Lake Moonlight Death. A forest inside the city of New Beginnings.
The sun had just sunk below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of blue. The smell of wild forest and bird sounds created a serene atmosphere inside the region. It was as if an oasis had been summoned in the long stretch of marooned desert.
This was a rarely visited lake inside the city because of its innate blue radiance getting reflected from the lake's surface at night. The blue light would intensify as the night progressed. The chill in the air would be felt everywhere.
This blue radiance was known to induce a bone-freezing chill without the accumulation of ice. The dense vegetation in the surroundings was adapted to this natural phenomenon.
Plus, the cold was only fatal for mortals. Ace-ranked entities and higher would only feel slight discomfort.
The chill was beginning to set in as the sunset approached. For the couple who were wandering near the lake's bed, it was a pleasant atmosphere.
Eren and Kirin explored the city some more after their sumptuous meal. They talked about various topics at length throughout their exploration.
"Eren, why are you so determined to destroy House Slughorn? The answers you gave to Master Levine were quite ambiguous. I would like to know your motives if you are ready to share them with me."
Kirin asked Eren while walking beside him. He had put his right arm across her shoulders as they walked along the lake's bed– enjoying each other's company. Every time they spoke, their breaths would turn into smoke before dispersing into thin air.
The night was supposed to be pitch dark inside the lake. Yet the blue radiance of Lake Moonlight Death had made the idea of darkness alien to its viewers. The couple couldn't see or feel anyone in their vicinity.
Eren pursed his lips before replying honestly.
"Hmm. I'll be honest, Kirin. One of the reasons for me starting my potion manufacturing line was indeed to destroy House Slughorn. It started as some personal grudge that is not relevant anymore because I already settled my score.
But now I only want to destroy the clan and all that it holds dear so that I can finally move on. In my enemy's complete annihilation lies my ability to let go of my past. The destruction I cause is also my way of expressing my thirst for freedom."
Kirin listened intently to Eren's words. And it made sense to her.
She already knew that her husband was no poster child of benevolence. But she had found it odd nonetheless to see him rigid in his stance when it came to House Slughorn.
However, Eren's answer assured Kirin that he was not blindsided in his approach to dealing with his enemies. This was who he was as a person.
A ruthless ranker who didn't have any self-imposed boundaries. A hard-working potioner and inventor. A businessman with no moral restrictions. A vengeful demon who didn't entertain half-assery. A poet at heart who could write a book on romance, courtesy of the range of experiences he had gained.
An attentive student who knew how to make use of their teacher. A successful guild master who seems to have been doing everything by the book. A chronic planner who was also not afraid to take risks. And lastly, a giant iceberg floating in the deep waters kept a lot more hidden than it cared to show.
Eren had started developing myriad forms even before he created the Blood Seeds. He had his own blend of evil that was so much different from the rudimentary definition.
Even Agatha and Levine had come to realize that Eren's vengeance was never purely lethargic. He would integrate his benefits with his vengeful actions, allowing him to benefit from his enemies.
He could never be a selfless friend either. His favors often came with conditions.
Eren's destruction of House Slughorn was perfectly synchronized with the White Raven guild's prosperity. The butcher's machinations couldn't be solely labeled as virtuous or evil. His moves had various facets attached to them.
Kirin then asked Eren about various things. A lot were personal and some were about his plans for the future. The latter was as honest as he could be. He put forward his ideas and goals in a way that made sense, enabling Kirin to understand more about her husband.
Eren talked about his immediate plans in detail.
"Kirin, I want something from the Badlands for myself. The thing that Ror told me about. It will ensure the steady progress of my guild in my absence.
The successful completion of that mission will also serve as a way for us to initiate contact with the kingdom of Layos. Something I'm looking forward to.
However, I have many tasks lined up in front of me. And I don't have time to deal with them all at once. Thus, I will work on them through division of labor."
Kirin nodded at Eren's proposal immediately. She wanted to stay with him. Nevertheless, if her contribution could help the butcher in his work, she was ready to do so. She was a capable fighter herself and was not blinded by her emotions.
"You don't need to hesitate. What can I do to help?"
Eren welcomed Kirin's enthusiasm with a smile on his face. He spoke immediately.
"I will have to ask you to take care of that task of acquiring that thing from me from Badlands. Prepare for a few days. Then lead Kaal and a few trusted rankers under our control inside the Badlands.
Finding your way in the Badlands can be tricky. From the guild's officially submitted reports, it seems that Drin has already made contact with Bigua in his previous mission. So take him with you.
Locate Bigua's tribe and have Kaal take over it as its leader. Kill the chieftain and suppress the rebellion in any way you see fit."
Eren said casually as if he was talking about buying groceries. He had assigned a very significant task to Kirin. And she was very happy for him putting his trust in her. For a person who is control-crazy like him, this was a huge accomplishment.
"Do you have any more plans, Lord Husband? Plans for this evening, I mean."
Kirin asked coyly, stopping in her tracks. Eren stopped with her before turning to face her. His emerald green eyes shone with excitement as he replied to her question with a question of his own.
"I do. Are you curious?"
