Chapter 454: Duke
"I have never heard of someone named Luca in the Empire."
Silence.Top of Form
Lucavion's black eyes flickered, but he didn't react.
"There's no way someone like you would go unnoticed."
For a moment—**just a moment—**his smirk faded.
And then—
Lucavion met her gaze directly.
"Sharp."
Aeliana huffed. "That much is obvious. I don't need to be sharp or anything."
Lucavion tilted his head, exhaling softly.
Then—
"Well… now that it's come to this, I guess I can say it."
He leaned back slightly, raising his head toward the cavern ceiling, his expression unreadable.
"Your real name?" Aeliana said, looking into his eyes.
Lucavion raised his head slightly, his black eyes glinting in the firelight.
His smirk was still there, but it had shifted—less playful, less teasing.
More curious.
"You knew…?"
Aeliana met his gaze, her amber eyes steady.
"Indeed."
Lucavion exhaled softly, watching her. Studying her.
Aeliana leaned back slightly, crossing her arms.
She had known for a while.
Or at the very least—she had suspected.
From the moment she had searched for the adventurer named 'Luca,' she had found traces, records—
But nothing real.
Nothing old.
The name existed in the guild's archives, but only recently.
The reports were too new, too hastily written, as if someone had fabricated them after the fact.
The Adventurer's Guild was an independent organization, a powerful one—but within the Thaddeus Duchy, their authority paled in comparison.
And because of that—
It had been easy to uncover the truth.
This man's identity was forged.
Luca wasn't his real name.
He wasn't just some adventurer.
But—
No one cared.
Because the Duchy had received aid from the Adventurer's Guild multiple times, and if the guild had overlooked this man's true origins, then so did everyone else.
Aeliana inhaled slowly.
Her gaze didn't waver.
"Your real name, what is it?"
"Well, I was just about to say that."
Lucavion leaned back against the cavern wall, arms crossed, watching Aeliana with an expression that was equal parts amusement and curiosity. The firelight flickered, casting sharp shadows over his sharp features, his black eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Well… now that it's come to this, I guess I can say it."
Aeliana narrowed her eyes, waiting.
Lucavion exhaled through his nose, almost like he was laughing at some private joke, before meeting her gaze directly.
"Lucavion."
Aeliana blinked.
Then—
"Lu…cavion?"
Her brows furrowed as she tried the name on her tongue. The syllables felt foreign, unusual—unique.
Lucavion's lips twitched. "Having trouble?"
"I'm not—" Aeliana started, but then she scowled. "What kind of name is that?"
Lucavion chuckled, the sound low and smooth. "A rather distinguished one, don't you think?"
Aeliana crossed her arms, still frowning. "I've never heard it before."
Lucavion shrugged, his smirk deepening. "Are you sure?"
Aeliana huffed. "I'm very sure. I know the names of every noble house, every distinguished warrior, every renowned scholar in the Empire—and I've never heard of a 'Lucavion.'"
Lucavion tilted his head, clearly entertained. "Well… I guess you haven't."
Aeliana's eyes sharpened. "So? Are you famous or not?"
Lucavion's smirk curled. "You will see."
Aeliana narrowed her eyes. "See what?"
Lucavion stretched his legs out, completely unbothered. "I'll become more famous now that I've saved the Duke's daughter, won't I?"
Aeliana scoffed. "Hah. You're counting on that?"
Lucavion's smirk didn't waver. "Why not? I imagine my reputation will spread rather quickly. A mysterious, devastatingly handsome warrior saving the precious daughter of the Thaddeus Duchy? A tale for the ages."
Aeliana rolled her eyes. "You really are insufferable."
Lucavion laughed, a rich, amused sound that filled the cavern.
But Aeliana, despite herself, found the corners of her lips twitching.
Because—for the first time in a long time—she wasn't cold.
Even with his unnatural chill. Even with the fire between them. Even with his exasperating arrogance.
She wasn't cold at all.
Lucavion's smirk remained, playful and knowing, as he leaned slightly toward Aeliana. "When we get out of here, you'll come to learn more."
Aeliana's brows furrowed. "Learn more?"
"Indeed," Lucavion said smoothly, his black eyes glinting with mischief. "While you were throwing tantrums in your little room, I shook the world quite a lot, you know."
Aeliana blinked.
