Chapter 8 [Kaizer v/s Asher]

[Kaizer's POV]

I was contemplating whether he would agree to my request when suddenly he took three steps back.

I was perplexed by this action, but before I could enquire, he swung his right leg in a roundhouse kick motion.

The technique of the kick was precise and fast, but it wasn't something I couldn't defend against.

I raised my left forearm on instinct and blocked the kick, whose sheer impact sent a jolt down my arm, pushing me two steps back.

"I didn't expect you to respond?" Asher spoke in a confused manner with a brief pause.

Asher didn't stop his unexpected assault, except he briefly paused after my block, his expression one of slight surprise, and then rushed in again with a frontal kick.

'I don't think his current rank was mentioned, but it should be nothing short of C rank, if I presume.'

'If he is serious about hurting me, then I don't think I can even last three seconds, and if he wants to play with his opponent, he becomes a beast one should avoid at any cost.'

[Why do you know that?]

'Because I am experiencing that right now!!!' I shouted internally while I ducked again to dodge the frontal kick, still feeling the numbness in my left arm.

I quickly formulated a plan to knock him off his balance as his right leg lingered in the air.

But Asher saw this coming from a mile away and promptly brought down his right leg, which he used for the frontal kick.

I could have rolled off to the side to protect myself, but doing so would give away the initiative he already had.

Instead, I raised my arms above my head in a cross pattern to block the kick and used my right leg sweepingly to knock Asher off his feet.

Asher would have to retreat from this spot to avoid both attacks. That would be the only way to avoid getting hit.

When I thought I had achieved the initiative, Asher did something out of my calculations.

He nimbly jumped on my right leg to use as a footing, which was about to sweep him off, and increased the speed of the frontal kick.

The movement was perfect and flawless.

The moment I focus to avoid the kick, he will crush my leg with his other foot.

In a last-ditch effort, I used all my strength to push away his right leg with my arms, only to be surprised to see him use his left leg, which was on my leg, to come at my chin at a swift speed.

I barely backed off and sprawled on the ground while he backflipped and landed two steps away.

"Quick decision-making ability, higher agility even though I considered your comatose state, high battle IQ, innovative and bold ideas, precise albeit a bit sloppy blocking technique as well, and quick reflexes," Asher commented as he outstretched his hand to help me stand.

"So, what do you make of it." I took hold of his hand and stood up.

I didn't mind his unexpected onslaught as I understood his attitude of gauging my abilities, albeit a bit aggressively.

He didn't reply but turned and started walking down the stairs, and I was confused about whether he wanted me to follow him.

"You have adjusted to your body in two days and have great adaptability. I can help you with your training, but talking to my Master would be more fruitful. I can see that you are planning to go out. Let me know when you will be back." He said as he walked down the stairs with his face half turned over the shoulder towards me.

I was surprised by his answer, but I understood his reasoning.

"Thank you." I bowed slightly in gratitude and then turned to head towards Lucas's office.

In the novel, Asher and Kaizer barely interact with each other. Compared to my calm reaction when I woke up, Kaizer's response might have been agitated if I had to guess the reason. 

Asher might have acted more reserved in front of him in the hope of. However, I am different because my past life has significantly influenced my personality.

Asher was said to be 18 years old, roughly three years older than me, since he would soon be in his third year at the Union Arcane Academy. 

On top of being the top-ranked in his sophomore year, he is also the disciple of Ryan Reimann, the Halberd Champion, an SS rank Awakener.

Asher followed in his footsteps to hold a Halberd as his main armament.

While I had these thoughts, I observed the guards who witnessed the whole fight.

The guards in the mansion ignored the fight between us as if they had a secret agreement. 

Moreover, the guards I encountered moving forward also bowed their heads towards me.

I had never thought they would respect me because I was an outsider who would pretty much live while leeching off the Skylar Household.

But their attitude was polite, even going as far as addressing me as a young master.

Which could only be addressed to a direct descendant in the novel.

The fact that they treated me so highly meant that Lucas was genuine about treating me right, like in the novel. 

I went to Lucas's office with guidance from a guard.

