Chapter 29: The Art Of Selection
Aziel could feel every gaze lock onto him, and for a brief, suffocating moment, it felt as though the entire world had gone still, listening.
’What? Did I say something I probably shouldn’t have?’
A strange stillness stirred within him, spreading through the air like invisible static. His gaze drifted slowly across the gathered crowd.
Every figure seemed frozen, heads lowered slightly, movements stilled, not out of respect, but out of dread.
Then his eyes fell on the captain.
Aziel expected defiance, or at least that same mocking confidence from before, but the man’s expression had changed completely. His face had gone stiff, twisted by an emotion that looked far too raw to be anything but fear.
His stance shifted, rigid, straight-backed, formal, almost like a soldier paying respects to a superior presence unseen.
"I think..." the captain began, voice tight, his throat visibly bobbing as he swallowed hard, "we’ve gone a little too far with this discussion."
He took a step back, forcing a brittle smile that failed to hide the tremor in his tone.
"We will continue this matter once we return to the Resonant Consortium with the ’higher-ups’. For now," his voice rose slightly, as though addressing everyone at once, "you are free to do as you wish."
He paused briefly, his eyes darting to the side, as though feeling the pressure in the air pressing heavier against his skin. Then, with an almost forced composure, he continued,
"Ah, and as an apology for my unbecoming conduct as a captain, I would like to assign you an attendant."
The captain’s hand lifted, sweeping slowly through the silent crowd.
"You may choose anyone present here," he said at last, his voice quieter now, yet still strained.
"Anyone you deem befitting of the role."
Aziel tilted his head slightly, the faintest hint of amusement curling at the corner of his lips. The tension around him was suffocating, everyone frozen in place, breaths shallow, afraid to even look up.
He could feel it too now.
The heavy, formless pressure that weighed upon the space, humming faintly in the back of his mind. It wasn’t just fear.
It was something else entirely, but he couldn’t put a finger to it.
A slow, almost knowing smirk spread across his face as he glanced toward the captain, whose composure was slipping with every passing second.
’Fine, there is no escape now. I’ve successfully managed to arrange a meeting with the higher-ups. Guess I’ll just play along for now,’
he thought to himself, eyes wandering lazily over the crowd before stopping on one of the attendants near the edge.
His gaze stopped on the same man who had earlier clutched Aziel in his arms, sobbing like a frightened child when the chaos had erupted.
The memory almost made him chuckle. And judging from the man’s expression even now—unbothered, dull, and perfectly vacant, he did not seem to know the gravity of the situation, and seemed like an amusing addition to Aziel’s growing information arsenal.
He was confident he could toss out the dumbest of questions, lace them with a few twists, a hint of provocation, and this man would answer without hesitation.
A perfect tool, having traits of both obedient and dumb.
However, there was always the other possibility.
That he’d be so spectacularly dense no amount of provocation would work.
Or worse yet, he might not know anything at all. Summing up, he did not feel it was a wise choice at all, and he thought he might prove more of a burden than help.
"That one," Aziel said simply, lifting a finger toward the man. His tone was calm, almost bored, as if he were making a trivial selection. "He’ll do."
The man froze mid-step, eyes widening as his jaw dropped slightly, a faint whimper escaping before he caught himself, blinking rapidly as if trying to process the honor or the immense responsibility that had just been thrust upon him.
The captain, standing nearby, stiffened instantly, eyebrows shooting up in disbelief, his lips parting as though to argue, but no words came.
A tense pause hung in the air, the surrounding plasma beings glancing between Aziel, the chosen attendant, and the captain, sensing that a bold, unexpected choice had just been made.
The man’s unbothered composure wavered for the briefest moment, surprise flashing clearly across his face before he snapped back into a rigid, deferential stance, unsure whether to feel proud, anxious, or utterly confused.
"I must inform you," the captain said sharply, his gaze stern.
"That the guy you’re pointing at is the same one who caught you in his hands. Though unknowingly, latching onto someone immediately after they exit the dragon is extremely dangerous. We have several excelling team members here. You should choose one of them instead."
’Oh... so that dragon wasn’t just a special for me, damn!’ Aziel thought wryly.
"No—he is good enough for me. I want only him as my assistant," he declared firmly, the decision leaving no room for debate.
The man’s eyes lit up instantly, a stark contradiction to the fed-up, tense expression he had worn under the captain’s scrutiny moments just before.
The captain sighed, the faintest crease of exasperation crossing his brow.
"Alright then," he said, his tone clipped but resigned, eyeing the man from the corner of his eye.
"Make sure you don’t cause too much trouble for him, and yes, tend to his needs, whatever they may be. Am I clear?"
The man nodded eagerly, sincerity plain in the tilt of his head and the slight tightening of his fists.
The captain turned his back to Aziel, his posture regaining its usual composed authority.
"Anyway, I’ll see you later, probably in the meeting next time. I’ve got some work to attend to for now, as you might already know. Be sure not to die," he added, half-joking, waving his hand in a casual, almost dismissive gesture.
However, then, right at that moment, he froze in his tracks, turning around...
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thanks for reading. I am convinced that i should increase my update pace.