Then—
"..."
She punched him.
Right in the chest.
Lucavion let out a small 'oof,' but before he could react further, her fingers found his side—and pinched.
Hard.
"Humph," Aeliana huffed, her eyes flashing as she twisted her fingers just a little more. "Who said I was throwing tantrums?"
Lucavion winced, but his smirk never faded. "What? You just proved I was right."
Aeliana scowled.
She didn't speak.
She just pinched him again.
Lucavion chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah… just like a little girl in puberty, all fire and—"
WHAM.
Aeliana tackled him.
With zero hesitation.
One second, Lucavion was relaxed, seated comfortably against the cavern wall—the next, he was flat on his back, Aeliana straddling his waist, her amber eyes burning with righteous fury.
Lucavion blinked up at her.
Then—
"Heh."
His smirk widened.
"Bold move, little ember," he murmured, his voice low, teasing. "Didn't know you liked being on top."
Aeliana froze.
Her eyes widened just slightly—before narrowing into dangerous slits.
"YOU—"
Her hands shot for his collar, gripping it tightly as she shook him, her face growing redder by the second.
Lucavion laughed, entirely unbothered, his black eyes gleaming with amusement. "Violent as ever, I see."
Aeliana scowled harder, her grip tightening. "I swear to the gods, I will—"
But she didn't get to finish.
Because Lucavion—**the absolute menace that he was—**just grinned.
Then—
He lifted his hand and patted her head.
Aeliana froze again.
Her entire body went rigid.
Lucavion tilted his head, his smirk entirely too satisfied. "Good girl. Let it all out."
Silence.
A deadly silence.
Then—
"LUCA—!!"
Aeliana let out an indignant growl, her hands moving from his collar to his face, pressing down in a feeble attempt to smother his infuriating smirk.
Lucavion just laughed.
Loudly.
Richly.
Like this was the best entertainment he'd had in ages.
And, honestly?
It probably was.
*******
On the surface, things were a little different.
The battlefield roared back to life.
The sea churned violently, the waves thrashing against the hulls of the ships, but the chaos had shifted. The moment the sky had been cut, the atmosphere itself had changed.
The darkness that had loomed over them, thick and suffocating, had weakened.
And though the storm still raged—the sky was brightening.
Faint rays of light pierced through the swirling clouds, illuminating the battlefield in fleeting glimpses of gold and silver. The shadows that had stretched endlessly across the waters seemed to retreat, their oppressive weight lifting ever so slightly.
The monsters did not stop.
They came in waves, their movements still frenzied, still relentless—but something was different.
They were no longer part of an overwhelming, inevitable doom.
They were desperate.
The beasts clawed, lunged, tore through the air with maddened shrieks, but their ferocity felt hollow. As if they were fighting against a force they no longer understood.
As if they were losing control.
And this time—
The Duke was here.
Chapter 455: Duke (2)
The Duke was here.
Thaddeus moved like a storm incarnate.
His sword was a blur, crackling with raw mana, each slash sending arcs of energy tearing through the creatures as though they were nothing but mist. Every strike carried precision—cutting through hardened flesh, severing limbs, erasing anything that stood in his way.
And the soldiers—
They followed him.
The knights regrouped, shields raised, formations tightening. The mages rallied, their spells intertwining in devastating waves of elemental fury.
They were no longer just surviving.
They were winning.
Thaddeus did not stop. His blade flashed, a crescent of storm energy carving through the air, slicing through a massive serpent-like horror that had lunged toward one of the ships.
A sickening howl erupted as the beast collapsed into the water, its body disintegrating into black ichor.
The Duke turned, his sharp eyes sweeping across the battlefield. He could feel it.
The fight was shifting.
The tide was turning.
But—
Something else pulled at his attention.
A pulse.
Not from his blade. Not from the sea.
From his core.
It was a subtle thing at first, just a faint, distant sensation. But then—it grew.
A presence.
A connection.
One that felt familiar.
His breath hitched.
His mana—his very blood—was reacting.
"…Aeliana."
The name escaped his lips before he could stop it.
He felt it, deep inside, through his Storm Sovereign's Dominion—through the very cultivation that had defined his lineage.
The connection was real.
Alive.
The only person in existence who could make him feel this way—who could make his core resonate like this—
Was his blood.
