CHAPTER 25: The Mastermind behind the grief

"Now call me Shen Xia the dragon emperor!" Alrich shouted with extreme enthusiasm and excitement that his face is only full of smiles as he wakes up after passing out yesterday. He was confused at first but when he remembered what happened yesterday, he decided to thank Kyle but he needs to find a bathroom. He asked the maids where the bathroom is and most of the maids are either fawning at him or blushing when talking to him. As he flashes a charming smile before entering the bathroom

While gazing at the mirror to check any differences in his body, he found that small parts of his chest have a golden scale, his legs have green patches of scales, and it's the same on his hands since there is a black small patch of scales there too but the most defining of them all is his dragon-like eyes with a red slit in the middle. At first, he shouted in fear but once he found out that it adds furiosity and intimidation factor to his face. He just accepted it since his face is the only thing that there is going for him.

"No! i'm not the same pretty boy. I…have the strength that i can be proud of" he muttered to himself while glaring at the reflection on the mirror.

"Such confidence and narcissistic nature that i'm quite surprised myself" Isaac says with a sneering smile.

"Isaac…" Alrich says with his head staring at the ground, ashamed of being found out.

"Don't worry, as long as you don't hurt others you don't have to be shameful about it. Your narcissistic nature is quite bearable than a hypocrite" Isaac smiles genuinely before leaving the bathroom. Once Alrich realizes the peculiarity of Isaac being in a bathroom, he gasps before going outside to find Isaac walking away.

"Why are you in the bathroom?!" he shouted but the maids widened their eyes as they started whispering about themselves.

"No! it's not like that!" Alrich shouted panickily. He's scared that there are gonna be rumors about him and Isaac that he shivers just thinking about it.

"There's a different door leading to the bathroom and besides, there are two stalls. Are you the type who gets embarrassed when someones using the other stall when taking a leak?" Isaac asked him with his deadpan expression before leaving the embarrassed and ashamed Alrich.

'I didn't even check that there are two stalls!' he shouted inside his mind as he wanted to pull his hair out in shame as his good mood turned to sour immediately.

In the morning, the group didn't do anything together. Kyle stayed at the library and casually gazing at the sweet but forbidden books while Isaac is training and taking down notes in the training area where knights and mages are sparring while Cellica is busy with her piles of work and Melissa is doing her maidly duties meanwhile Alrich is exercising and trying his skills in the yard in front of the mansion.

While in the afternoon, Kyle notices Melissa is cleaning the library while casually glancing at him suspiciously. Kyle shakes his head before sighing as he slams the book on the table before Melissa lets out a small scream in surprise as she pouted and glared at him.

'A double-faced woman, acting cutely to avoid suspicion and to hide her goals but a crass and reckless woman that won't hesitate to berate anyone and would be more than happy to use her fist. ' he stared at her for a while as she continued on cleaning the bookshelves.

"Melissa, can you please call Isaac, Alrich, and Cellica? tell them i have something to say" he smiled warmly but he can hear someone clicking their tongue as Melissa stared at him with an annoyed and irritated expression.

"Why would i? I'm not your maid" she says with anger in her tone before turning her back and continued cleaning the bookshelves but now she's doing it hastily like she wanted to get out of the library as soon as possible.

"I guess so, a shame Cellica won't be able to know who killed her father. I was hoping to tell her about it too" Kyle sighed as he opened the book and continued reading it.

"If its f-for my lady t-then i'm more than happy to do what you ask for" her smile is clearly fake while forcing herself to use a ladylike and gentler tone to speak as she bows before heading downstairs.

"It really did work" Kyle smirks before he continued on reading the book on the table as he flips the pages one by one. Although there's nothing that can give him new information since he can't read or not allowed to read the forbidden books of the Venir family, the romantic and action-packed novels are quite different from the ones on earth and it piqued his interest.

