They had wished him goodbye when he was leaving the fortress in the past too. Those actions had been weird, but open. Everyone saw it. It was their way of declaring that they were with him.
’Hm, they could be useful in the future.’
Malakai turned and was about to enter the manor when he felt another presence approaching them. He froze. This presence was different from Grinner and Youn. More powerful.
Beside him, he could feel Nyx tense. Her deanor had turned cold.
A figure stepped out from the foliage of trees. Broad fra, imposing gait, and eyes like steel.
’The Iron Saint.’ Malakai thought with narrowed eyes.
’What’s he doing here?’
If he was here, then Malakai couldn’t imagine it being good news. His eyes soon settled on the chest he carried with both arms. A crimson letter rested on top of it.
’It’s ti...’
Malakai knew what that letter signified. A letter from the sovereign himself. An order.
’He’ll decide where I go next.’
Would he be going back to Sylvastein? Or would the sovereign begin sending him out on his deadly missions again?
As his head spiraled with different thoughts, the Iron Saint reached him.
"Ninth vein." He greeted with a bow, voice resonant. "I hope your night was... uneventful."
Malakai didn’t miss the pointed tone in his voice.
’He knows about the assassins.’ But his expression betrayed nothing.
"It was peaceful." He said, sending a glance towards the chest and letter. "From the sovereign?"
"I’m afraid so."
"Good news?"
The Iron Saint fell silent for a mont. "That’ll depend on you, ninth vein."
Malakai knitted his brows and nodded.
’At least he didn’t blatantly say it’s bad.’
He stretched out his hands and received the chest and letter.
"Thank you." He said, looking at the Iron Saint.
The man stared back, and for a mont, Malakai saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
The Iron Saint frowned, sighed, and bowed. Then he turned and began walking away. He paused the mont he reached the manor compound’s gate, glancing back at him.
"The sovereign is a difficult man, burdened by a weight you cannot fathom. But one thing is certain, he will do anything to protect his kin. All of them. Even from themselves. And when that happens, so are bound to fall on the wrong side of his will."
He faced his front and began walking.
"Because of the tension during your eting, I will speak the words he didn’t. Your actions at Sylvastein saved millions of lives. Good job."
Malakai watched with narrowed eyes as the Iron Saint vanished into the forest.
’Good job huh.’
The words felt weird to him. Foreign. When was the last ti he heard it? From the sovereign no less.
After his parents’ death, the expectations placed on him as the son of a genius had been insane. So much so that when he didn’t et them, his life had turned upside down.
Malakai caught Nyx staring at him worriedly and smiled.
"Let’s find out the sovereign’s orders." He said, then handed the chest to Nyx while he held the letter.
There was a mont of silence, a tense second. Then he opened and began reading.
"What’s it say?" Nyx asked after a second.
Malakai had already taken on a look of contemplation.
"Renlo and I are being fixed with a new squad."
Nyx’s expression darkened. "Where?"
"Here."
Malakai could feel her confusion. He decided to explain.
"The letter says we’re being drafted into a new squad. We operate here, in Vitaemore."
Nyx’s brows furrowed. "And who do you report to?"
There was a breathless mont. Then he answered.
"The sovereign."
Nyx’s eyes widened. "What?"
"Yeah." Malakai gave a grim nod. "It doesn’t say what we’ll be doing, only that we’re to report to him in a week’s ti."
The tension between them thickened. Malakai’s thoughts had already begun spiraling.
’What’s he planning?’
Would he be sent on another series of dangerous missions? Or was it an actual legit squad?
He decided to save it for later.
’I’ll find out in a week.’
"I’m sure it’ll be okay." Malakai reassured Nyx, who was staring at him worriedly.
"...yeah."
Malakai smiled and turned towards the chest she held.
’It’s just like the one last ti.’ The ti he received the rewards from the hunts.
’Another reward.’ Now he couldn’t wait to open and see what was inside.
He carried it to his room where he shut the door behind him. When he was sure no one would interrupt, he set the chest down and opened it.
A wave of vita hit him in a gust, whirling his hair back.
Malakai’s eyes landed on the two grade three vita cores. He quickly enveloped them in a vita do to prevent their energy from dispersing in the air.
Then, he fixed his eyes on the chest once more.
’It has different compartnts like the last one.’ He noted, lifting up the first. His eyes landed on two vials.
’Vitaeon.’
Malakai picked up one, a large smile on his face. It wasn’t just any Vitaeon.
’A grade three.’
And two of them to boot! Malakai couldn’t help but think the sovereign was trying to buy him. But it didn’t an he would refuse these precious gifts.
He opened the second compartnt and glimpsed at the last.
’Weapons...’
He could see the familiar curved staff. His scythes. And then a straight staff.
Malakai picked up the latter. It was completely straight, abyss black.
He found a button in its middle which he didn’t hesitate to press. It suddenly elongated to the full length of a staff.
’Hmm.’
Malakai suddenly channeled vita into it and a blade burst out from its tip.
’A spear.’ He identified. ’For Renlo.’
Its power was at grade three, just like his past weapons.
’Does it an mine is too?’
His weapon had been with him when he visited the sovereign, which ant the man knew he still had his weapons.
’So why?’
He decided to give it a try. Picking up one of the curved staff, Malakai channeled his mana into it.
The mont he felt the sheer force erging from its forr blade, he sucked in a cold breath.
’A grade four.’
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