Chapter 119: The reason I called you

Chapter 119: The reason I called you The first rays of the sun tore through the blackened sky, tinging it with a pale glow. A new day was beginning... The streets of the city in the Blander territory slowly awoke. Young people with tired eyes and elderly people bent over pushed their wooden carts, their footsteps echoing on the damp cobblestones. Everyone, without exception, was moving for the same reason: to survive. In the mansion where Kael and Michel were staying, the silence was barely broken by the hushed murmurs of the servants. They moved quickly, trying to make their presence as light as air, performing their tasks with mechanical precision. With the sun’s rays hitting Kael’s face, he slowly opened his eyes, his empty gaze focusing on the purple cherry blossom tree standing outside. The petals fell slowly, landing on the liquid mirror of the lake, where koi fish moved lazily. In the distance, birdsong and the murmurs of other animals brought life to an environment that, for him, remained unfamiliar. With calm movements, he stood up. His eyes scanned the room, cold and calculating, looking for traps or hidden devices. There was no trace of observation magic; his sensitivity to it, sharpened over time, had detected nothing. There’s nothing at the moment... After checking and finding nothing, Kael approached the mirror and looked at his appearance. Although he hadn’t changed much, his eyes were now darker and deeper. Looking away from the reflection, he sat down, watching the sun finish rising as his thoughts floated away. Now that I’m on Dubhu Mountain... I must find a way to evade the Blander family’s surveillance. He knew they were watching him, which was inevitable given the circumstances. Leaving the city would be impossible without raising suspicion. Aiden wasn’t stupid, and any false move would draw even more attention to him. However, Kael had already read that man’s hidden intentions... and he planned to exploit them for his benefit. However, I must find a way to free myself from his surveillance... it would save me a lot of trouble. Free from surveillance, he could explore and search for the inheritance. That would take time... and he had no intention of asking Michel for help. He wasn’t stupid, but he didn’t consider him capable of anything that required real cunning. Kael watched the slow movement of the koi. In his mind, plans were born and died as easily as cherry blossom petals fell. Then his gaze shifted to Michel... and a cold, calculating smile appeared on his lips. Perhaps he could use it to loosen their vigilance. The image from the previous night flashed through his mind: Baron Aiden summoning them... and the way Elizabeth looked at Michel, with the eyes of a maiden who believes she has found her prince. Michel had the beauty to sustain that illusion. Kael had the coldness to exploit it. Pushing his thoughts aside, he opened his status window. Kael Medici Title: Strayed Demon. Talent: SSS. Mana Core: Awakened. Rank: 8 Knight Rank: 8 Stars Magician: 2nd Circle Traits: Refinement (A), Swordsmanship (A), Melee (S), Tamer (C)... Strength: 95 + Endurance: 93 + Agility: 92 + Vitality: 110 + Mana Capacity: 97% Stat points: 0 Kael looked calmly at his status window. He hadn’t used that system much. It wasn’t that he needed it much, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t take advantage of it. Simply put, he had been too focused on other things to prioritize it. Well, it’s time to reap the benefits of this system. With that thought in mind, a notification window popped up in front of him. Ding. [Two missions have been generated] "Oh." Kael raised an eyebrow as he read the notification window. Shortly after, more details appeared showing the content of the missions. Ding. [Mission #1] · Use the Bloody Sage of the Seventh Heaven Zu and talk to him. · Reward: 20 stat points. Ding. [Mission #2] · Kill the young lady Elizabeth of the Blander family before leaving Dubhu Mountain. · Reward: Mana capacity at 100%, with no consequences. Kael’s eyes widened slightly when he saw the reward for the second mission. It was too good... He knew full well that reaching 100% mana essence capacity in the Core was not something an ordinary mortal could achieve. Only those born with one of the dreaded Irregular Physiques, called by all "Errors of Heaven," could do so. Seven in total. Each one is a living remnant of the first seven Gods, direct descendants of the first human, Adam. But the gift always came with a price. The Irregular Physics were an affront to heaven, and so each bearer was born with a Mark of Fate: a curse that would take their life before they reached the age of twenty. It didn’t matter if his death came as a