Chapter 24 Identity Unveiled: To Trust

The time to rest was short, heat spread across the small hole, coming from the parallel tunnels together with the corporal heat, the champion's magic continued producing air, two cores were enough.

The group eventually stopped regenerating, but the difference was categorical... none of them seemed to notice without mirrors though, the darkness of the encroaching place was apparent and only some light fire lit up by Constantine made them know each other's presence.

By now they had realised that he must have been doing something, but none dared raise their voice except Zamira who unashamedly sat beside him.

"What magic can you use exactly, is it necessary to cover yourself like that?" The purple-haired woman inquired as they rested, at first she thought it was some sort of camouflage, but as time went on and he kept it, she started to wonder until realisation dawned.

'So he's concealing his face as well...' She sighed in wonder, 'why does he need to do that? he's clearly a magus...'

She had been paying too much attention to Constantine to notice the gazes she had been receiving, especially due to her face, being close to her, her expression shone with the flame that he lit up, being visible to all of them.

Still, they ignored this to pay attention to the magus in the room.

"Yes, you're our saviour, even if you happen to be a pretty boy, we won't mock you!" Andre said while smirking, unaware that even his own 'trophies' were now gone.

"…" Constantine's gaze moved back and fro between the two of them in confusion.

'Why would you mock me for being handsome?' He stared at them with lifted eyebrows, he took everything as a joke, the way the bulky man said 'pretty boy' irked him a bit.

As expected, those bulky guys have something suspicious about them, the farther the better... he even suspected Zamira and Anne.

No ass is safe in this world apparently.

'I want out…' Constantine thought with grief if he could be back with his wives if only he could be back with his goddess, in the end, he decided to simply answer what was most logical.

"I don't like showing my face, as for my magic…"

"You used fire magic before, but then… this air, you're creating it too, right? are you a dual element!?" Anne asked with a shining lustre in her eyes.

She answered for him and unexpectedly saved him in that one, he planned to include Earth magic there too, but seeing she didn't mention it, he didn't either.

He didn't want to show too much, moreover, if they were already this surprised with merely two elements…

"Yes, wind and fire…"

"That's surprising, it's unusual to hear of someone with those two elements, it's usually water and wind, or earth and fire…" Andre commented and the rest nodded in approval, feeling slightly hot as the subtle smell of smoke seemed to come from the other side, only to be washed away by the renewing wind gales.

"In any case, roughly ten minutes from now we're going inside the cave channels, just follow my lead, the distance between us and the exit cave is not much, I have already dug most of the tunnel but it is not enough, the layers are slim which means any thoughts or movement will be felt, don't get us killed…" he warned the group who simply nodded and decided to just rest since the upcoming hours would surely be difficult.

Technically he didn't have to save them anymore since Zebellia had already increased his karma points, but…

'Might as well go to the end and have them guide me to the surface, I need someone to assist me into knowing more of this world, and those creatures clearly won't...'

As they rested, Zamira sat closely next to him and initiated a conversation.

"You're the shy type, aren't you?" She didn't know what else to say, the boy was unapproachable, containing the arrogant demeanour only a magus could get yet still being extremely more bearable than Luke.

"Not really, I just don't feel like talking… this is a dire situation, we must stay focused." He said, not trying to dwell further.

But she planned to continue.

"Are you from the town of loup or somewhere else? I haven't heard of any dual magic user there, you'd surely be in the capital already, what rank are you?" Each question was asked with more intensity with the previous.

"I don't like being questioned, Zamira" He said sternly and he made her yelp slightly, as if by instinct, realising something… she touched her face several times.

He wondered why his answer would garner such a response from the woman; unaware that she attributed his cold attitude towards herself, to her appearance, but not for the right reasons.

"M-My scars!?" She yelled, taking the attention from everyone in the room while Constantine nodded, her countenance had indeed been cleaned out of scars, pretty indeed.

