Free Web NovelChapter 112: Chapter 108: Monster and Dagger
Velin’s mind went blank for a moment.
A man...
This Kael was a man.
An absurd thought uncontrollably popped into his head.
That refined appearance, that cold temperament, and on top of that, Barrett’s talk of a past spent "cleaning up trouble."
He almost instantly made the connection as to why Kael assassinated nobles...
He suspected some vermin had made a demand along the lines of "don’t turn around."
Velin immediately banished the dangerous question from his mind. He resolved to never, ever ask it out loud.
He cleared his throat, and the stagnant air in the office began to move again.
Velin turned to Barrett and said in a business-like tone, "Barrett, your room is ready. Go get some rest. We’ll talk about your situation tomorrow."
Barrett grinned. He understood that his lord wanted to speak with Kael alone, so he nodded crisply.
"Yes, my lord."
He clapped Kael heavily on the shoulder, the force of the blow knocking a cloud of dust from his clothes.
"You and the lord have a good chat, Kael."
Barrett turned and left, his heavy footsteps fading away outside the door.
Inside the office, only Velin and the Ranger remained, along with Xiaolan, who was practically unnoticeable in the corner.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
Before Velin could speak, Kael broke the silence.
"I smell blood. Not the rot of the dead, but... fresh blood, brimming with vitality."
He stared at the potted plant, his brow furrowed slightly. "I hate this smell. It reminds me of things that grow stronger by feeding on the lives of others. Are you raising a monster?"
Velin found this interesting. ’He’s an assassin, so why does he seem so... committed to peace?’
But as a pragmatist, Velin had no interest in this kind of "tool versus humanity" debate.
He didn’t answer directly, retorting instead, "A monster? What makes something a monster? The thing itself, or the environment that created it?"
Kael’s gaze turned cold, and he didn’t respond.
Just then, Xiaolan walked in with a tea tray. Her steps were light, as if trying not to make a sound and break the tense standoff.
She didn’t dare to look up, merely placing a cup of steaming tea on the small table beside Kael.
The porcelain cup met the wood with a soft "CLICK."
Kael’s gaze was drawn to it.
A thought crossed Velin’s mind.
He wanted to see the skill of this Level 4 Ranger, but more than that, he wanted to see just how much Xiaolan had grown.
Velin looked at Kael, his tone calm. "You ask me why I’m raising a ’monster.’ Because in this world, some ’gifts’ are seen by others as a cardinal sin. They are perceived as threats, treated as heresy, and must be protected by an even greater power."
He paused, then turned to Xiaolan, his gaze softening and his voice gentler. "Xiaolan, show our guest your ’cardinal sin’."
Hearing the words "cardinal sin," Xiaolan instantly tensed up, but she obediently walked to an empty space in the center of the office.
She took a deep breath and, trembling, began to slowly bend backward.
Her movements were awkward and stiff, clearly filled with fear.
Just as her back bent to its limit, something unexpected happened.
Perhaps there was an unnoticeable puddle of water on the floor, or perhaps the misfortune inherent in her constitution had struck again.
Her foot suddenly slipped!
"Ah!"
With a short cry, she was about to take an embarrassing tumble.
But in the next instant, some instinct within that seemingly fragile body was awakened!
The body that should have fallen instead used the slipping foot as a pivot. Her hands pushed off the ground, her legs smoothly carving an incredible arc through the air, forcing an aerial flip that not only averted the fall but ended with her landing steadily in a perfect backbend.
Her long, flaxen hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the tips gently brushing the floor.
The entire sequence was as smooth and fluid as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.
You could hear a pin drop in the office.
Kael’s pupils contracted sharply.
He leaned forward instinctively, his hand already on the hilt of the shortsword at his waist—it was the instinctual reaction of meeting a worthy rival, or even a natural enemy!
He slowly rose, walked over to Xiaolan, took a worn Copper Coin from his pocket, and then let it drop from his fingers.
Xiaolan, still holding the extreme pose, was completely unaware.
But just as the Copper Coin was about to touch her cheek, the girl’s neck tilted slightly at an unbelievable speed.
Not an inch off.
The Copper Coin grazed a strand of her hair and landed on the floor with a crisp "CLINK."
Kael’s breath caught for a moment.
This was a level that couldn’t be reached through training.
This was an instinct from deep within her bloodline, an innate precognition of danger.
He slowly turned his head, looking anew at the man seated calmly behind the desk.
This time, his question was more direct, and even colder.
"This girl must have a High Tier bloodline, right? And with those perfect combat instincts... Lord Velin, are you forging a convenient tool, or acquiring an interesting collectible?"
His gaze slowly shifted from the trembling Xiaolan back to Velin. "I’ve killed nobles who also liked to collect toys. Especially the... exquisite and fragile kind."
Velin didn’t get angry at the accusation. He understood that Mr. Kael had likely had some unpleasant memories stirred up.
He responded calmly, "Xiaolan’s village was judged by the Holy Light Court to be a breeding ground for heresy. All three hundred and fourteen villagers were purged, burned to ashes by the flames of purification."
The expression on Kael’s face froze, cracks appearing in his icy demeanor.
Velin’s voice continued, each word like a small knife stabbing into Kael’s heart.
"I’m not turning her into a toy. I’m handing her a knife so that the next time a Judge comes knocking, she’ll have the power to personally chop off their head. Every drop of sweat she sheds in training is earned to buy bread for her only surviving sister."
Velin leaned forward, looking Kael straight in the eye, and asked again, word by word.
"Now, you answer my original question—what kind of world does it take... to create a ’monster’ like her?"
The room was deathly silent.
The words "Holy Light Court" were like a key, unlocking the cage of Kael’s memories.
The days of being trained, brainwashed, and hunted all came flooding back.
He looked at the girl still trembling on the floor, and his gaze changed completely.
From wary and angry, it became... pity and pain. He saw his past self in her.
When he looked up again, the iciness on his face had melted away.
"Lord Velin." For the first time, he used the honorific.
"I have one request. Grant it, and I will be your sharpest dagger."
