Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 111 What You Wanted

"A… bet?"

"Yes… that you can copy other people's abilities."

And with those words, the deafening sound of the blades of the helicopter that was still whispering in his ears despite the headphones he was wearing completely disappeared. His eyes, just staring at Maria who was looking at him as if she did not just reveal something huge.

Rhys could probably just jump from the helicopter to escape the situation, but that would completely make him a fugitive considering Maria was practically police. And once again, Rhys found his mind completely filled with thoughts and whispers of his own voice.

Maria did not seem to mind his stupor, however, as she also just continued to awkwardly stare at his half-hidden face even after several seconds.

But finally, after a few more silent breaths, Rhys let out a small sigh and slightly lowered his head.

"...How did you know?" Rhys asked a question he probably knew the answer to. He wasn't going to deny it, Maria was HIU, one of the biggest investigation units in the world.

"It is quite obvious for anyone that has your file, Mr. Wilder," Maria finally looked away as she relaxed her back on her seat, "The very first ability you showcased after you presumably awakened was to create a thread extremely similar to that of Goddess Arachnea — and our reports say you have met her the moment you awakened your bloodline."

"...I said that in the confidence of the Underworld Corps," Rhys's eyebrows slightly lowered.

"And former General Banner…" Maria once again looked Rhys in the eyes, "...whose brother is the current acting director of the HIU. There are millions of Explorers, Mr. Wilder — but our world is small… and obviously nepotism."

"Hm…"

"The other ability you have showcased is Wind Control," Maria continued to explain as she grabbed a tablet that was resting beneath her chair and started scanning Lina's file, "Linette Marie Churchill has the same ability, albeit much stronger."

Rhys tried to sneak a peek at her tablet, but Maria quickly tilted it away before swiping down.

"Ayesha, Abnormal Herculean strength, which you also have but at a much lower capacity. Or at least with what you have shown," Maria then once again swiped down, "Katarina Isabel Castaneda Lopez… but you do not seem to have her abilities yet."

"That…" Rhys was able to get a small glimpse of Maria's tablet before she turned off the screen, but the only thing he noticed was that Katarina's file was filled with… red fonts.

"...Are you curious about Katarina?" Maira quickly noticed Rhys's gaze, "But sorry, you are the one under investigation. But you don't have to worry, you're not under investigation because of your abilities. I am just telling you that anyone with half a brain knows. But then again, we might as well know nothing as the Rhys Wilder puzzle is not even a quarter complete."

"...Thanks for telling me," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he nodded his head.

"Are you not going to copy my abilities?" Maria stretched her hand to Rhys.

"...No."

"Are you telling me that my abilities are not worth copying?"

"It… doesn't work that way," Rhys still could not get used to Maria's demeanor. She was completely stoic and the tone of her voice was almost robotic — and yet she was extremely talkative.

"And how does it work, Mr. Wilder?" Maria looked Rhys in the eyes again.

"Nice try," Rhys smiled and shook his head

"Was it?" Maria retracted her hand, "I was being serious. If you are going to copy it, just tell me."

"I… will."

"Good, get some rest," Maria looked away before wearing a pair of sunglasses, "We will be there at our destination in an hour. And do not look so tense, we will probably let you go after a few questions."

"Hm," Rhys squinted as he just stared at Maria and the 5 Gray Hearts floating above her head. Her ability to travel across some sort of shadow dimension would prove incredibly useful for him, but how exactly was Rhys going to even start approaching Maria, when the only desire she could hear from her was—

'I want to go home.'

Even back when they first met when she was interrogating him, Maria had the same desire. Rhys found it weird, however, as the prerequisite of him being able to read people's desires was that it should have something to do with him; directly or not.

But then again, he was basically Maria's job right now.

"Ma'am, am I permitted to ask you a question?" Rhys whispered into his mic as he stared at Maria. Maria, however, did not respond at all. Rhys was about to look away as he let himself slouch on his chair, but he heard Maria's breath from the headphones.

