“What could a single man possibly do within a few years?
I always wondered the same thing in my head, but when I saw your growth and read the reports about how you saved Estwyn,
I finally realized it.
We have no other choice but to rely on you because only you have what it takes to save us and Nerathis.”
Edric spoke in a solemn tone, and once again, Kael found himself in a similar confusion.
‘Just what in the hell is wrong with this one?’
At first, when Elira came to him, telling him the tale of the Princess, he believed the Crown Prince was the enemy. Then he met him at the party and thought he was an ally. The Crown Prince then stopped Selene from mentioning Lavinia, turning him into an enemy again. And then, he saved Elira while putting his life on the line, making him an ally again.
This confusion continued till today, when he repeatedly tried to interrupt Kael and stood against him, turning him into an enemy again. And now, he relied on Kael, accepted his role as the Hero, somewhat giving a vibe of an Ally.
‘Pick a side, bitch!’
Kael was getting frustrated.
The Prince, however, didn’t seem to be done yet.
“Are we going to rely on 3-4-year-old Magic Beasts?
Yes.
Would 3-4-year-old Magic Beasts even make a difference?
Yes.
Why?
Because they are your 3-4-year-old Magic Beasts.”
Edric spoke, and suddenly, Kael’s expression changed as a thought popped up in his head.
“Hero Kael, in just 2 weeks, you became strong enough to defeat a Fourth Circle Mage and Fourth Stage Warriors as if they were a joke.
You are special.
You are blessed by Lord Feraos, and your Bonds will be the same.
Your Bonds will grow much faster than anyone expects them to, just like you do. But this will only happen when you let them come out. You cannot always keep protecting them, else it would only make things difficult for you in the future.”
Edric finally ended his long speech, and by the end, Kael’s eyes were shining brightly.
This…
This was the most amazing speech he had heard ever since he came here!
Edric was a genius!
He finally gave him what he had been looking for all this while!
A way to reveal the strength of his Bonds without revealing his talent.
All this while, Kael had been hiding his talent from others. At first, it was solely because of the vision where he saw his own death. He thought of it as some kind of warning and decided to hide his talent.
But later, when he learned more and found out about the hidden enemies in the castle, his belief was reinforced even further. Revealing his talent in a place where the enemies lurk was plain foolishness.
After all, Kael knew how absurdly strong his talent was. He knew how it could single-handedly make a force strong enough to take over the entire world.
Who knows?
The enemies might capture him and treat him as a Dragon breeder, whose only role was to create Dragons. Heck, now that his talent was upgraded, things were even worse.
He needed to be careful.
Also, he liked the idea of having Igni as his trump card and protecting him from surprise attacks from the hidden enemies.
But at the same time, Kael also knew he couldn’t hide Igni forever. Even if he could, he couldn’t hide all his Bonds because that would be too suspicious.
He would need to reveal one of his Bonds eventually, and this worried him because the rate at which his Bonds grew was anything but normal.
Heck, the four-day-old Cirri is already unkillable by most warriors.
Honestly, Kael was thinking of forming a Bond with a Third Beast and not using his ability on it to avoid any suspicions.
Now, however, things were different.
Edric’s words had opened his eyes*
He grows stronger faster than others because he is the Hero blessed by Lord Feraos.
Then…
Wouldn’t Lord Feraos bless his Bonds as well?
The plan was simple. He would choose a Beast not many know about, use his ability on that Beast, feign ignorance if someone asks why the Beast is different from the rest, and once his Beast shows monstrous growth, he would simply blame it all on Lord Feraos, without having to reveal his talent.
Yes.
It was perfect!
He had nothing to worry about!
“Alright.”
Kael spoke up, influenced by Edric’s words.
“I will still not use force on my Igni, but I do have a way to bring him out.”
He started.
“What is it?”
The King questioned.
“A Second Bond.”
Kael answered, and the King narrowed his eyes at those words.
“I am already a Second Circle Mage, meaning that I am already an Apprentice Level Tamer who can form a Second Bond.
I am sure if Igni has a playmate who he can play with, he will overcome his shyness and come out.
Meanwhile, I will train together with my new Bond and continue my training as a Tamer. How about it?”
Kael stared at the King, and Alden nodded.
“That can be done.
Tamer Lyric had suggested the same thing. You were supposed to get your Second Bond after you returned from Estwyn anyway.
Have you thought of what Beast you would like to form a Bond with?”
The King questioned.
Kael, however, shook his head.
“I had a lot in my mind, so I didn’t give it much thought.”
“Worry not.”
The King nodded.
Kael nodded back with a smile.
Everything was going just as he planned. He would now buy some time, return to his room, read about different rare Magic Beasts that no one knows about, ask for one such Beast, and since the information they would have on that Beast would already be limited, no one would find it odd if the beast looked a little different than how it was supposed to be.
‘Heh, the less information they have, the less suspicious I become.’
Kael nodded to himself again, proud of himself for actually coming up with such a plan. But then,
The King stood up.
“Follow me. I will help you choose.”
“N-Now…?”
Kael blinked.
“Of course. We have already delayed it enough as it is. There is no need for further delay.
Come with me.”
The King ordered, his tone leaving no room for defiance.