Michael stared at the strange guy next to him. Whatever this guy was selling, he wasn't buying. He would have liked to ignore the guy, but his incessant need to talk with whatever he wanted to say cannot be stopped, no matter how many signals Michael gave him.
"No, it's truly fine! Who needs a partner anyway, right?"
Michael thoughtlessly nodded. "…uh huh…"
"I an look at her, mingling with her posse so casually and so effortlessly as if she's not the most beautiful woman in the world," Jot'un said, furtively glancing at Aerith. "I an, don't you think so?"
Michael glanced at Aerith. Sure, she was objectively beautiful but he wasn't the least bit attracted to her. In fact, he wasn't attracted to anybody right now because he was far too busy with the business of Reborn. He didn't have ti with thoughts of forlorn love.
Definitely.
A thought flashed in his mind, but he let it flash by him without a second thought.
"Nope," he answered Jot'un.
"That's good, that's good. Didn't want you to beco another one of my rivals," Jot'un replied, heaving a sigh of relief.
"I thought you didn't care?"
"I don't! I really don't!"
Michael didn't know why he asked. He was the one who didn't care about any of this.
"I've already got my hands full, you know! Did you hear about the mystery man called Michael?"
Keo's eyebrows raised ever so slightly at the ntion of his true na. "No, who is he?"
"It's been circulating around everywhere that tropolis has a new up and coming star!"
"Really?" Michael asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yeah. Rumor has it that he showed up during their annual auction and totally blew everyone out of the water. Get this; he not only beat the Rising Six, but also defeated Alaric! Yes! The Alaric Goldstone, top one of the Legacies and tropolis as a whole! AND, so even said that he was only at the 4th stage of the Body Formation realm!!!"
Despite feeling awkward at Jot'un singing praises towards him, Michael had to make sure that he acted with a lot of surprise and awe. But even with his best efforts, it seed that his reaction was still lackluster from Jot'un's perspective.
"Oh that's cool," Michael gasped.
"…that's it?"
"What?"
Michael could see Jot'un frowning at him from behind his golden retriever mask
"After hearing that story, most—if not all—would disregard it as sothing that was completely horsecrap! A 4th stage defeating a peak 9th stage?! That doesn't make sense at all!"
Michael inwardly gulped. "Now that you put it that way, that doesn't make sense at all."
Jot'un fervently nodded. "Yes! That's what most people think as well. People now believe that this 'Michael' character was sothing that the people of tropolis simply just made up on the spot!"
"Really?"
"Yes, it makes complete sense! After all, it's been widely believed that the Duchess Regina of tropolis has long been planning to retire herself from the ga. And everyone knows that she's the stalwart pillar holding that city into the premier location that it was now.
Once she's gone, tropolis would surely start to degrade out of their top position. If it was during normal tis, then that decay would happen over years or even decades. But with the current storm brewed by the appearance of the Beastfolks as well as the formation of New Sparta, just a single misstep could send them tumbling down into the bottom of the totem pole!
The other territories would make sure of that. tropolis had reigned the top spot for too long. They now have a target on their backs, and everyone is willing to band together to take them down.
Even the esteed Legacies and the talented Rising Stars won't be able to stop that. And they knew it.
That's why they had to make up a new genius within their midst. Soone that could keep the status quo of tropolis being at the top of the competition.
Not only that, it would deter most people from recklessly starting a feud against tropolis. Starting a fight against soone who could disregard the differences between cultivation realms is not the most sensible decision.
Of course, most people still think they're bluffing… but the very small percent chance that they're not, is enough to make most of their enemies at bay."
Michael did rember Reptar saying that everyone in tropolis was keeping his identity a secret. It was sothing that everyone decided on their own during their eting. They seed to have planned this from the start as a conjoined strategy against the other territories in New Sparta.
Alaric was only a few ters away from him. He could very easily go there and ask him about the details of that plan, but knew that he had to keep his identity a secret. Many would start to wonder about this unknown 'Keo' character if he was able to talk and approach with the Alaric Goldstone.
"I just hope he doesn't exist. I can't compete with a guy like that!" Jot'un pleaded to the gods.
Michael chuckled. "He probably doesn't exist."
Jot'un uncharacteristically went silent for a few seconds before he raised his head, as if rembering sothing.
"Oh yeah, where are you from? I haven't heard your na before, Keo."
After so deliberation, Michael nodded. "I'm the professor's—"
But before he could finish his introduction, he suddenly heard the sounds of footfalls coming from behind him.
He, and everyone else in the Soiree turned their heads to the dark and tenebrous tunnel entrance.
Michael could feel a palpable tension in the air. But strangely enough, it wasn't out of anxiety or fear. Instead of nervously tapping their feet on the ground, they were instead holding onto their seats in excited anticipation!
Then, a new guest sauntered inside the ballroom.
It was a tall, and decently-built and well-dressed man wearing a very distinct Tiger mask.
Everyone looked at the plate on his chest and saw a very familiar surna.
{Matteo Aubert}
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