Chapter 31: DELIBERATE PROVOCATION

Aaron was taken off guard by Liam’s reaction. He didn’t know much about the man—not his powers, not his influence—but at the moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that Liam’s sudden outrage was drawing more attention than Aaron could have hoped for. "Someone dared to touch my master’s child?" Joseph barked, his voice booming across the gathering. "Whoever it is—I’ll crush their skull with my bare hands!" That was unexpected. Joseph, who rarely aligned himself with Liam in recent years, was now in perfect agreement with him. Don’t get it twisted—Joseph loathed Aaron. He was envious of the attention Liam gave him. But beneath that jealousy, there was still loyalty. Aaron was Liam’s son. Harming Aaron meant disrespecting Liam. And that, Joseph would never allow. Levi chuckled from his seat, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding. "Two of your parents’ disciples are fired up," he said with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I wonder what would happen if the fairy hears about this. She’s the only one who still dotes on you, after all." He laughed loudly, his voice filled with amusement. This was turning into a performance, and Aaron was the center stage actor. "Levi, stop with the pointless chatter and tell me who tried to kill the boy!" Joseph demanded, his knuckles cracking audibly, echoing like gunshots in the silent field. Levi’s grin widened. Joseph—infamously known as the Mad Berserker—was itching for violence. If the culprit was named, things would spiral quickly. But Levi didn’t care. It had been years since he last caused true chaos. The last time, he was still a child at the orphanage. Now, with power and status, he could stir the pot as much as he pleased. Even the silent, warning glare from Rhea wasn’t enough to stop him. But then, a calm yet firm voice cut through the growing commotion. "Enough." Everyone turned. "You’re disrupting the examination. And boy, you have no right to be sitting here," the voice said. The one who spoke was a demigod. Aaron looked up, instinctively restraining the retort on the tip of his tongue. The man looked... young. Too young. Barely older than a teenager. He had the stature of a growing adolescent, and the appearance of someone who hadn’t even crossed into his twenties. It was almost comical. But Aaron didn’t laugh. This was a demigod—one of the most powerful beings on Blue Star. And he wasn’t looking amused. "Vine Master," Liam and the rest of the officials, including Levi and Joseph, bowed respectfully. Everyone, except Aaron... and Joseph. The demigod didn’t seem to care. He stared directly at Aaron. Calm. Cold. Calculating. "You’re Aaron, correct?" "Yes," Aaron replied, maintaining composure. "I know your parents," Vine Master said slowly, his tone gentle yet filled with weight. "And they would be greatly disappointed to see their son resort to tricks and manipulation to handle an enemy. They were warriors. They ensured their enemies fell by their own hands, not by scheming from the shadows." Aaron’s brows furrowed slightly. "Forgive me, sir demigod. You speak of my parents as if you knew them intimately," he said, the edge in his voice not completely hidden. "I did," Vine Master replied with a slight nod. "Your parents and I—" "Then where were you?" Aaron interrupted, his voice sharp as a blade. "Where were you when they fought the dungeon that nearly wiped out humanity? Probably asleep in some mansion, or running for your life, right? They never ran from saving lives. I don’t know about you." The crowd sucked in a collective breath. Did he just—? Yes. Aaron had just insulted a demigod. Directly. Madness. Pure madness. The Vine Master stared at him, silent. But instead of fury, there was amusement in his eyes. So the timid child I once met at Liam’s house is gone, he thought. What happened to him? No one changes this drastically without a reason. "I’ll let your words slide this time," the demigod said coolly. "But be warned: others won’t be so forgiving. Be careful how you speak to beings above you, boy." Aaron offered no reply. He had said what he needed to say. And in truth, he had hoped for a different outcome. He’s not the backer, Aaron thought, disappointed. I was trying to provoke a reaction—to force him to reveal himself if he was behind Endrick. But... nothing. Damn. "Sir Vine Master, enough talking," Joseph grunted impatiently. "We should be finding the bastard responsible and ending him already!" "Patience, Joseph," Vine Master replied. "You can’t always resort to violence. Try living up to the wisdom your name implies." Aaron smirked faintly at that. Even in this chaos, some things were oddly poetic. "Now then, Aaron," Vine Master continued. "Tell me: how exactly was your life threatened? And how certain are you that Endrick was the one behind it?" Aaron didn’t hesitate. "He sent a teacher to my house. To kill me. That teacher is dead now—but the mastermind still lives. The attack happened after I threatened to withdraw funding from a school that abused and tormented me while turning a blind eye to everything." Vine Master’s eyes narrowed. "And this Endrick... who is he?" Aaron’s lips curled into a grin as he raised a finger and pointed across the arena. "There. That man, trying to hide like the rat he is. That’s Endrick." All eyes turned. Endrick flinched like a man caught mid-crime. Even from a distance, Aaron could see the principal’s face drain of color. The once-proud administrator who tried to intimidate Aaron not long ago was now trembling under the weight of so many powerful gazes. Aaron chuckled darkly. To think I used to criticize those who rode on their parents’ coattails, he mused. And here I am, doing the same. But damn, it feels good. Endrick’s eyes locked with Aaron’s. And in them, Aaron saw it—the kind of fear that couldn’t be faked. The fear of a man whose secrets were unraveling in real time. "The man over there... is it true?" Vine Master asked, his voice lower, colder now. Endrick shook in his boots. He couldn’t hide. Not now. Not anymore.