Chapter 249 - Averting Suspicion, Presenting Desires
Chapter 249 - Averting Suspicion, Presenting Desires
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Several moments after his beckon, Apollo arrived before the Administration Hall. Even as he stood before the grand building, there wasn't a shred of nervousness present on Apollo's face. If all of his actions unfolded as he expected them to, then there was a certain amount of leverage on his side. Furthermore, he also possessed a shocking piece of information that he had yet to disclose.
??'Let the games commence,' Apollo thought before pressing his hands against the door. Before moving upstairs, he waited a short period for someone to fetch him. Once he arrived before Geneva's door, he entered the portal without hesitation. Immediately, as he entered, he caught wind of Geneva's stern yet appealing features.
"Hello Miss Headmaster," Apollo chuckled before taking a seat in front of her desk. When she heard the playfulness in her voice, Geneva was both taken aback by his lack of fear and disgruntled by the fact he seemed to be taking her lightly.
"Drop the facade, we both know you're a headache in the making. I beckoned you here for multiple reasons; first, this is just for peace of mind. So go on and tell me, how did you kill Reiner? He should be far stronger than you are when he is in his peak state, so tell me, was it your Spirit, who also went against the world?" Geneva questioned.
Despite her probing questioning, Apollo showed a lack of expression. His poker face was spectacular, Geneva couldn't find the slightest sign of him being the culprit, although her gut feeling told her it was the truth.
"Hm? Is that information significant? That doesn't matter, he's dead so let the dead stay that way," Apollo answered. From her aura, he could tell that there was only curiosity and no hostility present. However, Apollo didn't see any benefits arising from his admitting to doing so. Thus, he didn't.
"That may be true, but this isn't for the reasons you think. I just want to understand how much your strength has grown in this short period of time. So tell me, are you capable of killing Reiner," Geneva once again pressed the matter, but this time, it seemed she possessed an ulterior motive.
"First, tell me why you're asking? What your intentions behind acquiring this information," Apollo inquired. At this point, Apollo was sure the message hidden within his Hellfire was well received. While she may not understand exactly what he meant, he was sure the Headmaster's intellect wasn't lacking. She should be more than capable of realizing a hidden meaning within his words.
"Well, if I'm being honest, death is a normal occurrence, I won't press the matters. Instead, if you showcase enough talent to fill both your and Reiner's shoes, I'll allow you to assume his spot inside the Vermillion Flames Institute. So tell me, are you capable or not?" Geneva answered in return.
In response, Apollo smiled, 'As I thought, she is a sly one indeed. Through the allure of rewards, she's trying to get me to confess. I think I'm starting to like this woman. She'd make a decent addition with that cunning tongue,' Apollo mused silently while glancing at Geneva's tapping finger. It seemed she was becoming restless.
"Very well, I am more than capable," Apollo succinctly answered. The moment he gave this answer, Geneva's expression lightened, but there is still one matter that bothered her, "Why was there a lack of signs of struggle at the scene of the incident?"
"The answer is quite simple, it's because there was no struggle, to begin with. From the beginning, Reiner was suppressed and I dealt with him as I pleased. Since he was a little heavy-handed, so was I. I might have just gone to the extremes, but nevertheless, I'll never allow a weed to grow and interfere with my growth," Apollo answered in a nonchalant manner.
"I see," Geneva nodded and then fell silent. A short moment later, she looked around and held out her hand. By utilizing the special permission granted to her by her headmaster position, Geneva sent a mass message to her subordinates. When they received it, they stopped pressing the matters surrounding the death of Reiner.
"For appearances' sake, I have instructed the other that I have you in my custody, but nearly all of them have agreed to handle the situation exactly how Grayson's incident.
In response, Apollo shook his head, "That won't suffice. I'd like to keep their academic credits. After all, there's no one to receive it. The victim is dead so there is no one it can go to. Thus, I would like to continue receiving their garnished credits. I'm sure we can make this happen, right Miss Headmaster?"
Once again, Geneva was taken aback, this lad was too gluttonous. Not only did not seem gratified by the fact Geneva hinted that he would avoid punishment, but he also wanted to keep the benefits presented from before. It took some time, but Geneva ultimately nodded and agreed to it.
Unlike the rest, due to their deal, Apollo didn't possess any other source of credits outside of his own actions. Hence, when the opportunity presented itself, Apollo needed to take advantage of all possible benefits.
"Now, I have a set of questions of my own. Why did you devour my flame with that impatience before and what was that look of intoxication? Is there something you aren't disclosing? If I remember properly, Irauk called you the Dark Phoenix," Apollo questioned.
He leaned forward and rested his chin on his wrist. This was something that always plagued his mind. The Headmaster's identity appeared to be not simple at all. Furthermore, she was also related to Sapphyr.
"What do you mean and what are you insinuating with that tone?" Geneva narrowed her eyes. Subconsciously, she clutched the torso of her crimson robes behind the desk. While this action escaped Apollo's eyes, it didn't escape Fuhrer's.
'Hoh? She's hiding one nasty secret as I told you before. Now I'm even more sure of it, there's something amiss with her body,' Fuhrer revealed.
On the other hand, Apollo shrugged and chuckled in a lighthearted manner, "Nothing much, I just want to know what secret you're hiding in your body and why did it cause you to leave the battlefield. Based on what I've seen from you, your demeanor isn't one who willingly leaves the battlefield."
He then continued, "Could it be that you were injured?"
Suddenly, Geneva's eyes widened, "Where did you get this information?! You're far too young to be privy to any of those classified events nor do you possess the connections to pry this information out of the limited people who know."
"The source is you, do you recall the message I left in your little gift?" Apollo chuckled further. He then conjured a wisp of Hellfire and glided his finger across Geneva's desk.
As she looked down at his finger, Geneva focused on it. A ringing entered her ears as her surroundings became blurred. The only thing present in her sight was the Hellfire. The more she looked at it, the more her desire to have it grew. In fact, her wound on her torso started to throb.
When he noticed this, Apollo compounded on her momentary weakness, "It's enticing, isn't it? You would love to devour this once again, wouldn't you? If you do, all you need to do is answer my question; what secret are you hiding?"
Slowly, Geneva obliged. She grabbed the corner of her robes and lifted her robes until her terrifying wound was on display. "This is why I have left; it is a wound that I received from a Terror. Now that I've upheld my side of the bargain, uphold yours," she said in an almost snarling manner.
In return, Apollo became even more whimsical, "Hold your horse, first, tell me how you got this wound, I'm interested. If you do, I'll let you devour all of this," Apollo voiced before turning his hand over. As he conjured a large cluster of Hellfire, Geneva's eyes shimmered, she desired to consume it.
With her willpower nearly depleted under the enticement of the Hellfire, Geneva went on to reveal the source of her injury. As Apollo gained this information, he also felt something was amiss. When she mentioned a near Disaster-Grade Terror, there was an odd fluctuation in her voice. At first, he thought it was just due to her innate fear, but then he processed the information further.
Nevertheless, Apollo presented her the Hellfire and witnessed the faint shade of ecstasy that appeared in her eyes.