'Slander me? I only woke up yesterday, who could it be?' Caelum thought as a small frown appeared on his face.
Saya continued, "Rumors are spreading that you made a bet against Boros, saying that you will win against him in the youth family tournament in six months. Someone must've made up this nonsensical bet!"
'…'
"Where did you hear this from?" Caelum did not expect this is what Saya meant by slander. He was also confused. The bet was registered as a private bet in the Dispute Resolution office – very few people knew about its details and none of them were supposed to publicize the matter.
"It's in the news!" Saya replied.
Caelum almost gasped in shock when he heard that. 'It's in the what!?' he thought.
Seeing his reaction, Saya explained further. "The underground information organization – Hidden Secrets – published a new News Scroll today where they talked about this bet."
"People are talking about it and some of them are calling you a fool or saying there's still something wrong with your head due to the coma."
"How can they trust an underground organization so blindly? It's clear that they're slandering you!"
Caelum wryly thought that he had underestimated just how much of an underdog he would be considered in this fight. Saya seemed convinced that he would never make such a foolish bet.
"Well, actually…"
Caelum first explained to Saya that the bet was indeed real, much to her stupefaction.
"Where can I get these news scrolls? I'd like to see what the article actually says," he asked Saya out of curiosity.
Saya somewhat despondently led Caelum to a stand in the estate which distributed these scrolls. It was really hard for her to accept her Young Master's folly!
A few minutes later, the pair arrived at their destination.
The person who was operating the stand took one glance at Caelum and instantly knew who he was. It seemed like his fame had spread quite a bit.
"You're Young Master Caelum, aren't you? Welcome!"
"Good morning." Caelum greeted the person. "I'd like some of these news scrolls. How much do I have to pay for them?"
News scrolls were basically like individual articles in modern newspapers. They were published by specialized organizations that dealt with information. Information networks, information guilds, they had many names.
Much like how there were multiple newspaper companies, multiple information networks also existed. It was an underground network which published the article that Caelum was interested in.
Being an underground organization meant that information such as their location and the individuals that comprised the organization would be quite difficult, if not impossible to find. Caelum knew all of this information from the memories he inherited from his predecessor.
"You don't have to pay anything, Young Master! For people who reside in the Duke Mansion, the scrolls are free. For others, they have to purchase subscriptions for networks they're interested in, using Family Contribution," the man operating the news stand replied to Caelum's earlier question.
"That's convenient," Caelum said as he started browsing the latest scrolls to take those that interested him.
He quickly noticed that multiple information networks had published scrolls about him. However, most of them were talking about the fact that he awoke from his coma. The scrolls also had a portrait of his current appearance.
Caelum derived great joy from knowing that one of the scrolls that talked about him was titled 'The Most Handsome Man in the World?'. It was published by the aptly named 'Ladies Gossip' information network.
Without hesitation, Caelum added it to the list of scrolls he was taking with him.
After browsing through other articles titled 'Gigantic Rift starts forming near Wintram', 'Increasing unrest in Chanvi due to Seafolk', 'Can the new generation of youths challenge Sun Li?', 'Divine Doctor creates another miracle', etc..., Caelum finally found the scroll he was looking for.
The Hidden Secrets network had published a scroll with an unnecessarily long title – 'The third Young Master of the Goldheart family might be surprisingly east to swindle!' Caelum took the scroll and headed back to his room to leisurely read it.
As Saya said, the article did talk about his bet with Boros. However, it conveniently omitted the stakes, conveying only the following information.
Caelum, the third Young Master of the Goldhearts woke up from his four year coma. He then made a hot-headed bet against Boros, the reigning young champion in the Goldheart family, claiming that he could defeat him in combat after just six months of cultivation.
The article ended by suggesting that he might have some left over mental problems from his coma…
'Interesting… It has deliberately been written in a way that portrays me as a hot-headed fool.'
For now, there was not much Caelum could do. The rumors did not bother him nearly as much as they bothered Saya. So, he decided to just get on with his day for the moment.
But before he could set his plans to get stronger in motion, he decided to visit the Dining Hall for breakfast. Not only was his mother expecting him there, eating a lot of food was essential for cultivators in the Body Tempering stage.