Was his daughter.
And for the first time since she had been taken—
He knew.
She was alive.
Duke Thaddeus' grip on his sword tightened.
The battlefield around him was still steeped in chaos, but his mind was elsewhere—locked onto that feeling.
That pulse.
That unmistakable bond.
Aeliana.
She was there.
She was alive.
The realization struck him like a lightning bolt to the chest. His Storm Sovereign's Dominion had never once responded to something beyond his own control. It was a technique of absolute mastery—the power of the ocean and sky bending to his will.
But now—
It was reaching.
Not to the sea. Not to the storm.
But to her.
Thaddeus knew his daughter was out there. He could feel it in his core, his bloodline resonating in a way it never had before. There was no doubt. No hesitation.
And if she was alive—
Then he would reach her.
His eyes sharpened.
The battlefield was still choked with monstrosities, the waves still thick with writhing bodies—but it no longer mattered.
Everything before them was now irrelevant.
His decision was made.
His voice cut through the storm, through the madness, through the clamor of battle like a blade forged from thunder itself.
"All forces—move forward!"
The command was absolute.
The battlefield shifted.
The knights and adventurers who had been locked in formation, holding their ground against the onslaught, reacted instantly.
The fleet surged forward.
Sails snapped as ships redirected, turning toward the path ahead. The mages who had been maintaining defensive formations shifted their focus, casting spells to clear a path rather than merely holding their ground.
The monsters howled, sensing the shift—but they were too late.
Momentum had changed.
This was no longer a desperate defense.
This was a march.
A march toward his daughter.
Thaddeus felt it.
Each step closer, the connection strengthened. The pulse in his core pounded like a heartbeat, like the rumble of an oncoming tempest.
She was there.
Somewhere ahead—
Somewhere past this storm.
And nothing in this accursed sea was going to stop him.
******
Lucavion's laughter finally settled into a deep, satisfied hum, though his smirk remained as sharp as ever. Aeliana, still half-straddling him, glared.
And yet—
She didn't move.
Not immediately, at least.
Her amber eyes studied him, watching the way his chest still shook slightly from laughter, the way his black eyes gleamed with undeniable mischief.
Then—
Lucavion met her gaze.
There was no teasing in his expression now. Not fully.
Just amusement. Amusement and something else, something quieter, something only half-spoken.
And then—
"Should I make you some tea?" Lucavion asked, tilting his head, his voice smooth, casual. "Maybe it'll help you calm down."
Aeliana's eyes narrowed.
Tea.
The word alone made her suspicion spike like a well-aimed dagger.
Lucavion saw it, of course. Saw the way her expression sharpened. And so—
He lifted a hand in mock surrender.
"This time, I will add nothing strange," he swore, his black eyes glinting.
Aeliana did not look convinced.
"Really?" she asked, voice flat.
"Yes," Lucavion nodded, his smirk deepening. "I don't lie."
Aeliana stared.
Then—
Without a word—
She reached out and pinched his cheek.
Lucavion blinked.
Aeliana's fingers dug into his skin, pulling it ever so slightly as she leaned in, her amber eyes flashing dangerously.
"If you dare," she said slowly, "I will take your head."
Lucavion chuckled. "This is the second time you've threatened my life today."
"That is right." Aeliana huffed, releasing his cheek with a sharp flick of her fingers. "And I, Aeliana Thaddeus, never forget."
Lucavion rubbed his face, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"That is good," he murmured, his voice softer now—more thoughtful, more knowing.
Aeliana frowned slightly at the shift in his tone, but before she could dwell on it—
Lucavion's smirk returned.
"So, tea?" he asked, far too casually.
Aeliana scowled. "Humph."
Aeliana crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she hmphed.
Because, at the end of the day—
She knew.
Knew that this ridiculous, infuriating, arrogant bastard wouldn't do anything to her.
Why?
Because she felt like it.
That was it.
There was no need to elaborate. No need to justify. No need to overthink.
She just knew.
Lucavion, watching her with that ever-present smirk, finally exhaled, shifting slightly beneath her weight.
"But," he started, voice still smooth, still too damn pleased with himself, "ahem… you should move, you know."
Aeliana raised a brow. "Why?"
Lucavion's smirk widened—just slightly.
"I am a man too."
Silence.
Aeliana blinked.
