"The chosen ones are: Soren, Jenna, Lyra, Jasper...and Kael."
Everyone present was surprised, even Kael, who had never expected to become a Flagbearer. In his past life, only four people had achieved that honor: his first brother, his third sister, his sixth sister, and his fourth brother.
So this is the famous butterfly effect... I didn't think it would happen so soon. Kael mused. He had already anticipated some changes after his rebirth, as his actions had altered the course of events.
But he didn't expect the consequences to come so quickly. The surprise was fleeting. He was already calculating how to use that twist to his advantage.
Under the scrutinizing gaze of the knights and his brothers, some filled with disbelief, others with hatred, his face remained impassive, revealing no hint of emotion.
It was an unexpected twist, yes, but also an opportunity. He wasn't interested in forming a team, although he needed at least one key piece... and he already knew where to find it. He just needed a chance to get close without arousing suspicion.
"Father, a question," Soren, the first-born, interrupted, pinning his eyes on Zephyr.
The patriarch nodded coolly, allowing him to continue.
"Why would Kael be one of the Flagbearers if he hasn't even awakened his mana core? He hasn't set foot outside the manor!" Soren's voice dripped with resentment.
Zephyr crossed his legs with deliberate calm before responding:
"Should I be held accountable for my decisions?"
The question, sharp as a sword, silenced the room. Soren clenched his jaw and lowered his head, biting his lip hard.
Zephyr settled back on his throne before announcing, "You may all retire and return to your duties."
They began to leave the great hall in silence. One of the knights took the corpse away; the patriarch's wives, who numbered six, remained, except Alessia, who left with Kael on seeing him in the state in which he had returned.
"What do you think of Kael?" asked Zephyr of the women present.
"Too arrogant. How dare he bring a corpse here, reeking of blood? He's just as vulgar as his mother, with no etiquette at all," said the first wife, Daily, her expression wrinkled.
"He is very cunning and clever. He used the whole narrative to his advantage, and the breaking of Clan rules lost importance. I think he's very clever," said the fourth wife, Liyana. Her voice contained some surprise and admiration.
Zephyr looked at his other wives. "Don't you guys have anything to say?"
The other wives shook their heads. They didn't want to say anything for or against Kael; they felt that this young man was not normal and could not be underestimated.
Zephyr smiled with his eyes closed, but it wasn't satisfaction. It was wariness.
...
In one of the rooms of the mansion, Kael was sitting in the bathtub with a calm expression.
He had already washed much of the blood off his body and was inspecting what he got in the inheritance left by the Demon Wolf.
The mask and sword were of coins, and the Zu, which had belonged to the Bloody Wolf. But now that name would never appear on the Northern Frontier, for that commoner would never find the inheritance.
As for the Zu, which he consumed, he had almost no noticeable changes in his body, only that he sometimes saw translucent tentacles under his robe. He didn't know if they were real or an echo of the Zu. It didn't matter. As long as they didn't control him, he didn't fear them.
Now that my father is back, I can't make any rash moves. So for these remaining months before the awakening ceremony, I will do nothing; I have already accomplished my goal. And now that I am a Flagbearer, the attention on me will increase too much, and my brothers will be conspiring against me.
Kael let his thoughts run quickly, before organizing them and thinking about his next steps.
After the awakening ceremony, I will enter the succession list to become the next boss, and I will also get to go explore one of the new dungeons, but first, I have to recruit that person.
He knew that these remaining months before the awakening ceremony would be calm thanks to his father's presence. No one dared to touch him. He could let his guard down... at least a little.
Besides, the system missions didn't penalize him, so he could skip the daily missions if he wanted to.
Thinking about this, he decided to look at his profile, since he hadn't seen it these past two days.
Kael Medici
Title: Strayed Demon.
Talent: SSS.
Mana Core: No awakening.
Traits: Refinement (A), Swordsmanship (A) Melee (S), Tamer (C)...
Strength: 33 +
Endurance: 31+
Agility: 31 +
Vitality: 60 +
Mana: No awakening
Stat points: 0
"My vitality increased by 25 after using that mysterious Zu," he muttered as he noticed only that change.
Although the system didn't show him the change his body had when he activated that Zu. He had a clear image in his mind: how all those tentacles came out of his mouth.
Kael didn't know what the change in his body was.
He knew he had one, but he couldn't identify it exactly, and that made him uncomfortable. However, there was nothing he could do because what was done was done.
Kael closed his status window and grabbed the mask made of gold coins held together by a red thread to inspect it further. For he had not had time to do so before.
A window appeared in front of him.
[Mask ███]
Description: Formerly belonged to the Demonic Sovereign █ █ █, whose very presence instilled terror in the five regions.
Effects:
Voice distortion: the wearer's voice takes on an unnatural timbre, difficult to recognize or track.
Facial concealment: Erases the features of the wearer's face in the face of recognition techniques, illusions, or visual recordings.
???
???
???
Note: Your current strength is insufficient to unleash the true power of this artifact. As long as you do not meet the requirements, it will remain sealed.
"I see, so the system also has this function." Kael was a bit pleased with this function of the system, even if it didn't give him all the information, it at least gave him a general idea of the object.
So he moved on to see what effects the sword made of gold coins had. He grabbed the sword, and the same window appeared in front of him.
[Coin Sword].
Description: Forged in a ritual, this sword was tempered with the body, soul, and riches of a merchant whose greed knew no bounds.
Effects:
Extreme edge: Cuts through both flesh and metal with ease.
Bleeding (blocked): Provoked wounds do not heal easily.
???
???
???
Note: Some sword effects are sealed.
"Hmm... So, for the time being, these items are simply accessories." Kael looked at the descriptions; he was not disappointed, but satisfied. His gain had been quite good.
After all, his goal in going for the inheritance left by the Demonic Wolf was simply for the Zu, which right now he couldn't use until he went through the awakening ceremony.
Kael closed the windows and came out of the bathroom, mask on and sword in hand.
Lydia waited for him in silence, her eyes fixed on the mask. She said nothing. Neither did he.