Paragon of Skills

Chapter 284

Jacob doesn’t understand how he can find himself in a situation like this. He has come with the best of intentions, even telling Harvald Ashenvale that he’s mostly interested in giving his daughter some pointers for the great service that the Ashenvale provide to the city.

Now, Jacob has not outed himself as the Leader of Champions, which would have given him a completely different standing here. Yet, after Harvald Ashenvale saw how much more knowledgeable than Master Brendev he is and how well he cared for his son… is this welcome acceptable?

“Do you threaten me in my own house, Tutor Cabbage?” Harvald Ashenvale’s aura is thick. It’s not just an Intermediate True Diamond aura, but the aura of someone who fought many battles. It’s thick, and if Jacob has to guess, it’s probably closer to Peak True Diamond in terms of fighting capacity, perhaps even one step in Imperium Rank territory.

Now, if Jacob could reveal his Skills, he might have a small chance at whittling down this enemy with his Afflictions. Yet, as things stand, if he faced this man without activating his Domain and Reverse Domain, trying to hide who he is, he would lose in a matter of seconds. Not even minutes. Seconds.

“I am not making any threat,” Jacob says, raising his arms, looking around the grey room. “But I do wonder, sir, what have I done to offend you?”

“It’s Lord Ashenvale for you,” the man says, narrowing his eyes. “Master Brendev has been in our service for many years. My son Thalric has a talent even greater than his sister, and I was waiting one more year before he would reach her at the Academy, so that he could have a jumpstart. He’s strong enough to become a Champion. But now…”

“Now, he’s got two functioning legs? I don’t think you’ve seen how much progress Thalric has made, Lord Ashenvale. If you had—“

“I have seen too well!” Harvald Ashenvale thunders, rising from his throne and looking at Jacob with deep, cold light blue eyes. “But power is not everything, Tutor Cabbage. Honor, dignity, and pride in one’s family. Those are paramount.”

Jacob falls silent, seeing that the man has not finished speaking.

“You will not understand, since you don’t seem to have family nor true friends other than that weird assistant of yours. But blood is much thicker than water. Yet, one’s blood can become their worst enemy if not taught correctly.”

“I don’t follow,” Jacob says with a clear voice. “I’m sure there’s a story, here. But I don’t know it. I don’t partake in gossip much, Lord Ashenvale. Since you don’t seem like a man who minces his words, why don’t you speak your mind before trying to kick me out?”

Harvald Ashenvale feels his blood boil at the insolence, but his own pride stops him from attacking the man outright.

“My wife left me for an Evil God,” Harvald Ashenvale says with a freezing voice. “She tried to take our two children with her. They were almost marked and seeded when they were still young. Without my knowledge, she fed them elixirs that made them so much more powerful than our blood had any right to be. That is why my daughter, just at the second year into her adventure at the Academy, is even stronger than I am.”

Jacob is taken aback by that information. Yet, now Harvald Ashenvale’s attitude toward him makes sense and Jacob stops mentally rehearsing the Primordial Spell that would have covered him from any possible scrying spell from the Dark Champions in order to unleash his full power.

“I don’t know your daughter,” Jacob says, “but your son, Thalric, I do. Not for long, admittedly. But I am a pretty good judge of character. And I don’t think he’d ever join the Dark Champions of Asmodeus.”

“Only spineless men need to compliment themselves,” Harvald Ashenvale says with spite, “and my wife does not follow Asmodeus.”

Oh? Jacob’s eyes widen slightly. So far, he’s only heard of Asmodeus, the God of Monsters, the God of Madness, and the God of Shadows.

“Then, if I may ask…”

“She follows the ancient God of Apocalypse.”

“Apocalypse?” Jacob frowns but Harvald Ashenvale doesn’t seem to be bothered by his ignorance.

“It is an ancient Cult that pre-dates the Evil Gods that you might know and, allegedly, most races. It is from a time that has been long forgotten, when the Dragons weren’t even the kings of the sky. Some scholars call the God of Apocalypse a Primordial God.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Like Primordial Magic?” Jacob asks.

The middle-aged man shakes his head.

“From what I’ve learned from my wife, they are not related. Primordial Magic emerged during the time of Evil Gods, and they fed upon it. But… it does not matter. I’ve raised my children to the best of my abilities since I banished my wife. Now, you, who tricked Thalric into becoming your disciple, want my blessing to do the same with my daughter? I know nothing of your character, Tutor Cabbage. Nothing.”

