189. Trusting for the first time

Funerals were something Kai was well-versed in. In his past life, death had always been there—and it had been everywhere, it was an inevitability that shaped his existence. By the end of his past life, no one had remained alive. He had to stand by countless graves, offering silent farewells, watching as the final rites were performed with quiet efficiency. There had been no grandeur, no elaborate ceremonies—just the simple acknowledgment of a life extinguished, and a life not so-well lived. But in this life, things were different. Here, noble funerals were spectacles, especially those of Dukes. Lucian may have been the loser of a fief war, but Kai couldn’t cast aside tradition. Noble customs existed for a reason. And so, despite everything, he ensured that Lucian received the burial befitting his status—a final act of honor. A parade was arranged, as was customary, winding through the city with the casket on display, allowing the common folk to witness the end of an era and offer their final respects. The day after the war ended, Kai oversaw the preparations. The procession moved through the streets, the pressure of history pressing down on him as the people watched in silence. When it was over, Lucian was laid to rest within the estate’s burial grounds, among the graves of his ancestors. Francis and a few of his apprentices were called to Veyrin to assist, and with that, Kai took the opportunity to meet the people who now fell under his rule. The laws of a fief war were set on stone—the victor claimed everything. The land, the wealth, the people. Everything. Normally, official recognition from the king would be required before the transition was complete, but Kai had no intention of waiting. His new subjects deserved clarity, deserved to hear from their ruler. Because from what he’d heard so far, they deserved a proper ruler. And so, he stood before them, ready to address a populace that had, only days ago, belonged to his enemy. And Kai had to admit—the people of Veyrin clung to his every word. He had heard from the butler that they weren’t treated well, but seeing them now, he knew it was worse than he had imagined. They looked even more haggard than the people of Veralt had when he first took over Arzan’s body. Lucian had run the territory dry, squandering wealth on his own excesses while treating the common folk as little more than slaves. The fields lay barren, the farms yielding meager harvests. Merchants had grown wary, their visits dwindling. From the records Kai had found in Lucian’s office, it was clear the Duke had been relying on aid from the first prince to stabilize his crumbling rule. But that help would never come. And now, the responsibility fell to Kai. Standing before the gathered populace, he spoke of Veralt’s and Verdis’s growth, of the same reforms he planned to implement here. He promised them an end to pointless wars and needless deaths. He vowed to create education programs, to rebuild their economy, to breathe life back into trade and commerce. And he promised to treat every individual the same. It didn’t matter if they were from Veralt, Veridis of Veyrin—he would treat them the same. That earned a loud cheer from a lot of men despite the small section of people who knew better than to accept every word of a noble. Kai simply nodded at that and continued his speech. And by the end of it, there was one more thing he needed to address—the rumors of him working with dark creatures. Thankfully, Lucian’s own carelessness made that easier than expected. The former Duke hadn’t even bothered to keep the drinkers a true secret. Rather than hiding them entirely, he had relied on controlling the flow of information. But too many had seen them, too many knew the truth. And so, Kai brought forth witnesses—people who had seen firsthand that it had all been Lucian’s doing from the start. Whether the people truly believed him or not didn’t matter. The rumors would spread regardless. The world would soon know of the drinkers, and it was only a matter of time before more questions arose. Kai just had to make sure he was prepared when they did. Moreover, he was confident that, under his rule, the people would come to see him as their rightful lord. He might not have believed it before, but after the fief war and a great deal of reflection, he had started to accept his role—not just as a warrior, but as a ruler. He had power beyond his spells. The power to make a difference. And he intended to use it well. But if he truly wanted to shape the future—not just of this territory, but beyond it—he had to make some important decisions. One of which was revealing the truth about what they were really fighting against. Not just nobles, not just monsters. Fate itself. Which was why, the morning after Lucian’s funeral, Kai called upon the three people who had stood by him the most since he had become Arzan. They gathered at the graveyard on the farthest edge of the estate, where the land opened into a quiet glade. Francis arrived with Claire in tow—Kai had summoned her from Veralt with him. The air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and buried memories. Killian was the first to break the silence. "What are we doing here, Lord Arzan?" Kai stood among the graves, his eyes trailing across the weathered stone markers before him. His eyes lingered on Lucian’s newly placed tomb, then moved to the grave of Lucian’s father... and finally, to the one that stood farther back. Valkyrie. Arzan’s mother. The tomb was placed so far behind and Kai’s