Chapter 8 - Meeting Mother

As the carriage left the County, I instructed the coachman to make our way to Mother's Duchy.

I had a specific purpose in mind – to meet her. She possessed the key to a place I wanted to access,

Within this Sanctum lay an incredible array of weapons, each imbued with the power of superior beings.

They had consciousness, but when they chose a human, they had to start anew. This is why these weapons, despite their divine origins, lost some of their godly powers when wielded by a mortal.

Convincing them to unleash their true potential was no easy task. After all, they were not mortals, so they had less inclination to favor human wielders.

One such weapon, the 'Zendal Bracelet,' was my target for persuasion.

The Zendal Bracelet possessed the extraordinary ability to control mana.

At first glance, it might seem overpowered, but there was a crucial limitation – it could only utilize mana internally, not externally.

Allow me to clarify this further.

The hero who previously wielded this weapon suffered from a peculiar disease that caused her mana vessel to leak.

As a result, she would lose a certain amount of mana automatically, rendering her more or less manaless. This hero was also a sword prodigy, which might surprise some people.

You see, according to her family tradition, only boys could inherit their family name. So, to protect her secret, her father, who was the current head of the family, concealed her true gender from the world, presenting her as a son.

It was indeed a shame, as she possessed exceptional beauty.

But I digress. My main objective was to visit my mother. The hero had managed to convince her to hand over the keys to after acquiring knowledge about them from a mysterious entity residing in her earring.

There were too many details to delve into, Lets recollect it another time.

Upon reaching the mansion of Duchess Kassidy, I couldn't afford to wait for the servants to assist me.

I strode forward on my own, ignoring my earlier intention to maintain a low profile. As I arrived at the mansion's gate, I addressed the guards with a rather breathless voice.

"Haa...haa...hey, call Duchess...haa...Kassidy."

I had finally completed my sentence, though I couldn't help but feel a bit winded.

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Knock Knock

"Come in," a voice filled with elegance and unwavering strength beckoned from within the room as the maid entered Duchess Kassidy's office.

"Duchess, Young Master Zephyr has come," the maid reported.

"What? Why is he here? Don't tell me he's come to beg for my affection like a child again," She responded with a sigh, recalling how he used to come to her every day when he was six or seven years old, pleading for her attention.

She shrugged it off, seemingly uncaring and as if she'd dealt with this situation many times before.

"Sigh... This child, after all these years, he hasn't changed," Duchess Kassidy muttered, her tone implying indifference.

She had seemingly made up her mind, intending to use the excuse of being busy with work to turn him away, just as she had done on numerous occasions.

However, the maid hesitated briefly before adding, "Forgive me, Duchess, but Young Master gave me this."

She presented a small letter to Duchess Kassidy, which read: "If the Duchess tries to make some excuse like that, tell her I will visit Duchess Maria. So, don't come regretting at my door, as I'll be busy next time."

Duchess Kassidy's expression shifted slightly as she took in the contents of the letter.

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Kassidy's POV

I entered the room and saw a portly man sitting on the sofa. Seeing him, I sighed inwardly, thinking, 'He's still the same as always'

Maybe this is a new way to get my attention. Let's wrap this up quickly and send him on his way.

"Oh my, isn't it my cute little chil..."

"Duchess Kassidy, I'm not here to chat with you. I'll be frank with you; I need something from your family treasury," he said abruptly.

As I heard his words, I blanked for a moment, not understanding what he was getting at.

Was this some new way of seeking my attention? I supposed I could play along with this game until he revealed his true intentions.

"Then tell me, Young Master Zeph, what do you have that would make me open the doors to the Liander treasury for you?" I asked with an expressionless face, waiting for this child's tantrum.

As his mother, I should at least give him something if he had come all this way. I couldn't be completely heartless, could I?

"Duchess Kassidy, in exchange for access to your treasury, I can give you the most important resource in this world: 'Mana,'" he declared.

As I heard his words, I couldn't help but be both amused and annoyed.

He was taking this so far. What could I expect from the child of such a weak father?