NOVEL NEXT B2 | Chapter 14 - Home
Cassandra
Year 820 | Month 5 | Day 2
We manage to make it to the dock later that evening where quite a bit of fanfare is playing out at our arrival. Instruments blaring all around, thousands of people gathered at the docks and cheering, and probably more soldiers and nobles waiting for us than is really necessary.
And the moment I step off of the ship onto the dock, the cheers only raise in volume, surprisingly nobody at all seemingly caring about my obviously inhuman eyes. Although I do see some glowing eyes amongst the people, and I know that it isn’t necessarily an uncommon thing for people’s eyes to glow due to their magic. Plus Dad said that news about me not being human was already known to the people, so I guess I was worrying over nothing.
I wave at everyone with a smile as the royal guard surround me and my family, escorting us through the docks until we reach the connecting point of the city and the docks, high above the water after climbing quite a few stairs. Then Dad moves to a little section branching out over the edge of the cliff with railings on it and spreads his arms out, announcing to the people, “We have brought my daughter back home!!!”
Cheers immediately echo all throughout the audience, making me wince slightly at their volume. Which is quite loud.
“And that’s not all!” Dad continues, his voice echoing all throughout the city thanks to whatever magic he’s using to amplify his voice whether through an item or a skill. “Princess Cassandra de Luna is extremely close to completing her Tier Breach Mission to enter Tier 4!”
The cheers slow down for a moment as everyone is no doubt surprised before increasing in volume again and making me wince once more.
“Furthermore, the Ancestor himself declared that my daughter will not involve herself in political disputes and may do whatever she wishes as long as it’s towards the goal of growing stronger!” Dad continues, making me smile at that.
Probably one of the best things that I’ve ever heard, if I’m being honest.
No politics.
After Dad finishes announcing those little updates about me, he moves on to the crux of what they discussed with the Ancestor. Mostly about war plans and stuff, without actually going into many details. For obvious reasons.
Overall he just announces what the Ancestor has decided will be our direction during the Initialization.
Then we all march through the city under the thunderous applause of the citizens and many of the nobles, all of whom seem rather happy with my current level. Probably because my help will be a major boon to the war front.
But what catches my attention is the sensation of that feeling or Pride moving closer. So while I’m waving at the people, I make sure to look for the source of that sensation.
And soon enough, my eyes lock on the glowing purple eyes of a man wearing a coat that mostly hides his appearance.
A familiar sensation fills me after our eyes lock. I feel a wave of Pride rush through me as his eyes flare while at the same time I feel my own eyes flare and somehow know that he just felt a wave of Wrath rush through him.
Fully confirming our identities to each other.
“I found him,” I whisper to Dad as I continue waving to the people.
He just nods and whispers back, “Don’t lose him. We’ll bring him to the palace after the parade finishes.”
I nod my head without breaking eye contact with Pride, finding the man doing the same. Except without the nodding.
We continue walking for a few seconds before I finally identify the man and break eye contact, waving at the other people near us. But the sight of his identify has me holding myself back from frowning.
________________________
Name: Zachary Arran Al-Khaleel
Species: Embodiment of Pride
Level: 22
________________________
“Dad, he’s from Ardene,” I state with absolute certainty. “The Embodiment of Pride is a noble from Ardene.”
Dad glances at me with a look of surprise on his face before we both continue to wave at the people as if nothing had been said.
Kind of interesting that his id is purple. Makes me wonder if my id is red to other Sins or something.
That aside, I can’t help but notice that the Embodiment of Pride is a lot… weaker than I am. Eight levels above him and am close to finishing with my Tier Breach Mission to Tier 4, meanwhile he’s only at the start of Tier 3. And more than that, I can sense that the Pride energy radiating from him just seems less powerful than the Wrath energy that I had at that level.
Guess the Ancestor wasn’t exaggerating when he said that Wrath is the strongest of the Sins. At least in pure combat ability.
I can also tell that the Embodiment of Pride is a little afraid of me despite his Pride. But he also doesn’t seem like the sort to let that get in the way of his actions.
Not sure how I can tell so much about him just from sensing that Pride energy though. It’s honestly rather weird.
And the fear he is clearly feeling right now after learning a bit about me makes me feel a little awkward.
Am I really that scary? I’m just a perfectly normal person after all.
Err, well, almost normal.
Maybe normal.
Normal if you stretch the word a little.
Anyways, the man is still a Sin, and since he isn’t like me in being fully combat, he probably has some non-combat related skills that are quite a bit more powerful and unique than anyone I’ve encountered thus far.
Although the fact that this guy hasn’t caused any trouble and has actually tried avoiding it is a little surprising, considering that he’s a noble from Ardene.
Maybe a sheltered one? Ardene isn’t exactly a nice place, and the nobles there tend to be rather cruel after all.
Then again, no point pondering about it now. I’ll be meeting him soon anyways.
I continue waving at the citizens without paying him any more mind outside of just sensing his location to make sure he doesn’t leave.
And that meeting will be an interesting one, I can at least say that for sure.