Tension could be felt in the atmosphere, fused with the silence from both parties.
Maney's gaze slowly and carefully scrutinized Marcus. And for a few seconds, his gaze stopped on the cloth bag hanging around the young lord's shoulder.
His brows creased slightly.
Surely, it was him… but to so confidently approach me with it in his hands. Is he that confident or is this a ploy set by those behind him?
Maney thought as his eyes wandered around a bit, searching for anything off. But he found none.
There were no hidden experts around.
Yet, this only caused his frown to deepen.
The interference in causality must have been done by another powerful being, at least a Tier 1 Being, surely there's someone behind him.
Did he collude with the Royal Council?
He refused to believe that Marcus had the confidence or knowledge to do all that he did on his own, at such short notice.
And yet, something felt wrong, as if he had missed something.
While Maney was observing his surroundings, Marcus was also trying to come up with a plan.
Though he showed no sign of nervousness or fear, not even backing down under the pressure from Cassir's and Maney's, his insides were different.
Marcus found it difficult to breathe. His organs felt as though they were being squeezed.
It took him every ounce of control over his reactions that he could muster to remain as though he wasn't affected.
Should I follow the system's instructions in the special mission, or try to find some relief by stepping back?
Marcus didn't waste much time before he scrapped the idea of taking a step back.
He could tell that if he gave in under their pressure, it was no different from washing his neck and handing it over to be sliced.
Subtly, he gnashed his teeth. Let's stand our ground for as long as we can… if it comes to it, I'll have to figure out a way to destroy this Aethera's Casket.
Marcus wasn't sure how he would achieve that, but he was willing to bet that his Marc Steel was sharp enough to slice through the artifact.
It was a gamble, one that he couldn't afford to lose.
Marcus exhaled lightly and met Maney's gaze once again.
"Young Governor, Marcus." Maney began with an unhurried tone.
"You've been… busy."
"Not as much, nor as long as you." His retort came as quickly, spoken in a similar, calm tone.
Maney blinked lightly, taken aback a bit. "How long did you know? And who helped you?"
He probed lightly.
Who helped me do what? Why is he speaking in riddles again?
Marcus cursed internally as he recalled the way Maney spoke the last time they crossed paths.
This question, as direct and simple as it was, was ambiguous.
The conversation had only begun and the young lord already felt as though a blade had been placed on his neck.
If he breathes the wrong way, speaks with the wrong tone, or even lets his pupils dilate the wrong way, his head would fly.
"Why is that of any importance now, Sir Maney… or should I call you, Lord Priest?" Marcus smirked.
His confident remark made it seem like he knew more than he was letting on.
Was that too much? Marcus worried.
And at the same time, Cassir chuckled, amused by Marcus's response.
"Only my underlings–believers of the Faceless Order, refer to me as such. Unless you wish to become a part of Faceless?"
"I'd rather tear my limbs apart and eat them raw than join your deranged and sick cult," Marcus replied.
A tense silence followed, before the coming of a colossal pressure that far outweighed what Marcus had been experiencing previously.
The gates of his mansion shook as though an invisible force was trying to shake them out of their bolts.
Marcus's knees buckled, almost dragging him to the ground.
Behind him, his knights were unable to withstand this pressure, sending all of them squirming on the ground.
Crash!
In the distance, the windows on Marcus's mansion all exploded at the same time, sending shards of glass flying.
"This is no child's play, Lord Marcus." Maney began. As he spoke, his pupils turned red, as though they had been dyed with blood.
"You have thwarted more than a decade's worth of my plans. Do you even understand what is at play here?!" His voice boomed, causing a ringing sensation in Marcus's and his knights' ears.
"Return Aethera's Casket and I'll let you be. This is me giving you face, otherwise, the Sirdi clan would lose one more descendant."
Hearing this, Marcus, who was bent and almost on his knees as he was still resisting the pressure, frowned deeply.
His emotions flew all over the place.
"Do I understand what is at play?" Marcus muttered as he puffed out air.
He raised his head and glared at Maney.
"Do you understand what you have done!" Almost as loudly as Maney's voice, Marcus's voice boomed across the area.
Subsequently, he opened his Heart Pulse, and energy coursed through his body. His aura exploded and a sheen of multiple colors rose from his body.
The mana around Marcus stirred, gathering to ward off the pressure that he was under.
At the same time, his Lord With A Will title activated, bringing forth a mental pressure that completely freed Marcus of the pressure.
Slowly, he gained the strength to stand his ground and straighten his back. Then he took two steps forward.
Marcus's will also alleviated the pressure on his knights, albeit a little bit.
"You call sacrificing the lives of the innocent in the thousands 'at play'. Vermin, do you know whom you are speaking to? I am their liege, their protector!"
"Your bloody years of plans do not mean dirt shit to me if it involves the lives of my people!"
If it weren't for the gate, Marcus would have stepped up to Maney.
"And this," He pointed at the cloth bag. "This was once a property of my father. Since when did his things become yours?"
On the side of the gate, Maney and Cassir were left speechless. Not by the words Marcus spoke, but by the power he displayed.
The shock was so evident on their faces.
None of them ever thought that Marcus was hiding this much power from the public.
Though it wasn't in any way enough to scare them or make them apprehensive.
Yet, for years, they had thought that he was a normal lord, without Mana or Blood Force.
However, reality proved otherwise.
Not only did he possess mana and the aura of a Radiant-rank warrior, but he also possessed a pure form of elemental energy that was radiating from him.
Moreover, he was pulsing with a form of mental energy, externalized. Something that people of his level shouldn't possess.
All of this together made Maney falter, and at the same time, solidified his belief that there was a powerful force behind Marcus.
He couldn't help but wonder how much of his plans had been exposed and secretly countered.
As for Cassir, he frowned and took two steps back, as if there was something on Marcus warding him back.
This didn't go unnoticed by Marcus.
"Shouldn't you be packing up to leave Agard?"
"What?"
"Have my father not already done enough to you, or would you like to increase your suffering?"
"How did you…" Cassir paused.
The mad man of the past, who instilled fear into Marcus's heart, faltered and was unable to say much.
In his eyes, a glint of fury flashed before it turned into fear.
His frown deepened as did his grip on his cane.
"Maney, let's meet up later." Right after saying that, Cassir's figure vanished. Not even waiting to find out what the other had to say.
With his absence, Maney felt as if his unseen opponent had the chance to attack.
A series of emotions ran through his heart before he sighed, reigning in all the pressure he had been exuding.
"Young Lord. I have my goals, and if you wish to impede my progress, then I'll have no choice but to deal with you."
The two of them lock gazes once again, neither party backing off.
"4 months."
"On the first light of the fifth month, we will settle this matter." With this said, Maney turned and began walking away.
The cloaked figures followed right behind.