CHAPTER 124: [A DUKE’S MORNING]

Kael woke up late.

The kind of late that made the sun feel judgmental.

Warm light spilled through the tall windows of the church, brushing over his face as he stirred, groaning.

His muscles ached faintly from the night before—not from battle, for once—but from peace.

And maybe a little bit of snow-rolling.

Last night, after their run beneath the twin moons, he’d left Lysaria in a quiet alley near her home.

Safe.

Close enough for her to return and claim she’d escaped from her captors on her own.

She’d insisted on it—on owning her story.

And Kael, for once, didn’t argue.

Before parting, she told him something else.

She was leaving for the Empire next week.

To chase Rank 3 before the Academy trials.

Her voice had been calm, focused.

Not hopeful—determined.

Kael had smiled then, and simply said, "I’ll see you there."

And she had nodded.

No blushing. No hesitating.

Just steel in her spine.

He liked that version of her.

Now, as he sat up, he groaned again.

"Ugh... I used to wake up at 6 AM on Earth."

He swung his legs off the side of the bed, running a hand through his mess of hair.

The Duke’s manor was still under construction, which meant he, the General, and Selene were all staying at the church—much to Saintess Nyra’s dismay.

When he’d returned last night, it had been well past midnight.

And Selene... had been waiting.

Arms folded.

Food untouched.

The moment she saw him, she launched into an interrogation.

"Where were you?"

"Do you even know how late it is?"

"Why aren’t you ever predictable like a normal person?"

But before she could spiral too far, Kael had scolded her right back.

"You didn’t even eat, Selene. Again."

Their argument was loud enough to wake half the church.

At some point, tired of yelling, she simply dropped onto his lap with a huff and muttered, "You’re the worst."

He chuckled.

"You waited."

They ended up sharing the cold food between them, feeding each other with lazy annoyance and quiet fondness.

That’s when Nyra stormed in—broom in hand, eyes wild.

"I swear to the goddess, if there’s a thief—"

She paused mid-charge.

Then saw them:

Kael and Selene sitting on the floor, half-asleep, tangled together with crumbs in their hair.

Nyra groaned like she aged a decade on the spot.

"I need all of you out of my church...."

And left.

Muttering something about lunatics and divine mistakes.

Later, as they settled, Selene recounted her day—managing the Duke’s manor construction and juggling the dozen tasks Kael had dumped on her.

Kael listened, responding carefully... and very selectively.

He skillfully skipped over the entire Lysaria Chapter.

Yue, of course, called him out.

"Shameless."

He ignored her, as always.

And then, finally, he collapsed into bed.

Now, with the sun high above and the warmth seeping through the stained glass, Kael stretched, cracking his neck.

It was a new day.

And even though he was still tired, he smiled to himself.

After freshening up and slipping into his signature black robes, Kael made his way to the church’s kitchen.

Empty.

Not a soul in sight.

He leaned against the doorway, eyes scanning the quiet room.

"Looks like everyone’s busy," he muttered.

Yue floated lazily above his shoulder, arms folded behind her head.

"Not everyone gets to lounge around and flirt with fate, you know. Some of us have responsibilities."

Kael smirked. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. I’m the lazy one."

On the table, he spotted a note beside a neatly wrapped meal.

Selene’s handwriting.

He picked it up.

’Eat. And don’t skip again, you idiot.’

A small smile tugged at his lips.

She was working harder than ever—managing the Duke’s estate, overseeing logistics, and apparently bossing him around remotely.

The Divine General, too, had taken initiative—beginning the recruitment and training of local civilians for a standing army.

Things were moving.

Progress was happening.

Kael sat down quietly and began eating, savoring the warmth of the food in the otherwise still morning.

"Hey," Yue said suddenly, floating down to eye level.

"Didn’t you say you were supposed to meet that girl today?"

Kael nodded between bites.

"Mhm. Should be interesting. Might be even more fun if the Duchess shows up."

Yue froze midair, staring at him like he’d grown horns.

"You’re impossible," she said flatly. "She’s way older than you!"

Kael tilted his head, utterly unfazed.

"So are you."

Yue blinked.

Kael shrugged, deadpan.

"And yet... here we are."

Her eyes widened, a slow flush rising to her cheeks.

"Y-You bastard," she stammered. "What are you even saying!?"

Kael just smiled.

A little too innocently.

She covered her face and floated upward again, mumbling curses.

He continued eating in peace.

Breakfast always tasted better with a little chaos.

Suddenly, Kael remembered—he hadn’t checked the system since completing his mission.

With a thought, the familiar blue screen snapped open before his eyes.

###

Ding!

[Conqueror’s System]

[Name: Kaelion Drenlor.]

[Rank: 2]

[Title: Certified Treacherous Bastard, Veiled Serpent Member]

[Race: Human]

[Affiliation: House Drenlor (Kingdom of Velmora)]

[Rank: Noble – Duke of Velmora (Western Province)]

[Talents : Horse Riding: (D), Swimming: (E), Swordsmanship: (C) Mana Control: (SSS)]

[Spells:—

(Rank-1)

Moon Blade , Amplification

(Rank-2)

Arcanum Vortex, Mana Dome, Hollowrush]

[Relics: Dreamweaver(Soul-Bound ), Nortic Mask (Rank 8)]

[Familiar Spirit: Yue]

[Familiar Beast: #### (Rank-2)]

[Curse: Godbreaker’s Mark]

###

[Congratulations, Host. Primary Mission Completed]

[Reward Granted: Rank 4 Spell – Crimson Veil]

###

A soft hum echoed in Kael’s mind, and at the same moment, a subtle weight shifted inside his spatial ring.

He reached in and pulled it out—a crimson scroll, sealed with dark silver bindings that pulsed faintly with restrained magic.

Yue noticed immediately.

She hovered closer, eyes narrowing. "What’s that?"

Kael didn’t answer.

He just opened the scroll and began to read.

"...Wait," Yue’s eyes widened. "Is that... is that a Rank 4 spell?!"

Still silent, Kael continued reading, face unreadable.

Yue stared at him, waiting.

But after a beat of silence, she exhaled, understanding dawning.

"...You’re not going to tell me, huh?"

Kael gave the faintest shrug.

A wordless agreement passed between them—soft, but solid.

Both had secrets.

Both had pasts.

And not everything needed to be spoken aloud.

Yue nodded slowly.

"Fine.

But that spell... it looks incredible."

Kael finally responded, his voice low.

"It is."

From his understanding, Crimson Veil was a rare soul-bound combat spell, even among Rank 4 magic.

Once activated, it would summon a dome of blood-forged mana, locking both the caster and their target inside.

No escape.

No outside interference.

Just kill... or be killed.