novelraw Chapter 114: Formal gathering
Chapter 114: Formal gathering
The next day, Kyle could be seen sweating a lot as he remained standing while holding the Aquilla.
Ever since Blake handed him the warehouse, his routine has shifted. He no longer felt the need to join a gym when he had this place all for him.
Joining a public gym would only lead him to either hide his strength or get his videos uploaded online. So yes, this was much better.
With the university closed for another week after all that chaos, he had plenty of time to make use of.
Just like now.
SHLINK
The arrow shot from the bow, flying straight toward the wall nearly two hundred meters from the entrance.
The bow didn’t waver, nor did the trajectory shift. Kyle had enough strength to shoot it with enough force to prevent any waver.
Ting
The arrow struck the wall, leaving no visible damage. That had never been the point.
A silvery dome burst from the point of impact, spreading nearly ten meters along the wall. Within that range, the magic-powered training dolls went still all at once.
WarHorse: [That seems incredible, yet very limited.]
Ethara: [You are doing well, Kyle. You chose to maximize the effect instead of extending the range.]
Myuri: [My husband is so cool (｡♡‿♡｡)]
SnakeQueen: [That’s disappointing.]
"..." He found himself agreeing with what SnakeQueen had said. He was disappointed in himself, if he was being honest.
Unlike what Ethara believed, he had spent the past few hours trying to expand the area of effect. Yet every time he pushed beyond a certain point, the gauntlet would warn him.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Kyle leaned against the entrance, his head lowered. What was he doing wrong?
Then a thought surfaced.
"When can I see Aleda, WarHorse?"
WarHorse: [You can see her anytime, Kyle. I have already assigned her to you. However, to enter that space, you must complete a task for me.]
Myuri: [Rot in hell for making even your friend pay for a simple request.]
WarHorse: [...hard-earned rewards feel far better than hollow favors. I am sure Kyle agrees with me.]
Kyle gave a small nod, though he wasn’t certain he truly agreed. Still, if he did something for WarHorse, it might ease the weight of feeling indebted.
WarHorse: [There is someone who has received my blessing and has been wreaking havoc for quite some time. I want you to extract the essence of divinity from them.]
Ethara: [XXXXX, are you even thinking straight? Why are you forcing Kyle into something so dangerous?]
Myuri: [Fu**king bas*ard, have you lost your mind? Is this some kind of scheme because XXXXX has taken an interest in him?]
Kyle was taken aback. "No, wait a minute. WarHorse, you can bless someone else as well?"
WarHorse: [Yes, Kyle. But not in the way we support you. There are rituals meant to impress us, and when someone fulfills the requirements, we are compelled to share a fragment of our essence with them.]
"Then... wouldn’t they already be very strong?"
Myuri: [That’s right! You don’t have to listen to him. Wait, I’ll have someone take care of it for you, Kyle.]
WarHorse: [Not necessarily, Kyle. A blessing does not make you invincible. Without a steady mind and determination to shape that power, you are nothing more than a child holding a flashy toy.]
"...was that a jab at me?"
Ethara: [It’s decided. Prepare yourself, XXXX.]
Myuri: [...you’re dead. You are dead.]
WarHorse: [No, no! I swear, I didn’t mean you. If anything, I appreciate how wisely you use our gifts. I’m referring to someone who has been unstoppable since receiving my essence and has been abusing it to do as they please.]
Kyle let out a quiet sigh. He could only hope WarHorse wasn’t backtracking out of fear of the other two.
Shaking his head, he said, "Tell me who they are, and I’ll see what I can do."
He needed Aleda’s guidance more than ever. She was the only one he could speak to freely about his powers.
Still, after everything that happened during the trip, he had no desire to get dragged into a loud, attention-drawing battle.
For now, he needed to stay low, just as Veronica had advised.
WarHorse: [Ah, don’t worry about it. You’ll meet her soon.]
Kyle frowned as he read those words.
Her?
Who?
....
After returning home, he took a long bath, scrubbing every inch of his body before stepping out to prepare breakfast.
As he worked, he made a call.
{Yeah?}
Blake answered from the other end, his voice still heavy with sleep.
Kyle’s brows lifted as he glanced at the clock. "Why are you still in bed at eight?"
{Who is it?}
A second voice came through, softer, drowsy, and unmistakably feminine.
Kyle then heard hurried rustling followed by quick footsteps.
"Heh~ Was that Corella just now? What are you two doing in the same bed this early?"
{What do you want? Just say it already.}
Kyle chuckled. So it had finally happened. His brother had accepted Corella into his life.
He felt genuinely happy for her. He had seen how devoted she had always been to Blake, always looking after him even when Blake never gave her any special attention.
"Ah, I was wondering, are you going to the Mayliths’ today?"
{Hmm? I did hear about an invitation from my secretary, but I’m not sure if I’ll go.}
"If you’re not busy, will you come with me? I mean, I can’t go there alone, can I?"
{Why not? You’re a child of Astortia, and you’re old enough to handle yourself at gatherings like this.}
Kyle paused, then scratched the back of his head. He had never attended a formal gathering alone before. Would he really be fine?
{If you’re unsure, I’ll send my secretary with the gifts. Just make sure you greet the hosts yourself. She’ll only be there to help you with names.}
"...understood. I won’t embarrass myself."
{I know you won’t.}
With that, the call ended.
Kyle let out a breath. This wouldn’t be easy, but Blake was right. He couldn’t avoid formal gatherings forever. And this was a good chance to leave an impression on the Maylith Patriarch.
He lowered the flame, letting the eggs finish cooking in the residual heat, then walked over to the closet.
Click
Inside, a single proper suit hung on the left.
He took it out and muttered, "I hope this still fits." He didn’t own many formal outfits. Most of them were still back at the mansion. But he wasn’t going back there just to retrieve them, not when it would reveal his intentions to his parents.
He had a strong feeling his father would reject the idea outright.
So this would have to do.
"Still, I should pick a gift myself." Blake had said his secretary would handle it, but something chosen personally would carry more weight.
He already knew what her father would appreciate. Kyle had spent enough time around Amanda to be certain.
With that in mind, he finished breakfast, planning to head out and shop.
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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a review. It will help, truly.