Chapter 384: Where Has Your Conscience Gone To? 

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At the boundary between the ruins and the forest, the pale yellow mana-cloaked Roel stared at Selina in astonishment.
On the other hand, Selina held onto a sword in her hand, seemingly at a loss as to what to do.

Her abrupt ceasefire and shocking words had brought about a weird atmosphere, but this wasn’t because her brain was wired wrongly.
Rather, this was the most direct feedback coming from her bloodline.

The Chaos Origin Attribute had granted Selina a nearly omnipotent weapon capable of slicing through all magic defense, but even the strongest of weapons would be useless if one couldn’t brandish it well.
In truth, the overwhelming strength of the Bess could be traced back to two factors: their Origin Attribute and their bloodline that originated from an ancient saint beast.

The Saint Beast Bloodline was quite a dangerous bloodline due to its incompatibility with humans.
It could grant a person terrifying physical prowess and regeneration ability, but the beastlike instincts that came with it were nigh impossible to repress.

It was due to the combination of the Chaos Origin Attribute’s emotional instability and the Saint Beast Bloodline’s beastlike instincts that Selina’s personality had ended up the way it was.

But what if one of them were to be removed?

It was possible to alleviate the side effects of the Chaos Origin Attribute by terminating its usage, but the effects of the Saint Beast Bloodline couldn’t be suppressed.
The overwhelming need to fight and slaughter in order to obtain a brief peaceful respite had always been the greatest frustration torturing Selina, but to her astonishment, this trait was actually suppressed in Roel’s presence.

In the past, the only one who had been able to suppress Selina’s raging bloodline was her father, allowing her to enjoy a moment of serenity.
That was why the moment her bloodline was suppressed and clarity returned to her head, she instinctively muttered the word ‘father’, but she soon realized that something was wrong.

Similar to Origin Attributes, those who were higher up in the same bloodline lineage could suppress those who were beneath them.
Her father was able to suppress her bloodline through sheer force as a superior transcendent, but it was extremely taxing on him to do so because she was actually the one who possessed the highest compatibility to the Saint Beast Bloodline in her house.

It was already weird enough that Roel could do the same, but what made it even weirder was the difference in the effectiveness.

There was no need for her to consume any medicine or experience any pain; her bloodline had been suppressed in an instant.
Not to mention, he did it when she was at the peak of her aggression, the moment right before she was about to swing down her blade.

The only possible explanation here was that Roel’s bloodline was from the same lineage, just vastly superior to hers.

Could this fellow be my long-lost brother?

“No, that’s impossible.
What did you do?”

Selina assessed Roel from head to toe, but she wasn’t able to see any physical resemblance between them.
With no clues to work with, she could only question him in a fluster.
Even the beast ears that had morphed due to the activation of her bloodline ability were standing on end.

Little did she know that Roel was even more confused than her.

What was it like to be suddenly called ‘father’ by someone of his own age?

Roel could now stand tall and answer this question with conviction.

What the f—?

Staring at the orange-haired woman, who had called him ‘father’ before slowly retreating from him, Roel found himself at an utter loss of words.
This was definitely not how he imagined the encounter with Selina to turn out, though he wasn’t too caught off guard since this was not the first time such a baffling situation had happened.

It must be the doing of the Goddess of Fate’s Guidance.

Roel eyed Selina’s beast ears as he thought about consulting Peytra about this matter, but pale yellow mana started flowing out of his body on its own accord before he could do so.

From the evening valley, Peytra peered through Roel’s eyes to gaze upon Selina.

“Hm? I came out to take a look because I sensed a familiar aura.
What a surprise.
Is that the bloodline of my brethren?”

“Your brethren? Peytra, you’re saying that…”

“Yes, that little girl possesses the Saint Beast Bloodline.”

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Roel was astonished.

Saint Beast Bloodline? Doesn’t that mean that her ancestors have engaged in beastiality?

But on second thought, it wasn’t really something to make a big fuss over.
After all, there was someone with the Dragon Bloodline out there in the world.

“Reproduction isn’t the only way for us to pass down our bloodline.
In fact, it’s much easier to do it through magic.
It’s just that the Saint Beast Bloodline is too potent that it would erode a human’s rationality.
I must say, I’m really surprised to see that someone has actually succeeded,” explained Peytra.

Roel finally understood why Selina looked so flustered.

Peytra was a World Serpent, but above that, she was the Primordial Earth Goddess and the Queen of Saint Beasts.
Her presence exerted a natural dominance over Selina’s Saint Beast Bloodline.

The situation was starting to make sense to Roel.

He thought that the one whom he would have the most trouble with bringing to his side was Selina, but with Peytra’s aura suppressing Selina’s aggression, it should be possible for him to communicate with her.

Roel took a moment to gather his words before he spoke solemnly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you here, Miss Selina.
What an unexpected meeting this is.
I know that you have many doubts in your mind, but before that, would you care to explain what you were planning to do earlier on?”

