Eren ignored Rodrick's objection and carried on.

"I won't stop you from getting whatever you want from Rodrick however you see fit as long as you keep your conflicts outside the city. But you can't depend on me to kick the guy out for you. That would be against the arrangement between my guild and Rodrick.

I don't know what the royal competition is and I don't care. Frankly, if it were up to me, I would throw all the royal scions into a giant cage and tell them to do their worst to each other. Whoever comes out on top would be the successor to the throne. Simple as that."

Rodrick and Rehaal both looked at each other with a bit of worry in their eyes when they heard Eren's way of organizing a royal competition. The guy just wanted there to be a mass genocide among royal scions to select a successor.

Not that life wasn't on the line for contestants taking part in the ongoing competition. But only now did both the royal competitors realize that things could have been more disastrous if their current king was as ruthless as Eren.

Eren stopped walking towards Rehaal when the guy was almost at the door. Anymore, and he would have retreated outside Agatha's office.

Eren looked at Rehaal coldly before speaking up.

"As for royal scions destroying my city to achieve their goals."

An eerie silence engulfed the room when Eren paused his statement. The air felt heavy to everyone around him.

'My friend don't say anything that is considered treason.'

Rodrick sent a voice communication to Eren when he thought the guy was about to say something that they all might regret. However, his fears were unfounded. The butcher was in complete control of his senses and his speech.

"I'll simply say Try me."

Eren said and flashed a gracious smile at Rehaal. The latter remained stunned at his position for a while before regaining control of his movements. He refused to look at Eren's face and only looked at his feet. He then glanced at Rodrick for one last time before leaving the premises in a hurry.

Soon, Rehaal's presence and the shadowy presences that were with him were nowhere to be found. They retreated as fast as they came. Rodrick spoke only after observing that there was no external presence.

"Hahaha! That served that bastard well. He had his nuts"

Rodrick was about to gloat some more at Rehaal's condition but he suddenly felt pain in his guts as Eren punched him out of the blue. Of course, the butcher had controlled the punch in a way that wouldn't seriously injure him.

Rodrick too was brought to his knees by Eren's sudden attack. His face reddened and his eyes had a bit of moisture in them as Rodrick processed the pain that came with the punch.

"Eren"

Agatha cried out when she saw Eren punch Rodrick. She wasn't sure what he was thinking about. He was trying to mess up with all the royal competitors at this point.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Rodrick started coughing when he felt the effects of Eren's punch. He was about to throw the food he had just eaten. But somehow he managed to gulp down the content that was trying to come out.

"You know why I hit you, right?"

Eren said, looking at Rodrick with narrowed eyes. His expressions seemed even grimmer than he had when Rehaal was in the room.

***

Rodrick knew what Eren was asking about. He had basically tried to manipulate Eren into defending him. And he had only succeeded in it because Eren let him get manipulated so as not to destroy the guild's reputation.

Rodrick had first manipulated Altashia into taking pity on him and fighting with him. Win or lose, he would have profited greatly from the battle eventually. After all, Altashia's family could have been a huge supporter of him.

However, meeting Eren changed his life and his point of view altogether. He placed all his bets on Eren when he figured out what he was up to. Then he began working on his plan to get as many pieces of the royal puzzle as he could before retreating into a safe zone.

Of course, Rodrick knew he couldn't afford to mess with Eren's guild without offering it something worthwhile in return. That's why he had come prepared before meeting with Agatha.

Eren had read Rodrick like an open book in the past as well as in the present. He knew what the guy was doing and still let himself get manipulated by him. Rodrick could only guess Eren would one day knock on his door for a payback.

Rodrick hadn't thought of betraying Eren. But the fact remained that he had tried to use Eren for his advantage.

In more ways than one, Rodrick was a lot like the current Eren. And Eren didn't like that part about Rodrick the most the part that was identical to him.

***

"You know why I hit you, right?"

Rodrick heard Eren's question directed at him in a neutral voice. He stood up and took long breaths to stabilize himself. The royal competitor smiled mirthlessly at Eren before nodding at him.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Eren. It was for my survival. And for the survival of my close ones as well."

Eren looked at Rodrick intently when he heard his response. He smirked before adding further.

"Very well. You should also know that everything worthwhile in life comes at a price. When the right time comes, I'll demand that price from you.

Make sure that you will be able to afford it in the future."

Rodrick and Eren looked at each other without saying a word. Agatha wasn't sure what the two were discussing or not discussing. But at this point, she didn't care. She just wanted to get on with her current work.

Rodrick chuckled before responding.

"Become capable in the future, huh! I got it. Believe it or not, I like to protect my hide at all times."

Rodrick said and put his arm across Eren's shoulders. He led him outside Agatha's office as his fading voice was heard by a pensive-looking Agatha.

"Drinks on me."