Stone Mage: Revenge of the Villain System

Chapter 173 Keeping Enemies Even Closer

Ronin spent the rest of his days looking for the Core with Cermin. He had used his Communication Crystal skill to talk to him and find a perfect time to meditate together.

The annoying thing was that this brought back again the usual Cermin talkativeness that he had to suffer as the swam in the Other Side.

“You know, my mother introduced me to this girl and she was going to be the most likely candidate to be my queen….. Until we found out that my grandfather was actually her mother’s father! We’re cousins, can you believe that?” Cermin complained.

He was so expressive when he tells stories and talk with his hands. “I mean I know it’s common for royals and she said it’s okay, but no way in hell! I don’t want to be married to my cousin.”

“Uh-huh.” Ronin just continued to kesp an eye our for those four stars keeping the Core.

His meditation skills were not as good as Cermin, so he still had to take classes.

He had taken the form of a 1st year Monk named Elur Zuri. Every Week’s End, he would attend Sister Rozenaur’s meditation classes.

This was also another key difference between the Monks and other Spires. There classes were less restrictive and doesn’t follow a strict schedule, and they often have the most important lessons and tasks during the Week’s End, which was also the Day of the Gods, or Sonneday.

The Sonneday was also used to revere Aurion, the Sun god and king of the Gods. There would always be a Liturgy in his honor before any tasks or lessons were to be done at Sonneday.

And Ronin would have to attend these Liturgies which were so long and boring that it would make him fall asleep. But instead of sleeping he just pretend to pray while closing his eyes and trying to meditate.

When classes came, Sister Rozenaur once more thought them some mindfulness lessons and how to get in touch with the realm beyond.

Ronin believes that the reason why meditation was so hard for him was because of his mind-reading skill. It’s hard to concentrate into nothingness with everyone else’s thoughts buzzing on his ear.

That was the downside of this powerful trait that had helped him many times on his evil schemes. He needed to meditate during the night usually, when everyone was asleep and he cannot read their thoughts.

But it was truly a wonder how come someone like Cermin or Min Cheng would be really good at this naturally.

Perhaps it was part of his own set of skills.

After all, there’s no way someone as dumb and dense as a rock would actually be introspective and take a lot of time reflecting deeply like that, right?

He waved away these thoughts for now as Sister Rozenaur had told them to close their eyes and begin

They were all sitting crossed legged as always, and meditated for a while, about half an hour. Until…..

“Elur, may I excuse you for a moment?”

Sister Rozenaur suddenly tapped his shoulder.

He opened his eyes. “Yes, Sister?”

He stood up, and Sister Marigold Rozenaur led him away from the other students.

“Brother Mondstein is looking for you. If you do not know him, he is this tall Moonstone gentleman, just like you, and often dressed in blue clothes with blue beads on his neck. His temple is that one over there, the one with statues of Demetri.”

Ronin raised an eyebrow. ‘Zeriav is looking for me?’

He had already expected that he would plan to thwart his plans anyway. If following with the theory that every former friend if Cermin’s would go against his harem members…..

Then it should be Marigold vs Zeriav next, and he does not know how that may ensue.

After all, Zeriav was not like the other friends, and his anger towards Marigold was only temporary and caused by his jealousy towards her closeness to Cermin. He doesn’t seem the type to actually harm her.

But Ronin knows as well that Zeriav had been enlisted to go against him by Volken, thanks to his mind-reading skill. Zeriav also have a good sense of his aura despite his disguise, and knows that he was hiding in the body of Elur.

Ronin went to his Temple prepared for anything, when Sister Marigold suddenly tugged on his sleeves again.

“Oh, and Elur… If anything wrong happens, do not hesitate to call me. I may not look much, but I can be swift when I want to and take you away from there.” Marigold told him. “You’re still a little thirteen year old after all and have not grown yet, I am sure I can carry you.”

Ronin blinked. “Why would you need to do that, Sister?”