Slowly, he can hear the footsteps of people towards the library as he closed the book with a sigh. Although it's good to take a rest after those dangerous adventures in the forest and tower, his responsibility comes first.

Cellica and Melissa first entered the room as Melissa grabbed a luxurious chair and directly gestured to Cellica to sit there. Cellica smiles at her warmly before sitting in that chair as Melissa stands beside her as usual. Isaac and Alrich are the ones who followed behind as the both of them were ragged and full of dirt as there are countless parts of their clothes are either ripped or completely gone. As Isaac sits calmly in one of the wooden chairs while Alrich sits far from Isaac as he gazed at him warily.

"What the hell happened?" Kyle asked

"We were sparring" Isaac replied with a smile

"A one side beating! He really is a demon!" Alrich shouted while pointing at Isaac.

"Don't be like that, i was surprised when you survived my forbidden sword art" Isaac smiled with a glint of excitement in his eyes. Kyle sighs as he figured out what happened. It seems that Isaac challenged Alrich to a spar but Alrich was stronger than expected so Isaac didn't hold back and released his strongest attack.

"I nearly died! the training area was completely destroyed! I was even surprised that i survived that!" Alrich glared at Isaac.

"Wait did you just say…..that the training area was destroyed and Isaac has a forbidden sword art and used it?" Cellica slowly stands up as she gritted her teeth while her fist is shaking violently.

"I wouldn't mind if the both of you tried fighting me, i'm quite close to leveling up" Isaac stared at Cellica with a friendly smile. It seems that fighting is the only thing that is capable of making him create a smile to a person he hated and it wouldn't be weird if he said that his hobby is fighting strong monsters and people.

"Oh, i'll surely make it that you fighting me will level you up straight to the afterlife" she said in her low growl that is barely audible to others except for Isaac.

"Let's calm down first okay!" Kyle attempted to calm Cellica but she swiftly aimed her rapier to his neck before glaring at him like she saying that if he stops her, he will be next.

"Fine! i guess you're sparring is more important than the identity of the killer of your father" Kyle spouted as Cellica stabs the table with her rapier and its blade embedded inside it. She breaths roughly and her eyes are practically burning with anger while blood drips from her red lips from biting it.

"Tell me…Tell me who is that bastard!" she shouted angrily as she glared at Kyle. No words can convey her anger nor her impatience. The only thing in her mind is the revenge and the blood of the killer who robbed her of something so precious that no gems can compare. The life of her loving and caring father.

"It's the…crowned prince of this kingdom" Kyle says without his usual smile and his unusual heavy tone which resulted in silence from either the shock or disbelief. Cellica and the crowned prince were quite close when they were kids and they still talk to each other to this day. As the youngest daughter of a prominent family and the wielder of the sacred sword, most people thought that she would be the next queen of the kingdom but until now, the prince still didn't release any information regarding who will be the next queen who is gonna be by his side in governing the Demer Kingdom. Still, there are rumors that a woman that is a genius and unparalleled to her peers in terms of swordsmanship who is always beside the crowned prince will be the next queen.

"Its…not true….no….what your saying is not….true. Dammit, it must be your tricks that deceived me! There's…no way Alistair can kill my dad….he can't do that. My dad is the strongest! He promised me that he will take me with him in his next expedition…" Cellica broke into tears as she gritted her teeth. Her sobs and pure sadness still hurts anyone hearing it. Seeing a prideful and elegant lady crying in disbelief and grief with her mask and facade broken reminded them that everyone has a weakness. Melissa glared at Kyle as she hugged the sobbing and crying Cellica as she slowly coaxes Cellica to follow her.

'No way! There's no way Alistair can kill my dad! You demon! You're just lying to me!' her thoughts are mostly composed of anger and disbelief but her broken and griefing heart and the somber sobs stop her from speaking. Her tears and sniffling is the only thing that can be heard in the library as she distracts herself with work to slowly forget and heal her heart about the death of her father for the past months.

