Chapter 154: Chapter 154- Servant
Night had fallen over the city, its usual noise swallowed by a heavy, uneasy silence. Inside a dimly lit room, Julian sat with Beatrix, both of them reclining in their chairs as if trying to forget the weight pressing in from the skies above.
Beatrix broke the silence first, her voice low but edged with bitter amusement. "I suppose I’m lucky... lucky that I struck that deal with you that night. Otherwise, I’d be rotting in a cell by now."
Julian’s eyes narrowed, studying her without a word for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Your recklessness nearly got you there anyway. Sabotaging the weapon? Do you realize how foolish that was?"
Beatrix let out a breath, leaning back as if the chair itself could hold the burden of her thoughts. "What choice did I have? I panicked. You don’t understand, Julian, we don’t have a real chance against that creature. Our odds are close to zero."
A faint smirk tugged at Julian’s lips. "Hoo? And why do you think that?"
Her gaze sharpened, eyes reflecting the faint candlelight. "Because the people here don’t trust each other. They can have all the power in the world, but if they can’t work together, they’re already dead."
Julian tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "You’re underestimating them too much."
Beatrix shook her head, her voice dropping almost to a whisper. "I know I’m not wrong. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I watched the sky whale erase everything, cities, soldiers, all of it gone. What you’ve done is nothing more than spying from afar. You haven’t seen what true annihilation looks like."
Julian’s gaze didn’t waver. "What you’ve seen and what’s coming will be different. This time, it won’t be destruction, it’ll be us slaughtering that whale."
Beatrix gave a dry little laugh, though her eyes stayed serious. "Your confidence is... admirable, at least."
Julian leaned back, lips curling into a faintly sarcastic smile. "Admirable? Hardly. I’ve already seen the point where we win. So stop panicking and wait for the right moment."
Beatrix exhaled heavily, tilting her head toward him. "Fine then. But when things turn ugly, you’d better take responsibility for keeping me alive."
She paused, her tone shifting into something sly. "By the way... have you told your little girlfriends about me yet?"
Julian looked away, unconcerned. "Haven’t had the time. By the moment they hear about this, the whale will probably already be attacking."
Beatrix frowned, propping her chin in her hand. "That’s bad. I don’t want your girlfriends misunderstanding when they find us sitting here together."
Julian’s smirk sharpened. "Didn’t you offer yourself to me, Beatrix?"
A faint blush colored her cheeks, and she shot him a glare. "H-hey, that was outside of our agreement."
"I’m pretty sure I heard you say it," Julian replied evenly, his tone a blend of mockery and amusement.
Beatrix folded her arms, looking away with a huff. "Maybe I regret making this deal with you at all."
Julian tilted his head, feigning curiosity. "Then why not tryLeighton, Leo, or one of the others? With your skills, they’d be more than happy to have you."
Her expression hardened. "Impossible. First, I don’t know them. Second, Leo strikes me as the type who would stab me in the back without hesitation. And third, I don’t trust any of them." She turned her eyes back to him, steady now. "I chose you because you’re the strongest here."
Julian arched a brow. "Strange. Weren’t you the one belittling me earlier?"
"I wasn’t belittling your strength," Beatrix said firmly. "What I belittled was the lack of unity. No matter how powerful an individual is, if there’s no cooperation, the result is the same, failure."
Julian’s expression softened just enough to show he was listening. "What you said isn’t wrong, Beatrix."
She tilted her head, curious. "Then what’s your solution? Don’t tell me you’re planning to handle it all yourself. If that’s the case, you should know, it’s impossible."
Julian chuckled under his breath, a sharp edge in his tone. "I’m not that stupid. I won’t shoulder this alone. I’ll force them to work together. On the battlefield, everything changes, when survival is at stake, even the most stubborn will fall in line."
Beatrix leaned back, arms crossed. "If that’s your plan, then I’ll help where I can. I’m useless around production now anyway, they’ve banned me from even setting foot near the weapon site."
"That’s exactly what I wanted to hear," Julian said, his gaze fixing on her with intent. "I need you to brew as many potions as possible for me."
Beatrix’s eyes widened, then narrowed in disbelief. "You’re giving me work? Right when I was about to enjoy some rest?"
