Chương 17: Auction and adventurer
ꟷOh, you arrived!ꟷ Art exclaimed in surprise when he saw me holding Sylvie in my arms.
ꟷYes, I remembered that we hadn't brought any reunion gift, so I went out to buy one,ꟷ I said, shaking my head as if we had really forgotten. Then I looked at Reynolds with surprise and a smile. ꟷHi, Dad. It seems you've gotten quite strong, even reaching the dark orange core.
There was a trace of discomfort in my father's eyes when he heard me call him "Dad," but he was pretty bad at hiding things, so he just gave me an awkward smile while nodding.
I decided to ignore it and walked over to Art, at which point Sylvie jumped out of my arms to see her brother.
ꟷIt seems you've gotten quite strong, brother, but you still can't properly control your mana when using diversionary element attacks. I noticed how you were dispersing a lot of mana when attacking,ꟷ I commented as I helped him recover.
ꟷI noticed that too,ꟷ he replied, reflecting on the matter.
When both Art and Reynolds had recovered, Vincent recommended to Rey that Arthur be enrolled in the Xyrius Academy, arguing that they shouldn't worry about money since, with Arthur's talent, it would be easy for noble families to become interested in funding his studies. Besides, they could even cover those expenses themselves, considering it an investment.
Thus, the afternoon passed until night came, when they showed me the room where I would be resting from then on. It was considerably larger than the house in Ashber, although obviously not as luxurious as the room in Elonoir's castle.
Even so, it had everything necessary for a comfortable rest.
ꟷIt seems a bit uncomfortable,ꟷ I thought while holding Kumara in my lap, asleep.
As I stroked him, I took out my guitar and began to play softly so as not to disturb the others, trying to clear my mind of the memories of Alice's and Reynolds' reactions when they saw me.
It's clear they were already aware of what had happened in Elenoir, so their reaction is understandable, but still, it hurts a little in some way.
The next day, I noticed little Sylvie running out of Art's room as if escaping from something. When I picked her up, I could smell her soft scent, indicating that she had been forced to take a bath. When she looked at me, her eyes seemed pleading, as if they had really taken advantage of her.
ꟷIt looks like someone had a bath!ꟷ I commented with a laugh as I stroked her fur. ꟷIt's okay, it's all over now. Go play with little Kumara,ꟷ I said, watching the two of them run down the hall to have fun.
Today was quite a busy day. Our mother Alice, along with my sister Eleonor, Tabitha, and Lilia, took Arthur and me shopping. Poor Arthur, he got his hair cut by a stylist with questionable taste, but luckily I managed to escape that.
We became little mannequins as they tried different outfits on us. It's fair to say that Mother Alice managed to hide her discomfort much better when referring to me, which, in a way, is a relief as it kept the atmosphere from becoming too awkward.
Another event was approaching, as the Helstea Auction House was celebrating its 10th Anniversary event. Even the kings of Sapin were going to attend.
With them, the other members of the Twin Horns also arrived, who were surprised to see us. As for me, I simply decided to receive the great affection of Angela's hug.
The Auction House looked like a magnificent theater with intricate designs everywhere. The main doors were over four meters high and made of petrified wood. Compared to the naturalistic and elegant designs I had seen in the Elf Kingdom, this was more complex and majestic. It was shaped like a half-cylinder with detailed stone sculptures of various weapons as supports.
Our group arrived quite early, as several things needed to be prepared before all the guests arrived. Tabitha took us to the observation room, which was intricately designed and furnished. There was a wine rack and a few sofas and tables with seats near the window. I made myself comfortable in a seat right in front of the window.
Some time passed while I chatted with Arthur about various trivial things, while Lilia and Ellie played some games. As for little Kumara, she simply wandered around the place quite curiously until she finally returned to my lap to rest.
Suddenly, I noticed Vincent entering the room, followed by several people I recognized instantly: the kings of Sapin, along with their children. Seeing them, I couldn't help but recall what I had read in the manhwa; apparently, they intended to betray the continent, which made me hold them in low regard. However, that perception was more related to the king, as I didn't have much information about the queen. Additionally, at least their children didn't seem like bad people.
ꟷI didn't know we would be here with the guests, Vincent! Well, well. The more, the merrier! At least we'll have company aside from those boring guards, right, dear?ꟷ the king commented while looking at his wife.
As for me, I couldn't help but direct my gaze to Kathlyn, who seemed to be our age and was also looking at me.
Her porcelain-white complexion was a canvas for her impeccable facial features. Her piercing eyes seemed too mature for her age; they were a dark brown that appeared larger due to her long eyelashes. Her hair was a dazzling black, inherited from her mother. Compared to her dark hair and eyes, her pink lips were much lighter, shimmering softly.
