Chapter 132 – Raven & Cassius

Meanwhile, breakfast inside the Hood Palace started in a way that was more awkward than anything Cassius could have expected.

They sat around the dining table inside the hall, with a plethora of food and drink prepared with care by the Hood’s cooks, their aroma gently cloaking the air. Yet the tense atmosphere of the room — filled with an undercurrent of tensions most would not know the origin of — nearly wafted that delectable scent away entirely.

To begin with, Raven Hood was in a terrible, stinking mood. The Prince’s face was always hard and serious, but that morning everyone in the room could feel there was something more to it.

He was angry. Angry in a way Anesthesia had never seen him be. Even when the matters with Emrys had been laid bare by Cassius, Raven had been at most annoyed and disappointed in her.

So what had happened to provoke the Prince this much?

No answer came to her mind, and the look on Raven’s face clearly did not welcome idle talk, let alone questions.

So Anesthesia decided to stay silent and focus on her own breakfast: a cup of milk, three boiled eggs and a slice of bread smeared with honey.

The Chosen Heiress didn’t bother to acknowledge Cassius and Isolde sitting across from them, enjoying her food with obvious ease.

Watching her eat, Cassius couldn’t stop his lips from twitching.

’She eats just like Isolde.’ He thought, only to feel a hard, piercing gaze settle on him immediately. He didn’t need to look to know who it came from.

It almost seemed as though Isolde had heard his thoughts. Or perhaps she, more than anyone, was aware of those similarities with her sister, and had guessed he would notice them too.

Wisely, Cassius did not return her gaze, acting as if he had noticed nothing, and shifted his attention to his uncle instead.

Anesthesia and Isolde might not know why the Prince was in such a state, but Cassius already had a fairly good guess. And he almost smiled.

’It’s time, I suppose.’ He mused inwardly, then turned to his breakfast. ’Before I return to Desde City, at least this much needs to be done.’

And considering he had arranged a meeting with Meadow for the following Saturday — hoping to have one more item beyond the Beauty Potion to offer the Company at its official launch — he had five days left.

After those thoughts, Cassius decided to simply enjoy his food and not bother being the one to break the silence. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Breakfast went quickly.

In no time, Cassius finished, just as Raven pushed away from the table, having barely touched his food. Without warning, Cassius rose from his seat, his eyes fixed on his uncle.

"Do you mind a short talk, uncle?" He inquired. "At the training ground, if you prefer. I have a few new things to show you."

Anesthesia’s head jerked up instantly, her piercing purple eyes landing on Cassius. Without hiding it in the slightest, she looked at him with open suspicion and a hint of irritation, as though his very existence and voice irked her to no end.

The Last Born ignored her completely.

"Training, huh." Raven muttered, nodding slowly. He pushed back his chair and stood. "I accept. I had planned to train later in any case. Might as well do it now."

"My Prince." Anesthesia immediately chimed in, frowning. "You promised me a full day with only the two of us today. A full day before you began your training."

"Don’t worry, sister-in-law." Cassius replied before Raven could. "I won’t take more than one hour of his time. Only one. You don’t mind that, do you?"

"I actually do mind."

"Will you die or something?"

"I have simply planned everything in my head." Anesthesia said, her voice carrying a clipped annoyance. "And one hour can throw off my entire day."

"Don’t look at it that way." Cassius gestured toward Isolde, who was eating without a care in the world. "I am giving you one hour to have a proper talk with your sister. Isn’t that better?"

Instantly, both sisters shuddered, their hard eyes fixing on Cassius with an intensity that only made his smile widen.

"From those looks I can only assume you are both delighted by this arrangement. Wonderful. Enjoy some family time then, yes? And besides, this would be the perfect opportunity to get back the ring you lost, Anesthesia."

"Huh?"

Cassius nudged Isolde. "My wife has it, after all."

With that, he turned his attention back to Raven, whose mind seemed to be on an entirely different plane of existence.

"Shall we, uncle?"

Raven blinked a couple of times — the movement strangely stiff — then nodded. "Yes."

Without further hesitation the two left the dining room, leaving behind two sisters staring at each other.

Somehow, the tension in the room increased even further.

...

Three minutes of walking was all it took for Cassius and Raven to reach the training ground. Raven’s personal one, situated just beside Esmeray’s.

Inside, the space was wide enough to hold five carriages lined up side by side. Like everything concerning the Hood, the room was painted in black and red, with the symbol of the Hood — the Scythe — proudly displayed on both the floor and the ceiling.

A rack of weapons stood along one wall, most of them being different variations of the scythe. Beside that rack was a large puppet made of silver and red-gold steel, holding a jagged greatsword in each hand.

Cassius only needed a glance at it to sense power equivalent to the Imbued rank emanating from it. And that was without it even being activated.

He gave a soft, impressed whistle.

It must have cost a significant sum to commission something at that level, especially knowing that those who walked the Architect Path were typically eccentric and difficult to deal with.

’I think I need one too.’ He thought. ’An Apothecary as well, along the way.’

For a Sect, having people at those Paths meant saving enormous amounts of money and time, no longer needing to hunt for materials or find someone willing to accept a request.

Very beneficial.

"Now," Raven began, his usual stern red eyes settling on Cassius. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Straight to the point. Fine by me." Cassius replied. "I ask your forgiveness in advance if I overstep. But it’s related to your relationship with Anesthesia."

