On the busy streets of the Central District, Cal walked along the pedestrian road, his pace steady amidst the crowd. Around him, a sea of people moved in every direction, bustling with the frantic energy of their daily morning activities.
He had just returned from his meeting with Naphael. Now, he was heading toward the fountain area, where he planned to meet Sophia to purchase the flight tickets to Aur. However, a new thought gave him pause.
'I guess I have to add another task after purchasing the ticket.'
Earlier, while discussing matters with Naphael, Cal had been informed of a 'problem' in Aur. It is one that is serious enough that Naphael had to go there himself to deal with it. For Cal, however, this was more than just a complication; he saw it as a golden opportunity to expedite his long-term 'plan.'
'It should be alright if I prepare it early.'
After a few minutes of walking, Cal finally arrived at his destination: a beautiful fountain situated at the center of a wide plaza. At its heart, a statue of a three-headed dragon rested, its stone jaws wide as it spewed arcs of water from each of its mouths. Cal walked over and took a seat on the basin's smooth paving stone, the mist from the falling water cooling the air.
He glanced to his right, where the giant clock tower loomed over the city.
'There's still 3 minutes.'
Despite arriving at the fountain at the appointed time, Cal wasn't really expecting Sophia to do the same. It was a logical conclusion, mostly due to the fact that Sophia maintained a 100% record of being late. He leaned back slightly, watching the citizens pass by.
'I wonder how long she'll be late for this one.'
But then, out of nowhere, a weird sensation suddenly crawled through his head. With it came an incomprehensible voice, yet its meaning manifested clearly in his mind.
'Sophia will be late.'
"Haa!!"
Caught in a sudden surge of panic, Cal let out a sharp shriek. His body jerked instinctively, and he tumbled backward into the fountain with a loud splash.
"Who's there!?" Cal barked, emerging from the water. He stood up, shaking his head as water dripped from his hair, his clothes now completely soaked and clinging to his skin.
Immediately, his eyes landed on a black cat sitting calmly on the edge of the basin, staring directly at him.
'A cat? That cat wasn't there before!'
Cal was certain that there had been no cat there just a moment ago. To him, it was as if the cat had simply appeared out of thin air. But as he wiped the water from his eyes and took a closer inspection, he recalled the cat's familiar features.
'Is that… Seraphix?'
Seraphix, who had been watching his undignified struggle, suddenly looked away indifferently. He sat upright, tucking his paws neatly, and began gazing at the view of the plaza, completely ignoring Cal's sorry state.
'That is definitely Seraphix!'
Cal slowly climbed back out and took a seat in his original spot, with Seraphix now sitting right by his side. He quickly began conjuring a subtle spell, circulating mana to heat his wet clothes and dry them.
'Okay, don't panic.'
After hearing Naphael's explanation regarding the beast's ability, Cal couldn't help but stay on edge just by being near him. With the beast casually appearing beside him without notice, he was now sure that the creature's power was the 'real deal.'
"I-I'm sorry for overreacting earlier," Cal said, his voice cautious.
"..."
There was no response from Seraphix.
'Is he ignoring me?'
Cal decided to try again. He thought that Seraphix might not have heard him, considering the plaza was indeed crowded and filled with the constant chattering of people.
"Excuse me… Mr. Seraphix, what do you mean by 'Sophia will be late'?" Cal asked, raising his voice slightly and moving his face closer to the cat's level.
"..."
He was completely ignored. This time, he was sure of it.
'What should I do…'
He began to feel a hint of panic. Considering the absurdity surrounding the beast's summoning, he had planned to communicate with it, gathering as much information as possible to decipher its mystery. But with the beast treating him like a ghost, he was at a loss.
'Should I wait for Sophia?'
From Naphael's explanation, Cal knew the beast was obedient to Sophia.
'No, I should at least try to gain his trust first by myself. But how can I make him stop ignoring me?'
As he racked his brain for a plan, he was suddenly reminded of something: the moment he had experienced the beast's weird communication. Although the voice had sounded like complete gibberish, unlike any language known in this world, he realized he could actually 'decipher' it.
It wasn't that he had learned it; it was something unique to his heritage.
Unlike his father, Cal was an 'extremely rare' case within the Maurya Nobility, having 'inherited' multiple bloodline abilities. One of those abilities can be used as a natural 'language decipherer,' allowing him to decipher even the most cryptic tongues. Not only that, but by using that ability, he could also 'replicate' the language just by having exposed to it once.
'Maybe… I could try that.'
***
I was flying around in my fly form, buzzing through the various corners of the plaza and checking people's status windows, when I accidentally encountered someone named Calyxianov Kalashnikov sitting by the fountain.
The name wasn't one I was familiar with, but upon reading his occupation, the pieces fell into place. I connected the dots that he was the 'Cal' person Sophia had been talking about, since she mentioned Cal was an imperial prince.
'Did I perhaps mistake him for another prince?'
Nope. Sophia mentioned that Cal was the only male in his family. She also added that he had a younger sister, but she was currently missing.
After confirming his identity, I fluttered near him. I immediately told that Sophia would be late and landed, shifting my form into my cat form. I planned to have a small chat with him while waiting for Sophia.
But almost immediately, I froze.
There was a problem that I had missed: The language barrier.
I had been so complacent when talking with Valeslina before that I completely forgot she was a special case; she can communicate with telepathy, which negated my 'language barrier' entirely.
Ignoring Cal's somewhat cute shriek, I began to slowly turn my head away, pretending that nothing had happened. I shifted into my emergency plan.
'Let's ignore him.'
Before long, Cal took a seat beside me on the edge of the fountain. And not to my surprise, he decided to strike up a conversation.
"#################"
'Yup, I can't understand him at all.'
Of course, I wasn't going to ignore him forever. I was now waiting for my savior, Sophia, to come to the rescue. She was still stuck in the public restroom, likely struggling for her life due to the 'obviously bad' food she had tried earlier.
For now, I wasn't sure how I would explain ignoring him after I was the one who struck up a conversation first, but I was sure I could make it work somehow.
'Let's hope he doesn't hold a grudge against me.'
I was actually quite eager to talk to him. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to make him my 'ally.' I glanced slightly at him out of the corner of my eye, pulling up his status window once more.
---
$#@%# (Calyxianov Kalashnikov)(Zmey)
Level: 378
Mana Capacity: 54,216
Occupation: Imperial Prince (Maurya Empire); Member of the King Bros. Circus; Leader of the Silent Sentinels
Strength: 532
Intelligence: 542
Agility: 501
Dexterity: 37
Vitality: 278
Skills (12)
---
'Holy catnip…'
Even though this was the second time I had seen it, I still couldn't believe the numbers.
'Sophia, you sure caught some big fish.'
Looking at his level alone, he outmatched most of the nobles in Maurya. Even his Mana Capacity was pretty much on par with Shira, an actual Grand Title holder, whom Sophia explained to be the 'pinnacle' of known power in this world.
But that wasn't even the most impressive part.
'Is he a skills collector or something?'
In all my time in this world, I was sure that skills were rare. Even within the Mauryan Nobility, only a minority possessed them. And now, this guy right here owned more than ten.
'Doesn't he practically own more skills than me?'
And here I thought I was special for having more than one skill.
"######… ##################?" Cal spoke again, leaning in and moving his face closer to mine.
I felt his shadow loom over me and immediately looked away, staring intently at a distant merchant's stall.
'Sophia, come back quickly!'
***
'Will it even be alright for me to try it?'
Cal stared down at his own reflection in a nearby puddle, contemplating whether or not to use his bloodline ability.
It was an ability he had acquired since the moment he 'awakened.' This ability allowed him to perceive any unknown language and replicate it perfectly after hearing it only once. It was a simple, fluid power that didn't require high focus to activate; in fact, he usually left it active passively as he moved through his day. There were no physical drains, no mounting fatigue, and no drawbacks to its use.
But even with those advantages, Cal hesitated. His gaze drifted toward the enigmatic figure nearby.
'He won't kill me immediately, right?'
In this world, 'language' was a sacred, often dangerous thing. With so many 'secret' and lost tongues scattered across the lands, there was a great deal of 'truth' that was never meant to be uncovered. There were even a few forbidden languages that, if spoken, would cause specific 'beings' to become instantly hostile.
Seeing how Seraphix used this unknown language, Cal wasn't sure if mimicking it would turn him into a target.
Still, the opportunity was too great to ignore. Cal needed to make Seraphix an acquaintance, not just to understand the circumstances of his summons by Sophia, but because he couldn't afford to miss such a powerful ally. Seraphix was a being far stronger than any 'Grand Title' holder, a necessary piece for Cal's long-term 'goal.'
'Sophia wouldn't let Seraphix hurt me, right?'
He took a steadying breath, the cool mist from the fountain dampening the back of his neck. After contemplating for a moment longer, he made his choice.
Fixing his composure and straightening his back, Cal activated his bloodline ability and forced his vocal cords to shape the same alien sounds Seraphix had used.
"Excuse me…"
The reaction was instantaneous. Seraphix snapped his head toward him with surprising suddenness. The cat watched Cal for several long seconds, his eyes narrowing as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.
'He didn't attack me immediately…'
It was a relief, yet Cal's heart hammered against his ribs. He felt small under Seraphix's intense, unblinking glare.
Then, that strange, heavy sensation pressed against his mind again. Information was implanted directly into his consciousness, bypassing his ears in an incomprehensible yet perfectly understood language.
"Where did you learn that language?"
Cal swallowed hard, his voice slightly wavering. "N-no, I just… could do it."
"I see… is it the 'Word of the World'?"
'!!!'
Panic surged through Cal, making his fingers twitch. Within the Maurya Nobility, there was a strict, ancient custom to keep the nature of one's bloodline abilities a total secret. A binding contract even existed among the noble families, preventing them from sharing any specific details regarding their bloodline abilities.
Cal clenched his hand into a fist, digging his nails into his palm. He hadn't prepared for Seraphix to be knowledgeable enough to identify his bloodline ability by name.
'Is this the kind of knowledge only held by beings at the very top of the hierarchy?'
Fortunately, while the contract forbade 'sharing' information, it did not restrict discussing the ability with someone who already 'knew' the information.
"Y-yes, you're right, Mr. Seraphix."
"Interesting…" Seraphix said, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
'It's working. He took an interest in me.'
Seraphix tilted his head slightly, continuing, "By the way, what should I call you? Calyxianov or Cal?"
"Cal is fine!" Cal blurted out, his shoulders dropping as some of the tension escaped. He couldn't entirely mask his growing excitement.
"Got it. Also, Cal, I'm sorry about earlier."
Cal blinked, momentarily confused by the sudden shift in tone. 'He apologized? Ah, is it when he made me fall in the fountain?'
"No, it's fine, Mr. Seraphix. Here, as you can see, my clothes are already dry, so please don't worry," Cal said, gesturing down at his attire to show the moisture had vanished.
Seraphix glanced at the fabric with a look of mild confusion. "...Sure." He looked back up, his expression turning more serious. "Also, can you change how you address me?"
"Ah, I'm sorry! It must be rude of me to just casually use your name. Do you have a 'title' I should use?" Cal asked, already cycling through honorifics in his head.
"What? No. I want you to drop the 'Mr.' Just call me Seraphix."
'This... he wants me to treat him as an equal?'
The request made Cal even more nervous. He hadn't expected to progress his relationship with this entity so rapidly just by speaking a few words in his tongue.
"Then... S-Seraphix."
"Good. Anyway," Seraphix said, shifting his weight and extending his right paw toward Cal. "Let's be friends."
'Friend... friend!!!'
Cal stood frozen, stunned by the sudden proposal. He had many powerful acquaintances and contacts scattered across the world, but none were close enough to be a friend.
Seeing that Cal didn't immediately respond, Seraphix's ears drooped back slightly. "You don't want to?"
"Eh? No, no! Please, let me be your friend!" Cal said frantically, reaching out and taking Seraphix's paw with both of his hands, holding it with a mixture of reverence and shock.
"Good. Then from now on, let's be friends," Seraphix said, giving his paw a firm, definitive shake.