Legacy of the Dark Sage

Kyran raised his brows after Haylee finished speaking. Then he chuckled while shaking his head and said, "Let's get something straight, princess."

He looked her straight in the eyes and smiled mischievously.

"I don't have to prove myself," he said, "In the first place, I am not the one trying to get the Royal Family to get my services."

If Vera or Rhys were still here, with the latter regaining consciousness, they would have berated Kyran for his disrespectful tone.

But since Malek and Noir were the only ones with them, even when they thought Kyran was being disrespectful, they remained silent. Not because they tolerated his attitude, but because they also thought his argument was valid.

They also knew Kyran would not recklessly act this way, if there was no reason. There was a good chance he was even trying to ruffle the Crown Princess's feathers because she had never once shown a different expression apart from the one she had right now; A gentle smile that masked her real thoughts.

At the moment though, Malek and Noir were able to see the amusement reflected in her sapphire blue eyes. This meant she was not offended by Kyran's attitude. On the contrary, she appeared to be amused and her interest in him was becoming more evident.

"You are absolutely right," Haylee agreed with a smile. "But having solid proof of your capability will definitely increase your worth, which will also leave too little room for my father to lower the offer we can give."

Kyran did not reply this time. He only looked at Haylee with the same arrogant air he had shown earlier.

After a few seconds of silence, Malek finally intervened by clearing his throat.

"I believed both parties have reached a temporary agreement," he said while looking at Haylee and then at Kyran.

When his gaze landed on Kyran, the latter also turned to meet his gaze. A subtle understanding passed between them as Kyran nodded his head and finally turned and went to stand beside Noir.

Haylee nodded in response. Then she said, "Now the only thing I'd like us to discuss is how long you can make the magic items?"

As soon as she asked this question, Noir and Malek exchanged looks. They were aware of the number of magic items Kyran promised to give out.

The report first came to Malek while Kyran was busy working on the tower's defensive array. To be honest, when he found out the number as well as Kyran's promise to make it without the other parties providing any materials, he nearly went ballistic.

They were talking about hundreds of thousands of resources. He had valid reasons to be mad. To Malek, this was one of his reverse scales!

If not for the mysterious air Kyran exuded when he appeared that day, as well as the domineering attitude he apparently showed as Disciple Tyr in front of the so-called successors of the Three Noble Families, which was included in the report, Malek would have really gone mad. He might even issue a duel against Kyran even if it meant getting on the Lord of the Tower's bad side.

Malek also understood that Kyran never wanted to be indebted to the Conclave. The latter might have tried to conceal it, but it was obvious to Malek.

Because of this, Malek managed to reign in his growing anger and decided to interrogate Kyran first.

Then he witnessed how Kyran completed the tower's defensive array when they clearly were missing so many materials, and then the array just now. Malek was now convinced that Kyran had done what he did with a plan.

Knowing this, instead of answering for Kyran, the two men looked at him and waited for him to provide the answer.

Sensing the two older men's gazes on him, Kyran sighed inwardly and scratched his ears. He pretended to look uneasy as he said, "Aw~ geez, Master, Head Master, you're both giving me a lot of pressure when you looked at me like that."

Malek and Noir could not help but look at him with blank expressions.

They still needed time to get used to Kyran 'acting' as Tyr. As a matter of fact, they needed time to understand Tyr's character as portrayed by Kyran. Because apparently, the idea Stella initially had did not fit with Kyran's ideals.

Not that the public record on Tyr said anything about his 'character.'

Kyran looked at Haylee and lifted one finger, "This long maybe?"

Haylee raised her delicate brows as she tilted her head to one side, "A year?"

A year to create all those magic items was actually reasonable.

According to her intel, the number of people present in the Blacksmith Order when Kyran announced his so-called 'compensation gifts,' numbered at least seventy. For an Array Specialist to produce seventy pieces of magic items in one year was already an almost impossible feat.

However, Haylee did not have a year. The task the Royal Family had set out to do must be completed as soon as possible.

