I Have 10,000 SSS Rank Villains In My System Space Chapter 374: Sending Off

"You three as well," Razeal stated in an even voice, his demeanor reverting to its typical aloof serenity. "The agreement we shared... it's over now, so feel free to head anywhere you like because I'm departing from this empire shortly."

Those words hit with considerable force.

"What?" The trio responded nearly simultaneously, astonishment appearing on their features. They hadn't anticipated that... at least not so abruptly? But soon, the shock eased into reluctant comprehension that they couldn't reject. They truly hadn't provided him with substantial assistance in any situation. In fact, their involvement had often created more complications for him... merely generating unnecessary issues. Thus, from Razeal's viewpoint, the choice was logical.

Grasping it, though, didn't simplify the acceptance.

Aurora and Yograj displayed subdued responses. Their bonds with him had never grown profoundly personal—one had been taken without consent, and the other had completed a bargain to reach Atlantis... Even if they weren't particularly helpful... Still, it wouldn't be inaccurate to claim they weren't close to Razeal in any real sense. But Levy... Levy's face changed noticeably, bewilderment and inner turmoil emerging in tandem.

"What? For real?" he inquired, advancing a step. "But... you put in so much work for me. You assisted me. All that... and now you're simply releasing me?" His words held authentic doubt. Recollections arose without warning: Razeal by his side when others abandoned him, providing aid without pause, even threatening war against a pillar family for him? The free training? The advice? The moments shared on the vessel? He even rushed to save him from those slave traders... Wasting his effort... So hearing this from him made Levy feel... Was it just appreciation? Sorrow? Doubt? He couldn't pinpoint it.. But surely, he felt indebted to this individual.. Or obligated to repay so much.. Like owing a debt? Obviously, he hadn't contributed back properly, right?.. Thus, he repeated, "You poured so much into me.. And I haven't repaid a thing.. Are you truly okay with it? What's going on?"

Razeal glanced at him and merely lifted his shoulders.

"Yeah. It's okay," he replied steadily. "No need to worry over it. I acted that way for my personal motives at the time,"

He halted for a second, seemingly selecting his phrasing deliberately.

"I was solitary," he went on. "So I figured some companionship might not hurt. Perhaps... forming a friendship? That's the reason I kept you nearby."

His voice lacked resentment. It held only a subdued conclusiveness.

"However," he appended after a brief interval.. His eyes stayed on Levy a bit more, then moved subtly, observing Aurora's fingers clutching Levy's arm firmly, as though dreading the implications. "it appears that didn't pan out."

"Is it due to... my uselessness?"

Levy's words emerged softer than planned. He avoided direct eye contact with Razeal, his stare wandering beyond him, as if avoidance might lessen the impending sadness. His hands clenched instinctively at his sides before relaxing. "Like... even tagging along, I'd offer no value. Just extra baggage.. Right?"

Doubt colored his speech, alongside a deeper tardy realization. He breathed out gradually, compelling himself onward. "I realize I haven't aided you significantly. Not relative to your support for me." His mouth tightened momentarily. "But circumstances have changed. I've activated my boon. I can contribute to numerous matters now. And... truthfully..." He faltered, seeking apt terms, then released a faint, joyless puff. "I feel awful at the moment. Like someone ungrateful? As if you bestowed so much, yet I returned nothing."

At last, he met Razeal's eyes, wordlessly awaiting verdict.

Razeal observed him briefly before responding.

"That aspect holds true," he stated evenly. No malice tainted his delivery, merely straightforward candor. "You could prove beneficial in various respects. Yet you might also turn into a liability."

Levy's posture stiffened a touch, but Razeal pressed on prior to any misinterpretation.

"Still, that's not the cause for my request that you depart."

His attention flickered momentarily, nearly instinctively, to Aurora's hold on Levy's arm. She hadn't noticed her vise-like grasp until then, digits bent as if fearing loss. Razeal spotted it, and an inscrutable emotion crossed his gaze before returning to Levy.

"It's since you possess someone now," he remarked softly.

Silence enveloped the space once more.

"The path I'm taking from this place..." he proceeded after another pause, phrasing cautiously, "...will turn rather perilous. I'm uncertain if it'll succeed for me." The confession lacked theatrics. Merely plain recognition. "And currently, you have an opportunity to construct something different. A family? The kind you've always desired.. A existence free from the chaos I plunge into next."

Levy's eyes widened in surprise, unprepared.

"So I'm mentioning this as it could be your selection," Razeal supplemented. "You simply haven't considered it thoroughly." His face stayed composed, impassive. "Moreover, should you choose to join me, I won't prevent it. But the choice belongs to you. Since after joining... return won't be possible. No matter your desire."

The implication descended gradually.

Levy grew quiet, his blinks reflecting as the significance permeated. Temporarily, speech eluded him. And upon genuine reflection, Razeal spoke truth. Appreciation and allegiance differed from staking all. Indeed, Razeal had aided him. Shielded him. Offered chances unique. But sufficed that for forsaking his prospects or stability for an unclear route? Correct?