* * *
Meanwhile in Wintram, plenty of people were discussing Caelum. Novastead Empire did not have TV or internet, so the drama that happened between cultivators was prime entertainment material for the public.
"Hey, did you hear? The third son of our Duke is apparently awake now."
"Ha! That's basic news. The bet he made with Boros is the spicy stuff."
"Did the bet actually happen? What if the underground network is just spouting nonsense?"
"But they've got no reason to do that!"
"Does he think cultivation is easy?"
"Ugh! This is why I hate Noble kids. I keep telling you – there's something wrong with their brains!"
"I can't wait to see his face when he loses, haha!"
"I can't wait to see his face."
"…"
"Seriously. Can we just talk about how handsome he is!"
"…"
Conversations like this were taking place in many parts of Wintram. Even in other parts of the Empire, there was some talk about Caelum, but it was quite mild compared to the interest displayed by the home turf.
* * *
Only three people were seated around the table in the Duke Mansion Dining Hall – Caelum, Lyra and Elara.
Currently, Caelum was being scolded by his father, Valerius, who seemed to have wasted a long distance communication talisman for the express purpose of scolding him.
Elara gazed at this scene with a slightly disappointed face, and even Lyra was looking at him strangely.
"I can't believe that not only did you agree to such a stupid bet, but you were also careless enough to let information about it slip to the outside world. A hundred grade-1 spirit stones might be nothing to me or your mother, but I'd like to see if you're capable of amassing such a sum by yourself!"
"Sorry, father." Caelum offered an insincere apology just to get out of the situation quickly.
"You better be sorry young man! Sigh." In a somewhat softer tone, Valerius continued.
"You might think that this is not a big deal. To a family like ours, a hundred or even ten thousand spirit stones is really not a big deal. But what is a big deal is reputation!"
"Why do so many cultivators care so much about their reputation, to the point where some would even value it more than their lives? Do you think it is because we're all vain and stupid?" Valerius asked a rhetoric question. His voice had come down to a normal volume even though his words were sharp.
"You are still young and your cultivation is shallow. I cannot properly explain this to you, but try to understand as much as you can. Reputation is directly connected to momentum, and momentum is directly connected to the blessing of the Heavens! And the reverse is also true."
"I won't say anything else for now. Just make sure something like this does not happen in the future. And Elara, I have some official matters to discuss with you. Leave the dining hall and let the kids finish their meal in peace."
Elara acquiesced in a disgruntled voice and left the hall after ruffling Caelum's hair on her way out.
"Father was too harsh!" Lyra said after Elara left. She continued while giving Caelum a thumbs-up sign, "I support you Big Brother. Defeating Boros in six months is going to be uhh… very very difficult but I support you nonetheless!"
"Thanks, Lyra." Caelum responded while giving her a wry smile.
"Still, you said that you registered the bet as a private bet right? How did information about it go out? And why did the news scroll omit the actual stakes?" Even though Lyra asked the question out loud, it seemed more like she was pondering it herself.
"I bet it must be done by that Boros!" She said with conviction after some thought.
"You aren't very fond of Boros, I take?" Caelum asked her.
"How can anyone be fond of that overconfident leecher?" There was genuine curiosity in Lyra's question as if she found such a thing to be absolutely impossible.
The discussion devolved into more casual talk between the siblings as they finished their breakfast. Caelum then made his way towards the training grounds with Saya. The question of who leaked the news about the bet was on Caelum's mind too.
'There are limited possibilities. First, the warden – he was there when we discussed the bet. Second, the person who noted our bet in the Dispute Resolution Hall. And third, Boros himself.'
But then, an idea occurred to him, causing him to involuntarily show a smile. 'No. There is another possibility, even though it is unlikely.'
Time passed as Caelum was thinking and he soon found himself standing next to the entrance of the training grounds. He shelved his thoughts regarding the bet and prepared himself for what would come next.
'Ultimately, it is a matter of showcasing my strength. If I am strong enough, no one would dare to mock me. Simple.'
Finally, it was time to get started with some real Devouring.