Then—her gaze lowered.
Just for a second.
Just long enough to realize where exactly she was sitting.
Where exactly her legs were positioned.
Where exactly—
"…!"
Her face heated.
It wasn't much. Just a slight blush. A flicker of pink dusting her usually sharp features.
But Lucavion saw it.
Of course, he did.
And the moment he did—his smirk turned wicked.
Aeliana snapped her gaze back up, her grip tightening around his collar again.
"YOU—"
Lucavion laughed.
Loudly.
Richly.
Chapter 456: Duke (3)
Aeliana huffed, releasing Lucavion's collar with a sharp flick of her fingers before stepping to the side.
Lucavion, still far too amused for her liking, took his sweet time sitting up, stretching his arms with a content sigh before finally rolling to his feet.
With practiced ease, he reached into his spatial storage, pulling out a small, ornate tin, a kettle, and a few other utensils.
Aeliana, arms still crossed, watched as he set everything down and began his process.
The fire crackled softly, its golden glow illuminating his movements as he brewed the tea with quiet precision.
This time—
It was different.
Not the same light, delicate brew he had made when she had been sick.
No.
This tea was stronger.
Its aroma filled the cavern immediately, rich and layered, carrying a certain depth that felt… almost foreign.
Aeliana's nose twitched slightly.
She had smelled this before. Somewhere.
But—
She had never tried it.
Her amber eyes narrowed as she studied the dark liquid swirling in the pot. "What tea is this?"
Lucavion, without looking up, replied smoothly, "[Imperial Black Orchid.]"
Aeliana's brows lifted slightly.
She knew that name.
A rare tea—one imported from beyond the Empire's borders. It wasn't commonly served among nobles, despite its reputation, because the taste was bold.
Too bold for the delicate palates of aristocrats who preferred softer, floral blends.
Aeliana tilted her head. "You had such preferences?"
Lucavion smirked, finally glancing at her as he poured the tea into two cups. "Well, I like this one. My master drank it a lot."
Aeliana blinked.
Her fingers tightened slightly around her sleeve.
"Your master?"
"Yes."
And just like that—
The name resurfaced in her mind.
Lucavion.
It still didn't make sense.
A name like that should have existed somewhere. Should have carried weight, should have meant something.
A talent like his—one capable of fighting monsters like the Kraken—didn't just emerge out of nowhere.
That was impossible.
Aeliana's lips parted slightly before she finally spoke.
"Who was your master?"
Lucavion's fingers paused briefly over the cup.
It was subtle—a flicker, a ghost of a hesitation.
Then—
He smiled.
"Looking at you, he must have been very powerful as well," Aeliana continued.
Lucavion exhaled softly.
"…Indeed," he murmured.
Aeliana caught the way his tone shifted.
Not heavy. Not bitter.
But final.
Something clicked in her mind.
"Ah…" she breathed.
He was.
Not is.
She met Lucavion's gaze, reading the quiet confirmation in his eyes.
"So he is no more?"
"Indeed."
Aeliana's fingers traced the edge of her sleeve for a moment before she finally spoke.
"Sorry for your loss."
Lucavion blinked.
Then—
He chuckled.
"Thanks?" His smirk curled slightly as he leaned back, watching her. "But you know, most people would—"
"Look sad?" Aeliana cut in.
Lucavion arched a brow.
Aeliana lifted her cup, blowing lightly over the surface of the tea before taking a small sip.
It was strong. Dark. Slightly smoky, but smooth, leaving a lingering warmth in her chest.
She lowered the cup, her amber eyes meeting his.
"If I did that," she stated plainly, "it would just be an act."
Lucavion tilted his head slightly, intrigued.
"I can't feel sorry for someone I don't know," she continued, her voice steady. "Therefore, I'd rather be honest."
Lucavion stared at her.
Then—
He smiled.
Not his usual teasing, wicked grin.
Something quieter.
Something approving.
"Hah," he exhaled, swirling the tea in his own cup. "You really are an interesting one, aren't you?"
Aeliana hmphed. "I've always been."
Lucavion's chuckle deepened.
That much—
He could agree with.
Aeliana lifted her cup again, but just as the rim touched her lips—
She felt it.
A faint, almost imperceptible tingling deep within her core.
Her Dantian.
Her center.
A place she hadn't felt in years.
