Liam's cold gaze was unrelenting.

"Didn't you kill Gerald?" Liam suddenly questioned, causing Nessa's eyes to widen with shock.

"...What?" she muttered under her breath.

Liam tilted his head. "You killed him, didn't you?" he asked again.

Nord wanted to interject, but a bit of bloodlust leaked through Liam's aura, silencing him.

"You could have saved him," Liam said.

"He was right beside you when he died, wasn't he?"

"If you had trained your sea of consciousness, you would have had the reflexes to pull him aside before the pole hit."

"If you trained your body, you could have stopped the pole with your bare body."

"If you had trained your core, you would have had enough 'Ora' to erect a wall of water to slow the pole."

"If you had trained all three, you wouldn't have been so useless, and the battle wouldn't have taken so long to finish."

"You could have saved him," Liam repeated with dark eyes. "You could have saved him, Nessa."

"His blood is on your hands just as much as it is on mine."

Silence.

The more Liam spoke, the more distraught Nessa's complexion became.

Her breathing came in quick gasps.

Her trembling eyes welled with tears.

The red-haired girl and Nord looked enraged, but were unable to say anything.

Rin just watched quietly with distant eyes, choosing not to say anything.

Liam's words were… truth.

The spectacle was unignorable now.

The students, teachers and even a few Royals witnessed the arguing, making their way to the group.

"Someone turn that obnoxious music off!" an aged professor shouted towards the higher floors. "And bring back the lights, dammit!"

Abruptly, the music stopped.

The dreamy blue colors from the chandelier had reverted to the crystalline white.

"That's the thing with you people," Liam said darkly.

Everyone heard that.

It wasn't just meant for the closest to Liam.

It was for all.

Kalia Thyress, who'd been in conversation with Elder Jane the entire time, approached with a grave look on her face.

"Talking down to me like you're somehow superior," Liam continued.

His eyes were chillingly cold while controlled anger flared in his chest.

"Like I owe you an apology for who I am."

Suddenly, the air turned sharp, like a silent blade had been unsheathed somewhere.

"Like I should bend backwards and let you kill me, just because I didn't let you do the same."

The Elders descended from their watch-points and arrived at Liam's side.

The Echorians were forced to stand apart from the Temple's side.

Once paired together like friends, they were now separated like enemies.

"You're all hypocrites," Liam snarled with disgust as his gaze swept the room.

Eventually, Liam's piercing gaze connected with Kalia, whose eyes widened with realization at who she was speaking to.

The disguise did little to hide the bloodlust.

"You of all people should know that, right, Miss Kalia?" Liam asked her rhetorically. "The lovely mission you sent us five."

"Tell me you people didn't kill the girl we brought back," Liam abruptly questioned Kalia, who didn't respond.

Liam scoffed derisively. "Like I though—"

"Niveh's alive, you prick."

Abrupt silence.

Nord said those words, and Kalia's face fell in an almost hilarious fashion.

But it wasn't just her face that fell.

Although most students and teachers had no clue what was going on, the Royals clearly did.

And Nord just admitted the existence of a foreigner working under their roof, just to have a comeback to Liam's vicious insults.

Realizing his blunder, Nord's face fell too, turning paler than milk.

Liam blinked.

Was it that easy?

Was that it?

Slowly, Liam's lips curled to a vicious grin.

Then, he chuckled under his breath.

Then, he laughed as loud and condescending as he could.

It was actually genuine, too.

A backroom opened. Usan and Kasrah Thyress, along with a dozen Royals left it.

Usan smiled.

Kasrah frowned, shooting him a chilling glare.

She realized this was all a set-up from the beginning.

The talks between them clearly bore no fruit.

Liam's face cracked, and his entire body underwent transformation after transformation.

A moment later, he had become Bob again, but not Liam.

From his pocket, Liam flicked up a stone chip in his hand, caught it, then made it expertly twirl in between his fingers.

"Heard enough?" Liam asked, but not those present at the party. "I don't think I can insult them any longer without this turning into a battle."

Silence.

"Loud and clear," a dark, crisp voice echoed from the chip. "I've been given all the proof I need. We'll speak face to face, soon."

"Until then, the Korsan Lands stand in alliance with the Temple of Shadow."

A moment later, under everyone's incredulous gaze, the stone chip turned to smoky wisps of ash.