The atmosphere in the room was light, relaxed, and surprisingly cheerful. It had been a long time since Selene had experienced moments of relaxation without being bound by the rules of etiquette and decorum required of those in the highest echelons of power. But here, with Lesley and Rose, she felt at ease, strangely comforted, even though she knew things wouldn't stay this way for long.
It was Lesley who broke the silence, judging it was time to dive into the discussion.
"Ahem..." Lesley cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the two women in the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but we still have more complicated matters to discuss." A serious and worried look crossed her face.
"Rumors about the activation of the royal consort tower are already spreading among the families. The buzz is still contained because Glenn hasn't woken up since his Awakening. But soon, it will be impossible to contain the flames of gossip," she said with concern.
Rose's eyebrows furrowed, a slight look of disgust on her face.
"The moths will soon throw themselves into the fire of the lanterns," she said poetically.
"Yes, some families will clearly show discontent with the chosen one. While others will do everything to kill him," Lesley added.
"All to prevent power from being diluted by the rise of a new authority figure," Rose concluded.
"Besides, you've seen how special Glenn's condition is," Lesley said, her mind wandering as she recalled the scenes from Glenn's Awakening. "Not only did he awaken as a Warlord, but he also has the anomaly of his two innate cores," she finished.
"Interesting little boy," Rose said in a sensual voice.
A brief contemplative silence filled the room but was soon broken by the queen's firm words.
"We already knew we'd have problems. Don't worry about the noble families of the kingdom—leave them to me," Selene said rigidly.
"What about the fact that he's a Warlord and has two innate cores? We can keep it a secret for a while, but it's bound to leak," Lesley asked.
"For now, it's not a major concern," Selene replied, pensively bringing her hands to her chin. "The mark I placed on him will be more than enough to hide him from anyone below the transcendent realm."
"A beautiful mark, I must say," Rose replied sarcastically. "You never cease to amaze me, my dear."
Ignoring Rose's unwanted undertones, the queen continued.
"As for the future, I have an idea forming in my mind. All we have to do is shift the lens of perception. Alter the facts that would otherwise be problematic for our forces," Selene argued, showing an enigmatic smile. "All you need to worry about is making sure he grows quickly. Beyond the geniuses of the other families, his progress must be compared to that of the Lords," Selene stated.
"What was his previous background? How did someone with such exceptional latent talent go unnoticed by the empire?" Rose asked.
"Normal background, below average. Former member of the Carborex family, with no mention of genius or latent talent," Lesley replied. "But something changed. Something happened during his time as a slave in the mines."
A strange light gleamed in Rose's eyes as she absorbed all the information Lesley conveyed.
"What about the magic instructor?" Lesley asked. "Before, I was confident that no matter his innate inclination, I would be more than qualified to teach him. But now, teaching him magic would just be a waste of talent."
"Don't worry. I've reached out to an old acquaintance. He doesn't show himself much these days, preferring to stay buried in his own affairs, but with the slight peculiarities mentioned in the letter I sent, I'm sure he'll come," Selene said with a neutral expression, her thoughts flying in her imagination. "If I know him well, he should be here by next week at the latest."
"Oh... Someone I know?" Rose questioned.
A brief exchange of glances occurred between her and Selene, who didn't give her an answer, making the choice of the magic instructor even more mysterious.
"Twelve minutes absorbing prana and eighteen absorbing mana. This sounds like a story straight out of ancient tales," Rose said. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd never believe it," she added with a malicious look and a smile on her lips. Her mouth opened slightly, and the tip of her tongue slowly slid across her upper lip from one corner to the other, then traced her lower lip, deliberately sensual. "Let's see what other surprises he has in store for us," Rose concluded.
That night, a dream invaded me for the first time—a cold, insidious nightmare. The hospital bed, the agony of the disease consuming my body, the distressed faces of my parents—everything blended into a cacophony of pain and despair. I, powerless, watched my life slip away with every breath, every heartbeat. Their faces were blurred, their mouths opened, but I heard no sound. They held my hand, but I felt no warmth from their touch. A cold, deathly sensation took over my body. I felt a cold liquid running down my face, and no matter how bravely I fought, my eyes were slowly closing, and then darkness.
Startled, I woke from that insidious nightmare. My body was drenched in sweat, my heart raced, my breathing was ragged, and my vision struggled to regain focus. Slowly, the feeling of dread dissipated from my body, and I finally returned to my senses. Clarity invaded my mind.
The first thing I did was assess my condition. I still remembered the traumatic event of my Awakening.
'Well, I'm still alive.'
An energy pulsed in my veins, a power that was once just a glimpse now flowed freely through my entire being. I felt the results of the first level of body reconstruction—new blood vessels.
The change wasn't limited to the inside. My body, once marked by scars from the intense torture in the mines, was different. The marks of old wounds had almost completely disappeared, as if time had rewound to erase the memories of pain. My muscles were still completely tense, unaccustomed to the abrupt changes. I felt stiffness in my shoulders and a slight twinge of pain in my neck.
Overall, the sensation was one of rebirth. I slowly got up, wrapping a sheet around my waist.
'This is starting to become a habit,' I thought sarcastically. I walked slowly to the mirror, and the image surprised me.
I can't say for sure, as most of my time in this world had been spent without worrying about my appearance, but now I could observe up close everything I was.
My body remained slender, but the lines of definition in my shoulders, chest, abdomen, and legs were visible. My yellow eyes now shone intensely with a vivid gold, a majestic black horn rose from my head, and subtle pointed ears contrasted with my black hair, which had grown to just below my shoulders. My face was handsome, my expressions betraying that I hadn't been on vacation all this time. They were rigid and conveyed an air of defiance.
I snapped out of my reverie when the smell of food invaded my nostrils. Looking at the table a few meters from the balcony door, which was now closed, indicating it was night, I slowly approached. A gentle steam rose from the table, as if the food had been prepared just minutes ago.
I looked around the room and saw no sign of Lesley. My stomach growled, and I realized I was starving, a void consuming me from within.
'Whatever,' I shrugged, preparing to eat. But before I could sit down and feast on the delicacies laid out on the table, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.
A beautiful demoness, dressed in maid's attire, emerged from the bathroom.
"Haa... The young master has awakened," she said warmly and delicately.