Novel Full Chapter 207: Enlighten
Chapter 207: Enlighten
Elsewhere in the city, far from the noise of the roaring coliseum, a very familiar figure stood quietly inside a modest lodging.
The room was simple and neatly kept, nothing like the luxurious balconies where the nobles were watching the tournament.
A small wooden table sat in the center, along with two chairs and a single window that looked out over the distant rooftops of Grimholt.
What made the scene strange was that this same man could currently be seen in the upper stands of the coliseum.
Anyone who understood the Kletis family’s techniques would immediately recognize what was happening.
But those people were few and far between.
The man had cloned himself!
Whether the figure sitting calmly in this quiet room was the real one or the copy watching the tournament in the arena… it was impossible to tell!
The man lifted a glass and took a slow sip.
Inside the glass was mana-fermented red wine, an exquisite alcoholic beverage known for its deep flavor and strong magical essence.
It was the kind of drink that cost an arm and a leg, something only the richest nobles could casually enjoy.
He swirled the wine in the glass slowly, watching the liquid catch the light. Then the door to the sitting area opened.
Another familiar figure stepped inside.
Evander Kletis.
His presence here was just as curious.
It was clear that he was using the same cloning technique as the man in the room. While his real body was likely somewhere else in the arena, this version of him had come here instead.
“Father,” Evander said calmly as he entered.
The man nodded slightly.
Evander walked across the room and took a seat opposite him.
“How have you been?” the man asked casually.
“Everything is well,” Evander replied.
“Everything?”
The man raised an eyebrow as he lifted the wine glass again.
“Even the matter with the Chronos girl?”
Evander’s gaze darkened slightly.
He should not have spoken so carelessly.
“No,” he answered grimly. “I heard she left the academy yesterday and returned to her clan.”
He leaned back in his chair slightly.
“Which is strange, because she was supposed to participate in the tournament.”
Patriarch Kletis took another slow sip of his wine.
“And before that?” he asked calmly. “Any progress?”
Evander exhaled slowly.
There was no point lying.
“No, father.”
“She made it very clear that she wants nothing to do with me. Since then, she has made a point of avoiding me entirely.”
The patriarch frowned.
It was a small expression, but the disappointment behind it was obvious.
“Clearly,” he said slowly, “you haven’t been putting in as much effort as I told you to.”
His tone was calm, but the reprimand behind it was unmistakable.
“Do you understand how important this matter is for our family?”
Evander remained silent for a few seconds after hearing his father’s words.
He understood very well what this conversation was about. It had been the same topic for months now, and every time it came up, the pressure behind it only seemed to grow heavier.
“Yes, father,” he finally said calmly.
But the patriarch did not look satisfied. He scoffed. “You know nothing, boy.”
“Let me break it down for you.”
He set the wine glass down on the table slowly, the faint clink echoing in the quiet room.
“You say you understand,” Patriarch Kletis replied, “yet the results tell me otherwise.”
“I don’t blame you, after all, I haven’t explained to you yet,” His sharp eyes rested on Evander. “I will start with the most basic reason,” He began, “The Chronos bloodline is not something we can simply ignore.”
Evander nodded slowly. Of course, he knew that.
Everyone in the upper circles of the world knew the importance of the Chronos clan. They were not just any noble family.
They were the keepers of time magic. One of the rarest and most mysterious bloodlines in existence.
“If we manage to tie the Chronos family to our Kletis clan through marriage,” the patriarch continued, “our standing among the great clans will rise immediately.”
He leaned back in his chair slightly.
“Even the imperial family would think twice before provoking us.”
Evander understood the reasoning perfectly.
A union between the Kletis clan and the Chronos clan would create an alliance that few organizations could challenge.
But the problem had never been political. The problem was Celeste.
“She refuses,” Evander said quietly.
Patriarch Kletis gave him a flat look.
“A woman refusing is not the end of the matter.”
Evander did not answer immediately.
“She made it clear,” Evander finally said. “She has no intention of accepting the engagement.”
The patriarch’s expression hardened slightly.
“You have said that the girl has always been stubborn?”
He picked up the wine glass again and took another sip.
“But stubbornness can be corrected.”
Evander’s brow furrowed slightly.
“You mean pressure?”
The patriarch looked at him calmly.
“The world of nobles is built on pressure.”