Yet, despite the scalding words, Harvald Ashenvale sees the young man in front of him suddenly relax, as if all the tension has just left his body.

“I thought you were an unreasonable fool,” Jacob comments lightly. “And I actually thought this would have come to blows. But what you said, Lord Ashenvale, is more than reasonable to me.”

“Is it?” Harvald Ashenvale does not expect the young man to react like this and now doesn’t know what to say. “But you’re clearly not intent on giving up.”

“If I was, I’d be a poor Tutor,” Jacob replies. “And I’m sure that, in light of what happened with your wife, you must have thought of something to… avoid repeats. So, I’d like for you to put me through whatever test you think will clear me of your suspicions.”

Harvald Ashenvale looks at Jacob for a moment and then, surprising him, laughs out loud.

“You must believe I’m smarter than I actually am. I have no way of proving your intentions are pure, Tutor Cabbage.”

Then, the man narrows his eyes.

“Actually. My daughter has coveted for a long time her mother’s inheritance. The Primordial God of Apocalypse is also known as the God of Formations in the Cult. It’s rumored that the very first Formation, the basis of traps and many other patterns, comes from this creature.”

Jacob perks his ears up.

“There are six Dungeons not too far from Ashenmere. Each of them contains True Diamond to Imperium Rank Formations, mostly traps, but also illusion arrays, mana-sucking arrays, and so on and so forth. Bring me the objects at the end of each of these Dungeons and I shall clear you to teach my daughter.”

Harvald Ashenvale expects the young man to shrink away. Formations are not something to be trifled with. Any True Diamond Formation could kill a True Diamond expert. Not many fighters are actually proficient in traps and possess the proper counters to face all the possible nasty traps that would be contained in just one of those six Dungeons.

In a way, he feels sympathetic to Tutor Cabbage. He thinks the man is mostly doing his job out of love for Tutoring. Yet, something nags at the back of his mind, telling him that this man is not who he says he is. Therefore, he can’t take any risk, especially if this is an agent sent by his ex-wife.

Now, it shouldn’t matter if the young man is an agent or not. In both cases, he would probably not accept such a suicidal request. These Dungeons are something that even he, Harvald Ashenvale, has been reluctant to enter. He does not want to tempt his luck.

Despite the fact that he has not provided all the details, his wife meant them to be entered by their two children. He’s not even sure whether they can be entered by the young man in front of him.

If he is an agent, he will find an excuse to get out of this and find another task to accomplish. And if he’s not, he’ll simply refuse.

No crazed madman would agree to give up their life in Trap Dungeons set up by an even more insane cult.

“I’m in,” Jacob says without missing a beat. “Can I get a map?”

Then, he looks at a mechanical clock in the hall and says, “they’re all Trap Dungeons?”

“Yes?” Harvald Ashenvale is confused. Why is he asking? Is this just posturing? Does he want to give his life away just like this?

Maybe I should stop him if he actually…

“Alright, I’ll be back before sundown, I believe. Just… if you go to sleep early, sir, could you postpone your bedtime a little and maybe tell your daughter I’ll see her at dinner? Oh, I’ll also bring my assistant. Could you get us a few True Diamond Rank foods ready?”

Harvald Ashenvale, the stone-cold leader of the Ashenvale family, is staring slack-jawed at the arrogance of Tutor Cabbage in front of him.

But, for some reason, he sees no trickery, no hesitation, and absolutely no doubt in the man’s own ability.

To hell with this, let’s see if he manages to get the items back. He won’t be able to fake those. And if it doesn’t go to plan, I’ll just have a larger dinner than usual…

But the young man is still lingering.

“If you want to get it done by sundown, as you’re claiming, shouldn’t you hurry up?” Lord Ashenvale asks.

“You didn’t say what time you go to sleep. When one gets to your age, you know… you start craving the bed way too early.”

I AM FORTY-THREE YEARS OLD! Harvald Ashenvale screams internally before sighing and raising a hand.

“I will be waiting for you. Go.”

He sees the young man turn his back and start walking out.

After a few moments, his butler enters the room and coughs.

“Milord, I’ve heard you’ll have a late dinner today with True Diamond meats.”

Harvald Ashenvale sighs and nods.

“Shall I have the servants fetch the herbal tea? For your digestion, milord?”

The Lord looks at the butler, piqued, and then, looking away, says, “yes, please.”