Each one of them felt mixed emotions after hearing Kyran’s plan. They were not afraid, nor were they against it. They felt Kyran’s move was too ambitious. Just knowing that he planned to put into motion the first part of his plan in less than a month was already challenging.
The roles Nolan mentioned that each of them would have to take on, was not hard to fulfill. They were very nervous before Nolan told Silas and Gage what they had to do. They felt they lacked the means to complete whatever was required of them. After hearing what it was, they were relieved. Most of what they had to do was manpower gathering and acting as the point of contact, which they both had experience as mercenaries.
Kyran emphasized that they must keep anything they do a secret from the Conclave. Although his clan had ties with the Conclave, he did not want to get them involved in his matters. Besides, what the Conclave knew about the situation was still superficial compared to Gage and Silas’s knowledge. The two had no qualms about helping Kyran, though. It turned out both of them had personal reasons. Kyran acknowledged their reasons, but he did not ask for details. It was not because he was not interested, nor was he unmoved. He did not want to force the information out of them if they were unwilling.
As for Anette, she would stay in their base and concoct potions and pills for them and raise funds. Kyran gave them most of the spirit stones and coins he had, leaving only a few for his travel expenses. The spirit stones and coins they had were not enough to fund Kyran’s plan. However, it was enough as a starting fund for Anette.
Anette and Nolan offered to give additional funds. However, Kyran told them to keep it for an emergency.
After that, Kyran called for Zephyr.
When Zephyr arrived, he looked glaringly at Kyran but did not say anything in fear that he would warp him again.
Knowing what Zephyr was feeling due to their bond, Kyran was amused. He made a mental note to talk privately with him later about some things regarding his clan.
Going back to the roles, Kyran told them that Zephyr would stay with Anette and Cyneah.
Zephyr did not react to this since he already knew what he had to do. They already talked about it last night.
Anette also confirmed that she had taken Cyneah as her disciple and would start teaching her, beginning with the use of ‘magic sense,’ later in the day.
Now that Cyneah was brought up to their discussion, Kyran explained why she was here and her special circumstances to Silas and Gage. He also reminded them that Cyneah knew him as ‘Nar,’ so they had to be careful when addressing him in her presence.
When Gage heard that, his face distorted. Those who did not know him well would probably think he was angry. But, when his face turned that way, it meant he was troubled and feeling a little ashamed.
Silas, who already guessed her disability, only nodded. He felt a little sad for such a pretty young lady burdened with such a disability. However, Silas would never say that in front of Cyneah because he did not know her own thoughts. Some people never felt their faults were a burden. Instead, they were thankful because it humbled them.
After that, Nolan finally opened a very delicate topic. It was about the reason why the Royal Family wanted him.
Contrary to what the Royal Family told the public, Nolan failed in getting whatever the person he killed had in his possession. He did want to steal it because it had something to do with a clue of more parts of the ‘ancient record’ he with Anette, Cade, and Rin was searching for under the Regis’s order.
When Kyran heard of this, he could not help but frown. He knew about some of the Regis’s businesses. His grandfather would release missions and orders now and then to some of their people. Some of these missions were from the Mercenary Hall that they requested a Regis member or members to complete. But most were personal missions within the Regis family that Kyran was not privy to details. It made him wonder what kind of connection Nolan and Anette had with his family to be given an order along with his parents.
After Nolan mentioned the ancient record, he then turned to Zephyr and asked the truth of what he knew about the events that happened thousand years ago.
Zephyr had no qualms about telling them what he knew.
When he left the ruins and interacted with them, he slowly found how much of the truth had been fabricated by the Soul Emperor’s Family.
Zephyr did not go through all the details, but what he told them made all of them gape in disbelief. They did not realize that something bigger was in play when the demons invaded the human plane.
Silas, who also heard some of the truth from Lady Rin, was dumbfounded. He had no idea that what he learned then was just the tip of the iceberg.
After Zephyr finished his narration, he reminded them that the past he knew was incomplete. Because from what he understood based on what the Soul Emperor’s Family made everyone believe, they had combined two different significant events in history as if it was caused by the same perpetrator when it was not. Unfortunately, Zephyr could only tell them the truth of the first major event and not the other one. The only ones who probably knew about it would be the first generation of Ancient Magic wielders.
This frustrated Nolan.
Kyran, however, was not affected. Instead, he was filled with anticipation. Because after he completed his training with Nolan, his next stop was to visit the Chaos Palace. There, he would find a way to summon his predecessor and tell him everything.
The atmosphere in the dining room had gotten gloomy after Zephyr’s narration. In the end, Kyran changed the mood by bringing the topic of breakfast.
Anette resumed preparing breakfast with Silas’s help while Nolan and Gage both went to the back garden to plant the medicinal plants Silas and Gage bought for Anette.
As for Kyran and Zephyr, they went upstairs to Cyneah’s room.
Kyran stood in front of Cyneah’s room.
He could hear her humming a song, similar to the tune she sang back in the mutated Basilisk’s cave.
[Her magic is very potent, but why does it feel like it does not belong to her.]
Kyran looked at Zephyr.
