Looking at this man, Marcus felt as if he were staring at something wearing human skin.
His senses screamed danger, urging him to leave the area. His Heart Pulse throbbed, as though something was trying to suppress it.
Perhaps it was a mistake for him to come here. Even after considering that Cassir could be powerful, he estimated that his power would at most be the same as that of the faceless humanoids they faced in the auction house.
However, what he was sensing from this man was far beyond the terror he sensed from the faceless humanoids.
I could die here.
Marcus silently swallowed, making sure not to expose the fears in his heart on his face. His eyes remained steady and his palms opened.
Cassir continued to smile. He held a walking cane softly in his hand as he observed Marcus deeply, looking at him with high regard.
"Marcus Sirdi, what an honor it is to be in your presence again, young lord."
"Cassir Mayores, I can't say the same to you."
"You will address his Eminence with respe–" just as the fully armored figure spoke, Cassir raised his hand, interrupting it.
"Don't antagonize this young lord. How many times do I have to say this to you?" He sighed. "I am not ready to bear the baggage that comes with him. Isn't that right, Lord Marcus?"
Cassir sounded serious, and honest. Even Marcus was inclined to believe that he meant what he said. But still, he was confused.
"I don't understand."
"You've been hiding your abilities for so long, now that you have come out to the light, is there any need to keep on hiding? You pretended to be ill for a decade to consolidate your powers. You watched everything that had happened in Agard and let it continue, waiting to strike at the right time."
It took a second for Marcus to understand what Cassir meant by this statement. To the rest of the world, it looked as if he had been hiding his abilities over the years when he claimed to have been ill.
In fact, nothing he would say would change this thought in people's minds, even if he revealed the truth. Even those who were in his mansion two days ago hinted at it, but Marcus didn't entertain them with a response.
More often than not, people would choose to believe their own opinions rather than the truth. And that was basic human nature.
Marcus understood that there was a misunderstanding, but he didn't know what this misunderstanding had birthed in Cassir's mind.
Seeing that the young lord had no intention of answering his question, Cassir felt the need to explain further.
"Over the years, a lot of people in Agard sought to destroy you while you were supposedly down, but I stopped all of it. Those greedy nobles and business people, I stopped them."
Marcus frowned.
Whether or not this man was lying, he couldn't say.
"Why?" He asked.
"Because you are your father's son. A Sirdi, even though your family has fallen and your father has passed, there are still loyal retainers and knights of his who are still alive… and they are all quite scary people." He said with a small smile.
True, but they have all gone into hiding since Father died.
"You were… afraid of my father?"
"Were?!" Cassir began laughing. A clear self-deprecating laugh. "I still am.! I was unlucky enough to come across your father when I was younger… the power he displayed that day still haunts me in my sleep from time to time. Even though he's dead, I still fear him. Cowardly of me, don't you think? I have been trying to improve my strength, trying to catch up to him. But I'm still nowhere near."
"That's why you've been protecting me?"
"No, you can't say that I have been protecting you. All I have done is to avoid you, and make sure to avoid everything you hand your hands on. If I were protecting you, I wouldn't have let Egar and Maney attack you that night."
Marcus paused. He didn't want to listen to Cassir speak so much, however, he was moving carefully.
In the first place, the reason I came for him is to find out what Maney wants.
Left to how he had imagined things would play out, by now, Cassir would be in his hands, terrified and confessing all that he knew.
But reality dealt him a cold splash.
"Let me ask you something."
"Go ahead. I've got a bit of time on my hands anyway."
"You and Maney are of different cults, right?"
Cassir clapped his hands. "Correct!" His cane, which was standing alone, hopped and tapped the ground at the same moment he clapped.
As though there was an invisible hand holding it.
"Maney is a follower of the Faceless One. I serve the one who wields the abyss, Carlouses–Darkness Incarnate."
The moment this name was called upon, something answered.
Maddening whispers began singing into Marcus's ear.
Their voices were a mixture of screams and cries.
