Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Without anyone touching it, the enormous door slowly opened on its own, the heavy structure moving silently as if responding to an unseen command. Atlas arched an eyebrow for only a brief moment before stepping through the entrance, though the surprise disappeared almost immediately.

After witnessing countless strange applications of Spirit Energy since arriving in Celestara, a door opening by itself was no longer something worth paying much attention to.

As he crossed the threshold of the Villa, one thought quietly settled inside his mind. Everything connected to the Nobles...would finally come to an end here. Whether it was the contract, the misunderstanding surrounding him, or his dealings with the Rosaria Household, he had no intention of dragging any of it further than today. Once this meeting ended, there would no longer be any reason for him to remain connected to them.

Kaelion appeared at the front again the same way he had done earlier and said, ”Follow me from here Mr. Atlas, it will be quick.” Before turning and walking straight without another word.

Atlas nodded and followed him without saying anything. From everything that had happened last night, he already knew Kaelion had a rough understanding of his physical strength, which was probably why the Angel was now speaking with respectfully to remain on his good side.

Though Setting that thought aside, Atlas’s attention shifted toward his surroundings once again as his thoughts churned quietly. ’Hmm...these must be what they call a Villa. It’s way bigger than I imagined.’

He carefully observed the internal structure as they walked deeper inside. He remembered the Explorers back in Ormolio and Lumivale speaking about Villas countless times, praising their size, craftsmanship and luxurious design whenever the topic of Nobles came up.

Seeing one with his own eyes now, he could no longer deny their words. The place truly deserved that praise. Although it came nowhere near the scale of the Palace he had seen yesterday, it was still grand enough to leave an impression on anyone seeing it for the first time.

The entire Villa carried a refined white appearance that reflected the morning sunlight entering through the enormous windows. Intricate carvings decorated nearly every visible section of the walls, while rows of massive pillars stretched neatly across the lowest floor, supporting the upper levels with flawless symmetry.

Even more surprising to Atlas were the countless Spirit formations carved directly into the white walls and pillars themselves. They released faint fluctuations of Spirit Energy throughout the building, making him wonder just how many different ways Spirit Energy could actually be utilized beyond combat. The deeper he stepped inside, the more he realized that Spirit was involved in far more aspects of this world than he knew or imagined.

As those thoughts continued for a few moments, both of them eventually arrived before another massive double door almost identical to the one he had seen inside the Rosaria Household back in Lumivale.

The familiar sight immediately brought his mind back to that meeting from barely a day ago. At that time, he had entered that place carrying almost nothing besides caution and uncertainty. Now, the situation looked nearly identical, yet the biggest difference was also the simplest one.

He had become strong.

Not slightly stronger, but several times stronger than the Atlas who had first stepped inside that Household. The confidence born from that strength naturally erased the caution he once carried. Regardless of what happened inside this room today, he no longer believed anyone present could force him into doing something against his will.

Atlas’s thoughts paused as he heard Kaelion speak again after turning toward him, ”The Patriarch and Lady are inside, Mr. Atlas. My duty ends here, so I will be taking my leave.”

The moment those words ended, Kaelion vanished together with the surrounding wind once again, disappearing so naturally that only a faint current of air remained where he had been standing a moment earlier.

Atlas did not wait. He stepped forward without hesitation, and just like the outer entrance, the massive double door slowly opened automatically before him. The moment he entered, he instinctively turned toward his right, having already sensed both Seraphiel and Dravenson sitting upon the luxurious couch positioned there long before he walked inside.

He quietly walked toward them while a simple thought crossed his mind.

’Same situation...just that the tables have turned to my side.’

As he approached, he immediately noticed Seraphiel staring directly at him without saying a single word. Her gaze remained completely fixed on his face, making Atlas realize the reason almost instantly.

’My exposed face...’

This was the first time she had ever seen him without the mask covering his appearance. His sharp jawline, calm expression, straight nose and every small detail of his handsome face naturally entered her sight one after another, causing her attention to remain fixed on him for several moments without realizing it herself.

Only after Atlas stopped before them did she quietly gesture toward the couch positioned opposite her and Dravenson, signaling him to take a seat.

Atlas sat down comfortably without wasting another second on unnecessary greetings. His attention immediately shifted toward the reason he had come here in the first place as he looked directly at Dravenson before asking in a calm, detached voice, ”What is it about the contract you wanted to talk about, Patriarch Dravenson?”

The moment those words left his mouth, Dravenson’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. Atlas immediately sensed the familiar fluctuation from yesterday. The Patriarch’s Unique Ability seemed ready to activate once again, but before it could fully manifest, Atlas interrupted him in the same calm tone, ”I suggest you don’t use your Unique Ability, Patriarch, Isn’t it rude to your guest?”

And that made Dravenson arch an eyebrow as the fluctuations of his Unique Ability disappeared completely. His jaw tightened slightly as he thought ’How dare you lowly monstrous Human!’ before relaxing again as he looked directly at Atlas and spoke, ”You noticed it immediately huh?...I didn’t think you would really reach S-rank this quickly just after taking those Cores, congratulations on that.

”As for using my Ability, I was only trying to confirm something, not pry into your emotions again, so I do not believe I did anything rude.”

The moment Dravenson spoke those words, Atlas narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, ’Still won’t apologise huh?...Knew it, all Nobles are like this...Tch.’

Seraphiel, on the other hand, remained seated with slightly widened eyes as the conversation shifted toward the contract. After hearing Kaelion’s report last night, she had already realized the contract was still intact, and because of that the uneasiness inside her heart had eased a little. Later, when Kaelion returned alone without Atlas, she became completely certain Atlas was safe. But now...now she was hearing her father himself bring up the contract.

It did not take her long to understand what he intended. After overhearing her father’s conversation the previous night, she already knew he wanted Atlas dead once the contract no longer existed. If the contract was severed, not only would Atlas lose the only protection preventing her father from acting, but she herself would also lose the only reason she had to meet him again. More than anything, she still could not understand why her father had suddenly become so determined to kill Atlas in the first place.

So...before the conversation reached that point, she immediately turned toward Dravenson and spoke.

”Fath-!”

But before another word could leave her mouth, Atlas interrupted in the same calm tone as always, ”Well, I was planning to sever the contract myself too, If the Patriarch’s intention was to be sever it, then it’s alright with me.”

The words entered Seraphiel’s ears almost instantly.

Her pupils widened as if everything around her had suddenly fallen silent. The words she wanted to speak disappeared from her throat before they could even come out, while her heartbeat slowed for a brief moment. She had expected her father to suggest severing the contract...but she had never expected Atlas himself to agree to it without the slightest hesitation.

For the first time since yesterday, an unfamiliar feeling of emptiness quietly settled inside her heart.

[A/N: Here begins Romance, I hope you like it! This is my first ever writing and to add romance at that? I would never deny that it’s not difficult, still I will try to make it as Good as possible, just need your support guys.

Also I will be mass releasing 4 Chapters more today, though I am not sure if it’s possible, I will still try, Thanks for reading, gift and Supergifts are welcome]