Dylan’s playful demeanor vanished completely. A stern, serious expression replaced it as he looked at his brother. "What... a Talent? Those are incredibly rare, brother."
He leaned forward, the shock evident in his voice. "Even within our own lineage, they’re exceptionally rare. Only a handful have ever possessed one."
Grand Elder Rhazakar placed a hand on his chin, nodding slowly. "You are right. They do not manifest often, even in a house as prestigious as ours. We only have a few known cases."
The old man glanced around the room. "There is Helena’s Rank-A Talent, of course. And Alex possesses one at +B Rank."
Helena’s emerald eyes darkened slightly. She spoke in a quiet, chilling tone. "Do not forget that person as well."
A sudden, heavy silence fell over the observation hall. A mutual, unspoken understanding passed between the four of them. No one dared to speak the unnamed figure’s name.
Rhazakar cleared his throat, brushing aside the lingering tension. "Indeed. But returning to the youngest... if he truly awakened a Talent, there is something strange about it."
He tapped his fingers against the armrest, his brows furrowing deeply. "When a Talent manifests, the Awakening Stone always identifies it, just as it identifies the awakened person’s class. It clearly revealed his Necromancer class to everyone present."
The Grand Elder’s gaze shifted between the Duke and Helena.
"So why did it say nothing about a Talent? The stone reacted so violently on the day of his Awakening... yet it revealed nothing. Something must have gone wrong."
He looked entirely convinced of his own theory now. "Then perhaps his Talent is of an extraordinarily high rank, beyond A-Rank... maybe S-Rank, like those we’ve only heard stories about?"
A heavy silence engulfed the room. Even Helena’s eternal calm fractured for a split second, her eyes widening in sheer shock. An S-Rank Talent was the stuff of legends.
Dylan exhaled a sharp breath. He looked at the old man, his features entirely dominated by disbelief. "Elder Rhazakar, you know how difficult it is to awaken a Talent, let alone an S-Rank one. If this is true, then the youngest is truly blessed."
Duke Valzareth raised a hand, instantly killing the rising tension in the hall. His expression remained an unreadable mask. "Let us not get carried away. This is merely an assumption. We cannot be certain of anything unless the youngest confirms it himself."
He leaned forward, shifting his tone back to absolute decisiveness. "Whether it is an S-Rank Talent or something else entirely, we have a problem. We must begin the cover-up and lay down smokescreens immediately."
The Duke’s gaze hardened. "That bastard’s daughter was present at Blackthorn fortress and saw too much. It won’t be long before the report reaches him. If they connect Malric to the events in the forest, many factions will set their sights on the youngest while he is still unprepared."
Helena leaned back in her chair, speaking in her usual calm tone. "We cannot simply claim that we sent someone to intervene. Due to the wager he entered into with Morgana’s daughter, the Grand Covenant would expose our lie immediately."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle in the quiet room. "So... what about that organization? We can exploit the circulating rumors of the ’Black Reaper’ and his silver mask. We can attribute all these events entirely to them. What do you think?"
Elder Rhazakar slowly shook his head, refusing to settle for just that. "The idea is good, Helena, but mere rumors will not be enough to deflect suspicion. Anyone with a brain will dig deeper. There must be concrete, physical evidence on the ground proving another force actually intervened."
The Duke narrowed his eyes, a cunning glint appearing in them. "That damned woman owes me a favor. If I tell her to spread the narrative we want in the right circles, she will handle it."
Rhazakar tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair, speaking with absolute firmness.
"Words are not enough. Have her send one of her well-known subordinates to Blackthorn tonight. Let people see him there with their own eyes; that will give us the physical proof we need."
" In the meantime, I will personally task Orwin with handling the information leaks. We must ensure that no one looks in the youngest’s direction for now."
With everyone in agreement and each role in the plan clearly assigned, a brief silence settled over the hall. One by one, they rose from their seats, ready to set everything into motion without wasting another moment.
Suddenly, Dylan broke the silence. He cupped his chin and looked at them with a strange smile. "Wait... aren’t you forgetting something?"
Grand Elder Rhazakar and the Duke exchanged quick glances. Rhazakar furrowed his brows. "Did we miss something important? Do you have some ideas you would like to add?"
Dylan sighed helplessly. He pointed his finger directly at the darkened magical screen.
"Malric... your son, you know, the guy who’s currently passed out in the middle of the forest, bleeding to death?"
Rhazakar and Helena blinked in silence for a moment.
The Duke merely raised a single eyebrow in utter apathy. It was as if what he had just heard was trivial information. "Ah... you mean that?"
Dylan’s eyes widened at the sheer coldness of the response. The Duke merely waved a dismissive hand, not bothered in the slightest. "Why don’t you stretch some of those muscles and fetch him yourself?"
He paused, the cold indifference in his eyes sharpening into a calculating gleam.
"And while you’re at it, tell the Demoness to keep up her little charade. She needs to maintain that replica of Malric beside her a while longer. We cannot have anyone suspecting his sudden absence."
Dylan shrugged helplessly as he rose smoothly from his seat, running his fingers through his black hair to keep his immaculate appearance intact.
"Just wonderful... I finally reach the Supreme rank, and instead of spending the night celebrating with a few beautiful ladies admiring my handsome face, my first mission is to drag a half-roasted boy out of a destroyed forest!"
He adjusted his unbuttoned collar with mock despair, flashing a wide smile.
"Say goodbye to my plans."
With his next step, the space around him warped and swallowed him in absolute silence, leaving the Duke and the Elders behind as they each set out to begin their respective tasks.
*****
Author’s Note:
A huge thank you to Lauren_Squires and Pedro_Sierra_8748 for the gifts! ❤️
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