[Lucas's office]
[3rd person POV]
"Kaizer, I didn't expect to see you so soon. What's the matter?" Lucas enquired in a confused voice.
"Sir, could you make it appear I am dead?" I replied bluntly.
"Huh," Lucas and Alastor simultaneously blurted subconsciously.
Even Helena flinched slightly at my declaration.
[You should have worded it better.]
"What do you mean, Kaizer? Can you elaborate?" Lucas composed himself instantly and questioned my motives.
"I will be honest, Sir Lucas, I know my existence could bring trouble to you in the future. Although discarded, I still carry the Aster blood. If they don't come after me, they will come after you. I am not sure what your current position is. Still, my presence will only hinder you-" I informed everything in a way so that my future position differs significantly from the novel.
"Alastor, did you threaten him through Helena?" Lucas cut off my words abruptly and addressed Alastor, his voice laced with irritation and anger evident in his expression.
"No, My Lord," Alastor replied humbly despite Lucas's aggressive remark.
"I guess Mr. Alastor also had the same thoughts as me. I wasn't threatened, although this further confirms my thoughts." I interjected before the situation could escalate further.
"Kaizer, are you telling me to abandon you? I can't repay grace with betrayal, son." Lucas replied, his voice filled with resignation and care.
I flinched as he suddenly referred to me as son. Although I knew he cared about Kaizer, I never thought he considered me a son.
"No, I am saying you can make it appear I am dead. I can change my hair and eye color until I join the academy. I would prefer it if you could also inform Asher and Sierra. I just woke up from a coma and am unsure exactly what my thoughts are. I need some time alone to cope with what's happening exactly. I don't want my existence to trouble you as well." I added quickly.
'I can use this as an excuse to stop Sierra from sharing about me with her friends.'
"Although I am against it because I want you to live freely, I won't stop you if you think it's necessary. Alastor, help Kaizer with everything he needs. And Kaizer, you are not trouble for me." Lucas addressed me and commanded Alastor.
"As you command, my Lord," Alastor replied briefly.
"Thank you, Uncle Lucas. I would also like to visit the public library if you don't mind. I am still unused to my body, so I thought I should read something to clear my mind." I politely bowed my head in gratitude.
"Uncle, huh, it has a nice ring to it. Well, you can visit the library after you sort out things with Alastor." He mentioned as Alastor moved towards me.
"Young Master Kaizer, if I may." Alastor greeted me and escorted Helena and me to another room.
After settling down in our seats, Alastor joined his hands and leaned forward.
"Young Master, how may I assist you?" he immediately got to business after settling down.
I preferred this, so I got straight to the point as well.
"Let's not talk in circles. My presence would have been trouble for you. Someone from the Aster household, specifically a discard and a person with terrible rumors circling him. It might have been difficult and will get more difficult if you don't help me out." I voiced out my thoughts, which I had concurred from my knowledge.
Alastor didn't reply but stayed silent, and I didn't mind his silence except for the change in his expression.
'He figured out his situation and is well aware of the consequence of his actions. Although it seems he is conversing normally, he is standing on the line of threat and caution with his words. He threatens me by making the situation difficult and putting himself at risk if I don't help him. He is not a simple brat.' Alastor surmised as his face bloomed with a gentle smile, enough to warn me.
His smile was creepy for me, but I glossed over it.
"I interacted with Asher, Sierra, and Sir Lucas, and it wasn't difficult to come to these conclusions. My suggestion was made considering the whole situation, and I think it will also benefit you, Mr. Alastor. Although I will be recuperating for quite some time, I would like to plan my future and avoid trouble. After joining the academy, I will cut my ties with Skylar Household, so you don't have to worry about me being a trouble to your Household. I will formally inform Sir Lucas as well." I continued my thoughts without giving Alastor the time to interject.
'Although this family could be a big help, I am still unsure because Lucas Skylar is more or less a subordinate of the Matriach of House Kryson after his wife's death. He thinks he is incompetent after being unable to save his wife, and although he acts like everything is okay, he is still stuck in the past. He more or less follows the orders of his mother-in-law, currently. I can understand where he is coming from though. He is just keeping it together for his kids. Otherwise, he might have been broken a long time ago.'
[Host, what's your plan then? You aren't going to use them?]
'I can sympathize with them, but gaining nothing would be idiotic. Walking on a thin rope would be detrimental, and gaining nothing would be stupid.'
"Master Kaizer, if you do that, it would be the best possible outcome I could hope for. But I don't think it will be possible without your cooperation." Alastor replied politely while adorning a gentle smile.
