Chapter 122 Pink sparks
Chapter 122 Pink sparks
"I-I..." His voice trembled as he narrowed his eyes, feeling the accusatory gazes upon him, and somewhere, even a hint of mockery could be detected. "I-I...?"
"You? What are you?" Elizabeth inquired, furrowing her exquisite brows and striking the carpet with her scepter, causing the tip to glow, Suddenly, a shockwave emerged, knocking Leonid off his feet and sending him flying. He sailed straight towards the doors, which managed to hold him back, and he simply crashed to the floor.
"Argh!"
Screaming in intense pain, Leonid clutched his arm, which had been twisted unnaturally. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his facial expression contorted from the excruciating pain.
"Leonid!" Angela cried out in concern upon seeing Leonid's condition.
"Damn..."
Lily and Vanessa had a more restrained reaction, but it was evident that they were also concerned. After all, each of them knew that for some reason, Leonid was overly afraid of experiencing pain, so even the slightest injury could render him useless. Therefore, they stood up and turned, wanting to rush to his aid, but...
"Don't move."
However, Elizabeth's voice instantly made them kneel. The girls could only widen their eyes, feeling helpless, while Adam smiled and used magic to soften Vanessa's fall, drawing the queen's attention, though she simply ignored him.
And now, directing her cold gaze at Leonid, Elizabeth began to recount his achievements, even though her words were tinged with sarcasm: "First achievement – killing a Lower demon in the village of Brooks, destroying a settlement of demons barely reaching Lower demon status, and... the recent mission you successfully botched. The rest – killing monsters."
Her gaze grew colder, and when Leonid met her eyes, he felt his insides constrict with fear. His body chilled, and his heart seemed one step away from freezing. It was pure terror; the pressure she exuded seemed capable of killing without words or actions, which instilled fear in Leonid.
"Y-Your Majesty! Please, give me a chance!" he shouted hoarsely, hoping she would hear his plea.
However, after his words, there was only silence. Elizabeth's bored expression was worse than any nightmare for Leonid because he knew that disappointing her could result in the loss of his hero title, which would be just the beginning of his consequences.
If the residents of Avalonia were faithful to the Goddess of Light and revered her, on an equal footing was Queen Elizabeth herself, whose words could change everything. After all, only Elizabeth could help during a disaster, and the loyal servants of the church would say it was a trial from the goddess. Moreover...
Elizabeth had been ruling long before a strong faith in the Goddess of Light had formed. The foundation, reinforced by millennia of rule, was so strong that even the most charismatic person wouldn't scratch it.
Leonid's face filled with despair, and he trembled from time to time as if mentally envisioning what awaited him.
"Is this the end? No, I don't want it to be like this," Leonid thought, feeling his reluctance growing in his chest. "If I lose my status, I'll..."
Once, the city's residents who greeted him with joyful smiles would instantly turn into bloodthirsty monsters, ready to eliminate him at any mistake. Once good friends would become the first to plunge a dagger into his back. He wouldn't be able to return to his hometown, and he'd be condemned to a life of poverty until his death...
"I don't want this! I won't allow it!"
***
Silence fell. Everyone pondered their thoughts, watching as Leonid's expression changed. Adam looked at the spectacle with obvious boredom on his face, while in his hand, pink sparks danced, and as they collided, they created a small steam that occasionally made weak officials feel their minds empty.
And then, during the silence, a courageous and handsome voice suddenly rang out, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.
"Your Majesty, I request your attention."
Everyone turned to the man, who was Adam. He wore a carefree smile on his face, and the pink sparks in his hand disappeared as he clenched his fist. At the same time, several officials woke up from their strange state and smiled at him.
"Advisor Adam, do you have any ideas?" Elizabeth asked.
"Ho-ho-ho, of course, I do. After all, it's Advisor Adam!" The flattering words poured out of the officials' mouths, and they warmly praised him. The man, upon hearing these words, merely nodded and then turned his gaze to Leonid.
"How about this... give him a second chance?"
Elizabeth wore a puzzled expression, which she didn't hide from him. Some officials shared this look, while others immediately began praising him.
"Oh, what a generous man you are, Advisor Adam! I dare say I've never seen such a kind-hearted person as you!"
