Jurian chuckled.
"So she sent you here."
"What do you know about him?" Dante asked. "You defeated him. You should know more than anyone."
Jurian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"'Defeated' is a slight exaggeration."
Dante smiled.
"You act surprisingly timid. But I highly doubt you're as weak as Aishani believes."
Jurian laughed quietly. He's perceptive. Trying to deceive him would be pointless.
Leaning back into the couch, Jurian folded his arms.
"His first ability, you've already witnessed. The moment someone speaks his name, he immediately knows their precise location."
Dante nodded.
"I figured as much. But that isn't the dangerous part."
Jurian continued,
"He isn't forced to appear immediately. He can choose when to respond. He might appear instantly, or several hours later, or even days later."
Dante leaned back.
"So — he marks the target."
Jurian nodded.
"Exactly. But there's more. Before appearing, he can observe the area around the person who called him. He knows whether you're alone, whether you're preparing an ambush, whether it's safe to appear. So he almost never walks into a trap."
Dante finished the thought himself.
"He chooses the battlefield before he even arrives."
Jurian smiled.
"Exactly."
Dante nodded thoughtfully.
"...That's troublesome. What else?"
Jurian remained silent for a moment, recalling both of their encounters. Finally, he spoke.
"He also possesses another ability. It allows him to manipulate events."
Dante raised an eyebrow.
"Another ridiculous ability."
Jurian laughed.
"I had the same reaction."
Dante leaned forward slightly.
"What exactly do you mean, by manipulating events?"
Jurian waited until one of his subordinates quietly returned with two steaming cups of coffee. The young man respectfully placed one before Jurian before setting another in front of Dante.
Without another word, he bowed slightly before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.
Silence settled. Dante picked up the cup. He took a slow sip.
"..."
'Not bad. Actually, rather good. Still, it wasn't Vexion's coffee.'
A strange feeling surfaced inside him. Ever since meeting Vexion and later Lexa, the two had somehow slipped into his daily routine without him noticing.
Morning conversations. Breakfast.
Vexion's endless attempts to sit on top of him. Lexa's expression whenever he created extra work for her.
They had become normal — so much so that when they weren't nearby, the silence felt oddly different.
He inwardly clicked his tongue. 'Tch. Annoying. Im becoming used to people. Not a good habit.'
He pushed the thought away almost immediately. Sentimentality was a luxury he could afford but had to be careful around.
He looked toward Jurian.
"So?"
Jurian took a sip from his own cup before placing it back onto the table.
"I don't mind answering your question. I don't mind telling you about Qwarian." Another pause. "But it would be unfair if I simply handed that information over for free."
Dante laughed.
"Aren't we supposed to be allies?"
"We are."
"And you don't trust me?"
"I trust you. But trust and giving away valuable information are two completely different matters."
Dante couldn't help laughing again.
"Fair enough."
Jurian continued calmly.
"Besides, I don't believe you're the type of person who gives valuable information away for nothing either."
Dante slowly nodded.
"You're learning."
That simple response made Jurian smile. He had expected Dante to deny it. Instead, the young man admitted it without hesitation. That alone said quite a lot.
Dante leaned back comfortably. 'Academy students. Interesting. Unfortunately they aren't stupid. Negotiations are much more enjoyable this way.'
He waved lazily.
"So. What do you want?"
Jurian rested one arm across the table.
"I know you. Or at least I've begun understanding you. You don't particularly enjoy long stories. You dislike unnecessary background. You only care about the information that directly affects you."
Dante nodded once.
"Correct."
Again — no excuses, no polite response, just agreement. Jurian couldn't help chuckling.
"You really are a strange man. I've never met someone who openly admits those kinds of things."
"I don't see the point in pretending." Dante shrugged. "If the information doesn't matter, why waste time?"
'Fair. Very fair.'
Jurian took another sip before speaking.
"The favor I want isn't difficult. I simply have enemies."
Dante blinked. Then laughed.
"What exactly have you been doing? How does one 21-year-old collect this many enemies?"
Jurian scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"It wasn't intentional. It rarely is."
His hand slowly moved toward the sword resting at his waist.
"Dante. How much do you know about artifacts?"
Dante looked at the weapon. He had noticed it from the very beginning. Unlike ordinary swords, there was something about it — something subtle. T
he System had also shown mild interest in it earlier.
"They're more than weapons. They're essentially additional abilities. They can increase combat strength, sometimes by several levels. They're closer to carrying another skill than carrying a weapon or object."
Jurian's eyebrows rose.
"You understand more than most. Most people only think, 'Sword swings harder.' They never realize the artifact itself is essentially a skill given physical form."
He slowly drew the blade a few centimeters. The room immediately became heavier — not from killing intent, from pressure, an invisible presence. Then he slid it back into its sheath.
"I obtained this inside a Labyrinth."
Dante frowned.
"A Labyrinth?"
"You've never entered one?"
Dante shook his head honestly.
"No."
"Hm. I assumed someone as strong as you would've."
Dante inwardly sighed. 'Another piece of common knowledge I somehow skipped.'
Perhaps his continent truly had Labyrinths. He had simply never cared enough to investigate.
Jurian continued.
"Labyrinths are places filled with ancient inheritances. Artifacts. Resources. Rare techniques. And competition. I won this sword there. And naturally, everyone else who wanted it lost."
He smiled bitterly.
"People rarely enjoy losing. So they decided it was easier to hate me instead."
Dante nodded.
"Reasonable. They wanted the sword. You obtained it and they couldn't kill you there, so they waited. Eventually hoping to kill you elsewhere.... Simple and cliche"
"Exactly."