Rise Online: Return of the Legendary Player

Kaizen emerged from the shadows with his heavy footsteps echoing down the hall. Dhetha could hear the sound before she even saw him, and her heart raced in anticipation. When he finally emerged, he was accompanied by Adohorn, who was being dragged along, his face completely bloodied and his body bruised. It was clear that Adohorn had been brutally beaten.

When the Psyker finally stopped next to Alina, he dropped Adohorn to the ground as if he were dropping a sack of shit. The man fell to the ground, groaning in pain with his cheeks and eyes swollen from being punched so hard. Kaizen looked at Dhetha with his cold eyes.

"What's going on here?" he asked. His voice was low and dangerous, and it sounded like he was ready to strike at any moment. "Dhetha, what did you really say that time? 'Be carefree about your back, because I'll be watching your back'? It was something like that, I'm sure."

The yellow-eyed woman couldn't face him, turned her face away and backed away. At the same time, Alina looked with surprise at Kaizen, because she had never seen him as angry as he seemed at this moment.

Egelza frowned and stepped in front of Dhetha, protecting her. "There is no reason to take your anger out on this woman. She was only carrying out a mission that was assigned to her."

Kaizen stared at this old woman from head to toe and looked at her with contempt, as if she were a repulsive insect to him. "And who exactly would you be?"

"My name is Egelza, better known as the Dawn Magician."

"Tsk! Is that supposed to be a title or a position?" Kaizen inquired, raising his upper lips in disgust.

Egelza seemed not to mind Kaizen's lack of respect and replied with impressive calm. "It is a title that was given to me for my accomplishments as a mage of the Mage Citadel. But it is not about me that we have come to talk today. It's about the safety of your family, Alina Sylly."

Kaizen looked at Egelza suspiciously, but it seemed that she had piqued his curiosity. "Go on." He said, crossing his arms over his chest with an affronted smile on his face.

This Dawn Magician took a deep breath and looked at Alina, who was still stunned by the scene before her.

"Miss Sylly, your brother is under our protection. He is being trained to control his powers and become a powerful mage, just as it happened to your parents and should happen to you. That is why we have come for him."

Alina swallowed hard and looked at Kaizen for confirmation. He said nothing, just shook his head as a gesture to Egelza to keep talking.

Egelza took a deep breath. "Gentlemen, it turns out that there are powerful forces in the kingdom who wish to use at all costs the gifts of mages of half-elven blood like your family's. I am sure you have already experienced this by facing the troublesome Adohorn. And all these criminals want you dead or alive, Alina, but they prefer you alive, so that they can control your powers. That's why when we learned about the Psyker's own purpose in being here, we sent Dhetha. We knew there would be no one better to find you than him, and Dhetha would ease his way."

"Bullshit." Kaizen said bluntly at the end of the woman's story.

Alina, who was almost believing every word of the Dawn Magician, looked at him with surprise and with tears in her eyes, waiting for him to explain why he had suddenly stated this. On the other hand, Egelza was so confident that she was convincing Kaizen that she was annoyed at being accused.

Psyker turned his body to Alina and explained:

"Both Dhetha, and also this pimply mage, use mental tactics to sound more convincing when they are speaking. They mix lies with truths while speaking in a natural way, and this is a very effective technique for liars. I confess that Dhetha managed to fool me by doing the same thing. However, I know that Alina does not have a brother."

"What do you mean!? How can you be so sure!? I barely told you about my past!" Alina looked at him angrily, wanting to believe Egelza's words more than ever, but all she got in return was a fond look from the Psyker.

Kaizen took a hand of hers carefully and looked her in the eye. "Alina, I know it took me a while to find you, it took me much longer than I should have. However, along the way I met with people who told me more about you and your family. A certain person told me how impressive your father was and how he, before he died, gave his life to keep you safe. I don't think that a father like the one described to me would leave one of his children behind while protecting the other. Believe me, if you had a brother, he would be with you in that library."

The librarian at the Library of the Magi looked at him with her jaw dropped and tears streaming down her face. The tone of voice he used was so soft and caring that it cleared her thoughts. She knew immediately that what Kaizen was saying was true, there was no way her father would have left a younger son behind before he died.

Egelza was very irritated by the scene she was watching before her. Kaizen didn't just beat her with a behavioral reading, but with solid arguments and her emotional connection to Alina. At this moment she knew that she could no longer convince Alina to follow her to the Citadel of the Magi, at least not willingly. Therefore, if there was no other way, she would use the methods that were within her reach.

...

Edited by: DrHitsuji

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