grotesque accident or as the sudden implosion of a body unable to contain its power; the end was always the same: inevitable, premature, inglorious. And yet there he was, with the chance to achieve that essence of mana... without paying that price. Why was he so sure that he would have 100% mana capacity? It wasn’t all that obvious. For Kael, killing Elizabeth wasn’t a problem, but what would come after that was. At that moment, a memory slipped into his mind like an icy knife. The day he obtained the system, the words appeared: [Lifted... Curse... Imposed]. Did that mean he possessed an Irregular Physique? Was that the cause of the misery, betrayals, and sacrifices that marked his past life? Kael closed his eyes and shook his head. If that were true, he would have obtained an S rank at the awakening ceremony, like his sister, and not a measly D. And if that had been the case, he would have illuminated a hundred lotuses... only to die before the age of twenty. He would not have lived four centuries. He would not have accumulated the sharp edge of experience that now made him unbreakable. Even so, the reward brought a faint smile to his lips. At 100% capacity, his strengthening speed would rise beyond any limit, even above the so-called Errors of Heaven. And best of all... what delighted him... was that he would achieve it without owing anything to fate, without suffering a grotesque end. Heaven could continue to curse others. Not him. With a slight curve of his lips, Kael closed the mission window and then the status window. His eyes, black as an endless abyss, rested on the purple cherry tree growing in the garden, its petals moving in a gentle breeze. He didn’t expect the system, just upon arrival, to offer him so many benefits. The sun finished rising, bathing the mansion in golden light. The murmur of footsteps and conversations of maids began to fill the hallways, filtering into every corner. Michel stirred, slowly waking up. The sun hit his face, pulling a sleepy expression from him as he scratched his arm. "This was just what I needed..." he murmured in a deep voice, yawning as he adjusted his yukata, revealing his chest marked by firm muscles. He sat up and, turning his head, saw Kael feeding the koi fish. There was no longer any bond between them, but even so, an ambiguous feeling formed in his chest: thanks to him, he had experienced moments that could never be repeated. However, the idea vanished as quickly as it had come. The bond was broken. He did not want, nor would he accept, being under anyone’s command. His blue eyes darkened, reflecting the weight of a humiliation he still remembered clearly: that of having been used. He ran a hand through his hair, listening to the distant singing of birds. His thoughts were opaque, unreachable. Without realizing it, he glanced at Kael, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Kael, standing by the pond, turned around. He was wearing a white yukata with a subtle pattern of black birds around the edges. His gaze lingered on Michel for a moment, then lost all interest. In his mind, a cold thought: kill Elizabeth. There was no rush; there were still matters to resolve on that mountain before leaving alone for another mission for the system. A few minutes passed in silence, each trapped in their world. The door opened without a squeak. A maid entered and announced respectfully, "My lord has sent for you." However, her gaze slid shamelessly over Michel’s body, completely ignoring Kael’s presence. Both stood up and followed the woman down the hallways. A few furtive glances were cast their way as they passed. Eventually, they arrived at what appeared to be a banquet hall. In the center, a table was overflowing with food. "Take a seat," Aiden said with a smile, pointing to the seats. Kael and Michel sat down calmly. On the table sat a steaming bowl of ramen, with creamy, golden broth topped with thin slices of glazed roast pork. A marinated egg, cut in half, revealed a silky yolk; bamboo shoots, large shrimp coated in a light, golden batter, and slices of pumpkin and eggplant completed the scene. There was also steamed white rice covered with strips of beef, along with other dishes. The aroma was so intense that it seemed to envelop those present, eliciting an involuntary growl from more than one stomach. Aiden took the first bite. The rest followed suit, and the room was plunged into silence, broken only by the sound of cutlery. Elizabeth glanced furtively at Michel from time to time, a slight blush on her cheeks. Twenty minutes later, the table was clean. Aiden wiped his mouth with a measured movement and, looking at Kael and Michel, announced: "The reason I called you... Is that I’m going to organize a hunting competition."