Night wrapped the Bleakheart estate in silence. After Kael’s disappearance, the guests quickly dispersed to their homes. Even Elizabeth, who had insisted on returning to the Academy, gave in to Gabriel’s persuasion and stayed the night. The adults were probably already asleep… or lying in their beds, thinking over what had happened.
Alex sat at his desk, leaning back in a soft chair. His eyes were closed, his hands hanging loosely from the armrests.
“Now I’m ready to listen,” he said in thought.
Sirena’s calm voice immediately sounded in his mind.
“Understood. I will begin with the essentials. Kael Morven is a level eighty-four vampire. His only element is lightning. He has no wife or children. In childhood, he was an unremarkable youth, but through talent, knowledge, and charisma he rose to great heights. He is the guildmaster of Morven’s largest guild, the Blue Ravens. In addition, he founded and leads the Blue Raven Institute. There, high-level healing magic is taught and medical research is conducted. Education is completely free, and the best students receive scholarships. The institute is funded by the guild. Thanks to his achievements in medicine and his popularity as a guildmaster, Kael earned the recognition of Morven’s king himself—Morakan Ervain. He has even been an honored guest at several of the king’s gatherings. That concludes the report.”
Alex opened his eyes and slowly exhaled.
“Thank you, Sirena,” he whispered. “Now it’s clear why he behaved so confidently. His closeness to Morakan practically gives him immunity. Even aristocrats can’t really touch him. He’ll just complain to the king or send people from his guild to deal with it. What a headache. It turns out he won’t disappear as easily as the Montamers—his disappearance would be noticed immediately.”
He fell silent for a moment, curling his lips ironically.
“I don’t get it… how did someone like him manage to become a guildmaster and earn the king’s favor?”
“Perhaps he is a skilled actor,” Sirena replied. “In public, he plays the role of a benevolent man and hides his true self. Or he works for the Jester. If we recall the history of the Montamers, the Jester knows how to erase traces left by his people.”
Alex nodded to himself.
“Both possibilities are plausible.” He smiled faintly. “Maybe I should contact the Jester and ask directly? It’s quite possible he knows more than even you could find.”
The boy thought for a few seconds, then shook his head to himself.
“No. That would be too easy. I’ll try to deal with this on my own first.”
Sirena asked cautiously,
“My lord, have you truly decided to handle Kael yourself? Wouldn’t it be better to leave this to Astarion and Arthur and focus on your training instead?”
Alex slowly curved one corner of his lips into a smile.
“He threatened my family. And I doubt those were empty words. I can’t just leave it at that.”
“Do you already have any ideas on how to get rid of him?” Sirena asked gently.
Alex tilted his head thoughtfully.
“Ideas…” He fell silent for a few seconds, then continued. “Tell me, Sirena, didn’t Kael remind you of the guy I met during the battle near Aeralis?”
“You mean Derek?” she clarified.
“Right, Derek. The name slipped my mind.”
“It seemed to me they were similar as well,” Sirena said slowly. “The long, black, unkempt hair, the pale skin, the dark circles under the eyes… even their gestures are somewhat alike. Though their personalities are complete opposites.”
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Alex shook his head.
“And that’s not even the main thing. You remember how, after three liters of ale, Derek complained that he never had a normal family? He never saw his mother and couldn’t even imagine who she might have been. He always hated his father. He said that in public and at home his father was like two completely different people.”
“Do you think Derek is Kael’s son?” Sirena asked quietly.
“It’s just a guess, but there are similarities between them. If Derek had ever mentioned his father’s name, I could say for sure. But he even renounced his surname. So all that’s left is speculation. Still, if I’m right, it completely frees my hands.”
“You may be right,” Sirena replied. “Derek mentioned that from childhood he secretly learned everything his father did and spent years gathering evidence against him. He wanted to show the world his father’s true face and then replace him. And perhaps he would have succeeded if the war hadn’t started earlier, forcing Derek to become a field medic.”
Alex nodded.