He remained unsure?

His glance veered sideways, connecting with Aurora's stare. She regarded him mutely, her clasp on his arm firming subtly, neither drawing nor releasing. No insistence marked her look, just quiet worry. The sort complicating choices, not clarifying.

"What will you do?" Levy questioned at length, facing Razeal anew. The doubt persisted in his tone. If danger wasn't excessive... perhaps he could proceed. If severe... certainty faded.

Razeal offered a light shrug.

"I must establish a solid standing globally," he declared straightforwardly. "Thus, I'll handle various tasks sporadically."

Levy gaped at him, utterly stunned.

"Huh?"

A strangled noise abruptly shattered the strain from nearby.

"Pffffttt cough cough cough wtff??" Maria doubled over somewhat, hacking like something lodged wrongly. Her palm rose to her lips as she fought to compose herself, yet her eyes revealed the truth. Astonishment? Distrust? And a hint perilously near mirth? She eyed Razeal like he'd uttered the most implausible claim conceivable.

"What... repeat that?" she queried, fluttering her eyelids, attempting vocal control. Her focus intensified with sincere incredulity. Razeal and positive image clashed irreconcilably in her thoughts. It resembled jamming contradictory notions into one phrase.

Sofia promptly scowled, folding her arms while directing an irked glance at Maria. "What's with that response? Do you doubt my husband's capability?"

Maria rose swiftly, denying with a head shake. "No, no. Certainly. I merely... got startled." She cleared her throat, affirming with overdone gravity. "Such an immense... nonsense... no um... what term was it.. right. Mercy." The term emerged deliberately, although her mouth corners quivered fighting back glee. Conceiving Razeal forging a favorable global repute struck her as ludicrous, nearly eliciting open laughter. To her, its feasibility mirrored witnessing him perform the unattainable.

Sofia appeared unconvinced. She fixed Maria with squinted eyes, evidently displeased by the rationale.

Razeal, in the interim, cast Maria a solitary impassive glance.. sufficient to convey awareness before refocusing on Levy, disinclined to extend the interaction.

"I grant you thirty minutes," he announced steadily. "Determine if you wish to accompany me or not."

His delivery imposed no force, no anticipation. Solely assurance.

"Thereafter," he appended, eyes unwavering, "I depart."

The declaration infused the area with subdued decisiveness, positioning Levy amid dual paths, each abruptly weighing more than foreseen.

"You as well." Razeal's focus moved from Levy to Aurora, tone unaltered, serene and factual. No coercion laced his words, merely the identical aloof assurance pervading the dialogue. "You could serve me usefully too. Thus, the offer extends to you." His gaze held hers extendedly, assessing her reaction. "And surely... you'd prefer not abandoning this man solitary."

Aurora delayed her reply. She merely regarded him, visage inscrutable, then gradually raised her eyes to Levy adjacent. Levy peered down at her reciprocally, their wordless communication bearing greater import than speech. Neither voiced, yet reluctance shone evident. This transcended mere devotion or thanks. It concerned selecting a course.

Levy breathed softly and inclined his head once. "Fine. We must discuss this." His inflection bore the burden of one comprehending the forthcoming resolution's complexity. He regarded Razeal again. "We'll provide your response shortly."

Aurora assented too, her hold on Levy's arm easing marginally, though retaining contact. Sans additional utterances, they pivoted and proceeded to the doorway jointly, paces deliberate, burdened by the pending choice beyond.

Razeal refrained from halting them. He scarcely observed their departure extensively. Once the portal shut after them, his interest redirected, fixating on Yograj.

"You too," he uttered evenly. "Identical terms. Thirty minutes."

Yograj caressed his lengthy beard contemplatively, eyeing Razeal initially then scanning the chamber as though seeking counsel, discovering none eager to assist his choice. A soft laugh slipped from him.

"Well," he grumbled, "appears this elder lacks discussants." His stare dwelt on Razeal additionally, mirth and wariness blending therein. "I'll furnish an answer likewise. But temper expectations, young one."

He uttered the term offhandedly, from routine rather than design, yet concurrently, the vision of Razeal compelling Merisa.. a figure of her caliber to kneel resurfaced. A subtle shiver traversed his back. Perilous, he mused. This youth harbors perils concealed beneath. Nonetheless, Yograj maintained levity. Eternal life rendered him lax in aspects.. dread seldom lingered for one deeming demise distant.

Thus, sans further comment, he approached the pane and vaulted through, vanishing in a swift streak. Decades had elapsed since properly viewing the external realm. Three decades confined, then hauled to Atlantis post Razeal's liberation without glimpsing the empire's evolution. His intended reply had already crystallized mentally. But presently, he craved atmosphere. Openness. Affirmation that existence persisted past barriers and strife.