"...You've been asking me questions since earlier, Mr. Wilder," Maria replied without looking at Rhys, "I'm allowing you to ask one in hopes you will cooperate with us later."

"I… was already planning on fully cooperating, Ma'am," Rhys sighed, "You travel a lot in your job, do you ever miss your family?"

"My family…?" Maria whispered.

"I'm only asking since I also spent months away, but… I didn't technically have a family to go home to," Rhys rested his head back.

"A home," Maria turned to look at the scenery outside, "I don't have such a thing."

"Are you one of those that consider their work as their home?"

"You can say that."

"Do you want to join Katarina and I for dinner soon?" Rhys glanced at Maria; slightly showing his face as his head was resting back, "The two of you seem to have a lot of history together, you guys can catch up."

"So this is what this is about," Maria let out a sigh as she removed her sunglasses and once again looked Rhys in the eyes,

"You're not adding me to your harem, Mr. Wilder. I was raised in an Olympiant household, we do not allow multiple partners in marriage."

"That's not what I—"

"Come to think of it, Katarina was too," Maria shook her head, "I am starting to think you are corrupting people, Mr. Wilder. Be careful I do not add that to your file, you are already listed as a womanizer."

"That's…" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he glanced at the tablet beneath Maria's seat, "...in my file?"

"Your guild is literally named Wilder's Harem, Mr. Wilder."

"I…

…I had no hand in that."

The flight was relatively quiet after that part of the conversation as Rhys was now trying to be extremely careful around Maria. Rhys initially thought he was being brought to the main building of the HIU, but it turns out he was just brought to the very same police station near his old school, where he was first interrogated.

And Maria was right, he was just asked a couple of routine questions and they ultimately just ruled it as… excessive self-defense, if there was such a thing.

Rhys, however, did still find himself inside a jail cell.

"Make yourself comfortable for the night, Mr. Wilder."

"Right…" Rhys could really only look at Maria as the officer behind her locked the cell.

"Hand."

"Can I at least make a call?" Rhys let out a sigh as the officer removed his handcuffs.

"What for?" Maria blinked a couple of times as she looked at the handcuffs attached to his waist, "You will be fine without your harem. It's just a single night, Mr. Wilder. You can just talk to Mr. Johnson there."

"That…" Rhys glanced at his cellmate, only for Mr. Johnson with Hearts floating above his head, 2 of them already red as he smiled at him, "...Then can you at least tell Katarina that I'll be here all night?"

"No need. Everyone knows, Mr. Wilder," Maria waved her hand as she started walking away, "You're not exactly here incognito. And don't worry, I'm bailing you out tomorrow myself…

…we have dinner, remember?"

And as Maria walked away, Rhys saw a very small, and slightly cheeky smile forming on her face. One of the Hearts above her head, turning red.

Is… Maria the type of person that likes to see people suffer?

Truly, an enigma of a person.

Nothing really happened after. But Rhys made sure not to fall asleep just in case, activating his [Arise] ability whenever he felt sleepy as he observed everything around him, particularly Mr. Johnson… whose desires he could hear all night. Fortunately, he seemed to be drunk.

"Mr. Wilder, I take it you slept well?"

And once again, true to her words, Maria escorted him out of the jail as soon as the sun rose up.

"I have a feeling you already know the answer to that, Ma'am," Rhys let out a small sigh as he followed Maria and headed their way out of the station, "Are you also going to take me home?"

"That's my job," Maria glanced at Rhys with a blank expression on her face, "And also, you need me to escort you home."

"What do you—"

And as soon as Maria opened the door to the outside world, Rhys was finally bombarded by light, not from the sun, but from all the cameras that were once again pointed at him.

"Mr. Wilder! Can you look here for a second!?"

"A lot of people are saying you should have been sent to prison, what do you say about that!?"

"Ben and his family are looking into pressing charges against you, do you see any reason why the court won't approve of it?"

"What's your relationship with the guild master of the Laughing Bronze?"

"Don't act so surprised, Mr. Wilder…" Maria took a step back and whispered in Rhys's ear,

"...This is what you wanted to happen, isn't it?"