"Tell me, why go so far to pick those trials?" asked a master that knelled in front of the elders.
Found at a high peak of a mountain, a palace stood that was made as the bases for the Elder's quarters. Its was a place known to be the most tranquil place of the island and the most deadliest at the same time.
In the room where he knelled at, the four elders looked to him behind a paper drape, concealing their very visage to him.
"All four of the trials you picked were made not for someone like him…he's not ready I nthe slightest." said the master.
"Are you certain of this?" asked one of the elders.
"His past records are barely enough to claim him to be anyone special…he will die if he takes those trials by morning." said the master.
"...The past is but a past…it does not tell of the present state of a person's growth. In time, a person will grow by his volition of will...so five years is enough to change a boy into a man."
"What do you see in him, not as a warrior but as a simple person with a soul?" asked an elder of unknown identity.
"..." but the master was silent in that moment.
"Our judgement made for him was unclear to most masters…especially to you…but hear this…we did not choose those trials based off of his identity as a clan members. Know this Yukashi, once all trials are made true to their end, you and three other masters will be his teacher."
"...What!?" asked the master who was now known to be named Yukashi. His white silver hair, blue crystal eyes, and white uniform that had the symbol of his rank as the 8th highest master, showed his identity as someone renowned in the clan.
"But why did you choose those trials then?" asked Yukashi.
"...It is but only right to prepare the finest meals to a fine soul." said one of the elders.
"..."
"Watch over him Yukashi, that is a mission given by the princess."
"T-The princess!?" having been shocked by this revelation of truth, Yukashi turned pale at this realization and could only hold on to his beating chest in the pressure of this order.
Being given order by the princess is but an order that must be done to the utmost best. If it was graded by a mission's standpoint, every order given by this said 'Princess' was but a Grade SS+. the highest priority of order out of all orders in the clan.
"Heed this warning…being soft on the boy simply because of your relation to his father will be his downfall." said an Elder.
"The Princess has spoken, it is your duty to commit to her words."
"...I will do my best, in honor of the princess's wishes." said Yukashi as he kneels to the elders in a pale face of discomfort.
"Keep in mind, this order is to be kept secret to all ears…you may leave." said an unknown elder as he dismisses Master Yukashi.
And with it, Yukashi left the palace that had been the only bearing home of the elders.
Yukashi was a man who was close to the father of Hamil Crux, one could say that he was his Godfather…and with that position, Yukashi did everything he could to help Hamil Crux survive the five years of freedom. In some normal cases, he would send an allowance, but in some more intense situations, being a higher ranked Master, he was the one who gave missions to Mary Clinton as a way to keep tabs on Hamil Crux. It was his way of keeping the two in contact, so with the five years of working assassination missions on the Kastelyst Kingdom, Mary Clinton was able to gain her title as the Royal Beheader.
To his worry, being one of the high ranking masters of the clan, he went to meet the elders himself for question, but to his end, he came out with a heavy burden.
'...to think that the princess was the one who gave such order. But why Hamil? What did he do to involve himself under the eyes of the princess?' thought Yukashi as he walks out of the palace.
And as he walked out, he was meet with the only other person who was a relative to Hamil.
"What did the elders say?" asked Mary Clinton as she stood with a worried face.
"...We shouldn't worry. Everything is in order." he said.
"In order? How can that be!? Its clear suicide no matter how much we think of this! Those elders are probably getting older and are getting crazier by the minute!" she said out loud.
"...Every order they have made are necessary and we shouldn't question it. I can understand that you are devastated by this…but know that the elders have never made any false choices. And also, this is a trial, we don't have authority to intervene in this sacred tradition. Each man and woman will ultimately pass through a trial by their time of graduation." He said.
"But Hamil hasn't even graduated yet from his training!"
"That's not my point! I can understand that your worried, I am too, but you need to get your head straight. What do you think Hamil thinks of the situation?" he asked.
"...I'm not sure. When we got home, all he did was stay in his room. He wanted to be alone for a bit." she said.
"...Your home or…your sister's?" he asked.
"...Mine obviously. I don't think its right to let him live back at his house…" she said.
Knowing that the original house of the Crux family has been left to Hamil, it is his property but being young back then, Mary took the job of keeping the house until Hamil grows up. For the past five years, every month, she would have it kept clean. Now that Hamil has grown…it was only right to give him the key to his house.
But for Mary hesitates on giving in to handing Hamil the key.
But Yukashi thinks otherwise.
"Let him have the house…he has the right to live there." he said.
"...fine. I'll give it to him tonight." she said as she looked to Yukashi with doubt.
"...He's all grown up now, so I'm sure he can face his problems on his own."
"..."
****
Currently, I am inside the extra room of my aunt's house. Everything about this place speaks of the Japanese aesthetic. From the interior to the exterior design, everything looks nothing like what is found at the Kastelyst Kingdom. Everything here is more traditional than anything.
"..." Being given my own room, it gives me the chance to have my own space. The owls themselves are out by the backyard, sleeping under the shade of a tree, and the students that follows Aunt Mary all went to their homes as well…
All that's left in here is me and the owls…no one else.
"Maybe I can use this chance to go there…" I say as I stared at the ceiling of the house.
I've been thinking about it…and i think its time to go back to the Ruler's Domain and check things out…
Its been a few days since I went back, and I think I need to see for myself if I can actually go in on by myself.
So immediately, I sat in a lotus position and concentrated…
As I closed my eyes, I immediately went into a state of absolute focus…
As simple as the natural nature of a person wanting to drink water when he's thirsty or breathing air, as a ruler…simply going to what is rightfully you home should be second nature.
