Chapter 447: Agreement
Marcus recoiled slightly as the words left Serah’s mouth, his expression tightening before softening into faint amusement.
"Help?" he repeated, as if he hadn’t heard her right. "Help with what exactly?" His tone carried a hint of disbelief, almost dumbfounded.
"In catching this Pureblood, of course. What else?" Serah replied firmly, her eyes holding his without hesitation.
Marcus regarded her for a moment, his gaze flicking across her face as though weighing her seriousness. Then, he gave a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "Sorry, princess, but I’ll pass on that one."
Serah’s brows knit together, her eyes widening in surprise at his immediate refusal. "Why?" she asked, unable to hide the sting of rejection in her voice.
Marcus smiled faintly, calm and confident as ever, and leaned back slightly against the stone of the gargoyle. "No offense, but you’d be a hindrance to me," he said, his words disarming. Before she could flare up at the bluntness, he continued, "Not in terms of ability, of course. Actually, I think we’d make a wonderful couple team." He tilted his head, smirking with deliberate flirtation.
Serah’s lips parted, unsure whether to scold him or roll her eyes.
"But here’s the thing," Marcus went on, voice taking on a more serious edge. "I can’t afford to have you involved with me. And that’s because—even though I trust you now, at least to a degree—I can’t trust that you won’t be followed. Or worse, that someone won’t start suspecting you. Maybe they tail you without you knowing, maybe they keep watching you until they connect the dots." He held her gaze, the seriousness in his eyes leaving no room for argument.
For once, Serah fell silent.
She had to admit, Marcus was making a solid point. If she began moving in ways that drew unwanted attention, it would be disastrous. For her, yes, but far more for Marcus. If someone found out about his activities, about his existence within the kingdom’s shadows, then his trust in her would vanish in an instant—if he even survived the fallout.
And yet... she couldn’t shake the desire to help. Not just out of obligation, but because there was something to gain here. Knowledge. Experience. Marcus had already given her invaluable information about Purebloods, but to fight one—to witness them with her own eyes—that was something different. That was the kind of test she needed to see where she still lacked. To see how far she had to go.
Finally, she drew in a breath and spoke.
"I still want to help. I understand your worries, I do. But I can’t just let this opportunity slip through my hands. This isn’t just about curiosity—it’s about preparing myself for what’s to come." Her voice was steady, resolute.
Marcus studied her for a long moment, then smirked. He rose from his crouch atop the gargoyle, shifting with catlike grace. In one fluid motion, he jumped down, landing in a crouch on the ledge directly before her. His midnight eyes gleamed as he tilted his head.
"Alright then, princess," he said with that roguish smirk of his, "say I agree to let you help me—how exactly are you planning to be useful?"
Serah didn’t flinch. She met his gaze squarely. "Unlike you, I can move freely through Ilis without being questioned. I can gather information for you, move among people without suspicion. That gives you less exposure and less risk."
Marcus arched a brow, then scoffed lightly. "Sounds practical. Sounds helpful. But... I still decline."
Her lips parted again, shocked. "Why?"
"Because," Marcus said smoothly, his grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "I’ve lived my whole life surrounded by risks. They’re part of who I am. Without them, something’s missing. So when you talk about ’less risk,’ it doesn’t sound like help to me. It sounds like boredom."
Serah blinked, caught off guard by the strange logic.
He leaned closer, his grin sharpening. "Don’t worry, though. I get it. You’re doing this because you want more knowledge, more experience with Purebloods. And I can help you with that." His tone carried a touch of amusement.
Serah tilted her head, suspicion narrowing her eyes. "What are you up to?"
Marcus chuckled under his breath. "Catching this Pureblood won’t take me more than two days. Three, at most. Once I kill it, you and I can take a little trip. A honeymoon trip." He waggled his brows suggestively. "Nothing romantic, don’t worry. I know that’s where your mind went."
Her cheeks flushed instantly. "I wasn’t thinking anything!" she shot back, her voice flustered.
Marcus laughed, the sound rich and amused, clearly enjoying himself.
"Anyway," he said, regaining his composure, "since you’re so interested in Purebloods, the best way to learn is to experience them firsthand."
Serah’s eyes narrowed further, beginning to see where he was going. "You mean you’re going to take me to where Purebloods are?"
