C19 Conspiracy

"What do you mean?" Odin's brow furrowed in displeasure. Grant's statement was essentially accusing the siblings from the fighting club of exploiting him.

"From what I understand, the Life Badge is an exceptionally valuable artifact. Not even Wild Dance, the largest fighting club on campus, has an artifact that rivals its power. Just think about it, how could your little club actually give you the badge? They're obviously using you as a pawn," Grant said with a tinge of pity.

"I trust them. My sole objective is the Life Badge. Even if I were to join your club right now, could you hand over the Life Badge to me? Without even the skill to back up your words, why should I trust you over them?"

Odin couldn't help but chuckle. Sowing seeds of discord was not as simple as Grant thought, especially since he hadn't offered any compelling terms.

His focus remained singularly on the Life Badge. Though he was still unclear about the artifact's specific purpose, its name suggested it had life-affirming properties.

At present, his most pressing issue was to safeguard his life from the clutches of the Ebon Hand, and the Life Badge was undoubtedly going to be instrumental in that.

"Are you rejecting our invitation?" Grant's frown deepened, his complexion turning an unhealthy shade of green.

Despite his dislike for Odin, and not having initially sought to recruit him into his club, Grant had laid out a significant offer. Yet, Odin remained obstinately fixated on the Life Badge, leaving Grant feeling quite snubbed.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. Since you can't provide what I'm after, and your offer holds no appeal for me, I see no reason to prolong our discussion," Odin declared, rising to his feet and preparing to exit the courtyard.

"Wait!" Grant called out, his face breaking into a smile that seemed slightly unsettling.

"We've known each other for some time. Even though we couldn't strike a deal, we can still part as friends, right?" Grant extended his right hand, signaling a handshake.

Odin arched an eyebrow, wary of Grant's intentions. Nevertheless, a handshake was harmless enough, a mere formality.

With that in mind, he reached out and firmly shook Grant's hand.

"Hahaha, excellent!" Grant exclaimed, even going so far as to give Odin's shoulder an amiable punch.

Odin was somewhat perplexed, but he didn't dwell on it. He turned and quickly vanished from Grant and his companions' view.

Once Odin was out of sight, the smile on Grant's face faded away. He turned to the person on his left with a steely look in his eyes and asked, "Did the members from the Ahalin fighting club, whom we deliberately let in, witness what just transpired?"

"Rest assured, they saw everything. They were spotted by our people while snooping around the flowerbeds, but as per your orders, we didn't evict them," replied the individual, clad in an outfit with sleeves adorned with a Silver Serpent that slithered up to the chest.

Grant interlaced his fingers and rested them on the table before him, sneering inwardly. Squinting in the direction Odin had disappeared, he thought, if this man won't join us, then I'll make sure he has nowhere else to turn!

...

"Sister! Big Brother! There's been trouble!" Karna hurried into the room where Curott and Federica were in the fighting club.

"What's the matter? Calm down and speak slowly," Federica said, pausing her combat skill practice to address the visibly distressed Karna.

"This morning, one of our club members saw Odin meeting with the Vice President of the Silver Serpent," Karna blurted out, her voice tinged with urgency.

"What's so unusual about that? Odin's recent performance in the competition was remarkable; it's only natural that various fighting clubs would want to recruit him," Curott remarked, puzzled by his sister's agitation.

"It's not just a simple meeting! I trust Odin, but our members saw Grant laughing and shaking hands with him, and Grant even patted Odin's right shoulder," Karna explained, barely taking a breath.

At Ivywood University's Fighting Club, it's common knowledge that the Silver Serpent's unique recruitment ritual involves a handshake and a pat on the right shoulder whenever they agree to accept a new member.

"Are you certain the club member saw everything clearly?" Federica asked, her demeanor turning grave. If this was indeed true, then Odin had betrayed both their trust and the fighting club.

"Absolutely certain. If it had been just one person telling me, I might have doubted whether they saw things correctly. But this morning, five people who were planning to visit the Death Cult happened to run into Odin. They intended to invite him along, but instead, they saw him slip into the territory of the Silver Serpent. Curious, they followed and witnessed the very scene I've just described!"

Karna's voice was thick with anger. The three siblings had already surrendered the Life Badge to Odin, and yet he still sought to betray them. His greed was appalling and utterly contemptible!

"Perhaps the Silver Serpent offered him a more alluring deal," Federica suggested, her tone icy, clearly harboring suspicions about Odin.

"Curott!" At that moment, Odin's voice came from outside. The siblings exchanged glances, nodded in agreement, and stepped out together.

"Curott! I need to speak with you." Odin had hurried back from the Silver Serpent and made a beeline for the fighting club, eager to strategize with the siblings and to clarify Grant's earlier remarks about the Life Badge.

"What about? Your betrayal, joining the Silver Serpent?" Curott emerged from the sparring room, his face set in a guarded expression, with Federica and Karna standing behind him, their faces etched with anger.

"How did you find out the Silver Serpent approached me?" Odin asked, taken aback. He hadn't mentioned it, so how could they know? And why bring up betrayal?

"So, it's true then?" Curott's face twisted into a scornful smile.

"I can't believe I trusted you. To think you'd betray someone for a bit of gain. What did the Silver Serpent offer to tempt you?" Curott's voice grew even colder, his gaze on Odin now that of a stranger, devoid of any former warmth.