The Insane Regressor: Throne of Pride

Larette studied him for a moment, as though trying to reconcile the request with the person standing before her. She still could not understand why he wanted something like that, but she nodded nonetheless.

”I’ll have several general references brought to your room, and afterward, you can consult the rest at a library whenever you like, just as you wanted.”

”That will be more than enough,” Ravian agreed.

He was about to leave, but another glance at his clothes made her stop him.

”And your clothes as well.”

Ravian looked down at his slightly disheveled shirt, which resembled sleepwear more than something fit to wear outside the manor.

”I was actually going to ask for something clean to wear,” Ravian said with an embarrassed smile, feeling as though he were being taken care of like a child.

”I’ve saved you the trouble of asking. I’ll bring you some new clothes, so don’t worry,” Larette said with a smile, having noticed his embarrassment.

She then gestured for him to follow the maid who had returned to guide him to the bath chamber.

Ravian left the matter to her, finding no reason to object. Somehow, confronting two powers of Law inside his soul had been easier than arguing with Larette over a shirt.

A few moments later, he found himself standing before the bath chamber door, then stepped inside.

Steam rose from the hot water filling a large bath that resembled a miniature swimming pool crafted from luxurious reinforced wood. Clean towels had been placed beside it, along with everything he would need to wash himself.

Before he could close the door, Larette arrived carrying a folded set of clothes and placed them upon the bench near the entrance.

There was a clean, light-colored shirt, dark trousers, and a simple jacket suitable for sitting before the Earl without making him look as though he were preparing to attend some celebration. It was simplicity perfected.

”If anything doesn’t fit, tell the maid,” Larette said before pausing for a moment. ”But I think everything will fit you perfectly.”

”All right,” Ravian replied.

She stopped at the door and gave him one final look.

”And please don’t create any more problems we’ll need to dispose of later while you’re here, Rayan,” Larette said with unmistakable sarcasm.

Ravian regarded her mocking expression with mild surprise.

”Are you saying I’m a troublemaker, Miss Larette?” he asked.

Larette did not answer, merely staring at him as though her expression alone were asking whether he was truly serious.

A faint smile appeared upon his face.

”Leave it to me. Don’t worry.”

She did not seem to consider that a sufficient promise, but she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

Ravian remained still for a moment, listening to her footsteps recede before removing his clothes and making his way toward the water.

The moment the heat touched his skin, he realized how much tension his body had retained despite the pain having ended.

His shoulders gradually relaxed as he washed his face and palms, then ran the water through his white hair until any traces of dried blood clinging to it disappeared before rinsing his face once more.

After settling into the large hot bath, Ravian leaned his head back and rested it against the edge with a refreshing sense of peace.

The false images of his mother had stopped appearing altogether, and that was the best thing that had happened. Ravian was trying to focus on the present now, while that damned Nightmare had seemed determined to drown him in memories of the past.

For now, that was enough.

He closed his eyes for a while without activating Absolute Focus. This was one of the rare moments when Ravian deliberately and consciously lowered his guard.

He merely wanted to bathe in peace.

For once, he managed to do something that simple without finding himself facing a new problem.

Ravian remained there for some time, enjoying the soap bubbles in the bath and occasionally examining his new body with interest before finally emerging from the water. His body felt far lighter now that the tension accumulated within it had faded. He dried his white hair, put on the clothes Larette had brought, smoothed the shirt over his shoulders, and fastened the jacket with fluid movements.

To his surprise, every piece fit him perfectly. The outfit looked as though it had been tailored specifically for him and was undoubtedly far better than returning to his previous clothes.

He studied his reflection in the mirror.

His white hair was still slightly damp, his calm crimson eyes possessed a strange beauty, and his handsome, noble face appeared serene at first glance, yet the look within his eyes carried an undeniable pride. It was the kind of gaze that told whoever stood before him that it did not matter whether they were an enemy or a friend; either way, they were beneath him.

Ravian did not know when he had acquired such an expression, but he did not find it unpleasant. In fact, he greatly preferred it to the sheer coldness he had once possessed. The corners of his lips also curved upward slightly every few seconds before returning to their natural line, another unmistakable sign of self-admiration.

”Ahhh~” Ravian sighed with a smile, covering his face with one hand in embarrassment at what he had become.

He had gone from a detached young genius who had scarcely seemed alive except when he was near his mother to a young man with a peerless body, tremendous power, and an existence that prevented certain higher beings from closing their eyes in peace for as long as he remained alive.

’Is this what I wanted to become?’ Ravian asked himself as he stared into the bath chamber mirror.

Then that proud smile returned to his face.

’This is far better than I ever could have imagined,’ Ravian thought. ’But we’re not even halfway there.’

Ravian deliberately manifested the gray crown with its two crimson gemstones above his head, studying it for two seconds before concealing it once more within the depths of his soul.

’We’re not even halfway there.’

...

Ravian soon emerged from the bath chamber after straightening every part of his outfit and found Larette waiting for him in the corridor. It seemed she had returned at some point while he was inside.

She raised her eyes toward him, then nodded with clear satisfaction visible within her deep dark-blue eyes.

”Much better,” she said.

”I didn’t think my previous clothes were that bad,” Ravian replied as he looked down at his new outfit.

”That’s why I didn’t ask for your opinion before bringing you new ones, Rayan,” Larette said. ”You definitely would have chosen whatever merely served its purpose.”

’This girl really is getting bolder by the minute.’

He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head with a faint smile.

”What about the books I asked you for?”

”They’ve been placed in your room. You can look through them after meeting my father if you’d like.”

”Good,” Ravian said. ”Thank you, Larette.”

Larette frowned, apparently caught off guard by such a simple thank-you, but quickly recovered her usual expression so as not to bother him.

Ravian noticed the change easily, but noticing something did not mean he would act upon it.

”Just try not to make me regret arranging this meeting,” Larette said in a slightly irritated voice.

’Dear God, does this girl have a split personality or something?’ Ravian stared at her as she moved ahead of him, though not so far that they were no longer walking together. ’Sometimes she’s incredibly sweet, and at others, she has an unbelievably fiery personality.’

She continued forward, and Ravian followed her through the corridor.

There were many questions he wanted answered and several matters he needed to organize before he could even begin fulfilling the conditions for the Eighth Rank. For now, however, he needed permission to access what might lead him to all that knowledge.

He could simply request the heart from the Earl and count it as his first request, but he did not want to rush that decision. Soul refinement now deserved serious study, while the Golden Scriptures required caution even in how he asked anyone about them.

Still, he did not need to resolve everything at the same moment.

Larette stopped before the office door, then turned toward him.

”Ready?”

Ravian adjusted the edge of his sleeve before raising his eyes from his hand.

”Yes.”

Larette lifted her hand to knock upon the door, while one line from the System’s notifications remained lodged in Ravian’s mind, clearer than all the other requirements.

’Again: Do not attempt to understand anything within them.’