'To know that the killer of your father is your childhood friend and a close friend despite all these years must have hurt her deeply. Despite her not believing what i said at first, her hesitation must mean that she suspected the prince but choose to ignore it thinking that there's no way he can do that. Hiding from the truth and hating the one speaking the truth is quite a usual thing to happen no matter who and where i go' Kyle shakes his head with a saddened expression as he stared at Melissa helping and coaxing Cellica to leave the library.

"I feel sorry about her.." Alrich says once he noticed that both Melissa and Cellica leave the library.

"…" Isaac didn't meek a single word and without a change of expression, he leaves the library as both Alrich and Kyle remain in there.

"What a heartless bastard, i thought he's a demon with a human heart but he's a pure-blooded demon alright" Alrich clicked his tongue with his arms crossed

"There are ways to show sympathy to someone who is grieving. Different people have a way to deal with someone who loses a loved one, either by cheering them up, ignoring the issue, and act as nothing happen or talk to them heart to heart. It might alleviate the pain temporarily but when they're alone, the pain will come back." Kyle says with a smile, his smile is different than usual. There's a hint of sadness and regret that Alrich can't point out. Alrich touches his long hair while staring at it before realizing something.

"Why did you ask for our presence, this heavenly one doesn't have any time to waste" Alrich says

"Oh stop the act, it's not gonna hide anything. Anyways what i was planning is giving more information about the gods and the future but with how our group is doing. I think we have to wait for a little" Kyle sighs, it's not his original plan to reveal the mastermind since they still have the banquet to attend and the crowned prince is gonna be there. He can only hope that he can persuade Cellica and calm her down but from seeing just what happened. He highly doubts it.

"W-what act? Besides are we really gonna be fighting gods in the future?" Alrich asked

"Not only gods, a lot of humans too, and killing might not be pretty but you should do it if necessary" Kyle says with his usual smile and cheerful tone.

"Killing huh.." Alrich gazes at his palm before closing it, he breaths in before releasing the air inside. The idea of his hand and body covered in blood from a human who has dreams, family, and aspirations. He feels sick just thinking about it, does he really has what it takes to kill someone if the time arises. He just shakes his head before curling his long hair with his fingers.

"We might have to kill thousands and hundreds of thousands of believers of those gods and i'm not gonna say that sacrifices are needed to be done to hide the fact that was slaughtering people of a different kind from humans to dwarves and to beastkin. I like to say that i'm the lesser evil of the two even if it's still evil, we can't stop a war without killing each other. " Kyle says with a smile

"I guess so, but can't we persuade the people and reveal their plans?" Alrich asked to hope for a way without violence.

"You guys believing me is already a miracle and Cellica still doesn't believe me, we are just gonna get ostracized and called crazy by other people. The gods will also notice our movement so they will send their vessels and disciples to kill us. This world is already meek and people are dying while losing hope to the governing powers and the only thing giving them to look forward to is salvation by the gods. Their influence is already rooted deeper that pulling it out would be impossible. My plan is simple, create an elite organization with the sole purpose of removing the threats to the people of Aleria. The fall of gods is the largest and most dangerous threat that this world will ever face and i hope that we can stop this." Kyle smiles at Alrich before grabbing the book and leaving the library. Leaving Alrich alone as he pondered on the words of Kyle.

"If what he said is true, isn't he an otherworlder? why does he care so much about this world that isn't his home? At worst the gods will be the ruler of all people and treat the people like cattle and even now, people are still being treated like farm animals to the strong and powerful. Otherworlders might be able to return to earth by using the god's power. Since the gods originally offered the humans the power to summon humans from the otherworlds…Ahh! Who cares anyway! I want to be remembered as the dragon emperor and i will be happy to spend the rest of my life casually and die normally after that!" Alrich muttered to himself before giving up thinking about it as he realizes his tattered clothing and injured body before cursing Isaac in his mind as he rushes to find a bathroom once again.