"What?!"
Jae was a grand knight? Kane looked at the hand he had used to casually pat Jae's shoulder. Well damn. Kane had been worried that as a knight, Jae would be embarrassed to be found acting as a servant for an Acolyte. After all, knights and low-level; Acolytes had equal standing. However, this was a whole different ball game.
A grand knight! The gravity of that title was outstanding! When Kane learned the knight's cultivation technique, he didn't just learn how to gather his life force. He was also rushed with all sorts of information regarding the upper levels of the technique. This, in turn, showed him exactly what a grand knight was capable of.
If an apprentice knight is equivalent to an Olympic-level soldier, then a Knight is the equivalent of a human-sized tank. Using that as a reference, a grand knight is the equivalent of a tactical nuke. In other words, Kane just told a tactical nuke to treat him like an equal.
"..."
Slowly, Kane turned to look at Jae who was sheepishly rubbing his head. The wry smile on his face made him look altogether quite harmless. Kane could feel goosebumps forming on his skin. How could someone so powerful give off no sense of danger at all? Regardless, Kane had to deal with the current situation. Rather than a servant, Kane should be treating Jae like a superior.
[What if he leaves because of this?]
Kane had to think quickly. If Jae left because his cover was exposed, Kane would lose his information. Kane managed to expose the identity of his servant on the first day but what about next time? Wouldn't Darius just send someone trickier? It was then that Kane got an idea.
"What if you become my teacher?"
Both Carter and Jae looked at Kane, surprised.
"What do you mean?" Jae asked.
"Well, obviously, it wouldn't be suitable for you to be my servant, especially now that I know your ability. So can't I just have you as my teacher? Who better to teach me than a grand knight!"
Jae looked excited, but his expression was soon covered with worry.
"If so, then who will take care of your needs?"
"We can have the maids take care of it! And if that doesn't work, I'm used to taking care of myself. It'll be fine either way!"
Jae looked like he was about to agree when Carter cut in.
"Excuse me, but aren't I supposed to be teaching lord Nigel?"
Kane smiled. "I'm glad you asked. Weren't you worried about teaching me the basics of knight training in only a week? If we get Jae to help, wouldn't things go even faster?"
Seeing Carter nodding in agreement, Jae finally yielded.
"Alright, I'll be your teacher, but only under one condition!"
Kane smiled confidently, "What's the condition?"
"Lord Darius must agree to this first."
Kane was elated. This was the best-case scenario. Kane was confident Darius would agree. After all, it was in his best interest for Kane to grow faster. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know that Kane's soul had never been erased. To him, Kane was simply Nigel. As soon as he got the chance, Kane would escape and pass the system's mission!
After that whole fiasco was over, Jae sent Kane to his new room before heading off to ask Darius for permission to be Kane's teacher. Upon walking into the room, Kane grinned from ear to ear. Finally, a room for a human being!
The room was large, even by modern standards. It had a King size bed with velvety covers, and a large bookcase against the wall. There was a balcony, a desk, and even a bathroom with a toilet. There was even toilet paper! (Although it was thicker and rougher than he was used to.) Seeing the assortment of items one might find in a modern-day home, Kane was astounded by the level of civilization this world had.
However, it didn't take long for Kane to realize such living conditions were entirely unheard of in places poorer than here. Kane recalled the memories Darius gave him of living as a slave. The slavers that owned him and his "mother" were quite rich among mortals; however, even they could only defecate in chamberpots, wear rough cloth, and sleep on grass and feather mattresses.
Perhaps these things were the work of magic rather than technology. Regardless, as much as Kane wanted to investigate the infrastructure of this world, he had no time. He could not wait any longer. [System. What's the damage?]
The system took a while before responding.
[The system does not understand what the host is asking.]
[You know what I mean!]
The system took even longer to respond before replying.
[The host now suffers from impotence. Gather techniques of the same type to alter the effects of the Kahn technique...]
The system kept talking; however, Kane wasn't listening anymore. Falling to his knees, Kane looked up at the ceiling with a forlorn look on his face. It turns out he'd become a limp vegetable man without even knowing it! He honestly just wanted to curl up on his velvet bed and die. Seeing the incredibly pained look on Kane's face, even the system went silent.