And with it…as I thought deep of the Ruler's Domain and the grace of being there…the moment I opened by eyes, I was simply found standing in the center of the land.
"..." looking around, all I saw was the same old Domain… empty and ruin-like.
With the four statues standing at four different corners, the cross section was the only place I could stand on. And looking at this empty space, it felt lonely…
I was by my own in this ruin-like domain.
".…I should try to re-configure it." I said as I started to configure the very cross section that I stood on, into a flat land that took minimal effort. By moving the cross section and using genesis to make more land and designs all over this cave, I was able to turn the domain into a coliseum.
With columns of great detail similar to that of the roman empire standing around the corners, a stage-floor put in the middle that shined like marble where by along its side, a grass field that inhabited a variety of shrubs and trees, a soft source of light that rained down below, and most of all a small cabin home by the side to make as my resting place. I have made the domain into an estate I can live by.
It only took me around forty five minutes to make it all, but it drains a lot out of me seeing as how most of this involves me using genesis and inputting a lot of detail into each structure. It wasn't like how I made the coliseum back at the Gate where I fought Arthur and Liam. This whole place actually took me a lot of my concentration.
"Hmm, I just hope it doesn't go back to its original form when I exit the domain." I said jokingly at this thought.
As I sat down on the grassy fields, I wondered what else I could do inside the domain. When I turned on my profile, I wanted to see if there where some changes, or some additions for being inside the domain…and to my surprise, I found a new input right at the bottom.
[CHARACTER PROFILE]
:Stats:
Name: Hamil Crux
Occupation: Ruler in Training
Age:17
God's followed: The Rulers (4/4)
Mana: 267/500
Strength: 165.7 > 183.1
Luck: 5 > 5.1
Agility: 150.9 > 165.11
Stamina: 144.6 > 160.56
Intelligence: 101.1 > 120.12
+++++++++++++++
Bow Proficiency: 50% --> 51%
Spear Proficiency: 70% -->74%
Sword Proficiency: [Basic swordsmanship] 100%
Shield Proficiency: 50% --> 55%
+++++++++++++++
SKILL-ARTS:
*Sword Ability - Swordsman's Apparel (E)
==Swordsmanship Owned: 1/100
-Basic Swordsmanship - Enlightened
*My Bow Ability - Light Reflection (C)
*Spear Ability - Impossible Accuracy (B)
*Shield Ability - Shield's Copy (B)
SKILLS :
*Shadow Skin (B)-(0%)
*Shadow Scale (A)
*Genesis (-)
*Summit's Will (A)
+++++++++++++++
+Ruler's Domain (A)+
*Sovereign Call-
*Ruler's Conjure-
A lot of my stats has grown since that time I've devoured my pill…
By merging with an Azimar, I was able to grow tremendously…and along with the fights I had before this, it helped with making me strong. Killing a lot of Skinwalkers during the terrorist attack and fighting Arthur and Liam helped as well. If it was compared to a hunter's rank, it would be around B-rank at best and if I turn to my strongest form being the Shadow Scale, I could have an instantaneous growth that could easily surpass the A-rank.
My weapon's skills have also evolved enough knowing that always use them often. It only grew along with my body growth.
Along with the update to my skills, I was able to claim a few skills that I can only assume would help me in using inside the Domain.
By clicking on its description, I was able to see the details of the skills.
[*Sovereign Call - a telepathic ability that persist on communicating to a loyal companion, facilitating nuanced and private conversations. This ability extends beyond word, allowing the user to convey thoughts, emotions and intentions directly to the minds of those they wish to communicate.]
[*Ruler's Conjure - The ability to summon a loyal companion that has fully accepted the Ruler to be their king in any space not limited to the Ruler's Domain. They serve under order of the Ruler and will fight in decree to their loyalty.]
And after looking at these descriptions, an added detail was put into the Ruler's domain.
[Ruler's Domain - In time as your power grows and your army grows, the domain will expand to accommodate the will of the army. With it, new skills will be added to support the growth of the domain.]
It only ever tells me that this domain will grow as I continue to obtain back my people. And that fact makes me happy more so than i could have expected.
So checking in to the first skill which was the Sovereign call, once I activated the skill, it showed me an unexpected showcase of information.
Contacts:
-Iris Dragonfold
-Merlin the Great
"...Merlin?" looking at this name, I was confused as to who this was…so to my curiosity, I didn't hesitate to call upon this name.
And soon as I activated the sovereign call, I heard the voice, I only ever heard the silence of the domain.
"...Hello?" I talked in the empty room, thinking that maybe I was the first one to start the conversation.
But despite waiting for 3 minutes to hear back from this person, silence only remained.
But just as I was about to give up…I heard the thoughts of a female voice…
"...Hello?"
****
Outside Mary Clinton's house, fifteen people wearing black from top to bottom, stood by the distance, watching over Hamil from his window.
"...Hmm, are you sure we should be doing this?" asked one of the people standing by.
"Either we do this or not, Zero will surely punish us if we don't do right by his order. and besides, that bastard deserves whats coming for him."
"...I'm just saying, if your master ever finds out about this, you'll be punished either way."
"That's why we have to make this as clean as possible. People like him who get to live the soft life needs some tough love here and there."
"Okay…I guess."
"Now, lets get going before his aunt comes back."
"What are we going to do with he's pets?"
"Their just birds, just fire a few tranquilizer darts at them and they'll be put out like a baby."
"...Okay."
As the sun was starting to set, the fifteen people who was dressed in black rushed to the house, without getting caught by the citizens around them.