’These gifted students... I don’t remember them ever being in the same House in the original timeline.’
His gaze circled around them as he suppressed the chuckle that was about to escape his lips.
’Ah, truly a heavenly opportunity. I was searching for some reliable slav–ahem-I mean subordinates, and here they were, waiting for me.’
Sylfaen stood up first. "So... you’re the crown prince," she said, tone neutral, but edged with challenge. "I suppose we’ll be working together. I hope your abilities match your title."
Cassian met her gaze calmly. "Curious are we?"
He smiled, thinking of the easiest way to grab their attention early. He pondered briefly before leaking a bit of his presence around her.
After experiencing countless battles with terrifying beings in the Mourneshade forest, he had naturally gained a deeper understanding of his presence and learned a way to consolidate it physically, albeit too weak to pressurize any true masters. It was more than enough for these children.
In this world, presence was quite important as it dictated a person’s capability. It had countless wondrous features too, making it the prime desire for all those talented individuals.
’Presence’ is an accumulating thing that slowly develops over time or through walking on a thin line between life and death. Those life-and-death battles had added quite a bit of points to his presence.
His presence–lethal and mixed with subtle killing intent enveloped Sylfean, causing her to step back instinctively.
’Huh?!’ Her eyes widened briefly under the pressure. ’A presence! How?!’
She gasped, struggling to stand up before him.
Coming from an influential background, she too understood the concept of presence. But, she was too green and immature to comprehend it yet.
Meanwhile, the fox-eared kid instantly sharpened his gaze and stared at him, a wide smile stretching across his face.
Raising his hand, he clasped them together, gaining the attention of his fellow housemates.
"A fellow warrior–and quite powerful too." He grinned, scrutinizing Cassian’s presence with his beast-like slitted bronze eyes.
There was a difference between a sheltered noble and a rogue adventurer. Their presence was vastly different, and Riven instantly found Cassian more appealing among these arrogant nobles.
’He seeks adventures.’ His cunning eyes curved faintly under the silvery light.
Riven snickered. ’Oooh, I like him already.’
"Now now, we should start with our introduction first." He suggested, straightening his back.
Raising his hands high up in the air, He continued, "I am the Great Thief of the Beastly Wilderness, the Kyubi of Masterful Deception." He bowed slightly at Cassian and introduced himself, "Greetings, Heir of Luminaire. I am THE Riven Thorne, a fellow thrill seeker and adventurer from the Tailed Fox Lineage."
With a prideful gleam and an unnatural arrogance, he introduced himself, expecting a series of gasps and bewilderment.
His words fell down, causing a short silence throughout the room.
"Tailed Fox Lineage?"
Mira, the half-dwarf who was immersed in her reading, was the first to break the silence. "Those deceitful beings from the Beast Garden? How befitting of them to appear here." Her words elicited chuckles across the room.
Tailed Fox lineage had quite a unique reputation around the world.
Cassian side-glanced at Riven, expecting him to get offended by her words.
"How heartless of you to curse me right in my face, Beautiful lady." Riven displayed a hurtful expression, clutching his heart tightly with his right hand. He stretched his other hand toward her and asked," Am I that ugly in front of you?"
His words sounding utterly sincere and truthful.
’This kid is pretty good.’ Cassian thought, watching the ongoing show with an interested look on his face. His understanding of other people’s nature seemed quite high.
Sylfaen simply rolled her eyes and gazed at him, ’My elders warned me to never engage too much with those from Tailed Fox Lineage, and it seemed they were right. This bastard’s acting is terrifying.’
Just a while ago, he was acting all haughty and prideful against that crown prince, and now suddenly, he started flirting with that dwarf girl. Was he that brave or simply stupid?
Meanwhile, Mira simply peeked up briefly, gave a small nod at everyone present, and returned to her book. Ignoring Riven’s remarks completely with an uninterested look.
Cassian suppressed the desire to laugh at the unexpected rejection.
’She sure knows them well.’
"Greetings, Heir of Luminaire."
Suddenly, the pupil-less youth, who was acting the most inconspicuously within the room, stood up and nodded slightly at him. "I’m Ivris Astavir of the Devil-Child."
His introduction too gained a lot of looks–but this time, it was a look of curiosity and caution.
Riven perked up his fox ears and displayed a solemn expression, maintaining a subtle distance from Ivris.
"I’m Cassian Von Luminaire. It’s an honor to meet a Devil-Child. " Cassian replied, amused by the fellow’s introduction. Get full chapters from novelꞁire.net
Devil-Child was a title as well as the status given within the daemon clan for those blessed individuals born with a Devil’s blessing, aka a dysmorphic body.
"I was quite curious about you before." He replied, lifting his pupil-less eyes to stare at Cassian calmly. "Are you blessed?"
"Interesting." Cassian smiled, "What do you mean by that? I could say I’m blessed, being born with a golden spoon, caring parents, and a powerful bloodline."
"I mean something else, and I know that look. You perfectly understood my words." His indifferent voice came from the front, filled with confidence.
Others wore a confused look on their face while Cassian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He understood what ’blessed’ means, and that’s why he was even more disturbed by the thought that someone life him knew about those existences.
’It seems their research runs deeper than I imagined it to be.’
"Hmm...Those eyes of yours...It’s quite disturbing."
His voice sounded a bit low and threatening. The room suddenly became tense as both Ivris and Cassian scrutinized each other openly, releasing their presence.
Others became equally alert and took their defensive stance, holding their weapons in their arms.
Sylfaen activated her starseed, creating a domain of fierce wind around herself. Her luscious long hair flowed softly with utmost grace, matching the wind’s fierceness.
Cold sweat formed on Riven’s face as he prepared to transform into his beastly form.
knock–!
A polite knock echoed through the central table–a new presence erupting from within and clashing with theirs.