"Yes, they're gone, you're beautiful." He said naturally, but nothing could prepare him for the lady's response to this situation, even the others seemed to cheer her!

"N-No!" She hurriedly took her broken sword and pointed it at her face!

!!!

*PA!*

He slapped the sword away the moment he caught her intentions!

"What are you trying to do!?" He yelled madly, her actions had been so swift and remorseless that they left him dumbfounded, she just tried to slice her face apart!

"I-I have to, otherwise-"

"Otherwise what? were you planning to injure yourself?!" He even kicked the sword away to make sure, utterly bewildered at her actions.

[What's wrong with her?]

Even Zebellia wondered what kind of odd turn of events was this, perhaps she had some inner troubles, that's what she thought, but sensing the odd gaze on the group, she figured something more must be going on.

"Y-You…" seeing his reaction, the rest looked at him strangely, as if the only one out of tone was himself.

Constantine looked at the other girl, she had no scars either, but she wasn't pretty… in fact, looking closely, she was ugly.

His flame lit up their faces, most of their scars were gone, in the case of the bulky men, well... theirs looked qualitatively better compared to before, but they still had a long way to go... his reaction was natural, but Zamira's wasn't...

Best

The more the silence permeated, the more confused he was.

"Your scars are gone as well, Anne, and you two... you're looking better too, what's the problem with that?"

!!!

His answer seemed to have caused inherent chaos within the group as they all touched their faces in realisation.

His first test was to lower his own mask slightly, it was made out of leaves.

He didn't show his ears, only his face to them.

It was instant. They all stopped their chaos to look at him as if he was some sort of wet rat.

"A-As expected he's just some pretty bo-" Andre's expression contorted in disgust that only lasted a moment before he realised who he was speaking about!

"Shhh!!" The other bulky guy immediately shut his mouth!

Anne too was evading his gaze.

'What the hell!?' If there is anything in this world the conqueror is confident about is his face and girt *cough* GRIT!

He regarded the shocked Zamira whose gaze never left his until she couldn't… eventually, however, she steeled herself to ask a question that she knew was sensitive.

"A-At least you're a dual magus… but us… Constantine, you're not human, are you?" Zamira asked with a curious glint moreover, her words seemed to convey the thoughts of everyone.

She never seen someone's expression morph like this in her life, it was as if the person she had met not too long ago transformed into a different entity.

…

Constantine took his spear and they immediately grew alert.

"Please wait!"

He lunged at Zamira first!

*WHOOSHH!!*

She miraculously evaded the spear that went through her hair, fiercely sinking in the soil!

The rest of the group retreated and didn't even think of helping her, they're in front of a dual magus who is likely not even human, as far as they're concerned, without their weapons, they're cannon fodder.

Meanwhile, Constantine's gaze contained nothing but killing intent.

He didn't know what he did, what he said… what facial expression, what lifted eyebrow… but he did something that allowed them to realise he was not human, at least not completely human... the reaction of the ants before served to tell that elves weren't quite appreciated around here.

And the consequences of that were not something he was willing to test after having come out of death not too long ago.

'I'd rather erase you now before I get stabbed in the back!'

"Please, let me talk!" Zamira realised she had made a mistake, but by the time her words faded, the spear was already about to pierce her neck!

"…"

He stopped.

Zamira's expression wasn't that of fear.

"Please, you saved my life... I'm not going to harm you, let's talk alright? I don't know what you are, but I won't hurt you... I swear on my honour as a knight!" She raised up both of her hands in a sign of peace, not even touching one of the spear's stings that were poking her neck, drawing out blood.

'… Knight'

His blue eyes ran around the others, they were scared and shivering, different from Zamira's determined gaze.

[More than anyone you should know that an Empire is not formed without trust...]

"You want me dead too, why should I follow your advice?" His voice was cold, not a shadow of the Constantine that had previously 'bantered' with her.

But then, hers grew serious too.

[I told you, I don't desire your death… It is your decision in the end... right now, allowing them to live is your best option]

"…"