"That's right, Advisor Adam believes in the hero, so I will too!"
Smiling at them, Adam began descending the steps and approaching Leonid, who watched him with a wary gaze. Each step of Adam's approach, each tap of his shoe on the floor, made Leonid's heart tremble with a sense of threat.
In the distance, behind, Amarantha raised an eyebrow when she saw Adam's hand open, revealing pink sparks that danced in his palm. Unconsciously, a wide grin appeared on her face, and her eyes lit up, while she suppressed a laugh.
Returning to Adam... he slowly but confidently approached Leonid. When he got up close, he leaned in, placing his hand on Leonid's head, and his mouth came close to the hero's ear.
"You're from Earth, aren't you?"
"?!?!"
Leonid suddenly jumped away from Adam, using all his strength, but in the end, he crashed into the door. If there was any trace of pride left in Leonid before, now his face was filled with pure fear—the most primal of human emotions.
Watching the hero tremble in fear, his face contorted in horror, Adam felt something... odd. A wide grin appeared on the advisor's face, visible only to Leonid. It was a terrible, unimaginably horrifying, and devilish grin that sent shivers down Leonid's spine.
"You...," Leonid began to speak, but he suddenly fell silent when, in a brief moment, Adam covered the distance of three meters and stood right beside him. Leonid could only let out a high-pitched sound of surprise.
Looking down at him, Adam yawned, revealing sharp teeth, and when their eyes met, Leonid noticed that the man's sclera had turned black.
And then, Adam snapped his fingers, creating a dome of darkness around them. He squatted down in front of Leonid and locked eyes with him, grinning terrifyingly and cracking his neck.
"It happened like this, Leonid... I've always been curious about where cigarettes come from in this world," Adam said, taking a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. "If it were just about cigarettes, I wouldn't have been surprised, but... a whole pack. A pack of cigarettes that looks a lot like something from a famous manufacturer."
Adam waved the pack of cigarettes in front of Leonid's eyes, and he could see that the man's eyes widened in realization. This made the advisor's smile even wider.
"So, I decided to investigate who created these cigarettes. The investigation yielded rather lackluster results," Adam continued, explaining every detail as if dealing with an inexperienced child. "He's in prison... that's what I found out, and nothing more. No location, nothing else. Then I was told he would be transferred to the capital. You see?"
"W-What are you trying to say?!" Leonid shouted.
"Shh... don't shout, idiot," Adam smiled, then sneered, tossing the pack of cigarettes onto Leonid's face. "It just so happened that the day the criminal was returning to the capital was the same day you were returning. At first, I thought it was a coincidence. After all, how could the hero be the criminal? And..."
Adam paused for a few seconds, then continued, "It turned out I was right. You are the one who created the cigarettes. From Earth, became a hero... oh, and I also figured it out from your reaction to the structures in Sedyon, as well as various technologies. Your face is an open book."
He burst into laughter, seeing Leonid's face filled with disbelief, while tears began to stream from his eyes. Adam cracked his neck and smiled.
"Don't cry, kid. I won't kill you. I'm not that much of a monster. I'll just make you more useful."
Approaching Leonid, Adam clapped him on the head and then infused pink energy into his mind. Leonid rolled his eyes, feeling his body tremble with pain, while his mind became empty. The feelings of despair and fear gradually changed to hope and admiration, and Adam transformed from a heartless demon into a great savior.
Stepping away from Leonid, Adam smiled, watching as the man transformed into something new. Looking at Adam with a gaze full of admiration and reverence, Leonid spoke.
"Thank you for making me a better version of myself!"
Adam simply waved his hand and said, "You're welcome. Just follow the orders I've implanted in your mind, and everything will be fine."
Turning around, Adam snapped his fingers, and the dome disappeared. As he exited, he saw the astonished officials and Elizabeth, who looked at Leonid with narrowed eyes, sensing that something was amiss, but she had no clear ideas.
"Your Majesty, Leonid has realized that he wasted too much time on frivolities and has repented, begging Your Majesty to act wisely and, in your magnanimity, give him a second chance," said Adam, smiling and looking into Elizabeth's eyes. "He has even personally agreed to go to the front lines."
To be continued...