The lady’s face turned pale. She stumbled back slightly, her eyes wide with shock and fear. The connection between her and the Ashland family had just been exposed, and her true identity was now out in the open.
Kent’s gaze was cold, watching her closely. “I’m sure you understand, Lady Olive. You’ve been playing both sides for far too long.”
Lady Olive, or rather Lady Oliver Ashland, remained silent, her heart racing. She had thought her secret was safe, but now, the very man she hoped to report every last piece of news on had just outed her, at a rather unfortunate moment.
Kent didn’t even have to do anything, as before Lady Olive could react, the saintess used her aura to knock her out.
“Thank you, Master,” Kent smiled and then turned to Jacob and the two with him.
“As you can see, the Alderford family is now under the protection of Sword Saintess Selene and her disciple, who is also a very skilled alchemist, by the way.
“So go and tell whoever sent you to pack it in. And oh, I enjoy killing for obvious reasons, so it would be best if you manage to convince your master or father. I don’t really care. But hey, you can try me.
“That will be all. Now, scram,” Kent said, leaking his aura, which immediately filled the hall with hate and resentment.
Be it the saintess, John Alderford, or his family, everyone reacted to his aura. They all felt it, and for a moment, they paled.
Kent didn’t acquire his aura the traditional way. He inherited it from Vexthra, a goddess. The Aura of Hatred and Resentment is her strongest trait, and Kent, a mere mortal, has inherited it.
However, just like everything else, he doesn’t yet have the strength to wield it all. But that being said, Kent could tell that the more he killed, the more of the aura he could control, similar to the sword intent, which also came from the same source.
He realized this when he killed the three sent by the Ashland family, and because of that, he wanted to experience it more—this meant he had to kill more to study how the aura and intent worked.
Kent turned and faced John Alderford.
“I will be taking your daughter off your hands, John. I hope that is okay,” he said—well, more of a statement than a question, given the way he phrased it. But still, he asked, and John, still in shock from the recent turn of events, nodded.
“You can have her, Master Kent. After all, she was part of the reward I intended to give whoever managed to cure her,” John said.
Kent just smiled and turned to Lilian. “You heard your father, you’re mine now. Don’t worry, you won’t be alone. Unity will be with you,” Kent said, giving a wink to the former servant of the Alderford family, causing her cheeks to turn red.
Saintess Selene raised an eyebrow, watching this. Her eyes alternated between Kent and Unity, and then it clicked.
‘Did I make a mistake picking this bastard?’ she thought inwardly. But alas, she had already chosen him. There was no turning back now.
Lilian, on the other hand, looked at her former servant and smiled. Clearly, whatever the two had planned to do, one of them had succeeded.
“That, by the way, I will need a month to get my affairs in order before we can leave,” Kent said to Saintess Selene, who was now seated looking back at Kent.
“Take your time. I will be staying here to ensure no harm comes to my disciple,” Saintess Selene replied, making Kent’s eyes widen. Clearly, she was serious about wanting him as her disciple.
He smiled, a smile full of hidden thoughts.
“You are welcome to stay in my Alderford home for as long as you like, Saintess Selene,” John Alderford said immediately, bowing slightly. Cynthia Alderford followed suit before leaving to make arrangements for Saintess Selene’s accommodations.
“By the way, John, I’ll leave her to you. Do whatever you want,” Kent said, effectively running the Alderford family now.
John nodded and took Lady Olive’s unconscious body away. Unity, meanwhile, dragged Lilian off, clearly to prepare her for her coming-of-age ceremony. Since she would be joining the family, she would have to prepare.
After all, she was a Peak Root Master stage expert, so even with Kent’s overpowered cultivation technique and bloodline, a couple of rounds with her would push him closer to the Root Ascendant stage and maybe even a step toward the Root Master stage.
Of course, it all depended on how hard he wanted to push himself and her.
But that was for later. Right now, Kent was more interested in understanding the dynamics of this new disciple-master relationship he had formed with the Sword Saintess.
“So, how many people are going to be angry when they find out I’m your disciple?” Kent asked.
He wasn’t naïve; someone like Saintess Selene must have constantly been pursued by prodigies desperate to become her disciple. A no-name like him suddenly taking that position was bound to ruffle some feathers.
“Straight to the point, huh? Well… a lot of people are going to be mad. Some might challenge you, and others might scheme against you. But don’t worry—I’m your master. I’ll protect you,” Saintess Selene replied.
“Oh, you’re rather keen on protecting me. What makes you think I can’t protect myself?” Kent asked with a smirk.
“You have no idea the strength a noble family wields. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I do know the Ashland noble family is bad news, and frankly, I don’t care. However, since you’re now entangled in their drama, it’s my job as your master to protect you from it.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m going to fight every battle for you. You can handle them yourself—I’ll just make sure you keep your head on your neck,” Saintess Selene answered, making Kent smile.
“Good to know there’s such a challenge waiting for me. But don’t worry, Master. You can just sit back and relax. I’ll take care of my problems with absolute finesse. After all, you wouldn’t want to make your disciple lazy by letting him think he’s always protected,” Kent replied confidently.
He stood and began walking out. After a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at the Saintess.
“By the way, my girlfriend will be coming with me. Don’t worry about her talent for now, and you don’t need to accept her immediately. All I ask is that you give her three weeks. If she doesn’t improve, I’ll leave her here and go with you alone.”
With that, Kent left the room. Soon, he was gone from the Alderford Mansion, heading toward the location of the Black Veil Syndicate.
Now that he knew their numbers and that their strongest member was peak Root Masters, Kent was confident he could take them down. Of course, it would depend on how prepared he was, and for that, he had earned enough points to upgrade his skills.
It was time to upgrade the [Teleport] Skill he had received from Unity.