Her breath caught.
'What is this…?'
The sensation was subtle—like a flicker of warmth spreading through her body, like the echo of something long forgotten.
She had not felt this since…
Since her illness.
From the very moment it had surfaced, the first thing she had lost was her cultivation.
Her ability to control mana.
Her connection to herself.
And now—
Now, it was stirring.
"Eh?"
Lucavion's black eyes flickered to her, but before she could even put her confusion into words—
He spoke.
"I guess the wait time is over."
Aeliana's head snapped toward him.
"What?"
Lucavion's smirk was still there—subdued, but knowing.
"You should be able to sense it," he said, his tone calm. Too calm.
"The approaching storm."
Aeliana's fingers clenched around her cup.
She did sense it.
Not just the flicker in her core—
But something else.
Something outside.
Something powerful.
A presence so vast, so overwhelming, that it pressed against her senses like an oncoming tempest.
There was only one person in the entire Thaddeus Duchy with a presence this strong.
"…Father?"
Lucavion exhaled softly, taking a slow sip of his tea.
"Indeed," he murmured.
His black eyes met hers.
"Your father."
The Duke.
*******
The battlefield was silent.
The final monstrous wails had long since faded. The ocean, once a churning storm of death, now lay eerily calm. The sky, once shrouded in unnatural darkness, had begun to clear—light piercing through the dissipating clouds, casting silver ripples across the endless sea.
And yet—
Duke Thaddeus did not relax.
His core pulsed.
The resonance had only grown stronger.
She was here.
Not on the ships. Not on some floating wreckage.
No—
She was beneath them.
Deep.
Thaddeus stood at the ship's bow, his eyes narrowing as his mana flared. His Storm Sovereign's Dominion whispered to him, the ocean speaking in the language only those of his bloodline could understand.
And it confirmed his instincts.
His daughter was below.
Without hesitation, he moved.
With a single, controlled breath, he stepped onto the ship's railing—and dove.
SPLASH.
The sea welcomed him as its ruler.
Where others would have sunk clumsily, where their bodies would have fought against the weight of the water—Thaddeus moved as if he belonged.
No—
As if he ruled it.
Faster.
He propelled forward, his body cutting through the currents effortlessly, the water parting around him as if guiding his way.
Where the air slowed him, the ocean empowered him.
Where men struggled to breathe, he thrived.
And around him—
The creatures of the deep bowed.
Colossal sea beasts, their massive forms lurking in the darkness, did not strike.
Serpentine horrors, their glowing eyes piercing through the abyss, did not attack.
Instead—
They lowered their heads.
They parted from his path.
For the Duke of the Thaddeus Bloodline had entered their domain.
And they would not stand in his way.
Faster.
Faster.
Deeper.
The ocean pressure did not matter. The crushing darkness did not matter.
Only one thing did.
His daughter.
And then—
He saw it.
A massive, jagged formation resting at the bottom of the abyss.
A rock.
No—
Something foreign.
Something unnatural.
It gleamed with an eerie, otherworldly light, its surface carved with symbols he did not recognize.
It did not belong to the ocean.
It did not belong to this world.
Thaddeus' breath slowed, his muscles tensing.
This… was no ordinary place.
And yet, even as his instincts screamed of something unnatural, something beyond mortal comprehension—
His core whispered only one thing.
She is here.
His gaze sharpened.
Aeliana is inside.
And without another thought—
He advanced.
The wind howled. The sea raged. But Duke Thaddeus did not hesitate.
His boots struck against the soaked deck as he moved, his presence like a force of nature itself. The knights, the sailors—even the monsters—seemed to sense the shift in the air, parting as he advanced toward the source of the disturbance.
And then—
He saw it.
A rock.
Or at least, that was what it appeared to be. Rising from the ocean like a jagged obsidian monolith, the structure stood defiant against the raging waters, worn by time yet untouched by nature.
But something was wrong.
The very space around it wavered—an unnatural distortion in the air, like a mirage bending the fabric of reality.
Duke Thaddeus' breath hitched.
A rift? No. Not quite.
This was something else.
A boundary.
A threshold.
And instinct screamed at him—cross it.
Without another word, without another thought, he stepped forward.
And the world—shifted.
—
"....."
The sound of crashing waves was gone.
The howling wind ceased.