“W-what?”

“Miss Selina, did you just attempt to assault me?”

“…”

Selina’s expression stiffened.
She subconsciously glanced at the huge blade in her hand and recalled her earlier aggression.
Before she could fully process what was going on, Roel had already moved on.

“I don’t think that it was Prince William who ordered you to attack me.
As a transfer student of the Knight Order and a member of the Dawnbringer Order… could it be that you’re disobeying your superior’s orders?”

“T-that’s my own problem! Besides, William knows of my condition.
It’s not as if you can die here anyway!”

“Well, that’s true too.
It won’t be easy for you to deal sufficient damage in a single strike that would overwhelm the substitution magic tool.
Since you brought that up, I guess you weren’t trying to harm me.
All you wanted was a fight to alleviate the side effects of your bloodline.”

“… So what if that’s the case? Just get straight to the point!”

Having her thoughts accurately read, Selina eyed at Roel sharply as she questioned him back.

Similar to William, she was the descendant of one of the Twilight Sages and grew up listening to stories about the Ardes.
She harbored deep admiration and respect for that ancient clan, but when she met Roel, she found her feelings of admiration transforming into a desire to fight under the effects of her bloodline.

Knowing the difficulties she faced, Roel smiled gently at her and made a proposal.

“Miss Selina, why don’t we make a win-win deal?”

“Win-win deal?”

“That’s right.
You should have noticed the aura of the ancient Queen of Saint Beasts on me by now.
I can help you suppress your bloodline and bring you serenity.
In exchange, I want you to return the favor when I need your help.”

“Haa? Why should I do so? Your influence on me is nothing but a mere…”

Selina’s beast ears and tail started swaying upon hearing Roel’s proposal, a sign that she was moved.
However, she stubbornly refused to give in, fearing that giving in too easily would give Roel too much leverage over her.

Seeing this, Roel retracted Peytra’s aura.

The effects immediately showed.
Selina’s eyes reddened right away, and she roared furiously.

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“Oi, you bastard! Don’t you dare…”

Roel released Peytra’s aura.

“D-don’t retract the suppression so abruptly!”

Retract.

“You son of a bitch! Are you asking to be slaughtered…”

Release.

“Why are you doing this? Stop toying with me!”

Retract.

“Are you fucking with me? I’ll kill you! I’ll butcher your body and…”

Release.

“Wuuu! Can you have a conscience!!!”

“…”

Selina’s eyes had already turned teary by this point.
Roel, the operator of the bloodline roller coaster, realized that he had gone overboard here, but…

It can’t be helped, it’s simply too interesting~ Those furry ears and tail of hers would move correspondingly whenever she switched between her personalities.

 

Roel was a fan of furry things.
He let out two coughs to conceal his awkwardness before attempting to placate the orange-haired woman, who was glaring at him with gritted teeth.

“My apologies, Miss Selina.
I lost control of my powers a moment there.”

“Liar! You were just making fun of me! T-to think that I thought that you were the descendants of heroes… Do you find it amusing to bully me? Wuu!”

Ah? What’s going on? Why is she crying all of a sudden? This…

Watching as tears flowed down Selina’s cheeks, Roel was baffled.
He didn’t expect her to react so strongly against it, and it left him feeling a pang of conscience.
He earnestly apologized and quickly tried to calm her down, but it still took a while before she finally regained her composure.

“I’m sorry, Selina.
It wasn’t my intention to make a fool out of you… but the earlier incident should have shown you the effectiveness of my bloodline suppression.
I’m sure that you would benefit greatly from my help.”

“…”

“Miss Selina, I hope that you can consider my suggestion.”

“… You mentioned that you want me to return the favor.
I need you to be more specific about that.”

After a moment of silence, Selina posed her question.
Roel honestly relayed his thoughts to her, but to his surprise, she seemed to have already guessed it.

“Just as I thought.
It’s over that matter, huh?”

“It seems like you have already guessed as much.
How is it? Would you like to make a deal with me?” asked Roel. 

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“I refuse,” replied Selina decisively.

“What?”

“Your offer is truly tempting, but I cannot betray my comrades over this.”

“…”

Looking at Selina’s resolute expression, Roel blinked his eyes in surprise.
Her determined response changed his impression of her. 

Prior to this, his impression was terrible.
She was aggressive, bloodthirsty, difficult to communicate with, and refused to comply with orders.
There was hardly a good trait associated with her at all. 

However, after he got to know her circumstances and conversed with her when her bloodline was suppressed, he found that she was a surprisingly principled person, perhaps a little pure even. 

Roel was extremely confident in his offer because he knew that there were hardly any alternatives for Selina.
She must have suffered greatly under the effects of her bloodline, being an involuntary slave to her bloodline’s tendencies.
This was possibly her best chance at salvation, but she chose not to betray her comrade. 

Her loyalty left him feeling a tinge of respect for her. 

Brittany gave in and became a spy in exchange for Geralt’s personal possessions.

