?Chapter 284:
“Derek, today you need to restrain your grievances. We can’t retaliate against Charles; he’s aligned with Remy, who has the backing of the Peridot Consortium. Once you’ve recuperated, I’ll introduce you to Remy and ensure his people know about you. Then, no one will dare harm you in the future. Remy will likely prompt Charles to apologize to you, allowing you to save face. This will also preserve our reputation.”
Derek listened silently to Aelfric’s words, outwardly agreeing but feeling a deeper sadness within. His life now seemed less fulfillingpared to his days as a vige boy. Despitecking the status and nobility he now possessed, he found more happiness back then. If anyone dared to bully him, Marissa would always stand by his side, ready to seek revenge together. They could intimidate the bullies before they left, leaving them so frightened that they would actively avoid him in the future.
Despite not having much money at the time, Derek never faced any financial troubles. Marissa covered his tuition and living expenses, bought him clothes, and even provided him with pocket money. Whenever he desired something more expensive, like a cell phone or aputer, Marissa would readily give him the money if he asked. During that period, his only concern was getting married.
His grandmother and adoptive parents from the Tucker family constantly expressed fear that Marissa would elope with someone else. Their persistent talk about it every day made him feel uneasy and insecure. That was his sole source of pressure, but Marissa consistently reassured him, firmly stating that she would marry him and never leave for anyone else.
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Reflecting on that period, Derek recognized just how kind and supportive Marissa had been. If he hadn’t been part of the Daniels family, he might have remained a poor young man. Perhaps he would have married Marissa and enjoyed a good, peaceful life. At the very least, he wouldn’t have been ensnared in constant battles over interests, fearing for his life as he was now.
He felt a sense of regret. But he knew there was no turning back. When he discovered his lineage in the Daniels family, he aspired to join the upper ss. He even believed Marissa was beneath him and looked down on her. Now, he felt weary. He longed to return to his past, but it was an impossibility. To stay alive, he had to persist in the ongoing fights against others. Today’s events reiterated to him the importance of power. He realized he needed to rise above Aelfric, to a higher position.
With this in mind, he suddenly recalled ck Mallow, the chief instructor from Doomsday Base. To achieve this, he required a stronger backer than Aelfric. Theirst meeting was brief, and ck Mallow had not attended Derek’s engagement party despite receiving an invitation. Derek felt disappointed. Now, he pondered how to locate ck Mallow again, unsure of her whereabouts.
After a moment of silence, Derek asked, “Aelfric, between the Peridot Consortium and Doomsday Base, which holds greater power?”
Aelfric didn’t hesitate, replying, “Undoubtedly, Doomsday Base possesses greater deterrents. But Doomsday Base is distant from Blebert. It’s unlikely they could directly confront the Peridot Consortium.”
After a brief pause, Aelfric continued, “I returned to Blebert to establish the Doomsday Base branch precisely to challenge the Peridot Consortium. Yet, our branch is still in its infancy. Its influence here pales inparison to the Peridot Consortium’s. We can’t risk provoking them using the name of Doomsday Base. Even if our branch grows in strength in the future, a direct confrontation is out of the question. Our roles would be limited to mutual restraint. Being stronger would only make us hold more leverage for negotiations in the event of a conflict.”
Derek, without considering the implications, blurted out, “Even as the deputy chief instructor from Doomsday Base, you can’t instill fear in the Peridot Consortium?”
Aelfric’s expression soured, but he responded honestly, “The position of deputy chief instructor holds little weight against the head of the Peridot Consortium.”
Derek asked, “What about the chief instructor, ck Mallow?”
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