Chapter 13: Killian's Deal

"You seem to be in a hurry." Rodine called out to the Duke of Trovis, Killian, who kept looking at the window of the carriage.

A low laugh came from the Grand Duke, Lucretius who was crossing both his arms and legs with his eyes closed as if taking a nap.

"Let him be, Uncle." Slowly, his eyes opened and the same amethyst colored eyes appeared, glistening like crystals.

Killian who heard them, looked back with annoyance in his face. "Why didn't we take the teleportation route?"

"It's expensive?"

Killian scoffed, "Fool me. Tsk. I said I'll pay for it."

"What a rich noble man thing to say, Duke." Lucretius kept picking on Killian which the latter only darted him glares.

Killian looked back at the window again and sighed, "Please let this carriage run a bit faster.." He whispered under his breath as he watched the sunset outside.

★

"Welcome, my lords." Vincent bowed, the maids and servants lined up at the entrance of the exquisite manor fits perfectly.

Killian roamed his eyes around, hoping to see the familiar red hair that he have always loved ever since however.. there was none.

'Where is she? Did no one tell her I would be coming?'

His thoughts were filled with the face of the sister he hadn't seen for five years. The sister he had no choice but to leave behind to that house as he escaped.

"Where is the child, Vincent?" Rodine finally asked the thing Killian wanted to know.

Although silence erupted for a while before Vincent admitted the truth, "To be honest.. I don't know, my lord. I thought she'd be reading at her room but she's not there."

At Vincent's words, Killian only smiled a little. He knew what kind of person his sister is. Maybe that child just went around again out of boredom.

"I'll just find her my self. Zaria probably got bored from reading."

"No, your grace! Please, just head to the office with the Grand Duke and his lordship. I'll find her now."

The three high ranked people watched Vincent's back as he ran off to find Zaria. Rodine only shook his head at the aide that's way too hard on himself.

"Should we go?" Rodine still invited the two inside. His nephew followed but Killian only shook his head.

"I'll go later." His words before walking towards where Vincent went to.

The grass underneath Killian's shoes rustled as walked all over them. He continues to examined the each corner outside.

His chest that was covered with anxiety, fear and guilt for five years feels like bursting from both excitement and anticipation.

However.. he knew what was the worst outcome and words that he may hear from his sister he left all alone.

"Still.." Killian can only mutter as he watched the sun slowly disappearing on the horizon.

The Trovis family's almost destruction drew the final decision Killian had to make.

Either escaped here and be as strong as possible or stay at the world outside and drag his father that was being controlled and his poor sister to death.

Killian was fortunate to have known this world even before when their family's still stable. The former duke, Callice, always take him to the empire as the heir.

As a result, while they were at the empire for a meeting and report, Killian and Zaria's mother disappeared.

Or in other words.. Solana died in a mysterious way.

Whether it was luck or not, shortly after Callice remarried his step mother, he awakened as steorra and the holder of enphysis.

Killian still remembered how his father's student– Rozian, came to him with two options.

"Master has the pass to let you enter at the empire, you'll never have it at this situation."

"What do you want to say?"

"I have it but I can only take one, regretfully. So I'll make you choose, Killian."

"What? If you can't take my sister as well then I don't want to."

"That's the point. Whether you'll die here with them like the duchess or nurture that ability of yours and get back at the people who made your family like this? Choose, Killian."

Just like Rozian said, he knew that if he stayed there, a great consequence would await their family.

That's why he chose to leave everything and promised to go back no matter what.

Killian worked hard to be the head. From business to ability and swordsmanship, he learned all of them for the sake of getting back to those people.

When all of his preparations as a head are done, he finally proceeded to the plan he set for years.

Together with the Headmaster, Rodine.

"Why did you come here? You know His Majesty is wary of you because of your growing influence."

"I don't care about that. This is why I told him to give me the help I needed five years ago."

Killian was pertaining to the way he kneeled in front of Plynel to give him access and get his sister and father.

However, it is a great law of the empire that people who awakened their ability—which only happened during the age of adulthood; are the only people allowed to enter the empire regardless of status.

Rodine who watched the man he saw grew up at Wolstice, stood silent while observing the ruthless eyes of his.

"Headmaster. You said if I took in Ashercian as my student.. you'd be one day do anything I ask for."

At that time, Killian saw the hesitation in Rodine. Of course, he didn't just take Ashercian because of his grandfather but also because he thinks he's suitable for that role.

"…What do you want?"

"It'll be my sister's 18th birthday two weeks from now. As you know, our family's pass is with my father."

The pass he's talking about is like a ticket that allows one to travel inside the empire or outside, for example crossing the world outside and back.

Only one in a family can have them within the empire to avoid complication. However..

Rodine is a different case.

He's an exceptional Aster magician that have so many achievements that even the former emperor granted him an estate and a pass.

And Killian wanted those.

"I can see what you want now."

"This'll be easy then. I want you to take my sister here, I'm sure she would've awakened by then."

"Hmm.. that certainly is easy however.. I have one more request regarding that."

"Spill your condition."

"I want her at Wolstice. Consider that as a little compensation. Is it a deal or no?"