Selina chose to uphold her principles and not betray her comrades despite being tortured by her side effects.

I guess it’s clear who the real knight is here.
It’s nice to see that Selina has chosen loyalty to her comrades over herself, but… this does pose quite the trouble to me. 

Roel took a while to consider the matter.
He raised his head to look at the tense Selina and bowed slightly to her. 

“Allow me to apologize to you for my offensive proposal, Miss Selina.
I am in awe of your chivalrous spirit.
I’ll take back my words and make a new proposal.”

“Don’t waste your time.
There’s no way I would…”

“Miss Selina, you don’t have to offer me any help anymore.
I’ll voluntarily suppress your bloodline for you.”

“… Hm?”

Selina widened her eyes in surprise.
Roel smiled softly and explained himself.

“I’ve told you earlier that I’m contracted with an ancient god who was once the Queen of Saint Beasts.
There are few in the world who can make her feel nostalgia, and you, an inheritor of the Saint Beast Bloodline, is one of them.

“In a sense, you are the descendant of her lineage, so it’s only right for me to help you.
If your bloodline ever becomes too much to bear, you’re more than welcome to visit the Azure Manor whenever you wish.
I’ll help you without asking for any compensation.

“Well, I’m done saying my piece.
The tournament is still ongoing, and time is quite precious here.
I’ll be taking my leave first, Miss Selina.”

Roel bowed slightly to her once more before turning around and walking away. 

Selina stared at his departing silhouette blankly.
It took a few seconds before she snapped out of her daze.
There was a complicated look on her face, as if she was facing a dilemma.
It was only when the bloodline suppression effect was about to end that she finally clenched her fists tightly and spoke up. 

“Wait!”

“Miss Selina?”

Roel turned around and looked at Selina quizzically.
The latter stared at him for a while before she spoke up. 

“… It’s not entirely impossible for me to help you.
That old geezer imposed a condition on William, forcing him to grant us independent rights to evaluate you.
Do you get what I’m saying?”

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“I see… So, what do I have to do to earn your approval?”

“1-on-1.
Defeat me without relying on your bloodline suppression.
If so, I’ll support your initiative.”

“!”

Roel looked at Selina with widening eyes.
He understood the significance of what she had just said.
On the other hand, Selina’s face slowly reddened under his intent gaze.

“I-I’m not giving you a hint here! I’m just telling you the rules!”

“Is that so?” replied Roel with a smile.

“Just to let you know, I’m incredibly strong.
The defenses you put up earlier can’t hope to stop me.”

“Oh?” 

“See you!”

After leaving him a hint about her Origin Attribute’s ability, Selina walked away so hurriedly that it looked almost as if she was fleeing the scene.

Roel mused over the words she had just said and the enemies she had easily defeated in the forest.
A moment later, a glint flashed across his golden eyes.

With that, he began making his way toward the center of the decrepit ancient city using a different path. 

… 

There wasn’t anything much for the rest of the preliminary round.
By the time Roel arrived at the location where the crystals were dropped, he noticed that there was a crystal missing from the ten slots.
The lingering mana pulsation at the scene left no room for doubt who the first one to arrive was. 

After her bloodline suppression had been released, Selina reverted to her aggressive personality and successfully clinched the first place.
Her original plan was to hide in the area and ambush the other challenger, but out of fear that she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back from attacking Roel, she chose to leave right after grabbing a crystal.

“How rare.
It looks like she’s serious about having a 1-on-1 with me.”

Roel knew that it must have taken a lot of restraint for Selina to proactively avoid a battle.
It showed her conviction in having the 1-on-1 duel with him, and he felt that he should accord her the same level of respect by taking the fight seriously. 

He took one of the crystals and left the area too. 

If he wanted to, he could have taken the remaining crystals and eliminated all of his remaining competitors.
He wasn’t too worried about getting ganged up on by the remaining challengers anyway.
It was just that he didn’t think that there was any need for him to do so.

Every single one of these crystals represented hope.
They were opportunities for the students to grasp a brighter future.
Roel couldn’t bring himself to dash their hopes. 

After taking the crystal, he patiently bade his time at a remote location in the decrepit ancient city.
When ten minutes was up, the crystal suffused his body with light and took him away.
Before he knew it, he was already standing amidst thick fog. 

A spirit led him out of the fog. 

He was soon welcomed by the cheers and applause of the spectators and members of the Bluerose Faction.
He responded to them with a smile and a wave of his hand. 

He took a look around but couldn’t find Selina anywhere.
It was a little perplexing, but he chose not to pay it much heed.
He began making his way toward the members of the Bluerose Faction.

Since he had successfully cleared the preliminary examination, it was only right for him to check on how the other members were doing.
Before he could ask about it, a member of the Bluerose Faction walked over to him with an anxious look on his face. 

“Chief, you should head over there to take a look.
Vice Chief Paul is injured.”

“He’s injured?” 

Roel asked with a deep frown.