Raven frowned immediately. "You would be overstepping, indeed, Cassius." He said. "And you have been doing so for a while now. I stayed silent all this time — and sometimes even played along with your games — but that did not mean I enjoyed your constant meddling in my affairs."

"All my actions were to help you."

"That’s a lie." Raven said flatly, tilting his head. "I know you have a personal vendetta against Anesthesia. And I know, Cassius, that it is mostly related to your wife. I allowed you to do as you wished because your actions benefited me in some way. So..."

His red eyes hardened and began to glow with a deathly light.

"Don’t bother with lies. I am no fool."

"You have said it yourself." Cassius retorted. "All my actions until now, even when my primary intention was not to help you, ended up helping you all the same. You say you are no fool, uncle. I agree. But then that also means you have noticed the strained relationship between Anesthesia and Emrys."

He smiled. "A relationship you already knew was more than a childhood friendship, even before I pointed it out to you."

"What is your point?" Raven said, ignoring the last remark.

Cassius shrugged. "My point is that right now is the perfect moment to make sure Anesthesia grows closer to you. Much closer, even."

"You..." The Prince’s face filled with open suspicion. "You are trying to help me win Anesthesia over?"

"Aye."

"Why?"

"Because it benefits me." Cassius replied honestly. "I don’t want Emrys and Anesthesia together."

’They are far too dangerous as a pair.’ He added inwardly. ’Anesthesia’s Second Skill will give her the ability to enhance others with Resonance, not just herself. And when she enhances Emrys...’

He left the rest of that thought unfinished. He hated to admit it, but Emrys and Anesthesia were the most dangerous duo in the entire first run of the game.

He would never fight them together head-on if he could help it.

Raven, meanwhile, was considering Cassius’s words. Had it been anyone else making this proposal, they would already have been reduced to dust or dismissed without a second thought.

But Cassius was family. And he was a shrewd man — that much Raven had come to understand about his nephew.

Added to the level of strength he had witnessed during the Royal Event, having Cassius’s assistance didn’t seem like a poor idea.

And besides...

’I need to clear my head regardless.’ He mused, then nodded. "I’m listening."

Cassius smiled widely and clapped his hands. "Perfect, uncle." He said, then with a grin, "Now I want you to listen without interrupting, alright?"

Seeing the Prince nod in acknowledgement, he continued.

"As I was saying, the relationship between Emrys and Anesthesia is strained at this point. Strained enough that Emrys will likely not give her much attention, especially after our last battle. He will almost certainly be focused on training for the Academy now that he knows the level of threat I pose to him. That is simply how he is."

He paused, making sure Raven was following, then continued. "And you know Anesthesia with her cold mind and her calculating heart. She stays close to you only because you are useful to her. So let me tell you directly what she wants: she wants your support inside the Deathless Crusaders."

Raven’s eyes widened at those words, and something clicked for him immediately. "Is that why?" He asked. "Is that why you provoked Jonathan of Grace and pinned the blame on Anesthesia?"

"Aye." Cassius smiled. "Anesthesia would have gone to him if you remained difficult to work with. But now that road is closed. And Jonathan is the petty, unforgiving type: he loathes humiliation. He will certainly come for Anesthesia..." he drawled, then shrugged, "...and maybe for you too, actually."

"And for you?" Raven asked.

"He can try." Cassius shrugged. "All of that is to say — you are now her easiest and most reliable path to entering the Deathless Crusaders under a master, while also securing the support of both the Royal Family and the Crusaders. In other words..."

"...I have an advantage." Raven concluded.

"You do." Cassius nodded. "And you are not using it correctly, unfortunately. She needs you, uncle. And you are giving her whatever she wants with minimal resistance. That will not do. That absolutely will not do. So here is what I want you to do."

Cassius smiled coldly. "Ignore her."

Dead silence. Then...

"What?" Raven erupted.

"I said ignore her." Cassius repeated. "Ignore her messages, her calls, refuse to see her and focus entirely on your training. We have one month until the Academy, uncle. And not to be harsh — but Emrys can beat you without ever drawing his sword."

He shook his head. "That will not do. You are the Prince. We cannot have you this weak and unfocused. So ignore her. Don’t be afraid of her drifting away, you are her only solid pillar inside this House. Only you. I am certain she has come to lean on your presence just to feel safer amid the Hood. So ignore her, but you may send her one message per week. Only one. And never agree to see her in person. If she comes to you, you are busy. Understood?"

Cassius stopped, looking at him steadily. "Do you understand, or do I need to repeat myself?"

Raven’s face was difficult to read. He could see the logic in Cassius’s words, but he didn’t trust himself to stay that far from Anesthesia for that long.

Because just as she needed him, he needed her. In a stronger and far more obsessive way.

He couldn’t ignore her.

And Cassius could see that. He had even anticipated it. And had already planned for it.

Something he hoped would work.

"Only until the Academy Entrance Test, one month." Cassius looked at him steadily. "Don’t tell me you can’t manage that for one month? And in the meantime, uncle, you can still enjoy a woman’s company. I am not asking you to take a vow of abstinence."

Cassius smiled with obvious mischief, then...

"If I have heard correctly — and certainly seen enough — you have quite the beautiful maid taking care of you."

Raven’s eyes widened, and Cassius continued.

"In this one month, perhaps she can... soothe enough of your ache and help you bear the weight of being apart from Anesthesia a little more easily."

He paused, tilting his head.

"Don’t you think so, Uncle?"

—End of Chapter 132—