Chapter 50: A New Dawn
Time passed in the blink of an eye. The date of the Aethel Academy’s enrollment was already drawing near.
Lucien had returned to the castle with Seraphina, who was visibly surprised by his actions; he had chosen to come back willingly, without any resistance. The entire castle seemed to exhale in relief when they saw that Lucien was safe. The Empress had practically abandoned them all for his sake, and his return brought a sense of normalcy back to the halls.
Granny Cherry didn’t come to greet him like the others, claiming she was still in closed-door cultivation. She hadn’t emerged since the last time he saw her.
Ever since his return, Lucien’s status had been elevated significantly, almost to the level of the Empress herself. His movements were no longer restricted; he could roam freely within the castle without anyone daring to question him.
The system remained unusually calm, with no new mission notifications. The remaining missions he had yet to complete carried no time limits, giving him the freedom to focus on his own growth.
And so, he had been cultivating throughout this period, not just cultivating, but actively increasing his combat power. He sparred, refined his techniques, and pushed his limits with every passing day.
However, he faced a peculiar restriction. Within just a few hours of cultivation, he would absorb all the Originat in the surrounding area, leaving nothing behind. This created two problems: first, it would inevitably raise suspicions among the castle’s inhabitants; second, it would disrupt the cultivation of others who relied on that same energy, even though it would eventually recover.
Lucien sighed at the thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips. Even his growth had become a burden to those around him.
So with this, he could only absorb for a few hours, then wait until the Originat recovered before absorbing again. This had been his routine for the past several days, carefully balancing his hunger for power with the need to remain undetected.
And for his strength now...
The early morning sun rays shone through the windows, casting a golden glow across the room.
Lucien drowsily opened his eyes as he felt something warm and wet licking his face.
"Stop it, Cupcake," he murmured in a soft, reprimanding tone, already knowing exactly what, or who, was disturbing his sleep.
Coming into his view was a familiar figure. It was small, about the size of a dog. Its body was covered in overlapping golden-orange scales that glowed faintly with an inner warmth. A single short horn protruded from its forehead, translucent like ruby glass. A mane of soft, wavering pale fire framed its face, and its eyes were deep amber with slit pupils. It had four cloven hooves that left warm prints on the sheets, and a thin tail ending in a small tuft of flame.
"Master, wakey wakey," the small volkoid said in an impossibly cute tone, its voice high and playful.
This was the Holy Fire Qilin Cub he had pulled from the System Gacha. At first, he had contemplated whether to let Seraphina know about it, given her obsessive nature. She might see it as a rival for his attention, and that could have ended badly.
But since it was in volkoid form and its appearance was undeniably adorable, he had hoped it would be enough to make Seraphina accept it.
And it worked.
Even though she had nearly killed it, and him, when she first saw the cub lying in his arms, he had to soothe her, explaining that it was just a volkoid and showering her with affection to calm her down. After she finally relented, she found the creature cute and ended up naming it Cupcake.
Now, almost all the time, Cupcake stayed with Seraphina, as if the cub had chosen her as its mother.
Well, Lucien couldn’t really blame it. Seraphina possessed rich flame Originat, which was of massive benefit to the cub and its bloodline. The little creature was simply following its instincts, drawn to the warmth and power she radiated.
Lucien chuckled softly as Cupcake continued to nuzzle his face, his hand reaching out to pat its head. "Alright, alright. I’m awake."
He stood up with a smile, glancing at the empty space beside him. Seraphina must have left quite a while ago.
Their relationship had grown close enough that Lucien no longer minded sharing the same bed with her. What had once felt like an imposition had gradually become something comforting, something familiar.
They had even shared... a kiss. Thinking of their first kiss, he felt intoxicated for a moment, the memory sending a warmth through his chest that had nothing to do with his fire affinity.
Well, they hadn’t gone beyond that yet, but there were plenty of small intimate moments they shared, simple touches, lingering glances, playful banter, that even brought system rewards.
But Lucien hadn’t made any move to spin the Gacha rewards. He was content to let them accumulate, waiting for the right moment.
Cupcake tugged at the hem of his garment, clearly excited, and started dragging him forward with surprising strength for such a small creature.
Lucien just chuckled as he followed, going through the basic necessities of getting dressed while the little volkoid bounced impatiently beside him.
Lucien dressed in a simple black tunic and matching trousers, the fabric soft and well-fitted against his frame. A dark leather belt cinched his waist, and sturdy boots completed the look. The outfit was practical and unassuming, yet the way he carried himself made even the simplest attire seem refined. The black fabric absorbed the morning light, giving him a quiet, shadowed presence as he moved.
He scooped up Cupcake in his arms and walked out of the room.
"Good morning, Young Master," every maid and servant greeted him with respect and bowed heads as he passed.
Lucien returned the greeting and asked one of them, "Where’s Seraphina?"
The maid wasn’t surprised by Lucien’s intimate manner of addressing the Empress. Even though they didn’t remember anything about the descent of the Shadow of the Throne, they still remembered the phenomenon he had caused.
Lucien nodded and walked in the direction the mais had indicated.