He set the glass down again.
“Do you think marriages between great clans are decided based on feelings?”
Evander said nothing.
“Celeste Chronos may not like the idea now,” the patriarch continued, “but when her family understands the political advantages, they will make her cooperate.”
Evander shook his head slightly.
“I am not so sure.”
That answer made the patriarch raise an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Evander leaned back slightly in his chair.
“The Chronos clan is not weak,” he said calmly. “They are not desperate for alliances.”
The patriarch gave a faint smile.
“That is true.”
“But even powerful families have enemies.”
Evander knew that too.
The world was becoming more unstable by the year. Conflicts between clans, guilds, and kingdoms were quietly building everywhere.
Most battles were not fought out in the open, but in the shadows, were most would never see or hear of them.
An alliance between two powerful families could shift the balance dramatically.
Still…
Evander sighed quietly.
“It won’t matter if she refuses to even speak to me.”
Patriarch Kletis watched his son for a moment. Then he spoke again.
“Tell me something.”
Evander looked up.
“Is it because of another man?”
Evander froze slightly.
The patriarch noticed the reaction immediately.
“I see.”
Evander clenched his jaw slightly.
“I am not sure.”
“But there is someone she seems to favor.”
The patriarch’s gaze sharpened. “Who?”
Evander hesitated.
Then he answered. “A first-year student.”
The patriarch stared at him.
“…A first year?”
“Yes.”
“What is his name?”
Evander spoke calmly.
“Elion Nova.”
The patriarch leaned back slowly. “I have not heard the name before.”
Then he scoffed again, “Getting cucked by a first year… You have no balls.”
Evander had no answer to that. He was used to his father trying to provoke him at times. He hated to admit it, but he had fallen for it more than once.
His father appeared stern and reserved to the public, but to Evander, he was just a nosy father with a crude mouth.
“Now that that is out of the way, let’s get to the important stuff, shall we. I can see you understand the political importance of the Chronos clan,” he said.
Evander nodded. “Yes.”
“Their influence, their bloodline, their connections with other ancient families.”
But the patriarch slowly shook his head. “That is only the surface reason for why we want this alliance.”
Evander nodded slightly. He also knew that. Apparently, they needed something from the vampires as well.
The patriarch took another slow sip of the mana wine before setting the glass down again.
“I was vague about it in the letter I sent you earlier,” he said calmly. “Because this is not something you risk writing on paper.”
Evander’s expression became more serious.
His father leaned forward slightly.
“Tell me something, Evander.”
“What do you know about our world?”
Evander blinked slightly at the sudden question, but he answered without hesitation.
“Our world?”
Evander thought for a moment before speaking.
“There are many races… humans, elves, dragons, beastkin, demons, and others.”
“The world is divided between powerful kingdoms and ancient clans.”
“There are also spiritual lands, hidden worlds, ancient ruins, and other dangerous places filled with powerful beasts and relics.”
He paused briefly.
“Power in this world is determined by strength, bloodline, and influence.”
Patriarch Kletis listened quietly.
But as Evander finished speaking, the man slowly shook his head again. His expression had turned grim.
“That,” he said slowly, “is the understanding of someone who has only seen the surface of the ocean.”
Evander’s brow furrowed slightly.
Then the patriarch asked another question. “What do you know about the universe then?”
Evander hesitated. He opened his mouth slightly… but then closed it again. There was no obvious answer to that question.
The patriarch clearly had not expected one either.
“Exactly,” he said quietly.
He leaned back again and crossed one leg over the other.
“Then let me ask you something else.”
His sharp eyes fixed on Evander.
“What do you know about Origin Cores?”
Evander frowned.
He had heard the term before in ancient records and obscure texts, but it was never explained clearly.
“…Very little.”
The patriarch nodded.
“And what do you know about Wills?”
That question made Evander think more seriously.
Of course, he knew about wills.
He himself was already approaching the threshold of comprehending his first.
“The manifestation of one’s understanding of magic and the laws behind it,” Evander said carefully.
“Mages eventually comprehend a will tied to their affinity. It allows them to control their element at a deeper level.”
“I am close to forming my own Dark Magic Will.”
Patriarch Kletis nodded slowly.
“That is correct.”
“But the answer is also incomplete.”
Evander’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Well then,” the patriarch said calmly.
“Let me enlighten you.”