CHAPTER 22: TRUST

Renold Leywin Lvl. 15 (Deceased)

[Inventory]

6x Throwing knives

3x Low quality Mana Recovery Potion

4x Low quality Health Recovery Potion

1x D Rank Defense Talisman (Used)

3x Valve of Suicide Bee (Lvl 20) venom

1x Rage pill [Low]

1x Leywin Family insignia

12x Lube

1x Skeleton Key

1x Slave Contract (Merlin Leywin)

1x Punisher Jade

1x Leywin Shadow Chestplate [Bronze+] (Equipped)

1x Leywin Shadow Chainmail [Bronze+] (Equipped)

2x Leywin Shadow Gauntlet [Bronze+] (Equipped)

2x Leywin Shadow Vambrace [Bronze+] (Equipped)

...

1x Genesis Shard

For the son of a top-tier family, he barely had anything worth crap. I get that items above bronze tier aren’t permitted, but I expected at least one silver-rank item.

The only thing of value to me is the poison—that, I can make great use of.

Khal stored everything valuable in his inventory before standing and turning to face Merlin, who sat slumped on the ground, her eyes vacant.

"Get up." He spoke in a dark tone. Merlin just sat there quietly, staring at the ground, as if she was staring so far yet so close.

Seems she’s lost her will to live.

"Since you no longer have the drive to live, let me take it from you."

Khal drew his fist back, veins bulging, his eyes glaring at her, filled with murderous intent.

"Don’t blame me. You tried to kill me first."

Khal brought his fist forward with force, aimed at Merlin’s face. She just sat there her expression inchanging, her body unmoving.

FWOOSH!

He stopped his fist right before her face. Merlin still sat unmoving, her gaze unshaken.

Khal lifted his hand from his face, staring at her with a disappointed expression.

"That’s too easy... You should keep living with the worthless and uselessness you’re currently feeling."

Khal turned around and walked off towards Hagan’s grave. Merlin finally moved. She lifted her head, staring at Khal, tears dried onto her face.

"What gives you the right..." Merlin spoke.

Khal stopped in his tracks, turning around to face her. A curious look on his face.

"What gives you the right to call me worthless? I tried my best, you call me worthless as if you weren’t the one that stopped me from being useful. If you had just leave things be i could have convinced Renold to leave you be, and i could have saved my sister..."

"This is your fault."

Khal turned to her, visibly frustrated.

"Huh? What did you just say to me?"

Khal walked over to her, his steps slow and deliberate.

"It’s my fault? It’s my fault you betrayed me? It’s my fault i didn’t roll over and let you kill me?"

"What? i never tried to—

"SHUT UP!" Khal shouted, cutting of Merlin.

"It’s my fault you and the bitch you follow couldn’t beat me?" Khal stood in front of her, his eyes looking down at her with animosity. Merlin stared up at him, her pupils shaking."

"It’s my fault you were too useless to use your own strength to save the person close to you that you’d stood so low as being a dog for people that treat you like garbage, the same people who would give you an ultimatum to save someone that shares their blood."

They both stared at each other for a few moments before Merlin broke her gaze, staring back down at the ground.

He’s right... It’s my fault. Merlin thought.

"My sister used to always tell me, ’Never trust the sweet words of someone that stands to gain from your delusion, but the words of someone that dares to tell you the hard truth even when it benefits them nothing."

"I never understood what she meant back then but now i get it."

"I believed the lies of the 9th elder and his empty promises, which probably are going to cost me my life.

She looked back up at Khal, a single tear running out of her eye.

"But though you could have long killed me, you choose to ridicule me and tell me what i needed to hear, even though im your enemy... even though you stood to benefit nothing."

Khal’s eyes widen in surprise. Even though his words had been used to ridicule her, she took them in a different light. She took his words and used them to grow as a person.

He thought for a moment before speaking.

"You give me too much credit. My words were meant to put you in your place. Let you see that the world does revolve around you and the choices you make. You choose to blame me instead of yourself, since that would make you feel better about letting your sister die."

"You did the same thing just now, blaming someone else for deceiving you, when being deceived was your own fault."

Merlin broke her gaze, tilting her head back to the ground. Seemingly at the verge of breaking into tears.

"Even so." Khal spoke.

"You were willing to accept that your weak. So become strong."

Merlin, Shocked by his words, looked back up at him surprised.

Strong enough to save your sister from her fate, while never losing your drive to put yourself and others close to you first.

Khal reached his hand out towards Merlin, his gaze resolute.

"Follow me and i promise to find a cure for your sister’s Illness. All i ask in return is to be my eyes and ears in the leywin family."

Merlin shifted her gaze, her hands shaking.

"Even after though i betrayed you and tried to steal from you for my own benefit, Why would you trust me not to do it again?"

Khal’s eyes glowed with mana, his expression becoming serious.

"I don’t. Just as how you shouldn’t trust me not to take your head at the slightest opportunity.

I don’t need to worry about any betrayal. I have the same item Renold used to deal pain to her earlier, and there’s also the slave contract with her name on it, If my guess is right, i bet she doesn’t even know she signed it.

Merlin smiled, wiping away her tears, before looking back up at Khal, reaching out for his hand and holding it.

"If what you’re saying is true and not just the same sweet words i was warned about..."

"Then ok."