Chapter 409: A Petty Old Coot At first, Alex’s sleep was long and dreamless. But then, a gentle brushing against his head began to lull him back into awareness. The feeling was so soothing, so real that he wanted to know where it’s from. Curious, he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a familiar face, all scrunched up in worry. "Guildmaster?" Alex said weakly. "Yes, it’s me," Noelle replied softly. "I want you to know that you’re safe. We can talk more next time, but for now, rest." Her voice, soft as a lullaby, brought back his drowsiness. Within moments, he fell back to sleep, with Noelle cradling his head on her lap. She then started to hum, hoping to put him at ease so he would be able to focus all his energy on healing. Outside of the dream world, Eiko sealed the cavern, preventing Alex, Latifa, Lumi, and Lotte from leaving. She asked Dim Dim to tell its other friends that Alex and Latifa were fine and that they didn’t need to worry. Eiko estimated that the silver-haired young man wouldn’t be well enough until after a day or two for he needed to heal more than just his physical injuries. Luthor’s aura had gone out of control earlier, and what he had inflicted on Alex went beyond the corporal. Fortunately, the old man had instinctively held back, but the damage had already been done. Alex would only open his eyes once he fully recovered his internal energy. For now, they could only wait. At the corner of the cavern, Luthor sat cross-legged and started meditating to calm his mind. After snapping out of his earlier outburst, he realized he no longer had the control he used to have over his strength. Latifa, Lumi, and Lotte were on the opposite side of the cavern. Latifa was still inside Alex’s body, currently sleeping on a bed she always carried wherever she went. After temporarily taking over Alex’s body and realizing the extent of his injuries, the foxkin couldn’t help her fury towards Luthor from bubbling over. Her only consolation now was that the power of the Verdant Throne had activated to the fullest. She could at least feel assured that the young man would achieve full recovery. Half an hour later, Dim Dim returned. Having conveyed that Alex was fine to their other companions, it decided to have a chat with Eiko. The two were talking so softly that others couldn’t make out what they were discussing. After their conversation seemed to end, Dim Dim bounced toward Latifa and told her that she could leave Alex in the cavern to recuperate. "I’ll stay with him, Dim Dim," Latifa answered. "Who knows what that old man might do if Alex is left here all alone." Luthor smiled faintly and spoke with his eyes closed. "The ladies of this generation have no respect for the elderly." "Does someone who attacked my friend and almost killed him for no valid reason deserve respect?" Latifa asked icily. "Are his injuries a gift I ought to thank you for?" Luthor knew nothing he could say could refute her words. "I admit I was in the wrong, but your friend isn’t completely faultless. He should have known better than to say something that shouldn’t be said," Luthor stated. "And that is?" Latifa pressed, still unconvinced. She wanted to get to the bottom of what had transpired. She believed that Alex had done nothing to warrant this, but she wanted to know what he had done to make the old man think otherwise. However, Luthor didn’t reply, leaving her hanging. There was nothing more annoying than having a question unanswered. Clearly, the old man knew this and had led Latifa to this outcome. "What a petty old coot," Lumi remarked with blatant contempt. "You’re demanding respect while acting so disgracefully. Is bullying people younger and weaker than you something to be proud of? Can you even see your thick face in the mirror?" "Sorry, missy, I am blind," Luthor answered without any sign of guilt or remorse. "How can I see such a thing?" "Hmmph!" Lumi glared at the old man and fell silent, no longer considering him fit to speak to. A faint smile appeared on Luthor’s lips as he sensed how much the two ladies really cared about the young man who had introduced himself to him as his prince. The seal that Nero had placed inside his head had once again returned to a hibernation state, revealing no fluctuations that Luthor could sense. Even so, it only gave Alex’s declaration more credibility. After all, he had been there when Nero had placed the seal on his Prince’s memories. ————— Outside the cavern... Lavinia stared at the lake where Alex and Latifa had disappeared into. She had been informed that Alex was injured but was no longer in danger. Although she wanted to personally confirm this by seeing him, it was not possible. A barrier had appeared around the lake, preventing anyone from entering. Only the slimes could pass through this barrier freely. "When I first saw Alex, I didn’t think how strong a magnet he’d be for trouble," Cairo said as he stood beside his sister. "By now, it’s not wrong for me to claim wherever he goes, trouble follows. Lavinia, he’ll probably keep facing similar situations in the future. If you want to be with him, you need to become stronger." "I understand." Lavinia nodded. "Before we left the village, Alex looked a little pale. But he didn’t say anything, so I didn’t think it’s anything serious. Conflicts aren’t allowed in Slime Paradise, so I didn’t interfere with his plans here. I thought he could properly rest here. "It seems that I was naive. There’s no safe place. Letting my guard down is a mistake." "It’s not your fault." Cairo sighed. "Even I didn’t expect him to get injured in this place. I want to know more, but Dim Dim won’t say anything no matter how many times we ask it to elaborate. It seems like it wants to keep things under the wraps." "Maybe Dim Dim thinks that some things are better left unknown," Lavinia commented. "At times like this, we can only put our trust in Latifa." A smile tugged on the corners of Cairo’s lips while he looked at his sister’s expression. "Aren’t you worried?" Cairo asked in a more light-hearted tone. "Alex is alone with a beautiful lady. Who knows what might happen between them?" "Brother, you can be mean at times, you know?" Lavinia replied, annoyed. Cairo arched an eyebrow. "I am mean, yes, but what if I’m right?" "So what if you’re right?" Lavinia countered. "Latifa and I already talked about it." "Oh?" Cairo smirked. "What did you talk about?" "It’s a secret between girls. It doesn’t concern you." "Fair enough. My sister has grown a lot." Cairo was all smiles, but deep inside, he was worried about his disciple. Earlier, he had felt a strength that surpassed his own by several folds. For a moment, he had believed that they were under attack. But then the overwhelming presence had disappeared after a while, as if it had once again gone into hiding. He had also detected something similar in Oak Village. Back then, he had brushed it off, thinking that he might just be imagining things. Moreover, nothing had happened that night, further convincing him his mind had played tricks on him. But two such occurrences back to back, and he could no longer think that way. ’I need to get stronger, too,’ Cairo thought as he firmly gripped the handle of his sword. When he had finally broken through Rank 5 after clearing his trial in the Heracle Mountain, he’d been ecstatic. He had been considered a prodigy for as long as he could remember. The fact that he was still improving by leaps and bounds only seemed to reaffirm his talent. While he wasn’t too arrogant given his age and strength, his breakthrough had made him a little conceited. He didn’t believe himself undefeatable, but he had allowed himself to get complacent while at Slime Paradise. But his disciple’s condition was a harsh slap across his face that reminded him Rank 5 was nothing. In life-or-death situations, the only thing that mattered was whether one could defeat their opponent and, if not, whether they could escape with their life. Nothing else mattered. And in the eyes of the beings who stood at the apex of the world, what difference was there between a Rank 1 fighter and a Rank 5? Both were bugs that could be easily crushed. With these thoughts running in his head, Cairo’s determination to take the second trial at the Kingdom of Faelarun blazed more fiercely than ever. —-----