Earth's Greatest Magus

2305  Confrontation

The room was now a hive of murmurs, the once polite atmosphere shifting into something far more tense and uncertain. Whispers spread like wildfire among the envoys and dignitaries, not just because of the shocking news the mysterious merchant had brought but because of how brazenly he had accused the Nephilim.

Emery's blunt words had smeared the revered name of the Nephilim in front of everyone, creating an atmosphere charged with suspicion.

All eyes remained fixed on Julian, waiting for his reaction, especially Emery, who was carefully gauging every change in his expression.

Julian's face had gone pale, and for a moment, he looked shaken, the news of Fuxi's murder cutting through his composure.

"Is this true?! Fuxi… murdered?" Julian's voice trembled slightly, hanging in the air.

He hesitated, then turned to Athena, seeking for an answer. Emery noticed the subtle shift in Athena's demeanor—restlessness. She was quick to act, taking control of the situation by redirecting the focus onto Emery. Her voice was sharp, dripping with indignation.

"This man!" Athena pointed accusingly, "He dares to slander our great faction! He's clearly here to cause trouble!"

Her words were like a trigger. Immediately, a dozen guards and magus stepped forward, surrounding Emery in a tight circle, their weapons and spells at the ready. The tension was palpable, filling the grand hall with an electrifying sense of danger.

Despite the rising tension, Emery held his ground, maintaining his calm facade. He knew his words had been provocative, but they were necessary to test Julian's true feelings.

Now, with the attention fully on him, Emery adjusted his tone, his voice steady as he spoke again. "My apologies for my poor choice of words," he said, with a slight bow "What I meant to say is… I heard that the Nephilim were accused of being the suspects."

Emery had no intention of being dragged away without hearing Julian's response, so he toned down his rhetoric. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to satisfy Athena, whose sharp gaze remained fixed on him as she made a clear signal to have him removed from the hall.

Just as the guards were about to act, a surprising intervention came from the elderly grand magus, Marius. His voice, calm and authoritative, cut through the tension.

"Calm down... the Lord has not made his decision," Marius said, his words carrying enough weight to still the room.

Athena's face twisted in reluctant acquiescence, and she stepped back, signaling the guards to do the same, loosening the circle they had formed around Emery.

Emery's eyes remained locked on Julian, who seemed to be struggling internally, his gaze unreadable, until finally, he stood from his throne. His voice echoed through the grand hall as he addressed the room.

"Dear honored guests, unfortunately, I must attend to a personal matter,"

He swiftly began to disband the assembly, assuring everyone that he would meet with them individually at a later time. His decision to clear the hall was strategic, a move designed to maintain his public image. It was a predictable choice for someone who valued his reputation as much as Julian did, but this decision told Emery little about his true allegiance. It was still unclear where Julian's loyalties truly lay.

As the last of the guests left the hall, the heavy doors closed behind them, leaving only a few trusted magus and guards. The grand room, once filled with lively conversation, now felt thick with tension. Julian, no longer constrained by his public persona, let out a deep sigh. His eyes turned toward Athena.

"Is this news true?" Julian's voice was low but carried an undeniable weight.

Athena hesitated for a moment before nodding, her usual composure faltering. Julian's face tightened as he pressed further, his voice rising.

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me right away?!"

Athena's eyes softened, her tone apologetic yet steady. "Believe me, I planned to tell you after the ceremony... I didn't want to distract you from what needed to be done today."

"Huh! You just worried that I would not accept the coronation, you think so little of me!"

Julian fell silent, the weight of her words sinking in as he processed everything. His face darkened with heavy thought, and he finally turned his attention to the merchant standing before him—Emery in disguise, with Annara still maintaining her anonymity behind him.

To everyone's surprise, Julian said "Is that you… in disguise… Emery?"

Emery allowed himself a slight smile, his lips curling in confidence as he dropped the facade. His true form emerged, his aura swelling in the air, potent and undeniable. Athena's shock was visible; her eyes widened as she stepped back, while Marius stiffened, his alarm palpable. Despite being a full moon magus, Emery's aura was as powerful as a grand magus, sending waves of energy through the hall.

"How did you know?"

Julian, still processing the revelation, took a moment before responding. "Some of your information doesn't add up... you are being too personal with your words... but what gave you away was your eyes… only you... would look at me with such judgment."

Emery's gaze remained firm. "After everything I've seen… should I not?"

"What have you seen?! Me embracing the Nephilim? Can't you see the reality? Do you know how hard it was to start something without their approval? The Nephilim are everywhere! You... Even you have a Nephilim friend. So why can't I?!"

His tone was sharp, but not filled with rage—more a frustrated disappointment, but Emery wasn't swayed. "Making friends is one thing, but selling your soul? I find it hard to see which side you're on right now…"

A heavy silence followed, the words clearly cutting deeper than Julian expected. His voice cracked with frustration. "Why can't you just trust me?! trust that I'm doing this for us!"

Emery's gaze remained steady. "The fact that you didn't tell us anything about what you've been doing for the last five years… only makes it harder to trust you."

Julian's frustration was palpable as he snapped, "I told you what I planned five years ago! I followed through, according to my vision. If you were my friend, you should be congratulating me, not sneaking around like a thief, throwing judgment!"

His words hit hard, but Emery wasn't about to back down. The tension between them was at its peak, and the bitter truth was bubbling to the surface.

"Your vision?" Emery's voice rose "Is it your vision, or someone else's? Can't you see what you've become? You're nothing more than the Nephilim's slave now!"

These particular words made Athena and the grand magus Marius tense, their eyes flashed with anger. But Julian held them back.

"I see you're angry because that our senior was murdered... I am too... I would even believe you that the Nephilim were behind it. But you know, just as I do, that not all Nephilim are evil. You can't judge an entire faction by the mistakes of a few!"

Emery almost faltered at Julian's words, the sincerity in his voice, the conviction behind every sentence. Julian wasn't just spewing empty rhetoric; he genuinely believed in what he was saying, but his next words once again startled him.

"Emery, I have seen him—the true and benevolent god. If only you would open your mind a little, you might understand the greater truth."

These sentences only deepened Emery's revolved, the conviction in his voice unwavering.

"You don't even realize that you've been brainwashed!? Your vision is clouded by the very forces you claim to understand."

Julian's response was a dark chuckle, "And you always think that your animal instinct is right!! you're too blinded by your own biases to see the reality."!"

Emery and Julian's eyes locked in a fierce, unyielding stare. Neither was willing to back down, each man convinced that his truth was the only reality. The tension between them crackled in the air, charged with the weight of their past and the stark divide that now separated them. It was clear that words alone would not bridge the growing chasm—they were both ready to settle their conflict through a show of strength.

Julian's voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp, laced with a dangerous edge.

"Don't be too confident... I'm not the same person you knew five years ago."

Emery's expression remained hard as steel. "And you think I am?"

x x x x Any comment will be much appreciated, thanks

Avan