Chapter 186: Rich Again (1/2)
Kaelith physically shook when she heard the AI's last statement. She now understood why her mother was acting so distraught.
”Well, I guess it did know about it,” Rakna commented calmly. He honestly didn't care. He grinned spiritedly and turned toward the astonished pair. ”It's weird now that I think about it.”
”What is…?” Kaelith found the strength to speak. She was still wrapping her head around the fact that the 'rumored' uncle was most likely Eternal Night. The dots just connected perfectly.
”Until now, no one has ever called the old man by his actual name. They keep saying Eternal Night or Kind Demon,” he replied, confirming her thoughts, and looked at Kara. ”So, how did you know about it? You reacted even before the filtering. You started smelling of doubt and fright when you simply heard 'Blade' at the end of my name.”
Kara was silent for a moment before she opened her mouth, ”The higher echelons all know about Him. Centuries ago, when the mass mental spell occurred, the System suppressed it well. The only information that was successfully transferred were the titles of that man.”
”Yeah, I heard that before.”
”But,” Kara continued. ”What people don't know is that during the same day… a 'cross', if you can even call it that, fell from the sky in the middle of Old Eden, the 500th Plateau. Eva dispatched the Adjudicators to get rid of it. But they failed; miserably. Even the generals couldn't put a scratch on it when working together, nor could they move it.”
Rakna rested his cheek on his hand as he listened. ”I assume they gave up?”
She nodded. ”After a few years, it was deemed a waste of resources for the System. So, they left it alone. Afterward, both Locals and Hosts flocked to it and the Basilica was built around it. The cross that you received as a gift yesterday was made thanks to the energy it released.”
”Yeah, I figured. It was on the description of the item. But that still does not explain how you know more about my uncle than the rest of the System.”
”It does,” Kara retorted. ”The cross is the key. The Basilica allowed big figures to approach it. And we… touched it. Then, we learned. The Life Hunter who hunted Gods and Devils, destroyed Heaven and Hell, fought the Dragon King Fafnir, conquered the Mother Realities, subjugated the Original Creators, and built Kymestuos.”
Rakna let out snicker. ”Sounds fancy and all but I have no idea what those even mean.”
”Nor did we,” Kara smiled wryly. ”But we were made to know anyway. In a single instant, we were all forced to realize how insignificant we were. There is a reason all large guilds and organizations are wary of the Basilica; they are terrified of Eternal Night.”
He smirked. ”That makes my little threat even more effective, doesn't it?”
”Well,” Kara felt challenged again at his words. ”You would need to prove it if you wa-” She stopped herself when a System window popped up, courtesy of Rakna who had smilingly shared one of his titles' descriptions with her.
She read the name and lowered her head sulkily. ”Fine… I really can't win with you.”
Kaelith also got a look at the title from him and rubbed her eyes. ”You got to be kidding me… if you tell this to people, you could literally become the most distinguished person in the System.”
”Or the largest target ever,” Rakna retorted. ”A secret between us; I managed to talk to the old man for a short moment. He told me that the System was well hidden, even for him. So, as things stand, even if I want to abuse my status as the nephew of Eternal Night, it would not be possible since he cannot come to my help. My goal is to do what he instructed me; find a way to contact him.”
Kara's eyes flashed. ”Do you think He would be grateful to my clan if we helped you?”
Rakna laughed. ”Not going to lie, I like your grind. You jump at opportunities when they come. But sure, the old man wouldn't ignore your efforts.”
Kara clapped happily. ”It's decided then! We'll give you full support in your endeavors!”
Kaelith looked at her mother who had gone from petrified to business ready in a second. ”You two really are… Mom, how come I never knew about this whole thing?”
”Sweety, you're still a bit too young. Those images aren't for the weak of heart.”
”Don't patronize me, Mom. I'm 27, not a kid.”
”You're still a child in my eyes, Kae. Fifty has always been the agreed age for Nine-Tailed Foxes to be considered adults.”
”Fifty, huh?” Rakna hummed. ”What is your race's life expectancy exactly?”
”Even the weakest of the Nine-Tailed can live up to five hundred years,” Kaelith said. ”The stronger ones can go as far as a thousand or two. The oldest member of our clan is 1 895 years old.”
”Interesting. I wonder how high mine is now?”
[Approximately 4 150 years,] Alexa surprisingly answered and he blinked in shock.
'That's kind of a lot.'
[That is due to your non-awakened divinity. By eating Aquila's heart, you absorbed a strand of his divinity that has yet to manifest itself.]
'I see… weird.'
”|| If you do not wish to proceed with the item search, please turn off this device. ||”
Everyone in the room was reminded of the original goal when the tablet spoke again.
”Ah, right,” Rakna focused back on it. ”In the city of Aurora, there is a mansion in the west district of Walker Avenue. The house number is 67. In the basement, there is a shelf with dozens of small bottles full of pills. Along with them; there should be a small cloth wrapped around several vials and syringes. Take it.”
”|| Acknowledged. Items found. Anything else? ||”
”Yes… In my room, upstairs, there is a valise under the bed. Add that to the lot.”
”|| Acknowledged. The fee after deduction will be 80 000 Talys. Do you approve? ||
”Yes.”
”|| Approval Sent. Money Withdrawn. Your request is expected to be fulfilled within 48 hours. The items will be delivered directly to your location. Have a good day, Sir Blade. ||”
”Pff, look at that. Even an AI is respecting you now,” Kaelith said when the tablet turned off. ”And how about you finally admit what is giving you a discount? The fact that you teleported yesterday means that you are at least Gold Honor. Spit it out. Which one is it?”
”Truly?” Kara was also interested. ”If you have a Badge of Honor, you're already a noble.”
Rakna shrugged and pulled the badge out of his storage to show them. When they saw the emerald color, they gasped.
”Emerald?! Who gave that to you?!”
”Some old guy. He was nice.”
”'He was nice' he says…” Kaelith was having a crisis. She looked around. ”I need a drink. Now,” she uttered and walked to the bottle she had put down earlier.
”Hey! If you have one, then me too!” Kara quickly followed and her daughter was too far gone to refuse. She even poured the shot for her. ”Cheers!”
Rakna watched dumbfounded as they clinked their glasses with him still in the room.
”Do you want some?” Kara asked melodiously whilst brandishing her glass.
”I'm fine... I can't get drunk. I don't find any appeal in it.”
”Oh? Are you scared?” Kaelith taunted. ”This isn't low-quality booze like you see on Earth. This is meant to take down high-level Hosts. You can't escape the effects with magic or regeneration.”
Rakna returned the grin. ”You're challenging me?”
”If you have the guts.”
He breathed in and stood up with a stretch. ”In that case, how about raising the stakes?”