The guard knocked on the door and informed them about my arrival.

As I entered the office, Lucas sat on the head chair, skimming through some papers. An older man stood beside him with a sharp look as he glanced at me and returned to helping Lucas with the paperwork.

"Please sit down, Kaizer. I need a moment with these papers." Lucas addressed me politely while jotting down some things.

The chamber, bathed in the warm embrace of golden lamplight, bore witness to the confluence of opulence and intellect, where the air was thick with the scent of polished mahogany and the whisper of quills dancing across the parchment.

The usage of quills gave me a rather weird outlook, as I remembered that the technological advancement of this world was ahead by many years, but the use of antique quills was odd. 

The office was relatively modest compared to the mansion. It wasn't overtly luxurious, nor was it cheap.

After waiting a couple of minutes, Lucas looked at me.

I was wondering what he was thinking, but I refrained from asking.

He furrowed his brows, finally sighed while standing up, and approached my seat.

I was worried about what he thought because the atmosphere was tense.

Regardless, I maintained my calm composure to hide my anxiety.

Breaking the silence, he spoke in a heavy albeit warm voice.

"Kaizer, I will be honest with you. I hope you don't think I am monitoring you, but I will assign a bodyguard to you for your safety." he declared.

His declaration took me aback, but I was able to relax, realizing that the situation was following the novel.

"Firstly, meet Alastor, my butler, and his daughter Helena, who will be your bodyguard." He further continued as a girl appeared from behind Alastor.

Alastor had a rather slim build with shoulder-length white hair and dull grey eyes.

My eyes then turned towards the figure that emerged from behind Alastor.

I was surprised because I never noticed her in the room.

She adorned a butler suit just like Alastor.

Her appearance was dignified and beautiful. She gracefully took a step forward and slightly bowed towards me. 

Her face was expressionless, but the platinum blonde hair and purple eyes amplified her charm.

"Kaizer, I know this is me overstepping my boundaries, but I will not go back on this decision." Lucas continued as I was mesmerized by Helena's materialization.

"No, I am rather grateful for your protection, Sir Lucas. I won't cause you any trouble." I politely stood up and bowed my head in gratefulness for his generosity.

"Don't mention it. Alastor, lead Kaizer and Helena in the other for a conversation so they can know each other." Lucas ordered as he went back to his papers.

******

[Kaizer's POV]

After Alastor left the room, Helena and I were seated opposite each other. 

I wasn't surprised as I knew she would be assigned to me, but the timing was sooner than expected.

"I am unaware of how much you know about me, but I will be in your care from here on, Miss Helena," I commented while breaking the silence. 

"I will be in your care as well, Master Kaizer," Helena replied.

She didn't talk further and maintained the silence.

'In the novel, after Kaizer's suicide, her attitude became more seclusive and conserved. Although I am unsure what her feelings about being assigned to me are. I don't think we will be together for a long time. I can reach my goals quickly using this family, but I can't trust them completely. Without the memories of my past life, I would have been an incompetent 15-year-old with the mentality of a 7-year-old. But I am not that person.'

[Don't you think you are still incompetent? You woke up two days ago and did nothing but eat and sleep.]

'What do you want me to do? Pull out a random weapon and go wild with my trash body? You need to start slowly to last long.'

[That's what she said.]

'…'

[Kaizer?]

'We don't know each other anymore. I am cutting ties with you.'

[It's still better than naming me Grade.]

I broke out of my thoughts and turned to face Helena.

"Miss Helena, you can drop the formalities with me; I don't think we will be with each other for long as I know my current position isn't favorable. If possible, I want to talk with Sir Lucas and you about this matter in person. You already know my history, so you don't have to worry about serving an incompetent person."

'Young Master Kaizer is distinctly different from what I had assumed. After observing his interactions for two days, I thought he might be more reserved.' Helena surmised inwardly as she stood up from her seat.

"No, Sir, judging someone based on rumors is simply ignorance. I will arrange your meeting with Sir Lucas right away." Helena replied politely and soon left the room to arrange a meeting for me.

***