Julian leaned forward, voice firm, final. "It’s not a request. It’s an order."
Beatrix groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "You really are insufferable."
Beatrix finally let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Fine. I’ll make your potions. It’s not like I have a choice anymore."
Julian’s eyes glinted with satisfaction. "Good, Finish them quickly, the whale is drawing near. Contact me when you’re done."
Beatrix groaned, dragging her hands through her hair. "Unbelievable. These days I end up taking orders from my former student."
Julian chuckled lightly. "You’re exaggerating."
She shot him a look, her voice rising. "No, you’re the one exaggerating, piling all this work onto me as if I were your servant."
Julian leaned back, utterly unfazed. "Do you’re best."
That answer silenced her, leaving Beatrix staring at him, her eyes narrowing into a sharp glare, as though she might cut him open with her gaze alone.
Julian could feel Beatrix’s glare boring into him. He tilted his head slightly. "What? Do you want to say something?"
Beatrix let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "Nothing. I just didn’t expect you to become this... expressive."
"Is that so?" Julian replied, raising a brow.
She studied him for a moment, her lips curving faintly. "You’ve changed. Back then, you were quiet, like a mute who wouldn’t say a word. It seems a lot has happened to make you different."
"Maybe you’re right," Julian said after a pause. "Do you think it’s for the better?"
Beatrix gave a small, genuine nod. "It’s better than before. You almost look... alive now. I suppose your girlfriends are the reason. They make you happy, don’t they?"
Julian smirked at the suggestion. "Even so, don’t think I’ll retract my order just because you’re flattering me."
"Tch." Beatrix clicked her tongue, unable to hide her annoyance.
"That’s all, then," Julian said, his tone final. "Don’t forget the potions."
"Yeah, yeah," Beatrix muttered, waving him off. "I’ll brew so many you’ll drown in them. Happy now?"
Julian’s eyes narrowed, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You’re the one who challenged me, so don’t even think about taking your words back."
Beatrix rolled her eyes, clearly tired of his constant threats. "Yeah, yeah. Just go home already. If you stay too long, I’ll be the one your girlfriends come after."
Julian stood, straightening his coat. "I’m not heading home just yet. I’ve got another meeting lined up."
"You’re busy as ever," Beatrix muttered, stretching her arms over her head.
Julian gave a short laugh. "That’s why I balance some of that busyness with you. Fair trade, isn’t it?"
Beatrix shot him a withering glare, though the corner of her mouth twitched. "You really are a damn nuisance."
Julian bid her goodnight, and Beatrix returned the gesture before they finally parted ways.
With their business concluded, he couldn’t help but notice how much more at ease she seemed now compared to their very first meeting. Perhaps their working relationship would settle into something smoother, provided no complications arose.
He turned his steps toward his next destination, summoned by Rogan for a discussion with the others.
The streets were quiet, shadows stretching long under the pale lamps as he moved through the deserted district. Before long, the abandoned shell of a beer shop came into view, its windows dark and dust gathering thick on the frames, the owner long gone after evacuating.
Julian pushed open the creaking door, and the low murmur of voices drifted out to meet him. By the sound of it, tonight’s meeting was going to be anything but calm.
Julian stepped inside the dim room and found Kevin, Luke, Leighton, Rogan, and Rea already gathered. All eyes turned toward him at once.
"Finally, you’ve arrived, my friend," Luke said with a grin.
Kevin chuckled, adding, "The protagonist always makes his entrance last."
Julian raised a brow and replied evenly, "I had business to take care of. That’s why I’m late."
Leighton, ever gentle, waved a hand. "It’s no problem. We’ve only just gotten here ourselves."
Julian took a seat, his gaze landing on Rogan, with the innocent face of a mischievous child, declared, "Drink as much as you like. I’ve stocked up plenty."
On the table sat several bottles of alcohol, their glass catching the faint light, along with plates of food that looked surprisingly good for a world steeped in apocalypse. Julian reached into his imventory and set down a few bottles of his own.
"Try these as well," he said.
Rea’s eyes lit up, her excitement breaking through the heavy atmosphere. "Wow! Isn’t this the expensive stuff? Looks like we’ll all sleep soundly tonight."