“Brother Mondstein can be a bit….. Easy to provoke. He is also a deeply troubled man, and I am sure he has good intentions….. But I do not trust that everything he does is good.”

Ronin grinned. Right, after all Zeriav was the lunatic who suddenly destroyed his own temple and claimed that ‘the devil made him do it’.

There was a valid reason for Marigold to worry, even when they were both ‘good’ people. That must be the cause for their strife later on.

“Do not worry, Sister. He is a priest, I am sure he will be alright.” Ronin assured her with his soft and little voice as Elur.

Marigold gave him a smile. “Alright….. I will return to the class now.”

Ronin was back at the front door of this temple again. The broken statues have been changed and renovated, and he was sure that the inside was fixed too.

He knocked three times, and waited patiently like an innocent little boy.

Zeriav opened, his height towering over Ronin with his disguise like this.

“Come in.” Zeriav said, yet clutched at his beads at all times and kept his distance, as if Ronin had a bomb with him.

He grinned internally from the fear that he had brought to this man. That delicious fear had always been enticing, and someone who was religious and superstitious always had a bountiful amount of fear in them.

“Blessed day to you, Brother Mondstein. I am Elur Zuri.” He smiled at him with that cute, boyish face. “The Sister said you have asked of me. Can I ask why?”

Zeriav nodded, and then said:

“I have decided that I would like to take you as my assistant in my tasks in astrology as of now.”

Ronin’s smile turned into a frown.

But then, he went back to smiling.

‘So this is how you plan to contain me, huh? To thwart my plans, getting me close to you despite your fear….’

He chuckled. “When must I start, Brother?”

——————————-

Rabuka fiddled with her dress while waiting for this ‘doctor’ to be done with preparations for her own ‘healing’

Her rough voice that was no longer sweet and sounded like a frog’s asked Pavone:

“Did it hurt…. When you did it?” She asked.

“Of course. But you must endure the pain so you would be reborn again, Rabuka.” Pavone patted her head.

His torso was revealed and wrapped in bandages. They were currently at the broken House Blanc D’Argent.

He had managed to convince Maellan not to leave yet by saying he had another person that needs his healing with his Daemonic Lightning through the Spear of Levin. And that person was Rabuka, along with Volken who would soon be arriving in a month.

So he can still keep Maellan for a month, and try to convince him with his much bigger agenda…

Which was to have him join his side in overthrowing the Lord of Darkness using the very Gifts given to them by his Blood Flame.

“Remember. You can’t say anything about Ronin being the caused for you to lose your voice and your Mage Focus, the Cordial Surge.” Pavone said. “He will know that we are trying to get revenge on him.”

“A-Alright….. Then what should I say if he asks?” She frowned.

Pavone patted her head. “You’re a clever girl, you’ll come up with something. Though Maellan is much more clever. He deserves to be the King of the Abyss, not the Dark Lord.”

Rabuka frowned. “But I thought that we’re doing this to make you King.”

Pavone shrugged. “Yes, but I’ll be happy enough to be his right-hand man and serve by his side if he ever decides to take the throne.”

Rabuka was aghast. Her boyfriend…

He sounds just like pathetic Sordido with his undying devotion to Maellan!

It had always unnerved her that his bastard half-brother have such a disgusting obsession towards her lover, but seeing Pavone exhibit it himself…

She honestly felt like she’ll vomit.

She almost did, but then—

“The preparations are done. Please, take a seat inside.” Maellan smiled at her sweetly. “It’s your throat that needs to be healed, isn’t it?”

When she saw that smile, she came to realize why Pavone would have such devotion to this man.

His smile was full of genuine care and compassion, something she could never give, and she also found her heart being swayed by it a little.

However, envy was always the emotion that drives her, and overpowered that slight appreciation. She had always envied Calla Lily….

And now she envied this man for having this much power and sway over her lover.

But as they said. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

It was not just Pavone who knew that tactic. Both Zeriav and Rabuka knew that as well.