Chapter 136: Serve Me Well

"Tell me," he said, grabbing their attention, "what did you find?"

"Not…*Num*...much—" Viper stammered, food bulging in her cheek.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth" Aron interjected.

"!!!" Blushing Viper lowered her head, hiding her embarrassment. She knows that alright! She's a grown woman! not a child who needed manners lessons…But around Aron, she couldn't help feeling that way.

"Shorry…*Gulb*...Sorry Master" she mumbled, trying her best to ignore the sly smiles on Kasumi and Raum's faces. Hey! Can ravens even smile?

"It's fine, what did you find?" Aron waved dismissively.

"Ahem… as I was saying, not much. Most of the men complained about the cold, lack of supplies, and the general state of things, but surprisingly…" Viper hurriedly swallowed the last piece of the snack Aron gave her before continuing.

"Your previous demonstration of power positively impacted them. They developed a sense of respect and fear towards you, and their hopes of surviving the monster waves increased."

Aron raised an eyebrow, a flicker of interest crossing his features. "Respect and fear, huh? An interesting mix."

"Indeed...but other than that, I only heard a few scattered rumors and speculation about why the cooks attempted to poison you and whether they were involved in the assassination of the previous Lord Commander."

Aron pondered carefully on Viper's report, his mind already strategizing the next steps. Yet before outlining the entire picture, he turned to Raum for his report.

"Buddy, did you find anything interesting?"

Raum sprawled on the bed in his raven form, shook his head. "Khaaah! Not much, the negativity in the area is dense, which is understandable. Knowing you'll probably be dead in just two months can mess with your emotions." Raum paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"Besides that, I noticed that only the big wall was in excellent condition, the smaller ones and buildings, not so much."

"I see...Kasumi--" Aron began, about to address Kasumi when Raum suddenly leaped from the bed, landing on his shoulder.

"Aron, I did notice something strange," Raum cawed. "I don't think it's important, but it was strange nonetheless."

"Yes?" Aron acknowledged, his curiosity piqued.

"Khaah!… For some reason, I couldn't fly above a certain point. It felt like an invisible force yanking me down."

Aron's brow furrowed at Raum's revelation. "An invisible force? That's certainly... curious," he mused, his mind racing with possibilities. "Could it be some sort of magical barrier?"

"It's possible," Kasumi interjected, her voice thoughtful. "But if so, why would such a barrier be in place? And who would have the power to erect it?"

"Maybe for the monsters?" Viper whispered to herself but spoke loud enough for the others to hear. When she realized that, she sighed and explained her thoughts.

"I suspect the barrier is to prevent flying monsters from bypassing the wall…after all, the Everfrost's purpose was to stand as the first line of defense against monsters."

"Yeah, I suspect that's the reason," Aron said before turning to Kasumi for her report.

"I have some interesting news…" Kasumi began explaining without lifting a finger from the bed. She was incredibly exhausted. Staying in the shadows of someone other than her master drained a considerable amount of her mana and left her both mentally and physically drained. Since Kasumi wasn't skilled enough to seamlessly blend into other people's shadows like her master, she had to forcefully enter them.

"After waking up, that man, Eryndor, contacted someone using communication orbs, the king's advisor."

Aron's brows shot up in surprise. "The king's advisor? That's a significant development. What did they talk about?"

Kasumi stretched languidly, letting out a soft groan. "It appears you, Master, caused quite a bit of damage to both of them with your mace."

"Me?" Aron pointed at himself. "I did nothing, I'm innocent! All I did was toss the mace high in the air in the middle of the forest."

Kasumi chuckled softly. "Well, I guess the mace landed on his head and caused his mission to fail."

"Yeah, yeah...what happened next?" Aron rolled his eyes.

"Hmm… Oh yeah, the advisor was surprised by your appointment as Lord Commander, saying that the queen acted behind their backs…other than that, Eryndor informed him about the attempted poisoning, but the advisor didn't react to it."

Aron listened intently to Kasumi's report, his expression turning thoughtful as she spoke. "So, the king's advisor wasn't aware of my assignment as Lord Commander," he mused, stroking his chin in contemplation. "And it appears the queen's actions have caught them off guard."

Kasumi nodded. "Precisely. It seems the conflict between the king and queen is much deeper than we anticipated."

"I suppose so, and perhaps the situation with the Frostguard is entangled in that conflict as well?"

"What do you mean, Master?" Kasumi inquired.

Seeing no reason to withhold information from his team, Aron recounted everything he discovered about the Frostguard's condition. From the missing supplies and the mystery of the former lord commander's assassination to the cooks' attempt to poison him, which he explained wasn't a real poisoning attempt but rather an attempt to infect him with something called a Chthonic parasite, a parasite affecting all the Frostguard.

As Aron revealed the full extent of the situation with the Frostguard, a heavy silence settled over the room. Kasumi's eyes widened in shock, and Viper's expression grew grim as she processed the information.

"A Chthonic parasite..." Kasumi murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "That's... deeply unsettling. Someone desires a weakened Frostguard, someone desires them to be less effective against the monsters...But who?"

"It's pretty obvious," Viper suddenly interjected, leaning against the wall. "Even a blind man could see it right, master?"