"Yeah. Kinda. Something like that," Marcus replied nonchalantly, shrugging. "Or, I could just catch one for you, keep it alive, and let you fight it. That way you get the hands-on lesson you want. Yeah, that’s better." His grin spread. "The honeymoon trip can wait. Not that I’d mind it."
Serah exhaled heavily, rubbing her temples, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. She wondered—not for the first time—how she could possibly have feelings for someone so insufferably immature.
"May the stars help me," she muttered under her breath.
"Alright, I think I can manage with that," Serah said at last, her gaze lingering on him with reluctant acceptance.
"Perfect," Marcus grinned, his eyes glinting mischievously. "That means we’ve got ourselves a second date."
"Second date?" Serah echoed, her brows furrowing in confusion.
"Yeah. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already. Our first date was in Heyh," Marcus replied smoothly, flashing a boyish grin.
Serah narrowed her eyes at him, fighting back the urge to roll them so hard they might fall out of her head. Instead, she crossed her arms and let her silence do the glaring for her.
"So," she asked instead, cutting past his nonsense, "where am I supposed to meet you?"
Marcus didn’t answer right away. Instead, he brought a hand to his chin, pretending to think deeply. "Hmm... where would be easy to get into..." he muttered, tilting his head from side to side. Then, suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Ah, got it! The outskirts of Caelmoor—right at the waterfall. Where we first met."
Serah regarded him steadily for a moment before giving a small shrug. "Alright then, I can make it there. When do I need to show up?"
"Probably a month or two from now," Marcus answered casually, as though it were nothing. "Tracking a Pureblood isn’t exactly simple. Going out of my way to find one would be a pain, so it’ll take some time."
"Understood," Serah said with a nod. Then she tilted her head slightly, her voice thoughtful. "But how will I know when you’re ready? Do you have a place in mind where I should meet you?"
Marcus pursed his lips, rubbing his chin again with a comically exaggerated thoughtful look. "Hmm... I’d like for us to meet here again, but it’s not exactly practical. Once I use my magic to fight a Pureblood, sticking around Ilis afterward would be... let’s say inconvenient. So..." he shrugged carelessly. "I don’t know."
"What?" Serah said, exasperated, staring at him as though he had just grown two heads. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Fine. Meet me up here tomorrow at midnight."
"Tomorrow?" Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Because," Serah said simply, "you probably don’t have a comm-rune, do you? I’ll give you one so we can stay in contact."
Marcus tilted his head, his expression suddenly sharp with mock suspicion. "Comm-rune? Those things are traceable, aren’t they? You trying to have me tracked, princess?" He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing with exaggerated seriousness.
"Yes, they are usually traceable," Serah admitted, keeping her tone calm. "But I can make yours untraceable. Neither the kingdom nor anyone else will be able to track you. You have my word."
Marcus studied her for a long moment before shrugging lazily. "Alright. Fine. I’ll take your word for it."
"Good," Serah replied, her tone final.
"Well then," Marcus said, stretching as he rose from his crouch on the ledge. He gave her a sly grin, his onyx eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I’ve given enough of my precious time to a precious lady. Now it’s time for me to get back to hunting." He rolled his shoulders, preparing to leap off.
But before he could, Serah’s voice stopped him. "Hey, Marcus."
"Yeah, princess?" He glanced over his shoulder, one brow raised.
"Just in case you really have to clash with this Pureblood, and things get out of hand..." Her voice softened, almost vulnerable. "Please—try to reduce casualties."
Marcus stilled for a moment. Then, slowly, that familiar smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, since the princess herself has requested it, I suppose I’ll have to do my best."
Relief flickered in Serah’s expression, and she allowed herself a small smile. "Thank you. And also..." she hesitated, her voice lowering to almost a whisper, "...be careful."
The words were barely audible, but Marcus caught them perfectly.
He smirked wider, turning his gaze back toward the city lights sprawling beneath them. "Don’t worry about me, princess. It’d take thousands of Purebloods to even scratch me. One bloodwretch bastard won’t make much difference." He glanced back at her with a cocky grin. "See you tomorrow at midnight."
And with that, he leapt from the ledge.
Serah rushed forward, her boots clattering softly on the stone as she reached the edge. But when she looked over, there was nothing—just the endless city lights below, flickering like stars scattered across the earth.
A smirk tugged at her lips despite herself. With her voice carrying the faintest warmth, she muttered:
"He better not die."