I Reject Quests

Chapter 122: Back to Terio Villa

Rewen was calmly laying on his bed. 'The effects of Invisibility aren't too bad. From the term itself, it doesn't seem to fit any of three - Combative, Healing and Sealing types but it's color was Azure Blue which equals Combative. Can invisibility be used in combat? It is very useful to have but even so, I feel there should be a separate term for invisibility.'

As his head was filled with random thoughts, he heard footsteps. 'They arrived rather quickly.'

*Knock*

"It's open. Come in."

The door sprang open and black-haired girl aggressively entered the room. "You!! I'll remember this!"

If Rewen wasn't feeling sleepy and tired, he would have bickered with her. Yawning, he looked towards Hase. "Did you get what you wanted?"

"No" Hase's eyebrows perked up in surprise. "How did you know that I won?"

"Now I know."

"What a shitty service. They said they'll give anything the winner desires."

"What I asked was kind of unreasonable so it's fair."

Rewen got up from the bed.

"H-how did you get" Reza covered her mouth in shock after seeing his figure. After all, his growth was too abnormal.

"You don't need to know that." 

***

The rest of the day was spent in the car.

Reza played with her phone.

Hase was as silent as ever.

Rewen tried to fall asleep repeatedly by leaning on the windows but the occasional jumps didn't let him do so.

"Hey." Reza called him

"Hm?" Rewen asked with a disinterested look.

It made her furious but she managed to hold herself back. "What did you do to Aiko?"

"Who's Aiko?"

"My friend whom you met first."

"Oh, her? What about her?"

"I asked, what did you do to her?"

"I scared her off?"

"No, what did you really do to her? Answer me honestly."

"I just scared her off by bluffing. Why?"

"Liar. You did something outrageous, right?"

"Woah, there. Hold your horses. I'm repeatedly claiming that I didn't do anything and you are still going on with your presumptions? What's even the point of asking me if you don't want to believe my answer?"

"Shut up. I know you did something. I'll find out very soon. Also, don't think that I forgot what you did to me in the forest."

Rewen made an exaggerated face. "Oh I'm so scared."

Reza turned her head and continued playing with her phone.

Rewen also went back to continue watching the streets. 'Come to think of it, Arai had mended his relationship with Reza in this volume. He went through several pains to mend it though. And although he succeeded, it cost his pride.' He didn't look down on his predecessor. He just felt that he was a very timid and cowardly person. 'Completely unfit for being the main character of a world like this.

'Well, I guess it's too soon to judge. Maybe his character develops as the story progresses.'

Rewen could have mended his relationship with Reza if he actually tried but in his words - 'If it costs something to make a friend, then maybe he/she isn't your friend to begin with.'

***

Terio Villa.

It was evening. The sun was just setting down.

Ikeda and his butler Alex stood at the entrance.

"Sir, it's better to just sit inside. They will be arriving soon." Alex carefully suggested to the Head of the Terio Family.

"I'm just too anxious. It's the first time Reza went for so long. Besides, where is my wife?"

"Mrs. Terio is with her son."

Remembering something, Ikeda's face turned gloomy. "How are the investigations going?" He was naturally talking about the assassins.

"We are trying to find the location. If the location can be found, then the identity of the perpetrator is as good as being discovered."

"That's good news but what I don't is the Envoy mentioning that there's a traitor among us. Don't worry, I know you. You aren't that stupid to rebel against me."

Alex was dripping with sweat when he heard the first half of the sentence. "You scared me, Sir. You shouldn't give such valuable information to me."

Ikeda laughed. "You are still as cowardly as ever. Anyways, don't take your eyes off your maids. I think there's some kind of scheme going against our family. Who could it be"

"Sir, why don't you list off your potential suspects?"

"The prime suspect is the Hanagawa Family from the north-east of our Zcan State. Our family had some conflicts with them every few years. Despite our family being fairly low-key, Hanagawas were one thing we couldn't tolerate. Therefore, it would make sense if the assassination was a plan of them."

"Didn't you say there is a traitor among us?"

"I did but the traitor shouldn't be more than a double agent to the family. The traitor alone doesn't have the strength to contend against our family."

"That's relieving to hear." Alex smiled, before hearing the sound of a car. "Sir, they arrived."

Ikeda smiled. "I can see that."

***

In the living room.

Rewen and Hase in one of the sofas. Opposite to them sat Ikeda and Reza. 

Unlike the usual time, Reza was glued to her father. 

Rewen found it very amusing and continuously stared at her.

"What are you staring for?" Reza was displeased by his stare.

"Don't be rude." Ikeda patted her head, then turned to Rewen. "I'm sure that out of everyone in the competition, you have done the most work."

Rewen scratched his head. "It's all because of a Gruer Orb." He didn't feel the need to hide this.

Ikeda conversed with them for a while, then his face turned serious. Nudging his arm, he instructed Reza to go to her room. Pouting, she did as she was told.

Rewen also hesitantly got up. 

"No. Rewen, I have something important to show you."

Ikeda took Rewen and Hase to a room.

"Husband?" Mrs. Terio sat by the side of Ryu who was sleeping peacefully. She was gently caressing the hairs of her son.

This scene reminded Rewen of his own mother. Growing up, he only had a single parent but he was thankful that wasn't an orphan. He never got the love of a father but he got plenty of mother's love. 'That love turned to be a mere act.' Shaking his head, he put these thoughts at the back of his head and carefully analyzed the situation.

Ikeda went near his wife and rubbed her shoulders. 

Mrs. Terio nodded to him, then her eyes turned to Hase and asked in a quivering voice. "Did you get that?"

Hase shook his head with a bitter expression.

Mrs. Terio's face twisted and tears started falling from her eyes. Holding the hand of Ikeda tight, she sobbed.

Ikeda sighed. He had expected this outcome. After a few seconds, he turned to Rewen. "Do you know what happened?"

"I don't know."

"Have you heard of Nirvana's Break?"

"Isn't that a cognitive illness?"

"Yes. Children who have Nirvana's Break can't live past the age of eight and die by a heart attack. It is an illness which is said to be incurable. It has been thousands of years but even now, the cure is yet to be discovered."

"Are you telling me that?" Rewen gasped.

"Ryu was born with Nirvana's Break."