[Is the host's impotence really that bad?]
Hearing the system's voice, Kane's eyes flashed with a calculative light. It seems the system had a conscious after all! However, Kane didn't pursue the topic. He was well aware that the system could read his mind. It was best to stay away from any topics that could trigger it. The only reason he dared scheme against the system was due to his very real mental pain.
Kane surmised that if he could cover up his thought with enough stimulation, the system would not be able to pick up his real thoughts through the noise. The best way to do so was a strong emotion! There were many benefits to using this as his first experiment. First, if the shock from losing his "ability" wasn't enough to cover up his thoughts then chances were he would never have his thoughts to himself again! Hence, to prevent further tragedy, Kane decided to create fortune from misfortune and attempt this experiment.
Second! Kane wanted to test the system. Despite his schemes, all of the pain was genuine. He'd long since noticed that the system seemed to have emotions; however, he'd never had proof. But now? The system's question told him everything he needed to know. Kane didn't dare make any speculations yet, but if his method proved true, then perhaps he could uncover the true nature of the system!
Closing his parallel line of thought, Kane finally put all his focus on the pain he felt. It was only then that the system's voice reached him.
[Host? Host? Are you okay?]
Kane smiled with a single tear running down his face.
[Yeah. I'll get by. All I need are more knight techniques, right?]
The system was stunned by Kane's reply. For a moment, the only thing the system could feel from Kane was desolate pain. It even caused it to wonder if it had chosen the wrong host. However, moments later, Kane returned with all his thoughts in order. Even though the pain was still there, it now felt like a bug compared to Kane's consciousness. The system felt something was wrong but they couldn't quite place it.
Before the system could pinpoint the problem, it heard Kane speak.
[System check my status]
[Host: Kane Enderson(Nigel) Titles: Loyalty: effect unknown, Wisdom: effect unknown]
[Race: Human(lesser titans bloodline: unawakened)]
[Level: 0]
[EXP: 0/100]
[HP: 20.5/21 (Status: imperfect)]
[SP: 227/227 (Comment: Level 1 Acolyte at 1000)]
[STR: 20]
[STA: 20.5]
[AGI: 20]
[INT: 80]
[Skills: Incompetent meditation, Incompetent mana manipulation, Incompetent Alchemy, Incompetent Language, Incompetent Housework, Useless Knights Cultivation (Comment: Why even bother at this point?)]
Upon seeing what level his skill level for the cultivation technique was, Kane could only frown. It seems he would have to spend some time training the skill up. But now wasn't the time,
Yawning, Kane walked up to the bookshelf to grab a book.
"Huh?"
When he reached out to grab a book titled "The Complete History of New Era Warfare", he found a letter tucked neatly between two books. The letter was adorned in gold that was weaved in intricate patterns causing it to give off a noble feeling. Curious, Kane opened the letter.
"Sir Nigel, contained within this letter are the details regarding your appointment as Lady Violet Kahn's personal guard. During your time as a guard, you will be posing as a butler."
Kane was stunned. A butler? Haven't they overused the hidden servant archetype already?
[Now that I think of it, have a seen a single servant that wasn't a hidden expert?]
Either this means Darius places huge importance on me, or... maybe he just thinks that sort of thing is cool? Kane couldn't help but snicker at the thought. However, he still felt the previous answer was more likely. Even so, this did not explain Darius posting him as a hidden servant. Maybe someone is targeting Violet? Regardless, Kane kept reading.
"As of tomorrow, you will be required to accompany the lady for two hours every day as a part of your duties; in addition, you will be required to attend two four-hour training sessions a day for both your knight cultivation and magus studies. While you are not attending to your duties as a personal guard, you will be expected to continue training for both meditation and cultivation. Upon leaving for your journey to the academy, you will be required to accompany the lady at all times unless specified otherwise. More information regarding your station will be provided at a later time."
Kane rubbed his chin in thought, this was a little interesting. Setting the letter aside, Kane picked up the book again. While Kane could start cultivating or meditating now, he decided against it. Kane's biggest disadvantage was his lack of information. The less he knew, the less control he had over his situation. Opening the book, Kane felt a slight disappointment. It seems the system doesn't work with general information. No matter. He was a genius. A little memorization was nothing to him.