Chapter 1067: 1066: Before I Answer

Darik’s chair remained empty with his plate of food barely touched.

Around the table, no one had resumed eating. Maelis rested her fingers on her closed fan, while Tavian watched the doors through which his brother had left.

Simon glanced at them too.

He had felt the killing intent directed at him.

Somehow, the boy had gone from disliking him to wanting him dead without Simon doing much of anything.

He found it rather amusing.

He hadn’t struck Darik. He hadn’t asked Seraya to slap him or Zarven to throw him out. He had simply answered a question about his age.

All Darik had to do was keep his mouth shut, and he would still be enjoying his dinner.

Apparently, that was too much to ask.

"Blackmoon."

Simon turned toward Zarven.

"I apologize for my son’s behavior. You should not have been subjected to that in our home."

Simon waved a hand.

"It’s not a problem, Lord Varn."

"Still, I’m sorry he treated you that way," Maelis said.

Her gaze lingered on his face.

"But… are you truly sixteen?"

The others waited for his answer. Even Zarven leaned back slightly, giving him his full attention.

Simon nodded.

"I am. If I wanted to lie to impress you, I could have chosen an age that was young but still believable. But I’m sixteen. That’s the truth."

Seraya stared at him.

She looked as though she wanted to ask something, but couldn’t decide where to begin.

Tavian’s eyes narrowed a little. The suspicion hadn’t quite left them.

Zarven, meanwhile, rubbed a finger along his beard, his expression thoughtful.

"You’re not even seventeen…"

Neris spoke so quietly that she might have been talking to herself. Her eyes moved over Simon’s face again, her admiration becoming even harder to hide.

"A Greater Demon at sixteen, capable of killing a Brineback Mauler," Maelis murmured. "That is truly extraordinary."

"Thank you, Lady Varn."

She smiled.

"Now I’m even more interested in hearing your answer to my husband’s question. Tell us about yourself."

Simon considered that for a moment.

"There really isn’t much to tell. My name is Blackmoon. I was born in the Duskfang Tribe, in the Wildlands."

"The Duskfang Tribe?" Seraya repeated.

He nodded.

"I’ve never known my father. As for my mother, I don’t know where she is now."

Maelis’s smile faded. Neris lowered her glass, while Zarven continued listening without interrupting.

"I’ve never heard of that tribe," Seraya said. "Is it some powerful organization hidden in the Wildlands?"

Simon gave a soft chuckle.

"No. It was a small, backwater tribe. There was nothing powerful about it."

"Was?" Tavian asked.

"It’s been destroyed."

Neris turned toward him.

"What destroyed it?"

A wry smile crossed Simon’s face.

"A powerful demon."

’A Daegrin, to be precise.’

He kept that part to himself.

"What about your mother?" Neris asked. "Were you separated when the tribe was destroyed?"

The concern in her voice made him pause.

He hadn’t intended to discuss his mother over dinner.

But Lilith’s suggestion returned to him. A relationship with the Daegrins could prove useful, and repeatedly brushing aside their questions wouldn’t help him build one.

He could let them know something real about him without revealing everything.

Simon shook his head.

"We had already been separated by then. The tribe was going through a difficult time. There was barely enough food, money was scarce, and things kept getting worse."

He looked at the dishes before him.

"My mother sold me so she would have enough money to survive."

Maelis unfolded her fan and raised it to her mouth.

"Oh my…"

Seraya’s expression darkened. Across the table, Tavian frowned, and Neris looked at Simon as though she hoped she had misunderstood. Even Zarven’s expression had lost its ease.

"She sold you?" Seraya asked.

"Yes."

"What a foolish woman."

Tavian shook his head.

"Being poor should be a crime. With enough money, none of that would have happened."

Simon was still considering that remark when a hand closed around his.

He looked down.

Neris’s fingers rested over the black wraps covering his hand.

"My sister is right," she said. "If your mother could see you now, she would regret what she did. I’m certain of that."

Seraya’s eye twitched as her gaze fell to their joined hands.

Simon noticed, but Zarven spoke before he could respond.

"And how do you feel about her now?"

He looked toward the head of the table.

"Do you hate her for selling you? Would you seek her out for revenge?"

Simon thought about it.

There were things he still remembered clearly. Knowing where he had ended up didn’t make what she had done any better.

But searching for her?

He shook his head.

"I have more important things to do. Things I want to achieve. I’d rather focus on those than spend my time seeking revenge on her."

Zarven nodded.

"That’s a good decision."

Neris slowly withdrew her hand. Simon reached for his water, and the First Merchant’s attention briefly lowered to his fingers which had his spatial ring and the Miser’s Ring.

Simon paused before lifting the glass.

Which one had Zarven been looking at?

The Miser’s Ring had belonged to Zaglur, a Daegrin. Had the First Merchant recognized it?

Zarven’s gaze returned to his face without offering any clue.

"Now, about the Brineback Mauler," he said. "Seraya tells me you’re willing to consider selling its corpse."

"I am."

"How much would you like for it?"

Simon didn’t answer immediately.

Through the windows, he could see the dark lake and the buildings beyond it. Farther away, the golden glow of The Wall curved above the city.

He set his glass down.

"Before discussing a price, there’s something I would prefer to hear about."

"What is it?"

"The trouble your people are facing."

Seraya became still beside him.

Maelis lowered her fan. Tavian’s expression changed, and even Neris’s attention shifted from Simon to her father.

The silence was different now.

Zarven regarded him for a moment.

"What makes you think we’re facing trouble?"

Simon glanced toward The Wall again.

"When we arrived, I had a chance to examine your barrier. The layers of formations, the runes, the power supporting them… it was far beyond what I expected."

He faced Zarven.

"From what I could tell, it should withstand attacks from a Supreme Demon King."

No one corrected him.

"That made me wonder why the Mauler concerned your people so much. It was powerful, but against The Wall? I doubt it could have broken through."

Seraya’s fingers rested motionless beside her plate.

"I asked Lady Seraya about it. She told me it was a secret of the Daegrins, so I didn’t press her."

"Yet you’re asking now."

"I’m hoping you might be willing to tell me."

Simon spoke without changing his tone.

"While I was waiting in the guest room, I noticed your guards. They were watching more than just me. Some looked ready to draw their weapons at the slightest disturbance."

Zarven listened.

"Perhaps there’s something about the Mauler that I don’t know. Perhaps the guards are worried about an entirely different matter. I’m not claiming to know which."

Simon rested his hand beside his plate.

"But I am curious. What sort of threat makes the Daegrins uneasy even with The Wall protecting them?"

For several breaths, nobody spoke.

Water splashed faintly somewhere beyond the windows.

Simon waited. He had asked enough.

Zarven glanced at Maelis, then returned his attention to him.

"Before I answer, Blackmoon, I need you to answer a question of mine."

Simon raised a brow.

"What question?"

Zarven’s amber eyes held his.

"Are you a member of the Abyss?"