Marcus felt as if his mind was about to be invaded. His thoughts were slowly being corrupted. Immediately, he opened his Pulse of Seeing.
A clear breeze blew in his mind, sweeping away the effects of the whispers and protecting his mind.
Cassir and the two others with him were astonished when they felt Marcus's aura rise the way it did. It made them feel threatened.
"Hahaha! I wasn't wrong about this apple. I knew that you couldn't be corrupted."
Shit! This asshole is acting based on his assumptions. What if I couldn't protect my mind? What would he have done then?
Marcus was scared and rattled.
At the same time, he could tell that Cassir was a madman. The man had spoken before as if he was apprehensive towards harming him, and yet, he acted in a way that contradicted this.
"Please, go ahead and ask more. I have time." Cassir said with a gentle smile on his face.
Marcus found this voice to be infuriating to his ears. But he still played along.
"So the Faceless cult and Darkness cult have joined hands?"
"Not possible. Our masters despise each other. However, that doesn't stop us from having personal dealings with each other. I had something I wanted from Maney. And he too required something from me. Mutual benefit."
"The people you enslave?"
"Not entirely. Don't ask me what it is. I can't say."
"Does it have to do with whatever it is you have hidden in your auction house?"
As soon as Marcus asked this question, the temperature in the room changed.
"How do you know about that?" Cassir asked slowly.
Marcus didn't respond.
"That isn't something that you should know now. And because you have spoken of it, the casuaility…" He paused. "No, did you receive someone's help? Yes, that has to be it. If not, the weight of knowing would have crushed your mind. Hahaha! It seems that I am correct once again."
For the first time, Marcus was able to watch this cultist form his own assumptions. Though he couldn't tell what exactly Cassir was thinking about, he was almost certain that whatever he claimed to be correct about, was wrong.
"I had already told Maney that his plans wouldn't succeed in Agard. But he didn't listen, Hahaha!"
Marcus frowned. Definitely wrong. The man has succeeded once.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because, you, a Sirdi, is here. You govern these lands. Even if the kingdom has forsaken this place, Maney would still need your permission to succeed."
The words rolled out like silk. It was as if the man had more confidence in Marcus than Marcus did in himself.
It was a weird thing to hear from a cultist.
"So you've concluded that this whole skirmish would end with my victory?"
"Definitely!"
"Then between you and Maney, who is stronger?"
This question forced Cassir to think for a minute. While he was thinking, tremors from the fight between Logail and the tall man reached the fourth floor.
"That's a difficult question to answer. Maney deals with the principalities of cause and effect. It is hard to gauge his powers. And me," He raised his hands, and shadows extended out of the walls, enveloping the entire fourth floor.
In Marcus's eyes, it was as if he had been transported to a world of pure darkness, where no light could invade. Even his thoughts became murky and slow, despite his Pulse of Seeing being open.
And then everything returned to normal in the next second.
Marcus couldn't contain himself completely, his breath quickened as his limbs trembled.
What he had just experienced… There was no doubt about it, if Cassir wanted him dead, he would have already killed him.
At this point, Marcus couldn't help but recall the words of the female standing next to Cassir. His strength wasn't enough.
"And that was only a glimpse." He finished.
With clenched, sweaty fists, Marcus asked. "How… strong are you?"
"Now that's a personal question. But since you are the one asking, I'll tell you. In terms that you understand, I am beyond what you know. In terms of the standard beyond this world, I'm at the peak of Tier One."
This answer was a bit confusing for Marcus to understand.
"Would you look at that, it's almost time for me to take my leave. Young Sirdi, do you have any more questions for me?" he grabbed onto the handle of his cane and placed the cane under his armpit.
"How can I beat Maney?"
Cassir was caught off guard by this question. He frowned, displeased that he was asked this.
"You really know how to take the fun out of things. That question, I cannot answer without a price. I am not willing to pay, nor can you afford to pay it."
His gaze shifted to the third floor, falling on top of Logail.
The moment this happened, one word appeared in Marcus's mind.
Death!