‘What do you mean?’
Zephyr shook his head.
[I am not sure why. It is just a feeling. But I guess it’s because I don’t sense the Soul Emperor’s aura in her? Compared to when you used the power of dragons, you also emit the Dragon Lord’s aura.]
When Kyran heard Zephyr’s answer, he felt relieved. If Cyneah did not possess the Soul Emperor’s aura, then it meant she did not have her ‘magic core.’
From the bits and pieces of information he had so far of what transpired in the past, Kyran knew the complicated relationships between the four first generation of Ancient magic wielders. Even now, he had not fully grasped it. But one thing he knew and was sure of, the Soul Emperor caused his predecessor’s death.
Thinking of this fact and how his Draconic core reacted with hatred towards the Royal Family, Kyran did not know what would happen if Cyneah ended up possessing the Soul Emperor’s magic core.
‘Speaking of this, my Draconic core never reacted when Cyneah first used her magic, so she might really be just a distant relative of the Royal Family. As to why she looked like the princess… let’s not think about that for now,’ Kyran thought to himself.
Kyran knocked twice on the door before saying, “It’s me. I’m coming in.”
As Kyran and Zephyr entered the room, Cyneah also stopped humming.
They found her sitting on the chair by the window, right where Kyran left her a few hours ago.
Her image immediately made Kyran frown. Seeing her sitting there all alone made her look like a prisoner. That irked Kyran.
Cyneah turned her head toward the sound of the opening door. She did not smile the way she used to when she sensed Kyran. Instead, she looked a little troubled as she said, “I’m sorry about earlier. I-I’ll try to… be more accepting.”
“You don’t have to worry about it,” Kyran told her.
“But, I-I offended your friend,” Cyneah insisted.
Kyran chuckled. He approached her and sat on the bedside facing the chair. He said, “You didn’t offend him. It’s the other way around.”
Zephyr closed the door before sitting cross-legged on the bed. Ever since they had entered the room, he had been observing Cyneah. It was his first time seeing her properly, and he found her eyes very unusual. Now he understood why he felt her magic was off.
[Master, her eyes—.]
‘She’s blind,’ Kyran replied. He had thought Zephyr already knew because they did escape together.
[No.]
Zephyr shook his head.
[She’s not really blind. But someone had taken her eyes.]
‘What?’ Kyran frowned and looked at Zephyr.
[Are you aware that each great magic corresponds to a human body part? The Time corresponds to the brain, Draconic corresponds to the heart, while the Soul corresponds to the eyes. If someone took her eyes, it meant someone took her magic. No wonder I feel her magic doesn’t belong to her.]
‘Wait. You’re not making any sense. If her magic was taken then how can she still use—.’
Growl~!
A growling sound snapped Kyran and Zephyr out of their private conversation.
Cyneah gasped in embarrassment as she hunched down and covered her stomach.
“T-That wasn’t m-me!”
Although Kyran was bothered about what Zephyr had just said, he still chuckled at Cyneah’s clumsy attempt of denying the growling sound was not her.
Kyran stood up, “If you’re not comfortable around the others I can bring some food—.”
“I-I’m fine, now. I’ll go downstairs,” Cyneah replied at once and stood up.
“Alright,” Kyran nodded and reached for her hand.
While he led Cyneah out the room, he looked at Zephyr, who had just stood up from the bed.
‘We’ll continue our talk later,’ he told him.
Zephyr only nodded and followed them from behind.
“Right, go—your master said she will start teaching you how to use magic sense in the afternoon.” Kyran told Cyneah as they walked down the hall.
“Magic sense?”
Kyran nodded, “Yeah. Don’t ask me cause I don’t know how it works either.”
“You don’t know how it works either?”
“Don’t repeat what I just said.”
“Why not?”
“Just don’t.”
Zephyr watched the two from behind with a disapproving look. His master was really bossy. Not just to him, but also to his woman! He felt a little sad for his mistress.
If Kyran knew that Cyneah had been promoted from being his woman to his mistress in Zephyr’s eyes, he would have clobbered him already.
“After that, I will need your help with something.” Kyran said while stopping in his tracks.
Cyneah also stopped and asked, “What is it?”
“I need your help in healig my core,” he told her.
“Core?”
Kyran’s brow twitched. He knew Cyneah was not doing it on purpose, but it rubbed him the wrong way when she repeated a word or phrase he just said.
“We’ll explain later,” Kyran paused before adding, “If you don’t feel comfortable about it, you can refuse.”
Hearing Kyran’s words made Zephyr snort mentally. What was his master saying? After he went to the trouble to get her, would he just accept it if she refused to help him? In the first place, Kyran could have just drank the Elixir!
Really, Zephyr had no idea what was going on his master’s head.
Cyneah shook her head, “I won’t refuse. If it means I can help you.”
“Let’s talk about it when you’re ready,” Kyran replied.
“Okay.”
As they went downstairs, what Kyran said about healing his core made Cyneah remember the different colored orbs she once saw around him. She wondered if those orbs were what he meant about his core.
‘If it is, then.. why did he say heal and not fix?’ Cyneah thought to herself.