"I must admit that when she grows up, she will be very beautiful," I thought, then looked away, as I wasn't really interested in a little girl at this moment.
Meanwhile, little Sylvie and Kumara had captured the hearts of both the queen and the princess, who were quite surprised to see them. Even the king was amazed to see that both Arthur and I had bonds with mana beasts.
My eyes fell on the king's companion, who showed a trace of malice upon learning that little Sylvie had an equality contract with Arthur. Noticing my attitude towards him, little Kumara suddenly bristled, baring her teeth at the individual in question.
This gesture surprised everyone, and even some guards quickly approached the royals to protect them.
ꟷDon't worry, Kumara. Come here,ꟷ I ordered, making the little one avert her gaze from the guard and return to my side. ꟷI apologize for the inconvenience to everyone present, but my little Kumara is quite sensitive to people's ill intentions and detected some strange fluctuations in your guard.
As I spoke, my voice gradually became softer but colder, while I directed my gaze at the guard, and several thoughts about his identity crossed my mind.
The guard had gray hair, a pronounced jawline, sunken cheeks, and piercing eyes. He wore a maroon hooded robe and held a metal staff. There was no doubt: this person was none other than Sebastian, the royal court mage.
ꟷSebastian, is this true?ꟷ King Blaine asked in a serious tone.
ꟷThat's a lie,ꟷ Sebastian interrupted with an agitated tone, pointing at me. ꟷBoy, be careful when accusing a royal guard so casually. You'd better know your place.
ꟷYou should know yours too,ꟷ I replied, keeping calm as there was no need to raise my voice. ꟷMoreover, you should know that you're not dealing with an ordinary young man. From now on, I warn you that both little Sylvie and Kumara are very important to me and my younger brother. No matter what the King is willing to offer when you ask him, they are not for sale,ꟷ I stated as I returned to my seat and handed Sylvie to Arthur.
ꟷSo go ahead, keep trying any trick, but I suggest you reconsider,ꟷ I continued, adding a touch of veiled threat. ꟷUnless you don't mind me informing my uncle, King Alduin, that a mere guard dared to treat his dear nephew as a brat, accusing him of lying even in front of King Blaine.
With those final words, I decided to drop the subject. To me, Sebastian was already sentenced. I preferred to avoid any future trouble, so I had already decided to get rid of him after the auction.
After that, I walked over to Arthur, warning him to be careful as well. He was surprised too and quickly glanced in Sebastian's direction, frowning before sitting back down beside me.
ꟷSebastian, leave the room,ꟷ ordered King Blaine. But before he could say anything else, the King gave him another threatening look, making Sebastian close his mouth and exit the room.
ꟷAhem, I apologize for the behavior of my royal guard,ꟷ King Blaine commented, though it was evident that this apology was more of a formality than genuine regret. ꟷSometimes he can't help but get excited when he sees rare creatures.
Noting this, I simply nodded without delving further into the matter. At this moment, with the beginning of contact between the kingdoms, the situation was delicate, so it was better to leave things as they were and not escalate them further.
ꟷDon't worry, and excuse me for showing this side of myself. Sometimes I am very overprotective with these little ones,ꟷ I said, showing a smile so innocent that it seemed incapable of hurting a fly while stroking Kumara and Sylvie.
With that, the matter was settled, and the auction began, making the atmosphere much more pleasant as the King occasionally bid on some items, which no one else dared to bid against upon noticing it was him.
From time to time, I noticed little Kathlyn's gaze, to which I simply responded with a smile, making her quickly turn her head away.
As time passed, the auction concluded successfully, and gradually everyone began to leave. In my case, after saying goodbye to everyone, I headed back to the Helstea house to prepare some things.
ꟷBrother, did that guard really have some thoughts upon seeing Sylvie and Kumara?ꟷ Arthur asked.
ꟷYes, when you mentioned that little Sylvie had signed an equality bond with you, his reaction was significant. This is because he knows that only beasts capable of doing that are of a much higher level than level A,ꟷ I said while shaking my head.
After talking with him for a while, I returned to my room.
ꟷDevil, come out,ꟷ I whispered.
When my voice stopped resonating, a figure emerged from my shadow and knelt before me.
ꟷYou already know what to do,ꟷ I commented.
ꟷYes, my lord,ꟷ he responded respectfully before disappearing from the place.
I must say that the beings with whom I use the character card have the ability to contact me through thoughts, which makes many things easier for me.
Seeing him leave, I started planning and preparing some things to set off.
