Chapter 74: — Friends.

As they walked, the crowd swelled into a dense, pushing mass. After a few minutes, a massive, raised wooden stage came into view.

It was a makeshift structure draped in colorful cloth, and behind it, perched on elevated seating, were about twenty people dressed in significantly finer clothes than the ragged commoners below.

These were the elites of Korua. Kael’s eyes scanned the center of the platform, where he immediately recognized the blonde man from the town leadership, sitting next to a younger version of himself, both sporting that same distinct, arrogant face.

That was him—the man who had ended Kael’s life. Hate surged through Kael’s veins like poison when he locked eyes with that face.

It was a twisted irony; if that bastard hadn’t killed Kael, Kael wouldn’t be here in this body, but the gratitude didn’t exist, only a burning desire for revenge.

Jim sat there with that same shit-eating smirk plastered on his face. Kael couldn’t stand to look at him any longer, and knowing he wasn’t strong enough yet to storm the stage and cave that smirk in, he forced his gaze elsewhere.

Beside Jim sat a stunning woman with long, raven-black hair, draped in expensive, flowing fabrics.

Her makeup was subtle, highlighting full, luscious lips, and her bust was so massive it easily rivaled Amber’s own.

She was a mature, intoxicating beauty. Watching the way she leaned toward Jim, Kael pegged her as his mother immediately.

What really caught his eye, though, was her belly—she was clearly pregnant, with a baby bump even larger and more pronounced than Amber’s, yet she carried it with such grace it didn’t diminish her appeal in the slightest.

That bastard sure got one hell of a mother, Kael cursed under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he took in her regal, pampered appearance.

She looked like she had never worked a day in her life, a stark contrast to the grit and struggle of his own household. The sight of them sitting there in luxury, completely oblivious to his hatred, only fueled the fire in his gut.

Kael tore his gaze away from the bully’s pregnant mother, his pulse still hammering with a mix of rage and begrudging appreciation for her form.

He shifted his attention down the line of dignitaries, his eyes landing on a woman seated near the chief’s family. “Old lady” was the only label that fit, though it felt like a hollow description.

She looked significantly more weathered than Amber, but she possessed a figure that defied logic.

Her bust was colossal—vastly outclassing even Lyla, let alone his mother. It was truly a spectacle that felt out of this world.

She gripped a polished white staff, a clear mark of her status as a mage.

While he knew many in this world, like his grandmother or even he himself, didn’t strictly require a catalyst to channel mana, some mages still leaned on tools to focus their craft.

Kael narrowed his eyes, quickly deducing that this had to be the mysterious granny from the local milk farm. Two glaring clues gave it away.

The massive bust was the first giveaway, a set of assets that were practically a local legend, but it was the second clue that chilled Kael to the bone: he could feel her gaze pinning him to the spot.

Even amidst the roiling, restless crowd, she was looking directly at him. It was impossible to pinpoint how she had sniffed him out, but he was certain Lyla had put a target on his back, whispering secrets about his recent progress to the old crone.

Kael quickly forced his eyes away, feigning interest in the decorative banners to avoid looking like he was staring, his skin prickling under her unwavering focus.

The rest of the dignitaries were a mix of stern-faced men and a handful of sharp-eyed women.

The air around them was thick with the low, buzzing chatter of the commoners, and he didn’t need to strain his ears to hear the gossip filtering down from the front.

They were discussing the noble houses, confirmed by the way the crowd whispered about delegates sent from the capital. These weren’t just local bigwigs; they were high-ranking branches of prominent families present in korua.

“Hey Kael, here!”

The voice cut through the heavy, expectant tension of the crowd. Kael looked up to see Kyro, a lad of similar age, waving frantically from beside his own Mother.

Kael felt his lips curl into a genuine smile. Even in a world as twisted as this, his friendship with Kyro remained a small, somewhat normal anchor.

He trotted over alongside his mother as both their mother’s exchanged greetings, the familiar ritual of polite societal chatter filling the void.

Once the adults were busy discussing the town’s yield and the looming heat of the morning, Kael and Kyro slipped into their own conversation.

“Hey brother, hope you’re ready for today,” Kyro said, a mischievous, slightly unhinged glint in his eyes.

Kael laughed, keeping his voice low. “I might be prepared, but you look like you’re ready to burst. Am I missing something?”

Kyro leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, almost ecstatic whisper.

“Actually, my old lady made a deal. If I pull off a great awakening and manifest some killer abilities, she’s letting me have my way with Aunt Elara for a full month. No payment, no strings attached, just pure fucking bliss.”

Kael smirked, playing along. “You always get the best deals, brother. Mine didn’t offer me jackshit.”

“Haha, don’t sweat it,” Kyro replied, offering a wide, slightly goofy grin. “If you’re feeling the itch, just come to me. I’ll trade some of my time with her so you can get a turn. We share everything, right?”

Kael appreciated the sentiment—Kyro was a loyal idiot, truly—but that vacuous, permanent grin was starting to grate on his nerves.

He shook his head, shifting the topic to keep Kyro from getting too carried away.

“Yeah, that’s all well and good, Kyro,” Kael said, lowering his voice as he glanced toward the stage where the nobles sat.

“But aren’t you counting your chickens before they’ve even hatched? I mean, look at the reality—what are the actual chances that a couple of commoners like us are going to manifest anything truly marvelous?”

He kept his tone neutral, not wanting to crush the kid’s spirit, but he couldn’t help the spike of pragmatism. If they walked up there expecting gods to grant them wings and fire, the disappointment would be absolute.

“Don’t talk like that, brother. We have to stay positive,” Kyro replied, his expression shifting from goofy to uncharacteristically serious. “Even if we don’t end up as some legendary mages, we’ll still have each other. That’s what matters.”

Kael gave a small, appreciative nod.

“Okay, okay, I get it. I just didn’t want you building up dreams so big they end up crushing you later. Anyway, where’s that hard-headed Jake? I haven’t seen him since…”

He trailed off, catching himself before he mentioned his reincarnation.

He had been looking for their third friend, the trio’s missing link, since he’d woken up in this world.

Kyro rolled his eyes, a familiar smirk returning to his face.

“You already know Jake. He’s not built like us, and his family status is on a completely different level.”

“Since he’s from a branch line of the nobility, he doesn’t have to stand out here in the dirt with the rest of the town.”

“His family was granted a private viewing spot inside the chief’s mansion. He’s probably sitting in a cushioned chair right now, sipping something expensive and watching us peasants sweat it out.”

“Oh, good for him,” Kael muttered. He knew the three of them had been inseparable, and since Kyro was still the same loyal, simple-minded guy, he was feeling optimistic about Jake.

They chatted for a while longer until Kyro spotted some other acquaintances and drifted off, leaving Kael to wander back toward his mother and his aunt.