Athena's General Reincarnated in Another World

Nathan Evenhart:

"Well… I also came here to make you an offer," he said. "I usually extend this offer during the registration process—it's standard procedure. But in your case, I've taken a particular interest. So I'm making it personally. I want to buy your enchanted relic."

I placed the Cursed Blade back into my storage bracelet.

"It's not for sale," I said firmly. "Especially with everything that's happened lately… I don't think anyone would be willing to sell an enchanted relic right now."

He stared at me for a second, then scribbled something onto his form.

"I figured you'd say that. Very few users are ever willing to part with their enchanted relics and even fewer from a noble house of your standing," he said.

"Your registration is complete."

"That's it?" I asked, surprised. "I don't have to sign anything?"

He nodded.

"If you were any other noble, we'd send over a stack of paperwork. But you're a High Noble. Presenting the relic directly to a Grand Duke is sufficient," he explained.

"Starting next year, your noble file will officially mark you as the bearer of an enchanted relic. However, the details of what the relic is and what it does will remain classified— only the royal family will have access to that information."

He pulled something from his storage bracelet and handed it to me.

It looked like a card.

"If you ever change your mind about selling the sword, just channel mana into this— it'll send a message directly to someone in my office."

I took the card, but as I did, he suddenly reached out with his other hand and grabbed my arm.

He stepped closer, staring straight at me.

"It's very curious… Your family happens to have a very rare and unique creature as a familiar, and now you turn up with an enchanted relic," he said in a more serious tone.

"It just happened," I replied, pulling my arm away.

He kept his eyes on me.

"And the moon panther cub—where did you find it? How did you manage to tame it?" he asked.

"I found it in a forest near my estate. It was wounded. I helped it… and we became friends."

He seemed to reflect on that.

"And the name? Did it accept a name from you? If it did, that means a soul bond was formed."

"Yes. I named it myself."

"Very interesting. That means your familiar fully accepted being domesticated. To earn the friendship of a creature like a moon panther… is truly unique."

He glanced back down at my file.

"A shame for you, really… That animal, once fully grown, becomes a military-grade magical beast. And I'm not sure your family holds the proper authorization to tame such a creature."

"I'm aware of the offensive restrictions placed on dukedoms," I replied, "But I don't intend to use my familiar as a weapon. So technically, it doesn't fall under a military classification."

The Grand Duke considered that.

"You may not intend to use it that way, but a beast is still a beast.Once fully grown, this animal will become the most powerful familiar on the continent. Do you understand the kind of responsibility that brings?"

"Moreover," he added, "These creatures are said to command the Shadow element. No one has ever studied one properly. If trained further as a weapon, it could become even more deadly."

The Grand Duke stared at me intently.

"So where exactly are you trying to go with all of this?" I asked.

"It's simple. Your king—Charles Asalon—is making you a unique offer. He wants to personally own your familiar. The value and prestige you'd receive for selling it are incalculable. The soul bond can be broken— as long as you train it to obey someone else. And while it's still a cub, that can be done."

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"I have no interest in selling my familiar," I replied firmly.

He stared at me.

"This isn't my offer. This comes directly from your king. Do you understand the weight of rejecting something like that?"

"I do. My familiar is not for sale."

"Did you know your refusal can be interpreted as insubordination?"

"For refusing to sell something I own?"

He stepped closer.

"You are a servant of the king. If he wants something from you, you're expected to give it freely— and with a smile on your face," he said, deadly serious. "Understand? But it's fine. We're not tyrants. If you don't want to sell something… there's nothing we can do to force you."

"So I'm free to leave now?" I asked.

He nodded.

I stood from the chair— but once again, he grabbed my arm.

"Just a word of warning," he said. "In times of crisis, the kingdom has the authority to seize whatever it needs from its vassals. Be it soldiers, weapons… or magical beasts."

He smiled.

"If things ever get worse, remember: we know exactly which door to knock on to take the things we want."

I pulled my arm away.

"You have… a very interesting way of running things. You protect those closest to you, sure… but you're constantly reminding everyone how powerful you are. That reeks of arrogance."

"The Asalon family has ruled this continent for two thousand years, with their armies of winged horses. It's not arrogance— it's simply the reality of our superiority."

