Path of the Extra

Seeing Solomon's last expression, Azriel was almost certain he was thinking of just killing him on the spot.

"Hmm? Where did Saint Solomon run off to?"

Glancing to his right, Azriel saw Ragnar standing there holding a tray, while Thomas was a little behind him, holding two other trays of food in both hands.

"Solomon decided to go back home."

"I see... It was surprising to see him stick around for so long, but..."

He could see veins bulging in Ragnar's head as he gritted his teeth.

"Why did he ask to order all this food if he was going to leave!?"

Azriel bit the inside of his cheeks as he looked towards the tray holding a tower of pancakes that Solomon had ordered.

He really wanted to laugh out loud seeing Ragnar's face.

To pull such a stunt on the head of the frost clan was something only Solomon could do and get away with.

Ragnar wasn't as generous as he made himself seem to be.

Azriel knew that.

He was sure that Ragnar's aunt must have forced him to butter up the clown.

'It was a waste of effort from the beginning anyway.'

There was no way he would have actually gained Solomon's favor just by picking up his orders.

"I'll eat it. Don't want to waste all that money spent. Besides, I am hungry."

Ragnar hummed, annoyed, as he and Thomas went to sit down.

"Didn't think a prince would care so much about money."

"You know, Solomon said something similar."

Azriel furrowed his brows.

'What do they take me for? Sure, I might be a prince, but not a spoiled one!'

Annoyed, he looked out the window, gazing at the empty streets until...

'Huh?'

In his vision, a young lady emerged, delicately licking what he presumed to be chocolate ice cream.

She wore a black hat, a crisp white t-shirt, and sleek black leather pants.

His gaze was captivated by her porcelain face.

'Beautiful...'

Any man would have fallen in love at first sight.

But the same couldn't be said for Azriel as he felt something different rise in his chest.

Familiarity.

Because...

"...Sister."

*****

Going back to the crimson mansion wasn't really an option for Jasmine right now.

She was sure by now everyone was awake even though it was still early in the morning, simply because the heads of the great clans were going to visit today.

She wasn't in the mood to go back and deal with all that annoying stuff.

So instead, she was currently walking in the outskirts of EASC.

She might as well say that she was walking through a graveyard.

The people that lived here were fairly poor and weak.

If a void rift were to appear here, everyone that lived here would be as good as dead.

The soldiers of the crimson clan and the military of the government would take a while to arrive on time.

And the people here were too weak to defend themselves and too poor to buy themselves any proper weapons.

Finally, she arrived at a small park.

It was basically abandoned as no one maintains it or comes here at all.

At the center of the park, a small pond mirrors the sky above. The water, tinged green with algae, still manages to reflect the surrounding trees and the occasional passing cloud.

Water lilies float on the surface, their blooms adding splashes of white and pink. Every now and then, a frog leaps from the bank, sending ripples across the water.

Sitting on the stone bench that was in front of the pond, a sigh escaped Jasmine's lips.

"I am still hungry..."

Even though it hasn't been an hour since she last ate three scoops of chocolate ice cream.

"It's not like I am going to get fat anyway."

Not with how much she trains every day.

Tapping with her right thumb on her storage ring, a bag of chips landed on her lap.

The park was basically her secret spot that she found when her brother died, where she could rest all alone and eat as much as she wanted without anyone finding out.

Opening the bag of chips, she was about to put her hand in it until...

"You are still as gluttonous as ever, sister."

Ba... Thump!

She felt her heart beat loudly against her chest as her body froze upon hearing the voice behind her.

'That voice...'

She shook her head.

'It can't be.'

It was a familiar voice she longed to hear again, but she knew it wasn't possible.

'Heh, my mind is playing tricks on me now...'

After all...

He was dead.

Calming down again, she put her hand in the bag of chips.

She froze again...

"Ah... how cruel of you, sister. I had to travel with a bunch of clowns all the way from Europe to get back here, just for my own sister to ignore me... I feel like I am about to cry."

Ba... Thump!

Ba... Thump!

Ba... Thump!

Her heart started beating loudly and rapidly as the voice resounded behind her again.

'W-what...'

Jumping from the bench, she almost fell in the pond before she spun around.

"...Huh."

Jasmine's mind blanked as she gazed at the figure in front of her.

Ba... Thump!

Ba... Thump!

Ba... Thump!

Her brother...

Azriel.

Standing there was him, with a small smile on his face as he looked at her with gentle eyes.

He was wearing a black military uniform yet no sort of badge that displayed any sort of rank.

A black furred coat was placed on his shoulders, and he was also wearing black gloves.

In normal circumstances, she would have questioned him if he wasn't dying from the heat.

But...

"...Azriel?"

Jasmine could only stand there frozen as she uttered his name while her lips quivered.

'No... no, it can't be. He died!'

'Calm down... it can't be him. It's impossible.'

Calming herself down, her usual cold expression appeared on her face.

'Right, it could be someone that is faking his appearance...'

Besides...

'There is no way he was ever this handsome!'