Emperor's Reckoning

A young man collapsed on the floor beside an old man as debris from the walls fell. His hair was covered in dust and his azure cloak had partially turned gray. He could smell the floor as he breathed in, it was a fresh wood scent like the ones in the forest. His buried face hidden his gritted teeth as he held the pain on his cheek.

His fingers slowly twitched, before he put strength to push himself up. His figure slowly got up as he took a sneak to a fainted old man beside him. (I guess karma huh?) thought the young man with his puffed right cheek.

*pat

The young man patted his azure cloak as dust particles filled the air around it before ended up clapping his hand to finish. He stretched his neck before slowly walking to the culprit responsible.

"Boy, do you want some more? I have lots where that came from," said Elise as she chuckled, but sadly it was only for a short while. "Hm?!" she squinted her eyes as she noticed an unbelievable thing.

The puffed cheek that Lyon had was recovering at an incredible speed that could be seen by the naked eye. This phenomenon happened before when he first arrived in this world, but only a few saw it.

As Lyon stood before Elise, he was good as new. As if nothing ever happened to his charismatic face.

(Interesting, Lyon was it?) thought Elise before she said, "Well with that done, I think I should go back to business, that is to appraise the level two grade pill."

Rowland was wiping his sweat with his little napkin before rushing to offer the blue pill he was holding on, "Ah yes, yes, please do so Elder Elise."

Elise lightly took the blue pill in Rowland's hand before saying, "Hmm, a one hundred percent blue pill, not a single tint of other colors visible."

"What does it mean?" asked Lyon.

Elise raised her one of her eyebrows as she said, "You mean, you don't know what a hundred percent color means?"

"No idea," said Lyon as he shook his head.

She squinted her eyes as suspicion build up in her thought (How could an Alchemy Union's student didn't know this?).

Then, she pointed Lyon with her other hand before saying, "Lyon, you are not a student from Alchemy Union's aren't you?"

Lyon squinted his eyes as Elise waited for his answer.

"Hmm," hummed Lyon while closing his eyes, he slowly turned his figure back as he walked away from her. He took a few steps before stopping, catching everyone's attention.

The room was silent in the anticipation for his answer, they could hear the sound his nose and mouth made when he took a breath. "I thought I could keep this secret longer from you, but I guess it cannot be helped."

Elise furrowed her eyebrows as she heard what his answer was. (An enemy of the union? An assassin?) So many speculations filled her mind like a storm.

"That's right, I'm not from the Alchemy Union," said Lyon confidently.

"Hmm, then where did you get the azure cloak of the Alchemy Union?" asked Elise before she readied herself for the kill. "Killing a student of the Alchemy Union is a grave sin, as an elder I will not tolerate this."

"?!" the princess and her uncle felt shivered as if their body turned cold, but not because of the sculpture but something else. It was like a thousand knives aiming at their necks ready to slit at any time. (Such killing intent!) thought the princess as she struggled to breathe.

Elise noticed that her killing intent had spread inside the room before focusing on the young man that stood aloof.

Like a wild tidal wave, her killing intent crashed Lyon.

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"Hm? What are you doing Elise?" asked Lyon nonchalantly.

(What? Didn't he feel my killing intent?) thought Elise as her eyes turned serious. This was the first time a lower leveled cultivation realm cultivator escape her killing intent, normally it would make them pissed themselves.

"I don't think that's necessary, he is not done explaining," said Kyoko softly.

"Hehe, that's right, besides, your killing intent wouldn't work on hubby," chuckled Ryona with pride.

"Hmm... you are right, no matter how I concentrated, he didn't even flinch," said Elise while shaking her head.

She too was a cultivator so she knew that killing intent had no relations to one's realm. It could only grow on experience, slaying the enemy, wars, it was built upon corpses and more corpses. In the end, it was how much bones and blood under your throne.

"Oh, did you spread out your killing intent towards me?" asked Lyon innocently.

Elise sighed, before nodding.

(Really? I feel nothing! Even those assassins in the forest still have some, though really shallow) thought Lyon. He couldn't say it out loud how weak it was, less he wanted a punch in the face once again.

He coughed before he said, "Yes, back on the topic, I don't even know Alchemy Union existed until I met you hahaha."

His hearty laughter brought twitching lips for Elise. (Is this young man for real?).

"As for this azure cloak, it was my prize from winning a bet against that old man over there," said Lyon as he pointed out the fainted old figure.

"A bet? What?" Elise was lost.

The azure cloak was a symbol for the Alchemy Union, how could someone even bet on it. The value of this item might be higher than the one wearing it, not even a stupid person would lightly give it away.

In the end, she could only shake her head, what's done was done. "Lyon, I'm sorry but I have to confiscate the cloak, please gave it to me."

"Oh, what's in it for me?" asked Lyon with a smirk.

"Well, I will give you a recommendation letter for the Alchemy Union in exchange," said Elise as she pulled out a red scroll from her spatial ring.

"Deal!" said Lyon without thinking further, he quickly took off the azure cloak and took the red scroll from her hand.