19. Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Halls

Chapter 19: Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Halls

The twins led the way through the mansion's massive halls, their every step echoing against the polished marble floors. Gold-framed paintings adorned the walls, each depicting some noble ancestor looking either stoic, pompous, or like they desperately needed to fart but couldn't in public. The ceilings stretched impossibly high, their intricate designs a testament to an architect with too much time and money on his hands.

I followed a few steps behind, taking it all in. The place was as much a maze as it was a mansion. Hallways twisted and turned without rhyme or reason, and every door looked like it led to some hidden treasure or forbidden room.

"Try not to touch anything," Neralia said, glancing back at me with a sneer. "We wouldn't want your commoner fingerprints tarnishing our family's legacy."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry, princess. I'll resist the urge to redecorate."

We rounded a corner and nearly collided with a group of soldiers. Their white plate armor gleamed under the chandelier light, the kind of polished perfection you'd only find on people who spent more time looking good than fighting.

One of them stepped forward, his helmet tucked under his arm. His face lit up the moment he saw me.

"Kaizen?"

I blinked, taking a moment to place him. "Captain Alaric?"

A grin spread across his face as he approached, his armor clinking with every step. "I'll be damned. It is you. Didn't think I'd see you again so soon."

"Same here," I said, clasping his arm in greeting. "I figured you'd still be recovering from yesterday."

One of the twins—Lashley, because of course it was—arched an eyebrow, looking between us. "Wait a moment. You know this… newbie?"

Alaric's brow furrowed. "Newbie? What are you talking about?"

"He's a rookie adventurer," Neralia said with a dismissive wave. "Some lowly F-rank the Guild saddled us with for this quest."

Alaric's head snapped toward me, his expression shifting to disbelief. "You're an F-rank?"

I shrugged. "Technically, yeah. Why? Is that a problem?"

The captain laughed, a sharp, disbelieving sound. "A problem? No, I just—" He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "You mean to tell me this kid, this rookie, helped us take down the Black Lion yesterday? And killed it?"

"You're kidding," Neralia said, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"I'm not," Alaric said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. "Kaizen here didn't just help. He killed the damn thing. A beast the size of a house, vicious as hell, and surrounded by assassins, no less." He looked at me, his expression softening. "If it weren't for him, we never would've brought the "uchess safely back to Torak."

The twins exchanged a look, their disbelief turning to annoyance. It was obvious they didn't like being upstaged, least of all by someone they considered beneath them.

"Fascinating," Lashley said dryly. "But we really must be going. Important business to attend to and all that."

Alaric's eyes lingered on me, a flicker of amusement crossing his face as he took in the twins' barely concealed irritation. "Well, it was good seeing you again, Kaizen. Good luck with your quest. You're going to need it."

"Thanks, Captain," I said, giving him a small salute. "And, uh, same to you with… whatever it is you're doing here."

He chuckled, shaking his head as he and his soldiers moved past us, their armor clanking softly in unison.

I turned back to the twins, who were already marching ahead, their expressions darker than usual. "He's a nice guy," I said, my tone light. "You should try being more like him."

Lashley scoffed, not bothering to look back. "Keep up, commoner. We don't have time for your jokes."

The rest of the walk was spent in silence, though I couldn't help but wonder if Alaric knew something I didn't. The way he'd said "good luck" had a weight to it, like he knew just how messy this quest was going to get.

The halls seemed to twist and stretch endlessly, every turn revealing another identical stretch of marble and gold. By the time we reached the study, I was convinced the twins were dragging this out on purpose just to make me miserable.

Lashley stepped forward and knocked on the heavy wooden door. A deep, commanding voice from inside called out, "Come in."

I braced myself, stepping through the door and into whatever fresh hell awaited me next.

As we entered the room, the first thing that hit me was how alive the air felt. Every corner of the room was designed to exude wealth, power, and a certain level of self-importance that screamed "I could crush you with a flick of my finger." At least, that's what I assumed based on the sheer opulence of the place.

Sitting behind the massive desk was the man himself—Lord Lucian DeVaris, Head of the DeVaris family, Lord of Torak, and former S-Rank Adventurer. The name DeVaris carried weight around here, and to my surprise, I was actually impressed. You didn't get to that kind of status by being a pushover.

But holy hell, the guy looked like he could still kick ass in his prime. Late thirties, maybe early forties, but he had the looks and the build of someone who'd spent most of his life on the battlefield. Broad-shouldered, tall, with sharp, chiseled features and a gaze that could pierce steel. His raven-black hair was tied back neatly, and even as he leaned back in his chair, hands folded in front of him, there was an air of quiet, deadly confidence that could make anyone pause before speaking.