"You know what this method of ruling looks like to me?" I asked.

"What?" he replied.

I stepped closer to him— this time, I grabbed his arm.

"Fear."

I leaned in, my voice cold and firm.

"Grand Duke, when you meet someone truly powerful, they don't need to wear a crown to prove they're a king. They don't need to carry a sword to prove they're a warrior."

I leaned in even closer.

"Their presence alone is enough for everyone around them to know— there's nothing above them."

I released his arm.

He gave a small, amused smile.

"You may go now…" he said.

And so, I left the room.

John Asalon:

I was feeling a strong sense of unease.

There was something about that boy that kept drawing my attention— but I couldn't quite process what it was.

As I paced through the room, I began accelerating my thoughts, letting the electricity run through them,
trying to trigger something— a memory, a flash, a pattern.

My mastery over the thunder element gave me an exceptional memory.

I don't forget things. Not a single face. Not a single name.

So why is something about him bothering me this much?

I walked in circles, replaying the entire conversation in my mind.

I hated this feeling. It was the same as forgetting something important— like having the answer right on the tip of your tongue,
but never quite reaching it.

It triggered a sharp pain in my head.

Using my element to tamper with my brain like this… always had side effects.

I could feel my emotions stirring— an irritation rising just from remembering that boy.

That was the red flag— the mind signaling that something doesn't add up.
That something is wrong, something doesn't align with my memory.

But what is it?

I tried to focus and took a deep breath.

But I chose to let it go for now.

I stepped out of the room and started walking through the building.

From a distance, I saw my cousin approaching.

"John," she called out. It was Agnes.

"Can we talk for a moment?" she asked.

"Of course..." I replied.

"Leave us alone with the Grand Duke!" she ordered the people following her.

We stepped into the room, and she slammed the door shut behind us.

"You can stop pretending to be nice. I hate when you do that..." I said.

"Did you ask the boy?" she questioned. "Did you ask him about that man's name? And about his familiar?"

I sighed, the headache surged again at the mention of the boy.

"I didn't ask about the name, but the story he told about the familiar was that he found it in a forest."

"Will he sell them to us?" she asked.

"No, he has no intention of doing so."

Agnes let out a sarcastic laugh.

"He doesn't intend to submit to his king? Who does he think he is?" she said with mockery.

"That familiar—keep an eye on it. And keep an eye on him. No one more powerful than an Asalon should exist within our land."

Agnes had been on edge ever since hearing about that mysterious man.

She jabbed her finger hard into my chest.

"That name! I need to know how he knew that name!" she snapped, then exhaled sharply.

Agnes punched the wall.

"The secret of this world has been ours for generations. And now we're being forced to share it with others. The idiot kings want to solve everything together. What is this? Some kind of friendship club?"

She seethed.

"I still have to look at Bartholomew's face on top of it all..."

She started heading toward the door.

"I'm off to play my role as the 'king's wife'. My patience is hanging by a thread these days. I just hope something useful comes out of this meeting."

She slammed the door shut behind her.

I exhaled, placing both hands on my head.

The damn headache from my memory was getting worse.

"What the hell!" I shouted, tossing the chair across the room.

"What is it about this damn boy that's bothering me so much? What's wrong with him?"

I pulled up his file from my storage bracelet and sat back down in the exact chair. I tried to recreate the moment, mimicking the exact position I'd been in during our conversation.

The moment I looked at him that was when the discomfort hit me hardest.

"What is it about you...?" I said aloud, visualizing the boy sitting in front of me.

I kept repeating the image in my mind, despite the increasing pain pounding in my skull.

I could see him clearly— seated, unmoving. Just looking at him triggered the unease.

"I give up!" I snapped, storing the file away— but then I paused.

I stared at his noble registry file— the royal-only version.

"Holy shit!" I muttered.

I stared back and forth between the boy's face in my memory and the official image in his file.

The version the kingdom had listed showed him with dark brown eyes, but the version in my memory—

His eyes were… blue.

"The boy changed his eye color!" I shouted, standing up in a flash.

I replayed the exact moment in my head again and the truth hit me like lightning.

"That boy has a damn pair of Special Eyes!"