While Shir was busy trying to contact God Raashim, Eren was making significant progress to acquire first pseudo SS-Rank ally.
By the time Marina informed Azurea of her plans, Eren had already finished brainwashing the poor sea monster.
Meanwhile, Azurea remained unconvinced about the prospect of cooperating with someone like Eren.
As such, she still disliked the idea of him manipulating the sea monster for his own advantage. It was something she could not allow to happen.
"You… You really are a braindead fish, aren’t you?" she fumed at the sea monster. "Can’t you see that manipulative bastard has his own agenda here? Even if what he says makes sense in your head, it’s not the truth," Azurea said coldly.
She knew she couldn’t take down the sea monster, even if she and her sister joined forces against him. However, ensuring their survival and securing an escape route was still within their capabilities.
Furthermore, she had absolute faith in their lord dragon father’s influence over the sea monster’s mind. The creature might have dared to steal from them, but he would never dare to kill them. If he did, no matter where he tried to escape, Azurea’s father would hunt him down.
Of course, the dragon lord already had enough reason to pursue the sea monster since he had stolen the only Immortal Artifact in their family’s possession. However, there was a difference between a "hunt to retrieve an object" and a "hunt to kill." Because of this, Azurea wasn’t afraid of offending the monster or arguing with him.
Eren frowned at Azurea’s incessant nagging. He first glanced at the dragon prodigy before shifting his gaze to Marina, who was resting on her dragon head.
As his eyes met hers, his expression seemed to ask, What is the meaning of this?
The butcher had brought Marina to talk things out with Azurea. However, Marina’s presence had made the azure dragoness bolder than ever. She ignored her sister’s request of cooperating with Eren and started opposing him instead.
Suffice to say, Eren didn’t like the current situation. If he knew this would happen, he would have asked Marina to wait for him at the defence line of the demonic forces so that he could deal with Azurea on his own before striking a deal with the sea monster.
Marina, however, was powerless against her sister’s antics. She shook her head and sighed, indicating that she had no control over Azurea’s tantrums.
Even after 200 years, Azurea was still a child in dragon years. She wasn’t mature enough to take the safe and pragmatic route.
Most of all, she disliked the inevitable power shift in Labh Salem’s seas if Eren succeeded in toppling Raashim Temple.
Subconsciously, she felt that Raashim Temple was still a manageable force for dragonkind. In contrast, Eren was someone who acted purely on his own will and refused to abide by the authority of any existing power in the seas of this world.
Eren could have chosen to deal with Azurea using a heavy-handed approach. However, he decided against it, knowing it would only piss off this rather haughty "future wife" of his even more.
Silencing her in this situation wouldn’t help—she seemed like someone who held grudges. In other words, she was just like him, only louder and more talkative.
Eren didn’t want to deal with another vengeful soul like himself in an inefficient manner—it would be too exhausting in the long run. At least at this point when he was about to have a final showdown with the Raashim Temple using the sea monster’s might.
Taking a deep breath, Grimdawn calmed himself, regained his usual smirk, and addressed Azurea.
"Miss Azurea, it seems there are some misunderstandings between us. I’m not sure why you’re labeling me a liar. I won’t pretend to be a completely honest person by claiming I never lie. But are you really sure I’m lying in this case?"
"Yes, you are," Azurea replied without hesitation.
Eren chuckled before continuing. "Well, I have a few questions I’d like answered. Since you insist on being a champion of truth, I hope you practice what you preach," he said smoothly, standing close to the sea monster.
Looking at the two Elder Ichor inheritors, it seemed like Eren was only minutes away from making the sea monster drop all his defenses in his presence.
Smiling at Azurea’s blunt response, Eren began his cross-examination.
"Alright. Let’s review where I have supposedly lied, Miss Azurea," he said, shooting a quick glance at the sea monster before continuing. "Is it not true that I came here to disrupt the seal-strengthening ritual?"
"Yes," Azurea answered straightforwardly.
"And is it true that the ritual was disrupted because of me? My actions caused Baga Island to go under a siege, right?" Eren asked.
"Um..." Azurea hesitated, sensing something off about Eren’s line of questioning. These were leading questions, designed to paint him in a favorable light in the sea monster’s eyes.
She didn’t want that to happen. Determined to take control of the exchange, she opened her mouth to counter.
"Yes, but—"
"Just answer my questions with a simple yes or no," Eren cut her off before she could derail the conversation. He didn’t give her a chance to recover, pressing on with his interrogation.
"It was because of my efforts that the seal-strengthening ritual was disrupted. Yes or no?"
Azurea disliked Eren’s tone, but before she could stop herself, her mouth opened, and she muttered, "Yes."
Eren smirked before continuing.
"It was I who hammered the final nail in the coffin and broke the barrier with my own hands.
I planned this siege on Baga Island with no backing from any faction in Labh Salem. I alone chose to oppose Raashim Temple when it was at its peak before the siege.
As a True Inheritor of Elder Ichor bloodline, I am the only one who can correctly identify what is wrong with my brother and cure him. I alone dare to stand against the twin dragons to free him.
Yes or no? You tell me—and my brother over here," he said, gesturing toward the sea monster.
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