Chapter 223: I missed you, Papa
"Yeah, tell us the answer"
"Why are staying silent? Cat got your tongue or what?"
"What is your relationship with Ms. Alysia Hill Morgan Flora?"
"Why are you staying silent?"
"..." Eli simply stared, offering nothing more than his impassive gaze to each individual.
"Did you think staying silent would let you off the hook?"
"We are on live now. If you don't respon-"
"AA, live?" Eli raised his eyebrows as he removed his sunglasses.
"Yes?"
"Then, wait for a minute..." Eli said as he took a mirror from his inventory, glanced left and right, combed his hair, and even checked his teeth for any stray dust.
"...." Reporters were irked by Eli's nonchalant behaviour, their lips twitching in annoyance.
"Okay, I look good, right?" Eli asked the reporters as he struck a pose.
"...."
Receiving no response from them,
"Well, I guess, You guys are also mesmerised by my charm....sometimes it crosses boundaries and all..." Eli said with an awkward smile as he remembered Oliver's blushing face which made him want to puke.
Reporters gritted their teeth, feeling increasingly irritated by his antics, and were about to provoke him when,
"S.U.C.K.I.T.!!!" Eli showed his middle finger and executed a rotating motion with it with protruding lips making it look disgusting.
Veins bulged on their foreheads; this situation seemed eerily familiar.
"Make me famous by tomorrow, guys... With my charming face, I know I'll have female fans by tomorrow.... heheheh" Eli waved his middle finger happily before walking away with an evil laugh.
The reporters exchanged incredulous glances, bewildered by Eli's audacity.
"..." Anger flared up among everyone. 'Does he think we are some kind of advertising company? Female fans?'
"YOU BAS...."
While they cursed him, Eli exited through the back door of the cafe and looked at the three individuals who were staring at him strangely.
"What?" Eli asked.
Aadya, Alysia, and Rock were inclined to use the cafe's back door, avoiding a confrontation with the press. The Headmaster hadn't disclosed any information to the media, and they wanted to prevent any potential misinterpretations that might arise if the Headmaster decided to reveal something unexpected.
However, Eli had other plans.
He requested the trio to wait, ostensibly to greet the press with a simple 'Hello,' but what he did was anything but simple greetings.
As they stood there, a collective realization settled in: 'We made a mistake; we should have used the Force on him'.
"....sigh, young man, I know there is nothing wrong with having a bit of fire in the blood, but you should control yourself. Those guys are not to be trifled with-"
"Just kill them, like I did before" Eli shrugged his shoulders, dismissing Rock's wisdom.
"..." Rock stared at Eli.
"Hmmm....Why do you look like you've been beaten up?" Eli frowned when he noticed Rock's battered attire and dishevelled hair.
"cough, cough, Asher Eli, we should get moving" Aadya coughed awkwardly.
"Y-Yes" Alysia nodded.
"...." Eli stared at Aadya and Alysia, who avoided looking at him, their discomfort palpable.
'So, they are really related to the old man?... Wait a second, sister-in-law? Daughter? Don't tell me...' Eli glanced at Rock, who was holding his stomach with an apologetic look on his face while looking at them.
'So, Alysia is his daughter, and Teach is his sister-in-law....ah? Now, that makes sense. So Alysia is the one who stal—I mean, watches me... ah, Now that makes sense why she keeps trying to interfere with my work and tries to provoke me sometimes.... Is she trying to gauge me?' Eli stared at Alysia up and down, making Alysia flinch for a second as a red hue appeared on her face.
"L-Let's move on..." Alysia said with a hurried face and started to walk without waiting for others.
"Wait? What about the HeadMaster?" Eli suddenly shouted with a shocked look.
"HeadMaster?" Everyone frowned, not understanding Eli's sudden outburst.
"Ahem, I am sorry, I am thinking about the previous incident" Eli tried to dismiss and started to walk.
Others also shrugged it off.
'So, Alysia's mother married more than one man...? Well, she was a Queen, so I guess it's pretty normal. And now I understand why Adriana said it was family drama.....' Eli thought, pondering whether Alysia also decided to marry many men like her mother. If that were the case, Eli would outright reject Rock's proposal.
No matter what, he wasn't into sharing his woman with another man. He would go so far as to kill that man and.....possibly her....That's how much he fucking twisted human.
'Well, if it's Teach, I don't mind' Eli nodded in satisfaction, his thoughts meandering into peculiar territories.
"You ladies can go first" Suddenly Rock said seriously.
"..." Aadya frowned, "Why?"
Alysia also stopped in her tracks.
"Well, we men have some secret bond-"
"sshhh"
Eli abruptly moved behind Aadya, startling her, 'Has his power increased?' Aadya had a shocked expression but quickly hid.
"I ain't going to bond with a fucking old man..." Eli's voice echoed childishly behind Aadya, resembling a mischievous child behind their mother.
Alysia smiled, seeing Eli's antics, while Aadya's face turned a little red, "Move away from me, brat" she tried to push him.
"Huh? Teach, You smell good" Eli said, taking a moment to appreciate the fragrance of Aadya's brunette hair.
