From Trash to Lord of Thunder: The Rise of the Cursed Extra-Chapter 68: The Warning

Kaira breezed out of the clan’s kitchen, balancing two steaming plates in her hands, humming a soft tune.

The rich aroma of the meat stew with mountain tubers and spices was so mouthwatering it made her stomach let out a grrrumble. The heat from the ceramic plates warmed her palms, even through the cloth she used to hold them.

The clan’s hallways were busier now, with apprentices darting back and forth, murmuring about this or that.

Kaira deftly sidestepped a pair of servants carrying baskets of laundry, keeping the plates steady.

’This smells amazing,’ she thought, grinning. ’Hope Rian likes it.’

She was about to turn down the hallway leading to the rooms when a tall figure stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Kaira stopped short, her heart doing a quick th-thump, and looked up to see Kain, Rian’s stepbrother.

His black tunic was pristine, and his dark eyes studied her with a mix of curiosity and puzzlement. He stared at the two plates for a few seconds, silent, before finally speaking.

"Kaira?" Kain said, crossing his arms. "What’s the deal? Why’re you hauling all that food?"

Kaira blinked, adjusting the plates to avoid spilling the stew.

"’Cause I’m hungry," she replied lightly, forcing a smile. "Why do you ask?"

Kain tilted his chin toward the plates.

"That’s two big portions," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You really gonna eat all that by yourself?"

Kaira felt her cheeks heat up.

She hadn’t expected to run into Kain, let alone have him question her lunch.

Knowing Kain and Rian’s rocky relationship, she wasn’t about to admit one of the plates was for Rian.

"Uh... well," Kaira said, scratching the back of her neck with one hand while balancing the plates with the other. "I’m starting some intense training, you know? Need more fuel, so... I’m eating extra."

Kain studied her for a moment, as if weighing whether to buy her excuse. Then he let out a low "Hmph" and smirked, clearly amused.

"Wow," he said, uncrossing his arms. "That’s dedication. Good luck, Kaira. Train hard, and you’ll be Grand Master in no time."

Kaira nodded, relieved he didn’t push further.

"Thanks," she said, her smile more genuine now. "You too, Kain. Good luck with your training."

She tried to move past him, stepping to the side, but before she could get far, Kain raised a hand, stopping her.

"Hang on," he said, his tone turning serious. "A word of advice: steer clear of Rian. He’s not someone you should be hanging around."

Kaira blinked, caught off guard by the comment.

Her first instinct was to defend Rian, but she knew that could make her look suspicious.

Instead, she played it cool.

"Got it," she said, shrugging with a neutral expression. "Thanks for the tip."

Without waiting for a reply, she spun on her heels and hurried off, picking up her pace to put distance between them.

’What was that about?’ Kaira thought, frowning as she moved down the hall. ’Kain really has it out for Rian. But I’m not letting him tell me who I can or can’t talk to.’

A few minutes later, Kaira reached Rian’s room, still clutching the plates. She nudged the door open with her shoulder—creeeak—careful not to spill the stew.

"Rian!" she called, her voice bright. "Food’s here!"

Charles was in the middle of the room, doing one-handed push-ups, his face slick with sweat and his black tunic clinging to his body.

When he saw her, he stopped, propping himself up on the floor with a tired grin.

"Welcome back!" he said, panting. "Perfect timing. I’m starving."

Kaira kicked the door shut with a thud and set the plates on the small table, which barely had room for both.

But as she glanced around, she noticed a problem: there was only one chair.

"Uh..." Kaira said, scratching the back of her neck. "There’s just one chair... No big deal, I’ll eat on the floor."

Charles, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve, shook his head.

"No way," he said, walking over to the table. "You brought the food. Take the chair. I’m fine on the floor."

Kaira frowned, crossing her arms.

"It’s your room," she protested. "I’m not letting you eat on the floor."

Charles let out a laugh, grabbing one of the plates.

"Well, since it’s my room, I order you to take the chair," he said, his tone playful. Without waiting for a reply, he plopped down cross-legged on the floor, balancing the plate on his knees. "There. Problem solved."

Kaira stared at him, incredulous, but then sighed and grabbed her plate, sitting on the floor across from him.

"You’re stubborn," she said, settling her plate on her lap. "But fine. This way we’re even."

’This girl...’ Charles thought, smiling as he scooped up a spoonful of stew.

The flavor caught him off guard: the meat was tender, the potatoes and carrots perfectly cooked, and the spicy sauce had a kick of herbs that made every bite delicious.

"This is amazing," Charles said, mouth half-full. "Did you make this too?"

Kaira grinned, clearly proud.

"Yup," she said, taking a bite. "It’s easy to whip up."

Charles nodded, impressed.

"You’ve got skills," he said, pointing at her with his spoon. "You could make a living cooking instead of fighting."

Kaira laughed, nearly choking on her food.

"Cooking?" she said, shaking her head. "That’s not how it works here. I’d rather fight and climb the ranks than spend all day in the kitchen."

’So cooks don’t get much respect around here...’ Charles thought.

"By the way," he said, keeping his tone casual. "What’s money even for in the clan? Dren owes me a pouch from a duel, but I’ve got no clue what I can buy with it."

Kaira swallowed her bite, thinking it over.

"Money’s for the clan market," she explained. "They sell all sorts of stuff, but what you can buy depends on your rank."

Charles frowned, confused.

"Rank?" he said. "How different is what someone like me can buy compared to, say, a Master?"

Kaira smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"It’s a huge gap," she said. "Low-ranks, like servants or apprentices, can only get basic stuff: extra food, plain clothes, maybe some cheap healing herbs. Masters get access to cooler things, like enchanted weapons or potions that boost your strength for a bit. And Grand Masters... they can buy rare stuff, like items brought in from outside the clan."

Charles let out a low whistle, impressed. freeweɓnovel.cøm

"Sounds like an elitist setup," he said, taking another bite. "So if I want the good stuff, I gotta climb the ranks."

"Exactly," Kaira said, pointing at him with her spoon. "That’s why everyone trains like crazy. Higher rank means more power, more respect, and better resources."

Charles nodded, processing the info as Kaira watched him with a curious smile.

"Wanna hit the market?" she asked, leaning forward. "We could check it out."

Charles blinked, surprised by the offer.

"For real?" he said, grinning. "I’m in. But let’s finish this first. This stew’s too good to let it go cold."

Kaira laughed, diving back into her plate.

"Deal," she said. "But brace yourself—the market’s... intense."