Leylin raised his right hand, gathering a concentrated bead of dark, shimmering energy at the tip of his index finger.
Reaching forward, he pressed his fingertip directly into the spiral horn of the Black Horrall Snake.
The serpent shuddered as the spiritual message integrated into its body.
"Go find Derick," Leylin instructed calmly. "His duty from this point onward is to watch over and protect Blair."
The serpent lowered its head, flicking its dark tongue.
"Protect them both from the shadows," Leylin added. "I have a distinct feeling that this girl will prove remarkably useful in the future."
The Black Horrall Snake hissed softly in acknowledgment, dissolving into the floorboards without leaving a ripple behind.
'An Oracle... ' Leylin leaned back in his leather chair, a faint smile playing on his lips.
During his deep memory extraction with Blair, he had finally uncovered the true catalyst behind the Church of Leviathan's aggressive campaign to establish a Holy Domain.
It stemmed from an ancient prophecy delivered by a high-ranking Paladin renowned for divination arts. While the exact details of the prophecy remained locked within the Church's inner hierarchy, Blair's sharp intellect and extensive study of the Great Dynasties had allowed her to piece together far more geopolitical context than an ordinary noble heir could ever fathom.
'The strands of destiny are indeed generous with you, Blair.' Leylin thought. 'And when paired with another one blessed by destiny like Derick, their combined momentum should prove quite entertaining.'
"My Lord, the materials requested from House Raiz have arrived," a soft, sultry voice broke the silence.
The door clicked shut as Kelly glided into the office. Having recently completed her breakthrough to the Master Sergeant Stage, her movements carried an effortless grace. Her tails glowed with a pink denser aura, her skin radiating a pale luster.
After delivering a concise inventory report of the delivered supplies, she stepped around the desk. Locking her dark, fox-like eyes onto Leylin, she lightly traced her fingers along his arm before climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his legs.
"Eager to express your gratitude for the breakthrough?" Leylin asked in a teasing tone, his fingers trailing through her hair.
"Of course, my Lord..." Kelly murmured, leaning down to press her forehead against his groin as her hands wandered.
"A truly insatiable pet," Leylin chuckled softly, resting his head back against the cushion.
An azure light flickered across his retinas as the A.I. Chip logged and showed various information.
...
Thud.
A thick leather dossier dropped onto the surface of a cluttered wooden desk.
"What is this?" a hoarse, exhausted voice asked.
The speaker was a handsome man in his late thirties, though deep lines of fatigue creased his brow and streaks of premature silver threaded through his dark hair. Piles of intelligence reports and strategic maps surrounded his chair, illuminated only by the faint glow of a low-burning tallow lamp.
"An intriguing individual, and perhaps a candidate for recruitment," a melodious voice replied.
Emerging from the dim corner of the room stood a tall, slender woman dressed in the full-length white vestments of a high-ranking nun. Her smile revealed a pair of delicate dimples, lending her an approachable warmth that contrasted sharply with the disciplined posture of an elite operative.
The man opened the dossier, scanning the documents with practiced speed. "Lucian Alister... an instructor at the Rose Petal Royal Academy in the Felineca Empire. Mysterious backing, rapid promotion. A capable profile, certainly, but you never present a candidate simply because they look good on paper, Rose. What is missing from this file?"
"You are as sharp as ever, Commander," Sister Rose chuckled softly. "According to our field agents, he eliminated Wright Reel without leaving a trace, and he is verified to be in his early thirties. Our observers also suspect he wields a rare Shadow-attribute innate beast."
The commander paused, tapping his finger against the desk. "Wright Reel... wasn't he granted a minor Church Baptism few years ago?"
"Indeed," Rose confirmed. "Wright spent a fortune to secure that baptism after years of service on our frontier networks. Given his strength and augmented recovery, defeating him is difficult enough; overpowering him cleanly requires at least the combat output of a Captain-Stage Beast Tamer. A youth operating at that level, armed with an exotic beast, could easily develop into a major piece on the board within a few decades."
