The Awakening Ceremony (2)

Cassius stood in a long rectangular pool surrounded by golden pillars. It was filled with a pure gold liquid, lighter than water yet capable of penetrating the skin regardless of clothing - Elixis.

The Elixis turned his eyes golden, a sign of its highest purity.

'This must have cost a fortune. At least 4 billion gold,' Cassius thought. In his past life, he didn't realize just how expensive Elixis was until after failing his awakening ceremony.

'And to think they'll drain this entire pool, only to refill it with an even greater batch of Elixis in a few months' time for the crown prince's awakening,' Cassius sighed. If only he could take the Elixis and sell it on the black market.

[Barrier activated.]

"Kar?" Cassius asked, confused by the message appearing before him.

[Yes? Ah, your barrier is up. What happened, Cas?]

"That's what I want to know," Cassius crossed his arms, annoyed. He had spent a week with Karavan inside his realm where time flows differently. Yet, he still didn't understand this guy.

The man had even signed a contract that would take his life should he ever betray Cassius. Even a white lie would kill him. Its conditions immensely favored Cassius and him alone. It made no sense why Karavan even agreed to it.

'I still don't trust him. His willingness to sign only makes him more suspicious. But at least I know he can't betray me.'

[I've figured out what happened:

VIDEO.MP8 ]

[This might be too fast, let me slow it down.]

"No need," Cassius watched the video carefully. He missed it the first time since he momentarily closed his eyes when he sighed, but this time he saw it clearly. It was thanks to the years of effort he spent training his eyes in his past life.

A potion bullet was fired towards his mouth in the brief moment he opened it. It was through teleportation, and it disappeared the moment it missed its target.

'Could it be?'

He hadn't considered it until now, but nobody said the Elixinot had to be eaten. As long as it entered his digestive system, the method didn't matter.

"Kar, can you analyze this substance?" Cassius asked.

[How did you know I could do that?]

"I didn't, but you're a strange 'system,' so I figured it was worth asking," Cassius replied. He was mildly surprised when Kar played a video of what happened.

'That's a good ability. It could come in handy later.'

[What a smart kid you are, Cas. I'll analyze it straight away.]

[5%]

[10%]

[16%]

[69%]

[99%]

'Why is it stuck at 99% for so long?'

[100%]

[Analysis complete.]

[Substance identified: Elixinot.]

Cassius sighed, relieved. If it was the same in his past life, then the Elixinot wasn't in Anna's cupcake after all. He no longer had to doubt her.

'Glad it wasn't her cupcake. Now, I can finally put those doubts to rest.'

It felt good to stop questioning the woman who raised him, who was always by his side. 'So lady Vanessa hired a mage to shoot the Elixinot into my mouth?'

[The timer you set is up.]

"Alright, time to go." Cassius stepped out of the pool and walked towards the door, before he opened It, he checked his suit and styled his hair with his fingers confidently.

"Cassius!" The Duke turned excitedly, holding a wine cup. "That was fast. Well, how did it go?"

The bustling ballroom full of the nobles' chatter fell silent as everyone anticipated Cassius's words.

"It went well. A blue system popped up," Cassius smiled innocently. "That means I'm a swordsman like you, Father, right?"

The nobles began whispering:

"A swordsman?"

"So he's not a dual class?"

"Tsk, I wanted to see a magic swordsman," a child said, before his mother pinched him and told him to behave.

"Of course he's a swordsman. He's a Blackwood."

"Just like his Father."

"Is it because the system values patriarchy?"

"It has been studied that theoretically, dual class children inherit the father's class, because the father's genetics are stronger," an old man said confidently.

"I see! That makes a lot of sense!"

"Of course he takes after his father. His mother used to be a commoner before the emperor made her a noble. She's not real nobility."

"I already knew he would be a swordsman just like his father."

"Duke Blackwood is much stronger than grandmage Nightingale, of course his genes would prevail over hers."

"Why would he take after his mother? Are you daft?"

"Yes! It's a well-known fact that children take their father's class."

'That's not true,' Cassius inwardly scoffed. 'If only they knew...'

It was funny how the nobility operated. One sentence he uttered managed to completely reshape their view of him. Though, of course, they'd claim it never changed.

It was the same in his past life as well...

I knew he wouldn't awaken.

He's a bastard child. Why would the system favor him?

Why would he take after his parents? Are you daft?

It has been studied that theoretically, dual class children don't awaken because the parents' classes cancel each other out.

I see! That makes a lot of sense!

Duke Blackwood and grandmage Nightingale are equally strong so of course their classes cancel each other out.

Yes, it's a well-known fact that dual class children don't awaken.

Cassius clicked his tongue as he recalled the memories from his past life. 'Tsk. They are so two-faced.'

"That's great news, Cassius. Let's go see the emperor for more details," the duke smiled, placing a hand on his back as they exited the ball room.

The emperor was waiting in the throne room since he didn't want to attend the ceremony but the duke still needed him to confirm Cassius's abilities.

'I hope this fools the emperor.' The emperor has a skill that lets him see anyone's status window. What if the fake system didn't work on him?

As they walked, the Duke asked, "Son, why were you late for the awakening ceremony?"

Cassius knew he couldn't lie, sensing his father's lie detection skill activating. "I went to the library."

"I see," the Duke said as they arrived. "But son, when did you learn to read?"

That's right. Cassius didn't know how to read at this point of time. In his past life, his father told him that it was 'unnecessary'.

But after his failed awakening, Cassius secretly taught himself to read. It's not like anyone paid enough attention to him to notice, anyways. In fact, before he ran away, he even spent a ridiculous amount of time in the Blackwood estate's library.

Thankfully, the throne room prevented skills below S-rank from functioning, sparing him this time.

"I saw Prince Nero reading in the garden," Cassius calmly stated as the guards opened the doors. He saved the second half of his statement for after they entered, "He seemed finished with his book, so I offered to return it and got lost."

Not the best excuse, but it was the only one that could work and unless his father went out of his way to verify it with Nero, which was unlikely, it wouldn't be a problem.

"Ah, look Nero. There's your new friend Cassius," the emperor said, eyeing Nero who was casually seated on the throne's arm.

"That Nero?" his father asked, pointing.

'Shit.'