NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4 Visiting House Virex tomorrow
Asthia led on, her step slower now, nearly contemplative.
They went through a side hallway—silent, lined with dark glass and stone serpent statuary. Reth lagged behind by two steps.
And then she mentioned it casually, as if discussing the weather:
"We will be calling on House Virex tomorrow."
Reth's eyes widened. "Why?"
She looked back over her shoulder. "Politics. Semblances. Varen might have been labeled a traitor, but his house still wields influence. The patriarch will demand an accommodation."
"A gesture?"
"Courtesy," she replied calmly. "An apology without taking blame. A display of strength without giving offense."
She halted before a carved door, resting her hand on the runeplate. It slid open with a hiss.
"They'll wish to see the slayer of their heir."
Reth looked at her. "What if they want revenge?"
Asthia cocked her head. "Then we'll witness if they're foolish enough to attempt it."
She went into her chambers, then hesitated.
"Wear black. I don't want you to wear white."
The door swung shut behind her with a faint thud.
He turned and went down the corridor, past the statue serpents, past the torches that flickered like tongues of flame, until the walls gave way to a still stone courtyard.
The air was chill. The sky was gray. But the place was unoccupied — and that was sufficient.
He let his cloak fall to the floor and stepped into the middle of the stone ground. No guards. No system prompts. Only wind noise and breathing.
His muscles were tense from days of strain.
He began slow.
Stretches. Breathing. Then drills. Stances. Steps.
Reth increased his grip and sped up.
Slash. Turn. Guard. Step. Thrust.
Again.
Again.
The system throbbed in the back of his head.
[Skill Progress: Basic Sword Technique Lv. 1]
[Muscle Sync: Improving]
[Fatigue Detected: Low]
[Focus: Stable]
He groaned and strained. Sweat dripped down his back.
The sword sliced through air, over and over again, until his arms were weak and his chest pounded.
He gave up only when his hands trembled.
Then he sat down on the cold stone, resting the blade across his lap.
His breathing steadied.
The stone underneath him was freezing, but the warmth in his limbs remained — a crawling burn beneath the skin, not fatigue, not pain.
Only power.
He looked down at his hands. The shiver was present, but weak. Contained.
[Bodyguard – Lv. 2]
[Strength: Slightly Enhanced]
[Reflexes: Stable Boost]
[Focus Retention: Improved]
[Threshold: Expanded]
[Combat Recovery Rate: +12%]
Reth slowly flexed his fingers.
He could feel it — not in numbers or system prompts, but in his body. His footing firmer. His balance keener. The sword no longer felt as alien to him.
[Basic Sword Technique Lv. 1]
[New Threshold Unlocks at Lv. 2]
He let out a breath and holstered the sword.
A long way still to go.
He picked up his cloak from the ground and moved out of the courtyard, sweat drying on his back, breathing even.
[EXP Earned: +5 – Hand-to-Hand Combat Training]
[Current EXP: 12 / 200]
[Loyalty Sync: 15%]
[Fatigue Status: Moderate – Suggested Rest]
[Objective Reminder: Prepare for House Virex Visit – 1 Day Remaining]
Tomorrow, he'd be in a house with warriors.
Morning arrived without knocking.
The system chime woke him up before the sun had fully risen.
[New Day Detected]
[Objective Active: Escort Asthia to House Virex]
[Condition: Stay Alert. Do Not Act Without Command.]
[Reward: 25 EXP]
Reth slowly sat up, the chill air nipping at his flesh. The stone chamber remained dark, illuminated only by a solitary glass lamp burning low orange.
His muscles hurt, but it was a clean ache.
He splashed water on his face and looked at his reflection in the basin. Pale eyes. Empty face.
A neatly folded set of clothes rested on the bench against the door — black. Formal.
She actually meant it.
He dressed silently. The material was thicker than normal, the collar tall, lined in pale silver embroidery. His boots had been polished. A tiny, black pin lay on the chest — the serpent crest of the Ninth Flame.
Asthia's house.
The mark he served under.
By the time he emerged, the halls were already alive. Servants murmured behind hands as he went through. Guards stood straight but never spoke.
He was the thrall who murdered a High House heir.
Today, he'd enter that house's domain.
Asthia stood waiting in the lower foyer.
She dressed in black as well — her robes flowing, trimmed in dark crimson. No crown. No gemstones. Only the red eyes and the silver hair that caused everyone to halt when she entered a room.
She looked at him once. No nod. No word. But she eyed him from head to heel, and didn't appear to disapprove.
"Carriage is ready," she stated, moving forward.
She hesitated. Her eyes rested on his face for an instant.
And then she turned and strode away.
Reth trailed behind her.
Outside, the grounds of the palace were still. The sky was gray, the sort of gray that soaked up the light in the world. The waiting carriage wasn't fancy — matte-black, steel-trimmed, driven by two dark-bodied horses with ember-red eyes.
Two guards waited by, clad in shiny blackplate. They never even glanced in Reth's direction.
Asthia entered first.
Reth trailed in after.
The door creaked softly shut behind them.
[New Location: Outer Gate Road – On Route to House Virex]
[Event Flag: Active]
[Danger Rating: Variable]
[System Monitoring Enabled]
The wheels creaked and the city slid by outside the small windows. Stone roads, low rooftops, faraway spires.
Reth sat opposite her in silence.
The carriage came to a slow halt.
[Location Reached: House Virex – Outer Courtyard]
[Threat Level: Low-Moderate]
[Attention: High – Observed by Multiple Hostiles]
Reth emerged behind Asthia.
The air here was chillier.
The Virex estate rose like a fortress—pointy corners, white stone spires, no ornament. Lines of Knight banners flapped sluggishly in the wind, emblazoned with the House crest: a double-bladed helm crowned in flames.
Guards stood along the outer yard, all clad in silver steel. None stirred. But all eyes tracked them.