Razeal beheld the elder's disappearance via the aperture and offered a minor self-nod, as if marking an internal item. Then his focus altered anew, ultimately alighting on Maria.

"And you ought to depart as well."

Maria's eyes widened, wholly unprepared. Briefly, she froze, as if mishearing. Then she indicated herself, disbelieving. "Me? You're requiring my decision too?"

Her inflection conveyed overstated indignation, eyebrows arching in incredulity as the notion appeared preposterous to her.

Razeal negated with a single head shake.

"No," he declared bluntly. "You lack choice. I desire your absence entirely, so I'm not inquiring. I'm commanding your exit."

The statement arrived sans animosity, rendering it paradoxically keener. No sentiment underpinned it.. purely apathy.

A theatrical intake echoed nearby.

Sofia pressed her palm to her lips, orbs expanding in feigned horror before a lesser gasp ensued. Upon viewing Maria, evident delight lurked in her countenance, the subtle smile arc she scarcely hid.

Maria perceived it instantly and her gaze slitted as she hurled Sofia a keen glare, annoyance flickering transiently ere refocusing on Razeal, visage toughening.

"And precisely what does that signify?" she demanded, inflection accusatory. "I believed we possessed an arrangement."

Her stance aligned marginally, guarded presently. "The arrangement stipulated you'd excise my full bloodline, whereupon I'd depart. And indeed, I remain until fulfillment."

The declaration emerged resolute, tinged with belligerence yet underneath, another element persisted. Keen observation revealed shoulder rigidity, the minor delay pre-speech, disclosing nearer unease. The prospect post-this evidently disturbed her. Admitted or not, Razeal's potential expulsion troubled her beyond display.

She desired not to go.

Razeal surveyed her silently momentarily, countenance indecipherable.

"You cling to that still?" he queried steadily. No derision colored his timbre this instance, solely direct notice. "I believe we both recognize that's not the true motive.. You're merely fabricating."

"What do you imply... fabrication?"

Maria's timbre, predictably, elevated promptly, acuter than prior, terms spilling too swiftly for full restraint. Indignation blazed on her features, brows knitting as she fixed on Razeal. Temporarily, outrage seemed authentic, nearly persuasive. Yet underneath, for the tiniest instant, another emerged. A fissure. Astonishment? Bewilderment. The clear spark of one exposed too transparently.

But it dissipated rapidly.

Her countenance solidified, mandible clenching as she righted her bearing. Any doubt surfacing got interred beneath hostility. She refused exposing that vulnerability. Her gaze darted fleetingly to Sofia peripherally, and the subtle unease traversing her face indicated aversion to this discourse with observers.

"It isn't," she maintained, timbre resolute, nearly vehement. A profound scowl etched her traits as she countered his charge, as though intensity sufficed to bolster her desired verity.

And ere their strain intensified, Sofia advanced abruptly from adjacent.

"Hey... you both proceed," she uttered breezily, alternating glances with a relaxed grin masking partial atmospheric cognizance. "I'll inspect the outer world briefly. Return soon."

She awaited no reply. Having discerned Maria's disquiet, the lateral peeks, the minor rigidity. Whether courtesy or instinct, she opted for privacy. With an offhand gesture, she headed to the portal and exited, door latching gently after.

Maria tracked her departure, expression oddly mixed. Appreciation and malaise intertwined in her orbs. Sofia's consideration merely compounded matters, not alleviated.

Razeal witnessed the interplay mutely. He grasped not wholly Sofia's motive for exiting, nor cared to probe. Once quiet resumed, his regard centered wholly on Maria.

"Enough," he stated steadily. "Cease this. And cease the nonsense."

Maria's eyes slitted marginally.

"It's not nonsense," she retorted instantly, protectiveness resurging fully. "I've stated it. I accompanied you to eliminate my bloodline. I despise the imperial family's dominion via it. I reject puppetry." Her timbre honed as she articulated, assurance saturating. "And recall your prior words. You vowed removal upon discovery. Until then, I remain beside you. Reciprocally, I withhold informing my kin or empire of your Eternal Hold escape or flight path."

She advanced a pace, confronting his stare squarely.

"So what fabrication exists there? I lack cause to linger otherwise." Her lips compressed momentarily ere appending, nearly defiantly, "You suppose I desire it?"

The terms defended, verging hostile, yet exertion shone. She endeavored sustaining the contention, confining to manageable bounds.

Razeal emitted a soft derisive breath.

"Certainly," he responded, head shaking faintly.

The rebuff pricked sharper than fury.

"To discard your bloodline," he persisted steadily, "solely from imperial hatred? To hazard forfeiting your strength, aptitude, over half your essence?" His focus honed subtly. "Individuals exist who might. From pride. From hubris. From obstinacy or such."

His digit rose idly, directing at her.

"But you?" he uttered softly. "You're assuredly not among them."

The assurance in his timbre permitted no rebuttal.

"There's no manner you'd truly execute that. N