Although that smile appeared gentle, it was probably his threat in reply to my earlier threat.
"I am unsure of my plans, but I will need money and resources to increase my strength to become independent. That's everything I need. I promise I will never go overboard with my demands. You can also talk it through with Uncle Lucas. I would also like you to arrange communication devices and other technological facilities." I replied as I blatantly ignored his smile.
'His demands are too abstract, so he lets me decide how much to provide him. Sir Lucas thinks of him as a son, and he is using that as a safety veil but is also not going overboard with his demands. He is threatening me but also keeping his position in mind. He is cautious, prudent, and bold. Although temporary, my daughter has gotten an interesting liege. After observing him a bit longer, I should inform the matriarch of his presence.' Alastor decided as he found the situation intriguing rather than worrisome.
"I will follow through with your demands to the best of my abilities. Helena, arrange the disguise artifact and set up a Skyionic device for young master Kaizer." Alastor ordered Helena.
"Yes, Father," Helena replied promptly.
"It should be arranged in a short while, Master Kaizer. Skyionic is the latest communication device released, so you don't have to worry about its performance." Alastor informed me.
"Thank you, Mr. Alastor. I am grateful for your consideration." I thanked him again and left the room.
Alastor quietly watched the back of the young man he just encountered.
He had met many people who were talented, cunning, strong, calculative, and many more.
But no one ever could threaten him except the Matriach of Kryson's Household.
"I guess I can look forward to seeing something interesting while I am still alive." His words echoed in the room as he remembered Kaizer Aster's eyes.
"That's the gaze of a ruler, regal and arrogant. But I like it." He left the room with a gentle smile.
******
[Kaizer's POV]
Helena followed me and left to arrange the Skyionic device for me.
'Skyionic device, as cringy the name sounds, the advantages of its existence are far beyond excellent. It could be considered a more modern smartphone version that almost every human on Arcancia uses.'
[Host, your demands were rather abstract. May I ask why you didn't demand more?]
'I woke up two days ago, and you expect me to go with precise demands and draw suspicion. Besides, I am not even aware of the value of the currency of this planet. I will head to the library first, and the rest can wait until I finish confirming something important.'
[Something important?]
'Just wait, you will find soon enough.'
"Master Kaizer, here's the artifact to disguise your hair and eyes. It's a C-rank artifact, so it can't disguise your facial features but only your hair and eyes." Helena provided me with the requested artifact, along with the Skyionic device.
"Thank you, Helena." I thanked her politely and wore the bracelet-type artifact on my left wrist.
Activating the artifact, I turned my hair and eyes to black and peered at my reflection in the mirror.
I also noticed the earring pierced in my left ear briefly.
The earring was one of the ambitions that was driving me towards my goals for the future.
If it weren't for its existence, I wouldn't put this much effort into my plans.
It was a constant reminder that the other half of the earring is still alive and needs to be saved.
Breaking out of my stupor, I carefully gazed at my reflection again.
'Black hair and black eyes, I looked like this without my burns and scars.'
My curiosity to see my reflection of my past life led me to select these colors.
[You looked good, you know?]
'If that were the case, then some things wouldn't have happened, Grade.'
[Is that so? But is this much disguise sufficient? Don't you think you need to be more careful?]
'Do you think there would be someone out there waiting outside for me just to wake up? If there were, that person would be crazy dangerous for me, and I don't think even I can save myself from such a crazy human.' I jokingly commented.
[You are right, host. They sure would be crazy.] Grade replied to my statement in a nervous voice.
I ignored his voice as I thought about my next course of action.
In the work Meditationes Sacrae, Sir Francis Bacon mentioned that knowledge itself is power.
Even if the world has changed, information rules.
For instance, if I weren't somewhat aware of how the future would unfold, my goals wouldn't be fruitful.
The whole point of my existence in this world will be to fill in a void to emerge as a central power.
While I held these extreme convictions requiring my utmost dedication and effort, I wore an additional black hoodie over my clothes.
The fact that I could do basic exercises was one of my petty achievements in the mere two days after I regained consciousness.
Making my way out of the mansion, I continued my intrusive thoughts about the future.
After my talk with Alastor, going to the library discreetly was the best option.
After pulling the hood to cover my face, Helena opened the door of the black limousine.
[I think we don't need to be this discreet. There won't be anyone crazy enough to look for you every day in the hope that you wake up.]
'As much as I am hurt hearing your words, I can't deny the truth. If there was someone that crazy, there's no escape for us.'
[Makes sense.]
I closed my eyes after admiring the vast sky as I thought about my destination for the Athen city library.