健康武汉

"That's a bit cruel. To slap her head to fainting. Can't you just use your soul power?" Sarah grumbled.

"I had to do both. Her physical strength and soul power both exceed mine." Varian explained with an innocent expression.

Sarah looked at him with suspicion. She felt that he was enacting some revenge, but she didn't have the evidence.

To be honest, she too had a grudge against Isadora. But if they were to get along well in the future and not get cut off from Sia and Enigma, they should meet her halfway or maybe more.

"We don't know about her past. What kind of life she lived. Where did she grow up, why did she want to grow strong, what she experienced. If we understand where she's coming from and why that makes her hostile to us, we can build a connection." She said with a solemn expression. "Okay?"

Varian who wanted to give another smack to ensure she remained unconscious stuttered. "W-What?"

Sarah took a deep breath and said. "We can't keep her unconscious forever. We have to talk to her somehow for this to go anywhere."

"But she'll attack us," Varian shrugged. "She got duped in the first battle, I doubt if she'll lose the second. Even though I don't want to admit it, she's very good at fighting."

Sarah raised a brow. "Better than you?"

"Stop kidding. I'm always first. She's obviously second. And you, you're like tenth. Third to ninth are blank." Varian flicked her forehead and said with a shameless expression.

Sarah took deep breaths and controlled anger for bursting out. She knew he was provoking her on purpose.

His nasty plan was to anger then and then take her to bedroom. She didn't know why he suddenly got interested in this, but if she had to guess, it's because he had been fighting too much these days.

"So, we need a way to talk to her without her fighting us." Sarah poked his chest and said.

"I think I have a way," Varian rubbed his chin. "But I'll need to verify it on an awakener, preferably rank 3 or higher."

"Huh? How about I—?"

"Not you. I'm not doing those tests on you." Varian rejected without much thought.

"But we don't have any of those rank awakeners, do we?"

"Actually, we do." Varian grinned and for some reason, Sarah thought someone was going to be really unlucky.

"W-Who is that fortunate soul?"

"Baldur." Varian chuckled.

*** *** ***

For the next two days, Varian worked on building a 'seal' that would block ranks of the awakener. He copied what he saw on Maria.

Since he had a perfect memory, he could replicate the surface level workings. But he still needed a lot of test and trial.

So, Baldur had to suffer.

"W-Woah, woah~"

"Have you come to see me, my prince?"

"Let's drink together dawn and become brothers from different mothers!"

The man had been speaking gibbering. But he was lucky that Varian treated him well.

Even though the seal was going to affect his paths, it wasn't going to harm them or even cause him any pain.

Sometimes, Logos hopped in as a consultant to help him out. Not much, but it did give him small suggestions which eventually ended up saving time.

As a result, Varian finally managed to build a proper seal. By then, Baldur's mind also recovered.

"Hmm," Looking at the unknown but eerily familiar ceiling, Baldur looked around in confusion before storming out of his bed. "W-Who's there? P-Princess Isadora, I come in peace and good intent—"

"Oh you woke up."

Seated in the pavilion outside the small penthouse, Varian sipped some fresh nectar from the flowers and pointed to the seat in front.

Baldur grew cautious but trotted to the pavilion before seating himself in a vigilant position. Looking at him with a suspicious gaze, he asked. "Y-You, have I seen you? You feel…familiar."

"Have you?" Varian grinned.

This was the first time Baldur actually saw him without disguise. But he actually managed to identify him vaguely. Perhaps it was just a guess?

"Your voice, your way of talking too…it feels familiar. Not overly familiar but something recent." Biting his lips, Baldur blinked in confusion.

Looking at Varian's smiling face, he felt like he had known this man somehow but his perfect memory ultimately gave in. "I-I'm sorry, but please tell me who you are, why am I here and how can I talk to Princess Isadora!"

"You know where you are, don't play dumb." Varian raised the cup and took another sip of the nectar. Smacking his lips in satisfaction, he said. "The seal will only push you to rank 3, right? So, you should've felt it already. This is Hortus—the Synthetic World you speak of and sneaked into."

Baldur trembled at those words. "B-But Princess Isadora…"

"She's my wife." Varian's words caused Baldur to jolt onto his feet.

"What did you just say?" Baldur nearly screamed and leaned forward, looking at Varian's face at close distance. "W-What are your qualifications to even look at her? S-She's the greatest genius in the history of Pala Kingdom! No one deserves her love! No o—"

An invisible force shut his mouth and Baldur felt like an adhesive was attached between his teeth and lips.

"I'm the one asking questions." Varian's friendly demeanor changed and a thick killing intent enveloped Baldur.

Baldur's eyes grew bloodshot but he didn't budge. Staring right into Varian's eyes, he seemed to imply. 'Kill me if you will, but you won't make me bend.'

'This guy has an insane respect for her. Like a fanatical believer. Is he the leader of her cult or something?'

Varian understood that torture wouldn't work on him. In the first place, Varian also wasn't willing to inflict pain on this guy. They weren't really enemies after all.

So, Varian used a more effective method.

He played the video of a young man dancing half-naked in a group of crazy grannies, swinging his hips like crazy and making some questionable faces and noises. 

Baldur's face paled and his jaw almost dropped to the floor. The memories of the past few days were suddenly unlocked and struck him like a flood. 

"B-Big brother, I'll sign a slave contract. Just don't broadcast it."

Oops! This was a bit too effective.