Aron concurred. "Of course, either the man got the balls to act openly or dumb as a brick if he failed to realize that utilizing a palace guard in his schemes would make him the prime suspect."

Connecting the dots, Kasumi's eyes widened in realization. "I see...And let's not forget the missing supplies as well."

"Yeah that too," Aron agreed.

"So what are you going to do, Brother?" Raum inquired, poking Aron's cheek with his beak. "Are you going to kill the king's cousin?"

Aron contemplated the situation carefully, weighing his options and considering the potential consequences of his actions. Killing the king's cousin would be a drastic move with far-reaching implications, not only for himself but for the kingdom as a whole.

However, Aron didn't care not a single bit. Neither Viper nor Kasumi entertained the thought for a second that Aron wouldn't kill the king's cousin. The question was when? And how?

After a moment of deep thought, Aron spoke, his voice measured and resolute. "No, not yet. Killing him outright would only exacerbate the situation further. I'm not willing to risk the southern city marching upon us and placing ourselves in a precarious position where we're surrounded by monsters from the front and an army from the back."

Viper nodded in agreement, her expression serious. "We should focus on uncovering the full extent of his involvement and gather evidence to expose him without causing unnecessary bloodshed."

"Evidence?" Aron tilted his head. "I don't need evidence, my fist is the evidence."

Kasumi smiled, slithering closer and resting her head on Aron's other shoulder. "Should we pay him a visit?" she suggested, her voice laced with a hint of mischief.

Aron shook his head firmly. "Not yet, I still need to solve the parasite problem. I don't know how far I can abuse or the consequences of using my Words of Power to cure the Frostguard, and frankly, I don't want to know. I learned that lesson the hard way."

Gently stroking Kasumi's long, dark hair, Aron continued, "I want the Keeper to find a cure first. If he fails and we're pressed for time, I'll resort to my Words."

As Aron spoke, his companions nodded in understanding. They recognized the wisdom in his decision to prioritize finding a cure for the Chthonic parasite before taking further action against the king's cousin.

"Good, now rest," Aron said, retrieving a food pouch from his storage ring. "Consume only from this, even if we apprehend the culprits. I can't risk all of you becoming infected with the parasite."

Viper, Kasumi, and Raum all nodded in agreement, understanding the necessity of caution in dealing with the Chthonic parasite. And honestly, they felt a warmth blossom within them upon witnessing his concern for their well-being.

Especially Kasumi and Viper, both of whom could feel butterflies fluttering in their stomachs. The display of care and concern from possibly the most handsome man they had ever encountered was simply too much to bear.

"Thank you, Master," Kasumi said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Viper echoed her sentiment with a nod, a shy smile gracing her lips. But before she could express her gratitude, a vial filled with a crimson liquid materialized in Aron's hand.

"Viper," Aron called out, the abrupt shift in his tone startling her.

Instantly recognizing the vial's contents, Raum leaped from Aron's shoulder and Kasumi scooted closer to him.

"Yes, Master?" Viper replied, her voice barely more than a whisper, her nerves on edge.

Aron held out the vial high, his expression serious yet gentle. "This contains my blood. It functions similarly to an Elixir. Consuming it would elevate you to your peak." He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "You would be faster, and stronger, your magic would evolve, and there'd be a high chance of awakening a second, entirely unique magical ability."

Viper narrowed her eyes, finding it harder to believe. 'A Blood acting like an Elixir? Oh please this is far superior to any Elixir I've ever heard of.'

"There's also a slight possibility you might inherit some of my racial traits, but I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you"

"Racial traits?" Viper tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean by racial traits? You're completely human too—"

Viper didn't get the chance to finish her sentence when suddenly two majestic black wings, pulsing with crimson energy at their roots, erupted from Aron's back.

"!!!" Startled, Viper tumbled backward butt first on the cold floor, her eyes widened in shock and astonishment as she beheld the unexpected sight before her.

Viper's questioning sentence died on her lips as she kept her gaze on the two wings. They were majestic creations, crafted from midnight black scales that pulsed faintly with crimson energy, mirroring the red liquid in the vial he held out.

"Racial traits," Aron repeated, his voice calm yet filled with a hint of amusement at Viper's reaction. "Dragon traits"

Viper couldn't speak or comprehend what the man was saying. 'Dragon traits? How? Dragons were extinct…but these wings?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Aron held the vial high for her to see. "Serve me well in the coming months, and this will be yours."

Viper's gaze flickered between the vial in his hand and the magnificent wings for a moment, her mind brimming with disbelief and wonder. She sprang to her feet swiftly, then knelt and offered her utmost respect to her master, her heart pounding with a newfound sense of purpose and determination.

The sight of his majestic wings, coupled with the revelation that she could acquire these dragon traits, even if the chance was slim, ignited a spark of loyalty and devotion deep within her.

"Thank you, Master," she whispered, her voice filled with reverence. "I am honored by your trust and generosity, and I pledge my life to you."

A faint smile played on Aron's lips as he observed her respectful display. Utilizing the magic seal, he sensed her sincerity.

"Remember, Viper, loyalty will be rewarded beyond imagination, but betrayal will bring forth a never-ending torment"

"!!!" Viper flinched, comprehending the gravity of his words. She nodded solemnly, her eyes reflecting her unwavering resolve. "I won't disappoint you, Master."