A few days had passed from the dungeon dive with the heirs, I had my talk with Yom regarding his scabbard and was glad to see the powers my brother acquired.
That scabbard, the [lier's gift], really had a perfect name. Similarly to my ring, it could eat different type of Rapiers, but instead of a permanent thing, it was more of a temporary one, like a one time use.
Still good, considering my limit was 3 mirrors while his was 10 rapiers.
Cael refused to show or talk about the artefact he got, which caused a little dissatisfaction with the other heirs, but I didn't really care.
I had gotten more than I expected in that little trip. A completely new, but ancient language, the [Mirrorfang refraction], the DNA of the path of Moon and the mana circulation I stole from the elemental of correction.
So if Cael wanted to keep his little secrets, I'd gladly oblige.
The academy was back in full throttle, after the week and a half of investigation, they were able to find may more traitors that anyone could think. That also meant my doppelgängers were in full swing, studying and tormenting my mind with each merge.
The most important thing however was that today was the day I'd finally start studying with Aurelia. When she asked what it was that I needed her help with, I was extremely clear.
"I want my big brain to be even bigger."
She laughed at how I phrased my intentions, but when she realised I was dead serious, she told me to wait for a few days and finally the time had come.
In my dorm room, the stern basement that held no furniture or decoration except for a table and a couple chairs, I sat waiting for Aurelia with blank paper and ink ready to plan world domination.
Knock knock knock.
I jumped at the sound, my excitement through the roof and run towards the door.
And there she was, in all the splendor a teacher of the brain should have, the issue was, a parasitic bundle of silver hair was right behind her.
My expression darkened instantly.
"The fuck did you bring with you Lia?"
"As if I had a choice! This bastard literally threatened me that if I spent time alone with you he'd beat me!"
I nodded thoughtfully for a moment and at the same time, my mana started moving subtly.
"Of course, allow me to remove the leech."
Whips of mana emerged around an unexpecting Heir of the storm tying him down like a roast ready for the oven.
"Wait Crow! What have I done wrong this time! Is this a prank like in the dungeon? Please!"
I looked at the pleading Cael with no emotions whatsoever in my eyes and closed the door after Aurelia entered.
I even casted a [Pretender] spell to block out the noise the shouting pest was making.
"Seriously, what has he done? You don't let him sleep with you, you don't even acknowledge him if not necessary… it's like you never had feelings for him to begin with."
I looked at Aurelia with a little displeasure in my heart.
After the dungeon dive, everything should have been good, perfect even, if not for a little detail.
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Dinner after the return from the dungeon.
While everyone was drinking and eating to their fill, I had unfinished business with my adoptive father, so I decided to leave a doppelgänger with the others and look for him.
Something that became easy the moment I received his summons as soon as I exited the dining hall.
"I believe you have questions and dissatisfactions with me?"
On his mighty throne, my father exuded all the aura of someone of his stature. The man was strong beyond belief, I couldn't even begin to understand the depths of his prowess, but he still looked meek in my eyes.
"Why can't you kill me?"
"You don't need to know."
"I'd say the exact opposite if you ask me."
"Let me rephrase then. I will not tell you."
He wasn't budging one bit, he didn't care if I got angry at him on this topic and it was clear my tantrums would have no effect. Everyone knowing about me, but me, was starting to get on my nerves.
"Is this unbelievable secret the reason the heirs are all getting friendly with me?"
"I believe so, some might have received orders from their families."
My thoughts went immediately to Cael and the others, all following my orders like good boys and the first even trying to reach a heart that wasn't exactly there.
"What about the information I asked of you?"
I decided that there was no point in continuing a conversation bound to be reigned by silence and at my inquiry, dad threw me a book.
"Everything we could find on Thylarion and a perfected ritual to boost bloodline purity, it'll only work until your purity reaches 50%."
I turned my back and left without saying goodbye. Even dispelled my doppelgänger without caring for rudeness or shit and just went to my room.
Luckily, that lonely doppelgänger, had listened to a very interesting conversation between a leech and mother leech.
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"Nothing really, the academy rules clearly forbid that kind of relations either way so it's obvious I don't let people sleep in my room. As for the acknowledgment or lack of feelings…"
She looked expectantly, like this might feed her gossip needs for at least a month.
"I really don't acknowledge people in general. And feelings are something I'm not familiar with."
I shrugged at her disappointed look, I didn't really care.
"Now let's begin our studies. I need that mind viagra as soon as possible."
"Sure, but I also have a price for the full cultivation of the mind."
She took out a book that I assumed was the cultivation I needed and an old looking scroll.
My family needs you to translate this scroll.
There it was.
I knew it was coming since those guys had been pestering me with questions about Laithath since we came back from the fight with the wind of correction, even the academy grounds didn't really save me.
Of course I knew they had talked with their families about it, this was one of the points of the conversation between those leeches together with finding a way for me to teach him.
I took the scroll and was pleased to see what it was.
"No take backs."
To which Aurelia replied with a vigorous yes.
I read the Laithath scroll translating it word by word and felt joy invading my very being while looking at Aurelia's reaction.
With every word I spoke, her face grew more and more ashen.
She had expected ancient secrets, martial arts, forbidden spells… not what I was reading.
"She really was as sweet as morning dew, but seeing my white nectar decorate her flower when I finished, got me ready to start painting again."
Yes, it was smut, someone's diary probably.
"Do I need to continue? Although I am having the time of my life seeing your reaction, I can't say this is not affecting me."
"No please, for the love of the gods, burn that thing down, actually, no give it back, I will make my father eat it."
I gladly gave the diary of a flower boy back to Aurelia and she gave the cultivation method to me.
The book was thicker than I expected, but as soon as I opened it, it turned into particles of mana that directly flew into my brain.
The pain was absurd.
My scream echoed so loudly, the silver leech directly broke the door an flew by my side.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?!"
"Relax, he just used the [Mnemosine's fracture] skill book. He'll be fine."
"Why would you… he asked for it, and you didn't even think of telling him that the skill is useless without your families rune?!"
"Well he always plays pranks on us, I just want to see his face when he realises it, I've already prepared compensation and the real skill he needs."
Her words reached me even in my pained state and although she was right about tricking me…
"I never caused real pain to anyone."
My words echoed in the room before anyone expected them. Aurelia's face bacate as pale as when I was reading the smut fragment while Cael directly took a step back sensing the mana moving around me.
The same tentacles that previously tied Cael, were now dragging Aurelia to me.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! I! YOU! YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"
The pain was already starting to subside, but I was not completely lucid at the moment.
"I won't."
I said those last words before biting down on her exposed shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH, CROW RELEASE ME AT ONCE!"
Her scream echoed close to my ear, but the only thing I could focus on at the moment was the blood going down my throat and the notification on DNA from the Path of Wisdom into my system.
Oh, so blood also works.