26 Bonds of Steel and Iron

'Psychic Powers? And of this level? There is no way that this woman's Sid level isn't at least over 10,000. 

She is a Guru! A Golden Palace tier Guru!' Faced with the tyrannical storm of Sid rolling out of Vel'Asha, Cassandra came to the only reasonable conclusion. 

'But then…why?' More confused than ever, Cassandra's eyes shifted between Vel'Asha and Gaiseric. 

Some answers brought more questions than they resolved. If Vel'Asha was indeed a Guru with a Sid Level of over 10,000 units, then there's no way she didn't possess a first-class Inner Flame at the very least. That being the case, why didn't she help her son break through to the Golden Palace rank?

So long as Gaiseric broke through to the Golden Palace rank, the Blood-Smelting Kingdom was doomed to become a powerhouse of the Purple Dawn Continent. So why did the Queen Mother not help her son? 

Either Vel'Asha somehow achieved that level without a first-class Inner Flame…or her Inner Flame would bring Gaiseric more harm than good? 

'A forbidden power? A demonic flame? So many options. But none of this matters now…' Cassandra's thoughts stopped here, and she raised her flaming sword, aiming at Vel'Asha's chest. 

"'Scheming whores copy Akamana. But the virtuous woman mirrors Vel'Asha.' This is what we noblewomen have all been taught growing up. So, I guess I can trust your words…but I still want it all in writing and signed with the royal seal to make sure it holds up in court. 

I will bring your offer to Mithras. If he agrees to marry your horny bitch, then I guess it can happen. In any case, she's a vegetable already. However, if my boy won't have it. Then dear Queen Mother…" With a casual tap, Cassandra readjusted the dislocated shoulder. Her grip tightened around her sword handle, and her aura erupted in full force.

"WE'RE FIGHTING ANYWAY!" She didn't have Sid units to rely on, yet the pressure of Cassandra's aura didn't lose to Vel'Asha, putting both Gaiseric and his mother at a loss for words. 

Forget the Human Aphrodisiac Essence boons for a second. Nine years of tempering in divine fire was enough to turn the average warrior into a generational talent. Add the Human Aphrodisiac Essence's boons and you get the recipe for God-level talent. 

This was the reason Mithras wasn't worried. The Human Aphrodisiac was convinced that except for anomalies such as Akamana di Angra, the Purple Dawn Continent didn't have anyone that could face Cassandra. 

Her battle prowess wasn't limited to what she showed Gaiseric. She was just using herself as bait to force the royal palace's strongest into revealing her true powers. And now that she'd forced Vel'Asha to reveal herself, Cassandra could use the Queen Mother's doubts regarding her true limits to take control of the exchange. 

Vel'Asha also understood this principle. But confident in her own secrets, she still didn't see Cassandra as an actual threat. 

And yet…

"Have it your way. I will be waiting for your answer, but my terms are non-negotiable and my patience running thin," Vel'Asha said and waved her hand, causing clouds of sand to burst out of the ground and condense into a sandstorm. By the time the sandstorm dispersed, Cassandra was standing at the entrance of the royal palace, with the signed offer in her hand.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Is she…another anomaly?" Starting to wonder if she hadn't still underestimated the Queen Mother, Cassandra asked out loud, then turned heels, returning to the Astalon domain. The royal guard had been called off already, so by the time Cassandra returned to her house, the chaos inside was the only remainder of the previous confrontation. 

"Cassandra! You backstabbing trollop! You've doomed us alllll!" Luther screamed his lungs out, rushing towards Cassandra to throw hands when the matriarch kicked him in the nuts, sending her husband flying into the clouds with his face twisted in an awkward grimace. 

To the onlooker, it looked like the ghost of Luther was leaving his body—passing into the afterlife. 

"Hell if I care," Cassandra said in a casual tone, and as Luther crashed into concrete, the matriarch blitzed through the domain, landing before Mithras. 