A deep, unnatural silence consumed everything.
Duke Thaddeus blinked.
A cavern.
The jagged obsidian rock had been nothing but a gateway—an entrance into something else.
The air inside was thick, damp, ancient. Strange bioluminescent crystals clung to the walls, casting eerie glows of violet and deep blue. The cavern's ceiling stretched high above him, lost in a void of shadows, while the ground beneath his boots pulsed with an unsettling warmth.
And then—
He felt them.
Two presences.
One—faint. Like a dwindling ember, fragile and barely clinging to existence.
The other—strong. Unfamiliar. Watching.
Duke Thaddeus' instincts screamed at him to be on guard, but he ignored them. His feet were already moving, carrying him deeper into the cavern's depths, guided by the pulse of mana that called to him like a heartbeat.
And then—
He saw them.
At the far end of the cavern, surrounded by jagged rock formations and flickering crystals, were two figures.
But his eyes saw only one.
His breath caught in his throat.
"Father."
Chapter 457: Duke (4)
"Father."
The duke's breath caught in his throat.
In front of him stood a girl.
Her back pressed against the cold stone, her delicate frame resting against the cavern floor. Her long, flowing black hair cascaded down like silken strands of midnight, pooling beneath her like ink.
And her eyes.
Bright amber orbs—sharp, piercing, alive.
Eyes that should have been dulled by sickness, dimmed by weakness.
But they weren't.
They burned.
They shone.
And her skin.
It was glowing.
A soft, radiant luminescence, like polished ivory reflecting the light of the moon. The sickly pallor, the faint scars, the blemishes that had plagued her body were gone.
The marks.
The curse.
Everything.
The cavern felt silent, save for the steady drip of water echoing through its depths. The glow of the bioluminescent crystals painted shifting shadows across the walls, their soft hues illuminating the two figures standing at its heart.
Duke Thaddeus stood motionless, his breath heavy, his heartbeat pounding against his ribs. His mind struggled to comprehend what he was seeing, but his body moved before thought could take hold.
"…Aeliana…"
The name left his lips like a breath, raw and disbelieving.
And then, without hesitation, he rushed forward.
His cloak billowed behind him as his boots scraped against the cavern floor. His normally measured steps, precise and composed, were urgent, reckless even. The moment he reached her, his hands grasped her shoulders, pulling her toward him as if she might disappear again if he let go.
"You are safe…"
The words came out as a hushed whisper, barely audible, yet filled with an emotion he had not allowed himself to feel in years.
And then—he held her.
Duke Thaddeus, the man known for his unwavering discipline, for the weight of his authority, for his fearsome presence that could silence a battlefield—hugged his daughter.
Not as a ruler. Not as the Duke of the East. But as a father.
His arms wrapped around her smaller frame, holding her tightly against him. He could feel her warmth, her heartbeat against his chest, the undeniable proof that she was here. That after a week of despair, of scouring the abyss for even the smallest trace, after nearly losing himself to grief and rage—he had found her.
Aeliana stiffened.
She had not expected this.
She had expected anger—reprimands, lectures, an interrogation. She had expected to be dragged back, forced to answer for her recklessness.
But this—this was different.
Her father, a man she had always known to be cold, distant, controlled—was holding onto her like he had nearly lost everything.
Because he had.
Slowly, the tension in her body eased, her own arms lifting hesitantly. She had never embraced her father before—not like this, not in a way that felt real. But something about this moment—**this overwhelming relief, this warmth—**made her forget her usual resentment.
"…Father," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
But Duke Thaddeus did not let go.
Not yet.
Because for the first time in a very, very long time—nothing else mattered.
Not the fact that she was cured.
Not the mystery of the vortex.
Not even the strange presence lingering deeper within the cavern.
None of it mattered.
Because after all the searching, after all the failures and hopeless nights, his daughter was in his arms again.
The cavern remained still, wrapped in the quiet warmth of an embrace neither of them had expected.
Aeliana felt the steady rise and fall of her father's breath, the weight of his arms around her, unmoving.
She didn't know how long they stood there.
Seconds.
Minutes.
Time blurred into something insignificant.
For the first time in years, Duke Thaddeus did not think about his title. His duty. The empire.
He did not think about strategy or power or the future.
He simply held his daughter.
The daughter he had thought he lost.