gaze lingered a little longer as he finally turned back to them. "I called you here because I need to talk to you about something very, very important." He inhaled deeply and cleared his throat. "It’s a conversation that might change the way you see me. It might even make you not want to serve me anymore. And you’ll have questions. Lots of them. But I want to have this talk." Killian stiffened, tension creeping into his stance. Beside him, Francis and Claire exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. "There's no way we would do that, Lord Arzan," Francis said firmly, Claire nodding in agreement. Sёarch* The NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Kai let the name settle over him. Arzan. A name that once felt foreign, now it was a part of him that he couldn't just shake off. He exhaled slowly before asking, "Let me ask you something." “Anything, Lord Arzan.” Francis urged him. "What do you think of the future?" Francis was the first to respond. "The future of our territory is bright, Lord Arzan. With the work we're doing—" "Not of the territory," Kai interrupted. "The future. The future of the world. What do you think will happen?" The question hung in the air, heavier than the morning mist curling around the gravestones. No one answered immediately. Claire was the first to break the silence. "It's impossible to predict something like that, Lord Arzan." Francis nodded. "Even merchants can only predict the current market trends, maybe the next year at most. But the future of the world? No one knows how it will go. It's too uncertain." Killian shifted beside them, arms crossed. "I have to agree. We can plan, we can prepare, but the world moves on its own accord. No one can say for sure where it’s headed." Kai exhaled slowly. "You’re all right." But then he paused, knowing that his next words would change a lot of things; including what they would perceive him after knowing it. "But what if I told you the future is going to be dark? That society will fall. Civilization will collapse. There will be golden eras of magic, sure. They will be talked about for years to come. But there will be a time that they will be tainted with war—wars that will push the world back, piece by piece, until nothing remains but ruin. Until creatures of dead mana rise from the wreckage." The wind stirred through the graveyard, rustling the leaves in the glade. "It’s already predicted. It's the prophecy of Cycle of Life and Death. The life cycle is closing over. We are heading toward the death part of it." His eyes swept over them. "And I know you’re wondering why I speak of this with such certainty." Francis nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Lord Arzan… after all, it’s just a prophecy. It could be wrong." "It's not wrong, Francis," Kai said. "I know because… I've lived through it. I've seen the end of the world." Silence fell over the graveyard. Not the quiet of understanding, but the silence of disbelief, of something too vast and terrible to comprehend. Kai felt their stares, the unspoken questions lingering in the air. The discomfort of their silence pressed against him, but he had known—decided—that this moment was necessary. He waited. Even when he felt like his skin prickled due to how silent they were being—he waited. Their eyes—they were on him. And Kai could tell, so many questions were running in their minds. Finally, Killian spoke. "Sorry, what do you mean, Lord Arzan?" Kai let out a slow breath. "I'm not actually Arzan." He hesitated, then gave a small, wry smile. "I’m sorry, but that’s the truth." He met their gazes head-on. "My real name is Kai. I was a Magus of the Sorcerer’s Tower. A tower that… hasn’t even been built in this era. I come from a different timeline, thousands of years in the future. One in which everything has already ended." He could see their shifting expressions—the tension in Killian’s shoulders, Claire’s furrowed brows, the way Francis instinctively took half a step back before catching himself. "Humanity is on the verge of extinction in that future. Dead mana is everywhere. Dark creatures rule the land—exactly as the prophecy foretold." Kai exhaled, the weight of memories pressing down on him. "I was the last Magus left. The last one fighting for a dying world. And when I realized there was no winning, no saving it… I attempted a soul ritual. A desperate gamble to send my soul back in time and change the course of fate." His voice dropped lower. "But I was attacked mid-ritual. A tainted minotaur got to me before I could complete it." His fingers curled slightly at the memory. "The ritual… didn’t work as intended. And when I woke up, I wasn’t myself anymore." His gaze flickered toward the gravestones before settling back on them. "I was Arzan." Kai let the silence settle before speaking again. "That’s the gist of it." His voice was calm, measured, but the truth behind his words threatened to shake the very foundation of everything they believed. "I know you all wondered how Arzan changed. Where the knowledge came from. How everything shifted so suddenly. It’s because… he wasn’t me. He’s dead." He let the words sink in. "Everything I’ve built, everything I’ve done—it wasn’t because of some inheritance. I never received one. I never had someone passing down ancient secrets. The only reason I have this knowledge is because of what I learned in my own time. In a future that no longer exists." He waited then, knowing the flood of questions would come. They had to. No one would simply accept this without challenge. And he was right. Francis