Just when Haylee was thinking of a way to say this, Kyran chuckled interrupting her train of thought.

"I didn't expect you to look down on me that much, princess."

Kyran's words instantly made all three inside looked at him in surprise.

"I want to arrogantly say, I can complete all of it in one week but I'm not as good as my master."

Noir's brow twitched slightly at Kyran's brazen words. He could not make so many magic items even if there were materials available alright! It was not a magic item where he only had to follow one design after all. If it was then he might be able to achieve it.

Wait. Kyran was not intending to make one type of magic item, was he?

"One month," Kyran continued as he lowered his hand and gave Haylee a wide enigmatic smile.

"I need a month to complete the magic items I promised. However, I am not doing it to provide proof for you, princess. If you can't wait for a month, then I don't care. If you can, then be my guess. You are free to get their statements. Whether what they tell you convinces you of my worth or not, I don't care either," he added with a shrug.

Haylee's sapphire blue eyes glowed once more. Apparently, Kyran's one month was more than enough for her.

"Alright," she agreed at once.

Afterwhich, Kyran stretched his arms and yawned as he turned to Malek and Noir.

"I guess my presence here is done. I am beat, Master, Head Master, is it okay to excuse myself?" He asked as he slouched his body showing how beat he was.

Malek did his best not to let his annoyance show and simply look at Noir.

Noir, on the other hand, could not help but clear his throat. He still had to pretend to be Kyran's master so he said, "Remember that Sigma is not done with your punishment. You might have diverted his attention by telling him about the improvements you did to your puppet, but that doesn't mean you're impulsiveness at the Blacksmith Order will go unpunished."

"Eh?" Kyran whined as his body slouched further. "But I am not going to charge the order with the materials I needed! I am doing it at my own expense and hard work!"

"That doesn't mean you can act recklessly. Especially when you took care of the grandson of the Lumley Family— err— I mean taught a lesson, did you even stop to think for a moment how it will impact the order? Since that happened, we have received four summon requests from the Lumley Family East Branch, asking for an explanation."

"They are only scornful by the fact they will not get any free magic items and discounts," Kyran complained.

"That is not an excuse. Why did you even exclude the grandson in the first place."

"Because he's an annoying prick."

Watching the banter between the two, Haylee could not help but giggle.

Hearing the Crown Princess's soft laugh, the three stopped and looked at her.

It was also because of this that Noir belatedly realized how smoothly he had followed along with Kyran's act, it almost frightened him. Just now, it felt as if he was really talking to a real Disciple Tyr and not Kyran!

"Apologies for having you witness such an unsightly banter between me and my disciple, your Highness," Noir said slightly lowering his head.

Haylee shook her head. "No need for that. I actually found your relationship a little envious. I don't have a master to call my own."

Then she looked at Kyran and smiled. Her sapphire blue eyes turned gentle.

"Besides, I find Disciple Tyr interesting. As the Crown Princess, I am surrounded by people who always lowered their heads or avoided looking at me directly.

"You may think he is acting disrespectful, but to me, I like how he doesn't show me any preferential treatment just because of my identity."

Kyran looked at her with brows furrowed, then his next words nearly made Malek and Noir cough out blood.

"Please don't fall for me, princess. I'd hate to have the emperor's wrath upon me."

Before Malek or Noir could even berate Kyran, Haylee suddenly burst out in laughter.

"Your Highness?" Malek and Noir said but stopped when Haylee lifted her hand at them, telling them it was alright.

"True, quite true," she said agreeing to what Kyran had just said. "We really can't have my father coming after such a talented Array Specialist. Who knows, in the near future, you will also become an Array Master like your master, Chairman Noir."

Then she stood up and gave Kyran one last look. Before saying, "However, there is no saying you won't fall for me instead, Disciple Tyr."

With that, she turned and made her way out the door.

"Head Master Malek, please guide me to the infirmary to check on my people."

Malek lowered his head and without saying anything in response, he followed Haylee out the door.

As soon as the doors to the training room closed, