Kaiser thought back to the Art that Kris had obtained in the novel. In the story, he had stumbled by chance into a rift. These rifts were cracks in space-time. They formed the only unstable openings that led to the continent Tenebris.
The darker they were, the stronger the demonic mana that poured out, and the more dangerous the monsters they contained. It was only known that they appeared at random.
The book gave just one piece of information: the exact location where a rift was supposed to appear and the approximate date. Kaiser planned to wait for the right moment. The Art found there was well worth the risk.
This Art was called Sundering Eclipse. Unlike most Arts, it did not require exceptional physical condition to be learned. It was one of the rare Arts created solely for sword handling. It was therefore accessible to any swordsman who had enough patience and discipline to master it. In the novel, Kris Donoghan had taken advantage of it. This time, Kaiser had no intention of letting him do so.
"It's better to learn an Art than just a few basic techniques," he thought.
An Art had nothing to do with a simple technique.
Arts were rare and created over generations by long lineages. They directly modified the aura without using mana. For example, an Art could give the aura an explosive property.
Their power depended on mastery and the number of movements they comprised. Not everyone could learn one. It required a suitable body, a precise constitution, and great endurance.
Techniques, on the other hand, were accessible to everyone. They used aura as a catalyst to improve speed, flexibility, or precision. You just had to train to learn them. The most talented progressed faster. Some techniques were better suited to a type of weapon, like the sword, spear, or bow.
As for aura, it was the materialization of physical energy that any fighter could develop by pushing their body to its limits. It strengthened the body, increased resistance and speed. It could also be applied to a blade to make it sharper at the cost of great fatigue.
As long as the body held up, a warrior could use it.
Kaiser was sitting on the edge of his bed, hands clenched on his knees, when a sharp knock sounded at his door. He slowly raised his head.
"Enter."
The door opened to reveal a maid, eyes lowered and fingers nervously twisted in front of her apron.
"Lord Kaiser, your father, Count Addams, requests your immediate presence in his office."
Without a word, Kaiser stood. He mechanically smoothed the folds of his clothes, slipped his hands into his pockets, and walked at an even pace down the long, cold corridors of the manor toward his father's office.
Addams Paragon was waiting for him, seated behind his imposing desk. His face, usually so neutral, was a mixture of tension and weariness. He gave Kaiser no time to settle.
"Where is Isaak?" His voice was dry.
Kaiser attempted neither preamble nor excuse. He recounted the events while manipulating certain actions: the confrontation with Kris Donoghan that had caused the liberation of the slaves, the helplessness of their own guards against the strength of the Donoghan men, and the complete sabotage of their business.
As the account progressed, Addams's face fell apart. After the death of his wife, Isaak had become the center of his world, his heir, his pride. A cold and terrible anger ignited in his gaze, replacing the sadness.
"Show me," he ordered in a low voice. "Show me my son."
Kaiser silently led him to the basement, where Isaak's corpse had been placed with some respect on a stone table. Addams approached, and his body froze. He stood there, motionless, for long seconds, absorbing the reality of his loss.
The Paragons were not a warrior lineage; Kaiser had realized that early on. They possessed neither ancestral martial Arts nor remarkable mana meditation methods.
Addams himself was only a D-rank warrior, his mana talent at best average. Direct revenge by force was an illusion.
Yet when his gaze fell on the specific marks left on his son's body, his brows furrowed, and his fingers clenched on the edge of the table.
"I recognize these burns, these explosive cuts... It's the Blazing Lion Art. The Donoghan signature." His voice was nothing more than a furious whisper.
"Ahhhrrrr! Fucking dogs!" His eyes became bloodshot.
Kaiser confirmed with a nod. "Exactly. I identified the technique on the spot. That's why I chose another approach to survive."
Addams turned his head toward him, his gaze lingering on the disturbing calm of his youngest son. "How did you do it? How did you escape the same fate?"
"I threatened him with a bluff about the imperial judgment he would face if everyone knew he had killed a noble who had not been sentenced to death. He took the bait and let me go," Kaiser explained.
A glint of understanding crossed Addams's gaze. He finally saw that Kaiser was not the naive or ambitionless idiot many believed. A new determination hardened his features.
"I want revenge, Kaiser. I want them to pay."
"That's not a realistic option, Father," Kaiser objected pragmatically. "The Donoghans are pillars of the crown. The worst that could happen to Kris, even if he were officially found guilty, would be the loss of his noble title. And that would serve no purpose, since his father could still support him. Besides, a frontal attack on the duke would be suicide. Sooner or later, they would discover our illegal business."
Addams clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening. "Then I will offer our loyalty, our fortune, to one of the seven legendary families. They have the power to break them."
"And then?" Kaiser countered.
"We would become the dogs of another house. We have money, Father, but that is not enough to earn respect, let alone dictate personal vengeance. If we ever want them to pay for this crime, we need our own military strength, power capable of rivaling that of the great families. Not just a full purse."
Addams lowered his head, breathing shortly. Deep down, he knew his son was right. The logic of his words crushed the blind fury that consumed him.
"You have surprised me... You are far more intelligent than I thought, Kaiser."
Kaiser patted his shoulder to comfort him and continued, his voice growing more insistent.
"Give me access to all the county's funds. Total and discretionary authority for one month. Let me prove to you that I am capable of being the heir this family needs, not just by blood, but by action. Obviously, you will have the final say on expenditures."
Silence fell...
Finally, Addams slowly nodded.
"Alright, and what do you have in mind?"
Then Kaiser added, with a calm that chilled his father's blood: "You will have nothing to say or do. Simply let the rumor spread. Let everyone believe that I am the one who killed Isaak. Present it as a dark family affair, a settling of scores between brothers. That will divert suspicion from the Donoghans and give us the cover we need to grow stronger."