In the end, I had decided to become an adventurer sooner than planned. I knew that what happened today might change the behavior of the Helstea family; I already noticed it in the short time we spent at the auction, as well as in the subtle changes in mother Alice. So I thought it would be better to leave and do my own thing, avoiding that discomfort.
A few hours later, I saw Devil appear near me, along with Sebastian's corpse. Nodding, I simply stored the body, in case I obtained another character card in the future and needed a vessel.
Then, leaving a small note on my bed, I decided it was time to depart.
ꟷIt's time to go,ꟷ I said to Devil, as I picked up little Kumara in my arms. Devil nodded and, placing his hand on my shoulder, we vanished from the room.
The next moment, we appeared a few blocks away from the Helstea mansion and headed to the adventurers' guild. After registering, we decided to skip the exam and simply accepted our E-rank status, setting off to complete missions and beginning my adventure as an adventurer.
During this period, I dedicated myself to doing various things that I couldn't do before due to constant surveillance.
First, of course, I tried to accelerate my growth and that of little Kumara. Even though she was in the yellow phase and I was in the orange phase, we were still very weak, so we embarked on numerous mana beast hunting missions to strengthen ourselves. With this, the beast forest became our new home for the next few years.
Additionally, I subjected myself to rigorous training to develop great endurance. With the Great Sage as my assistant, I experimented with all kinds of extreme situations.
I ingested various types of poisons that left me unconscious, but after several attempts, I managed to gain poison resistance. I then continued exposing myself to attacks from different elements to increase my resistance as much as possible.
Another important aspect I wanted to improve was my combat experience. For this, I had the help of Devil, who, following my orders, subjected me to intense training over the next year.
I spent most of the time healing my severe injuries through regeneration. Sometimes, he would attack me without warning, like when I felt ice spears swiftly directed at me while I was asleep, forcing me to wake up quickly and face a fight in the middle of the night. Other times, even when I was already exhausted, I had to muster strength from nowhere to keep going and avoid a beating.
If I had to describe it in any way, I could only say it was hell. But these conditions made my combat skills increase dramatically, as I analyzed various types of combat with Devil.
Likewise, among the missions we took on, we dealt with various bandits, who gradually grew stronger as our adventurer rank increased.
As for my development, I also improved certain abilities, which I discovered little by little. I even copied some that Arthur would use in the future when he went to train in Epheotus, as well as some skills I had seen in my previous life.
...
<< A few years later >>
ꟷSystem, show me my status,ꟷ I whispered while cleaning the blood from my sword.
<< Name: Alex Eralith >>
<< Sex: Male >>
<< Core: Yellow (bright; or final stage) >>
<< Unique Abilities: [Great Sage], [Predator] >>
<< Extra Abilities: [Language Comprehension], [Body Control], [Mana Rotation], [Magic Perception], [Restoration], [Regeneration], [Sword Master], [Total Elemental Manipulation (fire, air, earth, and water)], [Deviated Manipulation (ice, thunder, illusion, plants)], [Soul Manipulation], [Fortification], [Mana Control], [Dimensional Portal (suspended)], [Aura Manipulation], [Burst Step], [Dream Manipulation], [Pressure Manipulation] >>
<< Resistances: [Pain Resistance], [Poison Resistance], [Paralysis], [Elemental Magic], [Deviated Magic], [Mind Manipulation], [Corrosion], [Mind Control], [Soul Manipulation] >>
<< Subordinates: Devil [white core], Kumara [silver core] >>
<< Storage: Storm Sword, Gold Coins, Dragon Horn, ... >>
ꟷThis training period has truly been worth it!ꟷ I murmured to myself, contemplating my achievements with pride. The resistance I had gained and my combat prowess, both in close and long-range fights, had improved significantly. Not to mention my speed, which now seemed to have reached a new level.
ꟷI think it's time to complete this last mission and return,ꟷ I whispered as I beheaded the imposing mana beast I was sitting on. ꟷIt's time to go back and start 'studying' at Xyrus Academy.
ꟷDevil, gather everything we can make use of and store it for now. We'll sell it later,ꟷ I said, then turned my gaze to the imposing blue fox devouring the mana core of the S-class beast. Its six tails swayed with jubilant frenzy, absorbing the immense mana of that beast.
ꟷKumara, get ready to leave,ꟷ I reminded, then headed to the nearby lagoon to wash up.
ꟷYes, Master,ꟷ she said, devouring the mana even faster.
Half an hour later, with everyone ready, I mounted Kumara and we headed straight for the Adventurers' Guild. Knowing it would take some time, I decided to relax during the journey. So, I simply took out my guitar and started to play.
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Note: Guys, your favorite author got his heart broken by a girl, so I haven't written much because of the bad mood. F for me, #AllAlike.
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