The daughter who had returned, alive.
Whole.
But—
Slowly, the Duke's sharp senses returned.
Something else was here.
Someone.
Duke Thaddeus' grip on Aeliana loosened. The warmth of relief, of reunion, was rapidly cooling as something else—someone else—finally registered in his senses.
His gaze snapped to the side.
Leaning against the cavern wall, arms folded, standing with the casual arrogance of someone who had all the time in the world, was a young man.
His slightly wavy hair, dark like the abyss itself, framed a face that held neither fear nor reverence. His black eyes, deep and unreadable, met the Duke's piercing gaze without hesitation. There was no bow, no sign of respect—only amusement.
And then—he smiled.
A slow, knowing, almost too easy smile.
"Hello?"
His voice was smooth, his tone carrying an infuriating lightness, as if this moment—this long, desperate search, this agonizing ordeal—was nothing more than a simple event unfolding as expected.
"Dear Duke Thaddeus."
The cavern's silence stretched.
The Duke's glare sharpened, his body tensing as his instincts immediately shifted from relief to danger. He had been so focused on Aeliana, so overwhelmed by the sight of her—**whole, healed, alive—**that he had momentarily ignored the presence that had been there all along.
A mistake.
He should have noticed this man the moment he stepped foot inside.
And yet—
The young man tilted his head slightly, his smirk deepening. "Please, don't mind me," he continued, lifting a hand as if in mock reassurance. "I wouldn't dream of ruining such a heartfelt reunion."
A pause.
A mocking pause.
Both of them knew the truth.
The moment he spoke—the reunion was already ruined.
Duke Thaddeus let out a slow, measured breath. The air around him shifted—not with relief this time, but with something colder, sharper, more dangerous.
"….."
His grip on Aeliana fully released as he slowly, deliberately, turned to face the young man.
Aeliana, still caught between the lingering warmth of her father's embrace and the sudden tension that overtook him, hesitated. She knew that look on his face.
Her father was assessing.
Measuring.
Determining if this person standing before him was a threat.
And in Duke Thaddeus' world—almost everyone was.
The cavern remained silent, save for the distant sound of dripping water.
The young man simply smiled wider, watching him with that same unreadable amusement.
As if he had been waiting for this moment all along.
*******
Duke Thaddeus' head turned slightly, his sharp gaze locking onto the young man. His presence, subtle yet undeniable, was not weak.
If anything, for someone so young, his mana presence was exceptional.
'5-star.'
That was the first assessment that crossed the Duke's mind. The density, the weight of his mana—it was at the level of an elite knight, a seasoned warrior.
But something was off.
Duke Thaddeus was a man who could measure power with a single glance, who had spent decades standing before knights, mages, and warlords alike. He knew what a 5-star was supposed to feel like.
This young man… wasn't normal.
There was something else lurking beneath the surface. A presence that flickered, shifting just outside of his understanding. It was as if the mana surrounding him wasn't entirely stable, like something about his very existence was unnatural.
'Maybe it's because of the art he practices.'
That thought came quickly, logically. Many techniques, particularly ancient or forbidden ones, could distort the perception of mana.
But it didn't sit right.
His instincts—his instincts told him this man was something else entirely.
Still, that wasn't what caught his attention the most.
Black hair.
Black eyes.
Black hair was common. But black eyes?
Not just dark brown, not shadowed hazel—pitch black. Like the abyss itself.
And then there was the scar.
A faint mark running along the side of his neck, just barely visible beneath the collar of his worn coat.
Duke Thaddeus' thoughts sharpened.
Eryndor had mentioned this.
Among the survivors of the expedition, one name had been spoken.
A name attached to a swordsman who should not have survived.
A man who had fought at the heart of the battle, one of the last to stand against the Kraken—only to be swallowed by the vortex.
And yet, here he was.
Standing before him.
Duke Thaddeus met his eyes.
And then, finally, he spoke.
"Are you Luca?"
A pause.
For the first time, the young man's smirk faltered.
Just for a second.
But Thaddeus caught it.
Luca's black eyes flickered, something unreadable flashing behind them before that same confident, amused expression returned.
He tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question.
Then—he smiled again.
"Ah, so you've heard of me."
His voice was light, but there was an underlying weight to it.
Not surprise.
Not caution.
Amusement.