"Oh, Boss. It’s good that you’re awake."
Hearing Cassie’s perfectly timed voice, which had blown his cover, Leon’s eyes twitched.
Keeping his expression straight, he gently rose from Fel’s lap, then stretched his body.
He turned to the black-haired lady with a flat smile and said, "Mn, you’re right. It’s good that I’m awake."
Cassie didn’t know why, but something about his smile made her shudder. A phantom pain hit her backside, and she couldn’t help remembering that time in the mall.
’Scum Boss...’
Unaware of her thoughts, Leon turned to Fel and nodded. "Thank you. I was able to recover well."
The young lady lowered her head and smiled faintly, too shy to look him in the eyes. Although she had assisted Gwen in doing the same thing a few days ago, she felt embarrassed being in the same position.
Still, her embarrassment was brief, and she quickly recovered.
"Mn, you’re welcome."
Feeling ignored, Agnus cleared his throat and said in a somewhat annoyed tone.
"Hello? I still don’t understand what’s going on around here."
He had fallen unconscious after revealing the vision he saw, and when he woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar house. He didn’t know what had happened, but could somehow tell that he had missed something important.
Leon glanced at him and said casually, "About that tree you mentioned. I saw it."
Agnus’s eyes widened. "You saw it? God, even in the vision, just looking at it alone gave me chills. It seemed sinister."
He sighed and shook his head. "Sigh, those kinds of monsters are beyond our level. We can only hope to grow strong enough to reach a point where we can protect ourselves from them."
Leon suddenly chuckled and said, "You’re right. But you don’t need to worry about that tree anymore. I already took care of it."
Agnus froze, then shot Leon an annoyed look. "Not funny. I almost fell for that."
"You think I’m lying?" Leon blinked innocently, tilting his head as he looked at Agnus.
The young man narrowed his eyes and studied Leon’s expression, his frown growing deeper.
"It can’t be real, right? Are you for real?"
Leon shrugged. "Believe it or not, that thing’s dead. I have to admit that it was a tough opponent, though. Insanely packed with strong abilities and had ridiculously strong roots."
Agnus’s mouth opened wide in surprise, and he suddenly stood up.
"You... you really killed it?!"
This time, it wasn’t Leon who answered him, but Nora.
"Of course, Daddy Leon killed it! He’s so cool!"
She immediately left Cassie and ran up to Leon, settling comfortably in his embrace.
Agnus fell silent, only staring at Leon like he was an alien. The others might not have understood because they hadn’t seen the tree, but Agnus had seen it.
He had seen it in his vision—how terrifying the creature was.
Yet, Leon had killed it.
’How is that possible? How could he be so strong?’
Suddenly, his eyes turned white like a blind man, and his expression eased. ’He’ looked at Leon quietly, then rubbed his chin.
"Fascinating. Your talent is truly unparalleled. You were able to kill that little tree despite the vast difference between your levels. I am genuinely surprised."
Leon stared at ’him’ for a while, then said, "You seem to be able to hijack this guy’s body anytime. I wonder if I should keep him away from us entirely."
Ymir frowned slightly. "Why? I’m simply keeping him with you as an ambassador of mine. Whenever you’re ready to select me as your Patron God, I can reach you through him. Believe me, you’ll need it soon enough."
Leon shook his head. "I already made up my mind. I’m not choosing anyone as my Patron God—not even you."
A displeased expression crossed Ymir’s face, and he said in a low voice. "Are you sure you want to do this? Even if you’re strong enough to be an anomaly, you can’t always protect those around you, and they can never be as strong as you are."
Leon nodded with a faint smile. "How is that your concern, old man? I’ll take care of that by myself."
Ymir’s frown deepened, then he sighed. "In that case, I hope you don’t regret your decision. The evolution phases of the world aren’t something you can simply brute-force your way through. Sometimes, you need help."
Leon closed his eyes, and the image of a black-haired, purple-eyed demon appeared in his mind. He smiled fondly, then answered Ymir.
"You don’t have to worry. I already have enough help."
Ymir’s eyes narrowed, and he thought, ’That confirms it. He already has the backing of a Higher Existence. However, who could it be and from which Constellation?’
He was wary, as not every Constellation had good relationships with each other. If Leon somehow found out that he was bluffing when he claimed he was Tier Seven, then his plans had a chance of totally failing.
’I guess I’ll have to depart, then. Hm, it’s about time this vessel secures his own place for what is going to come.’
After gathering his thoughts, Ymir nodded and said, "Since that is your decision, I won’t argue. In the future, if you change your mind, you can always find this human."
He pointed at his body—Agnus.
"How will we find you, though?" Cassie asked, her eyes narrowed.
Without turning to her, Ymir said, "Although Agnus is weak, he is a talented human and would definitely rise to great heights. By then, you’ll know where to find me."
Leon said nothing but nodded. Meanwhile, Cassie looked at him like a person spouting nonsense.
Ymir didn’t care. He gave one last look at Leon, then disappeared. Agnus staggered back into the couch, deflating in it.
He had a complicated expression as he looked at Leon. Then he smiled bitterly.
"Ugh. It feels really awkward when we just met recently and we’re parting so soon."
Leon looked at him and asked, "So you’re going to follow each and every one of his commands?"
Agnus nodded slowly. "Lord Ymir promised to keep me alive and make me strong. I already lost too much, I don’t want to lose anything again."
His voice was resolute and determined. Leon noticed this and said nothing. If this was his choice, then there was no stopping him.
’A pity, though. An Oracle would have been nice to have.’
He looked out the window, seeing the sky take on an orange hue.
"We’re heading back."