was the first to speak. His voice trembled slightly. "Then… Did you kill Arzan?" Kai turned to look at him. The old man seemed different—like the revelation had aged him in mere moments. Kai shook his head. "No. He was already dead before I took over his body." He saw the slight flinch from the others, but he continued. "Actra’s scheme led him to his death. He thought he was performing a ritual to become a Mage, but it was a lie. It killed him. By the time I arrived, only fragments of his soul remained." Francis exhaled slowly, as if he had been holding his breath. "I see…" The tension in his posture eased slightly, but the questions weren’t over. Killian was next. His brows furrowed, his voice sharp. "But… how is any of this possible?" Kai gave a wry smile, though there was no humor in it. "I never thought it was. By all logic, I should have been erased. My soul should have burned up, and I should have never opened my eyes again." His gaze turned distant. "But magic—sometimes, it bends the rules. Sometimes, it transcends every boundary that should exist. This was one of those times. Somehow, I made it here. And since then, I’ve been doing everything I can as a lord. As someone with the responsibility to make sure this world never follows the path I saw." Another pause. The silence between them felt heavier now, not just from disbelief, but from something deeper. It was Claire who finally asked the question none of them had spoken yet. "But… why are you telling us now?" She hesitated before adding, "Lord Arzan—no, should I call you Kai now?" That brought a genuine smile to his lips. "You can call me Arzan. I’m used to it by now." Then, his smile faded. "And to answer your question, I wanted to tell you before. But I was paranoid. I didn’t know how you’d take it. There was a chance you wouldn’t believe me, that you’d brand me a heretic. That I’d lose everything I’ve built. We… would lose everything. I couldn’t afford it, not when there were so many other important things that had to be fixed.” His eyes met each of theirs in turn. "But the battles ahead… the obstacles we’re going to face… they’re going to be harder than anything we’ve faced so far. I can’t fight them alone." Kai exhaled slowly, his gaze sweeping over the people gathered before him. "And I realized something…” he paused. "I’m not able to explain my decisions to you properly because I’ve been hiding too much. I realized it when I spoke to Francis about going to Sylvastra. I realized it when I spoke to Lucian before his death. It’s not fair to you. It’s selfish to pull you all into battles you don’t understand. "That’s why I wanted to come clean. Now, if you want to treat me differently… if you judge me for lying so much… I won’t hold it against you. I would even understand if you no longer wish to serve me." He met their gazes, one by one. "I know how important honesty is. And even if I act like your lord, I want there to be respect and truth between us. So, in the end… the choice is yours." Kai turned away, giving them space. He didn’t know what to expect. Betrayal? Doubt? The sting of rejection? No. He wouldn’t let his thoughts spiral. Not now. Silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Then— Killian was the first to step forward. His fists clenched at his sides before he released a sharp breath. "This is… a lot to take in." His voice was tight with emotion. "I knew something was off. I knew there was more to you, but I never expected something this complex." He straightened, locking eyes with Kai. "But despite everything, I still serve you as my lord." Kai turned, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. Killian gave a firm nod. "What you’ve done for me, for the people, for this land—your identity doesn’t change that." Francis followed next, nodding slowly. "Killian’s right. I have questions, and I hope you’ll answer them in time. But I won’t hold you accountable for this, Lord Arzan—or Kai, if that’s what you prefer." He smiled faintly, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. "You made me feel like my work mattered. You’ve ruled justly. The fact that your soul isn’t Arzan’s doesn’t change that." Claire took a step forward, her expression soft. "I would never leave your service, Lord Arzan." Her smile was small but unwavering. A quiet understanding passed between them all. "And none of us will speak a word of this," Killian added firmly. A weight Kai hadn’t even realized he was carrying suddenly lifted from his chest. He let out a slow breath, nodding. "I appreciate you all. And trust me, I’ll answer whatever I can. You deserve that much." He turned back toward the open ground, his expression shifting. "But before we talk further, before I explain everything…" He glanced at Francis. "We need to dig another grave." Francis frowned. "For whom?" Kai’s gaze darkened, yet there was an odd sense of peace in his voice. "For Arzan. He deserves to rest." Silence fell again, but this time, it carried a different weight. "I will make sure people know his name," Kai continued. "That’s the least I can do for him. But he deserves rest. And once we are done with the questions and the grave digging, we can move toward the next task of getting the territory together. It will take some time since we have so much of it to work through now.” *** A/N - You can read 30 chapters (15 Magus Reborn and 15 Dao of money) on my patreon. Annual subscription is now on too. Also, pre orders for Volume 1 are live. Pre-order Magus Reborn Volume 1 HERE. Read 15 chapters ahead HERE. Join the discord server HERE.