And then there was his aura. It wasn't obvious at first, but as soon as he spoke, I could feel it. A sort of crushing presence that filled the room like an invisible weight pressing down on my chest. It wasn't magic, at least not in the sense I understood it. No, this was something else entirely. He was a warrior through and through, radiating raw power. It was like his very being had been forged in the heat of combat, refined and tempered by decades of battle.

"You have not a drop of mana," Lord Lucian said, his voice cool and detached, but his eyes scrutinizing me like I was some interesting specimen.

My mind raced for a moment, and I realized I had no choice but to play it cool. This was the kind of man who would notice every little detail, and any slip-up would be fatal. So I kept my face neutral, meeting his gaze evenly.

"I chose not to have mana," I replied, a grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Wasn't really my thing."

The room went silent. Even the twins seemed taken aback, their eyes wide in disbelief. Lord Lucian raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything right away. I could practically hear the gears in his head turning, trying to figure out what the hell I meant.

In that moment, I had a choice: Do I just drop the truth bomb now, or leave them all guessing? I went with the second option, partly for my own amusement, but also because it felt like the right moment to get a reaction.

Okay, here's the deal, folks. As you know. Before I woke up in this messed-up world, I was given a choice by some higher power (or whatever you want to call it). The three options were simple: Chakra Control, Mana Control, and Ki Control. Now, being the DBZ nerd I am, I figured—why not go with the one that allows me to fly around and shoot kamehamehas?

Chakra? Pfft. Too complicated. Mana? Too… magic-y. But Ki? Hell yeah. That's raw, untamed, and it's so much more powerful if you actually know what you're doing. And believe me, I know what I'm doing.

I could feel a tiny surge of pride, though I was pretty sure I'd just shocked the hell out of everyone in the room.

Lord Lucian finally broke the silence, his voice even but with a trace of disbelief. "That's… quite bold. And… unorthodox. How did you manage to defeat the Black Lion without any mana to draw from?"

I grinned, leaning against the doorframe casually. "I'm just that strong. Simple as that."

The room went dead quiet again. Neralia and Lashley exchanged uncomfortable glances, and I could almost hear them mentally recalibrating their view of me. But honestly, if they thought I was full of crap, I didn't care.

Lord Lucian's eyes flickered for a moment, and I could sense his mind working. "I'll admit… I'm intrigued. Tell me more about how you managed this feat. What was it like, taking down a beast of that size?"

"Well, let's just say I used everything I had in my arsenal," I said, giving him a wry smile. "And yes, some of it might have involved brute force and a lot of luck."

The twins' father nodded slowly, as though processing the idea of someone being that strong without relying on magic. He shifted in his chair, hands clasped tightly in front of him, and his gaze became more focused, his demeanor more serious. It was clear he wasn't just concerned about the quest anymore—this was something bigger.

"That… Black Lion was not the only danger we faced," Lord Lucian continued, his tone now much more measured. "There are others with far more important interests in this quest, and I need to make it very clear: Keep the details of this mission to yourselves. Leaking anything could have serious consequences."

And that's when the atmosphere in the room shifted. The power in Lord Lucian's words became tangible, his presence somehow intensifying in the blink of an eye. It wasn't just the room that changed—it was everything around me. The air grew thick with pressure, like the very fabric of reality itself was bending to his will. I didn't even have time to prepare before a brilliant blue light flared around him, radiating out in every direction like a pulse from the core of the earth.

The floor beneath me trembled as the entire mansion seemed to shake with the force of his power. My chest tightened, my breath caught in my throat. I struggled to stay on my feet, barely able to catch my breath as I was hit with a wave of pure, unrestrained mana that felt like it could snap me in half at any moment.

I stood there, frozen, feeling the weight of it all, as the room seemed to swirl with the sheer magnitude of his power. It wasn't magic—it was something else entirely, something physical and raw, and it left me gasping for air.

After what felt like an eternity, the pressure finally eased, and the light faded. I managed to steady myself, my knees still shaking from the force of it.

Lord Lucian gave me a cold, satisfied look. "Remember this moment, Kaizen. I may not always be so patient."

Before I could catch my breath, the door creaked open, and in walked someone I hadn't expected: a young woman, no older than twenty, with long, raven-black hair, wearing a noblewoman's attire.

She stepped into the room with the grace of someone who was used to being noticed, her presence immediately filling the space. I didn't need to look twice to recognize her—the noble girl Freya had been protecting the day before.

"Helena Detalia," Lord Lucian announced, "Daughter of the Detalia family, and a key figure in this quest."

I stared at her, trying to hide my shock. Things were about to get even more complicated.