She leaned forward, pointing to a notation on the parchment. "Furthermore, his background traces back to the rapid rise of House Greg. Their patriarch Luke Greg have recently advanced to the Captain Stage after contracting a Giant Demon Tiger, a volatile beast to tame without high-level intervention. Even Principal Keith Henry has quietly aligned with his faction."
"A rising power cluster," the commander murmured, closing the folder. "I trust your intuition. Attempt a discreet recruitment. Probe the identity of the figure standing behind him, but avoid hostility. There is a few powerful old hermits in some ancient reclusive clans, they are very protective about the heirs. Geniuses of this caliber are naturally proud; do not let a minor dispute over etiquette derail our approach."
"Understood, Commander," Sister Rose replied, offering a deep, respectful bow before vanishing into the shadowed corridor.
....
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
The Rose Petal Royal Academy was adorned with lavish banners, vibrant floral crests, and polished heraldry. High carriages carrying ambassadors, ducal delegates, and imperial military commanders lined the central avenue to celebrate the five-year graduation ceremony.
For the graduating students, this milestone marked their formal transition into adulthood. With their fundamental education complete and their initial beast bonds solidified, they were prepared to assume leadership within their respective noble houses, enlist in the imperial legions to earn military merits, or secure territorial governance.
Yet among the graduating class, one student commanded the focus of the imperial nobility.
Blair Welbring publicly known as Rhea Allen stood at the pinnacle of her cohort. Over the past five years, her academic records, combat assessments, and beast synchronization ratings had shattered every historical precedent in the academy's archives.
Noble houses across the empire were desperate to recruit her, yet none dared overstep; rumors of her terrifying lineage in the Great Dynasties were enough to keep even senior Dukes at a cautious distance.
Principal Keith Henry had originally intended to accept Blair as his personal disciple to cement his academy's legacy. However, when Lita quietly informed him that Blair had already taken the mysterious figure behind Lucian Alister as her master, the old principal immediately abandoned the notion, deeply wary of provoking that powerful entity.
To Leylin, Blair had proven to be an extraordinary experimental subject. Combining his mastery over ancient Warlock bloodline manipulation with deep research into soul structures, Leylin had gradually restructured her cultivation method, guiding her away from the flawed, traditional Beast Tamer path toward an optimized model.
Her mutated soul had resonated remarkably well with his hypotheses, providing invaluable data that accelerated his own research.
Away from the cheering crowds and grand celebrations of the graduation hall, a heavy silence reigned inside an isolated reception chamber deep within the VIP quarters.
Two distinct factions faced one another across a long dining table.
Leylin sat casually at the head of the table, cutting into a well-prepared steak and sipping chilled wine without paying the slightest attention to the heavy tension in the air.
Stationed directly behind his chair stood Derick, clad in ornate, gleaming golden armor; beside him stood Blair, her silver hair catching the ambient light with cold elegance; and slightly to the flank stood Lita Raiz, his secretary, butler, lover.
The doors opened, and Queen Crista Felineca entered the room, flanked by a squad of royal guards and cloaked bodyguards.
Seeing her aunt enter, Lita stepped forward and offered a formal court bow, her cheeks flushing slightly at the realization that her royal patron was finally meeting the man she had served and loved for five years.
However, as Lita raised her head, the atmosphere in the room turned ice-cold.
Neither Leylin, Blair, nor Derick made any move to bow. Leylin continued dining in silence; Blair watched the royal entourage with indifference; and Derick rested his hand on the pommel of his broadsword, standing as rigid and unyielding as a statue.
Queen Crista's expression tightened, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. While she was willing to grant leeway to a suspected Captain-Stage powerhouse and a princess of a Great Dynasty, seeing a low-life warrior maintain an arrogant posture in her presence struck a nerve.
Yet, aware of the delicate balance of power in the empire and the overwhelming strength anchored behind the young scholar, Queen Crista swallowed her irritation, stepping forward to initiate the audience on Leylin's terms.