"I'd hug you and ask how you're doing, but I know you're way too clever and resourceful to have allowed that girl to abuse you like that. What's the scam?" Cassandra directly asked. 

"Scam? How can you say that? Do you have any idea what it feels to be tied to a chair by unbreakable chains and pressed under a slimthick beauty's ass and cunt for six hours straight? 

Can you imagine the trauma this has left on my body and soul? Can the Lord still respect me after a night like this? Probably…but I am still wronged! Lord! Why is my life so difficult?!" Mithras dropped to his knees, asking the clouds that floated above his broken ceiling. 

The clouds didn't answer, and as black lines formed on Cassandra's forehead, Mithras cleared his throat. 

"Joking, joking. If things go as planned, this is going to be the heist of the century," Mithras said and stood up, his eyes flashing with malicious intent. 

"She wants you to marry that hussy," Cassandra said while throwing the contract to Mithras. The Human Aphrodisiac only gave it a casual look before pocketing it in his spatial ring. 

"You're not surprised." 

"How could I be? I'm sure she said something along the lines of 'Wah…I gotta make things right and look out for the girl I've raised.' But this has nothing to do with Honoria. 

Think about it, the Queen Mother trained Honoria for nine years. If in nine years she's still not learned what type of person Honoria is, then Vel'Asha is not worthy of her fame. 

Honoria isn't the type of woman to go crazy for looks. If she went as far as to assault me, it can only be one of two things:

One, someone drugged her. Two, she had so much to gain from my dick that she was willing to risk her whole future for a chance at draining it. 

Honoria is just a convenient excuse. Vel'Asha just wants someone who can report on my secrets—someone she can control. 

Sadly, she was a bit too eager and made herself vulnerable because I and only I control Honoria's future…a fact that a lot of people aren't going to like," Mithras said with a cheerful laugh, and turned towards Cassandra, taking out a large red crystal from his spatial ring, and placing it in Cassanda's hand.

"My…Blood Reincarnation Crystal? H-how?" Cassandra couldn't believe it. Before she had the chance to tell Mithras she sold her king-class treasure to pay the debt she owed him, he'd recovered the treasure and put it in her hands?

How did he find out? How did he get it back? But as a trail of questions ran through Cassandra's mind, Mithras put a finger on her lips, silencing her thoughts. 

"Shush…let's just say that a lot of bandits died today." Mithras brushed off the question, gently stroking Cassandra's cheek while maintaining eye contact. 

"Rings are trinkets, marriage a paper pact. Only your love for me is made of steel and iron. 

A mortal's life is confined within the time of one century—half of it spent on mistakes, trifles, and regrets. But if within that lifetime, one gets the chance to be loved the way you love me, then surely, the pains and difficulties they've met along the way were completely worth it.

So Godmother, thank you for loving me. Because while slightly corrupted, that love is worth the trials and challenges that fate puts in my way." As the words rolled off his tongue, Mithras pulled out a handcrafted necklace, with a silver stone that read 'FAC' in the middle. 

"What's…this?" Cassandra lowered her head, asking as her voice and hands trembled on the necklace. 

"My Free Access Card. Don't look down on it. Today it might not look like much, but tomorrow it will be the distinguished mark of the most important women in my life. 

In the stories of my youth, whenever the main character wanted to make his most solemn pledge, he would start by saying:

'The Heavens above and the Earth below be my witness.' 

That's way too long, so I'll skip to the main point.

Cassandra, I am not and will never be perfect. I am a greedy man-whore with a bachelor's in acting and a doctorate in tomfoolery. But if you can accept me for who I am, in this life or another, I will never fail you,' Mithras said, and wrapped his hands around Cassandra's waist, pulling her into his arms. 

The matriarch broke into tears, sobbing as she failed to contain the joy that poured out of her chest. 

<Ding! Ding!>

<Hidden Quest: Bonds of Steel and Iron…completed>