"W-What?" Aadya reacted swiftly as she disappeared from that place and appeared behind Rock.
"hahaha....hahaha" Seeing Aadya's blushed face, Rock couldn't help but laugh loudly, breaking the tension momentarily.
"..." Eli smiled lightly, a hint of mischief in his eyes. He glanced behind everyone. His pupils glowed in a green hue before disappearing with a subtle smirk.
Rock stopped laughing and stared at Eli before glancing at the others and said, "Well, if you don't want to talk one-to-one.... fine then" as he started to walk without glancing back.
Everyone soon left the area, oblivious to the 'something' unravelling in the shadows.
After a few minutes in that same place,
'Drip, Drip'
"I told you, Not Now!!" A figure, visibly agitated, scolded another while pulling a companion who had numerous spikes protruding from their body.
"...I am sorry" whispered another black-hooded figure, their voice tinged with an air of apprehension.
"Damn it, Our Target is not as easy as it seems" Vented another Hooded figure in frustration, memories of Eli sensing their location and killing one of their colleagues without moving much and smirk...lingering in their minds.
"We need at least 10 to 20 people in Late Domain Rank or 5 Perfect Domain Rankers".
"Yeah, We five cannot kill him with our Early Domain Rank power....He is more dangerous than what they provided".
"Okay, let's retreat for now"
Just about to vanish into the shadows, a sudden hiss interrupted their plans.
'Ssssshhhhhh'
A mysterious black mist enveloped the figures, shrouding them in an otherworldly darkness.
"W-What?"
"D-Dark Mana!!!"
"R-Run, I-it must be Vampire Q-Queen"
"AAARRRRHHHH!!'
"..."
"N-No! W-Wait, Forgive us, Vampire Queen, W-We didn't know who put a bounty on him, we are just following orders for a large amount of money that's all--...'HII'...Sorry P-lease I will tell you everything,.....W-We are f-from Shadow Reapers guild....T-That's all. Please let us live, Vampire Queen, 'sob, sob,' We will never come near Mr.
Asher Eli....so Please" Pleaded one of the black-hooded figures as it kneeled down in front of them mist, their voice trembling with fear, 'Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! The money blinded our eyes we didn't think V-Vampire Q-Queen protecting him every s-second' it thought.
"F-foregive us, Your Majesty!!"
"Our greed got over our head, W-We won't ever do this again".
"P-Please, I have a f-family"
Each figure followed suit, humbling themselves in desperation.
"I see...." An ethereal voice echoed, sending shivers down their spines...andthat was the last thing the four of them heard and....two sky-blue eyes were the last sights they saw.
'Ssssshhhhhhhhh'
The black mist vanished, leaving only five dark charcoal bodies.
'wooshhhh'
As a brisk breeze swept through the alley, the lifeless bodies crumbled into ash, dissipating like dust particles. All that remained were five dark round crystals which were eerily plucked from the ground by skeletal hands that seemed to materialize from the shadows.
"...."
There was nothing but a normal small alley....nothing.
....
Eli parted ways with the others, deciding to ask 'help' from Alysia later....since Rock was annoying and glued to her for some reason.
Aadya and Alysia swiftly distanced themselves from Eli, dragging Rock along as if he were a piece of garbage. Even the most oblivious and dense observer could grasp that they weren't strangers at all.
Standing in front of his Villa/Dormitory, Eli took a deep breath before entering.
"....."
Silence hung heavy in the air, the only fitting description for the current state of affairs.
Upon entering, Eli was met with a shocking sight.
"B-Big Brother" Mia called out with a dishevelled face and wrinkled dress.
"M-Master, please stop them" Scylla approached him with a tired expression as if she had endured enough shit.
Eli surveyed the aftermath of what seemed like a.....calamity.
A broken TV, a torn sofa, tables shattered into pieces, walls bearing the scars of something hitting hard, and sponges from the pillows scattered everywhere.
In the midst of all this chaos, Adriana with a dishevelled dress, stood alone.....no, not alone, someone perched on her shoulder.
"aarrrhhhhaaaaaa 'Muncnhhh'"
That someone attempted to gobble Adriana's head with their small mouth.
Eli's eyes fell on the culprit....who was none other than Zera.
"...." Eli felt something 'wrong' when looked at her and his danger sense was alarming to run away from them, so he trusted his instincts and slowly backed off.
"B-Brother?"
"Master?"
"We cannot disturb the Mother and Daughter bond" Eli declared sternly.
Whether it was fortunate for Mia and Scylla or unfortunate for Eli,
""ELI!!""
As soon as the Mother and Daughter duo heard a Manly voice, they immediately reacted. Zera, caught in the act, leapt from Adriana's shoulder with a crazed expression.
"!!!" Eli felt a twinge of unease from the way Zera looked at him, prompting him to attempt an escape.
However,
'ssksksksksksks'
In the middle of the jump, Zera when she noticed Eli trying to escape transformed into a swarm of bats, they moved swiftly and swirled around Eli before enveloping him in a hug as she turned normal.
"I missed you, Papa"
"!!!!"