“Exactly. If he really is Kael’s son, then he should already have proof. It seems he’s been collecting it since he was seven. We’re only three years apart, which means he’s had thirteen years to gather material—more than enough. He just needs a push for a proper execution of his revenge, and I’m ready to give it to him. And as a bonus, I’ll gain a talented healer on Eliria’s level as an ally.”
“And also a guildmaster who will give you access to S-rank dungeons,” Sirena added.
Alex froze for a moment, then clapped his hands in satisfaction.
“Exactly. I didn’t even think of that. Damn it, now I’m simply obliged to give Derek the chance for revenge.”
Sirena spoke with excitement in her voice.
“If, of course, you’re right and Derek truly is his son.”
“Do you still doubt it?” Alex asked with light irony.
“In any case, extra caution won’t hurt,” Sirena replied. “I fully support your plan, but it will be… problematic if you kill Kael and Derek turns out not to be his son.”
Alex laughed softly.
“Yes, that would be a problem. But then I’ll make use of the Jester’s help. With his connections, he’ll definitely find a way out.”
“So, in this situation, you’re still willing to accept his help?” Sirena asked with faint mockery.
Alex waved it off.
“No, we’re getting carried away. In any case, Kael threatened my family and the families of my friends. And that’s more than enough reason to kill him. I won’t back down.”
When Alex woke up, the sun was already fairly high in the sky. He slowly made his way down to the kitchen, where everyone was already waiting for him. Emma, Gabriel, Elizabeth, and all the maids were seated at the table.
The moment he appeared in the doorway, Elizabeth smiled and spoke first.
“Good morning, sleepyhead. You certainly slept in.”
“Good morning,” Alex replied as he sat down at the table. “I just couldn’t fall asleep right away. Same as you, I suppose.”
Light dishes were laid out on the table: freshly baked white bread, thin slices of cheese and fragrant ham, boiled eggs, a bowl of honey, and berry jam. To drink, there was aromatic herbal tea and a jug of cold milk. Everything was simple, but homely and comforting.
For several minutes they ate in silence, with only the clinking of dishes breaking the quiet. When breakfast was over, the maids cleared the table and went about their duties. Only Alex, his parents, and Elizabeth remained.
A tense silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Elizabeth was the first to speak.
“You probably have questions about last night,” she said somewhat uncertainly. “I can answer at least some of them. For the rest, you’ll have to speak with Astarion.”
Her voice suddenly grew more serious.
“As for Kael’s threats toward you… please, don’t worry. Astarion, Arthur, and I will handle matters with him ourselves.”
Alex reacted first.
“I don’t have any questions,” he said quietly and was already about to stand up from the table.
“Alex, please sit,” Elizabeth stopped him quickly.
He returned to his seat. She let out a heavy sigh and looked him straight in the eyes.
“You probably already know this, but Kael is the guildmaster of the Blue Raven and the director of the institute with the same name. On top of that, he enjoys the king’s favor, which automatically places him above any aristocrats. Remember this: you won’t be able to eliminate him through brute force the way you did with the Montamers. If you lose control, you’ll only bring even more trouble upon your family.”
She took his hands in hers.
“Trust us. Me, Astarion, and Arthur. Together, we’ll find a way that won’t put all of us at risk. I know how much you care about us. And I can see how deeply Kael’s words unsettled you. But the best thing you can do right now is trust others—those who know how to resolve this properly.”
Alex silently held her gaze. In her eyes, seriousness mingled with a desperate plea. Then he glanced at Emma and Gabriel—both were looking at him with worry, as if begging him to agree.
Alex smiled faintly.
“I understand everything perfectly. Kael is not on my level. So if trusting you really is the better choice, then that’s what I’ll do. Yes, his words unsettled me… but I’m not a little boy anymore, and I understand that the same approach as with the Montamers won’t work here. And although it frustrates me, because it essentially ties my hands, I’ll wait calmly for results from you.”
His words sounded sincere. He quickly looked around at everyone—apparently, it worked.
“Thank you, Alex,” Elizabeth said, releasing his hands.
“Thank you for breakfast,” he replied, standing up from the table. “I’ll lie down for a bit longer, and then I’ll start preparing to return to the Academy.”
With that, he left the dining room.
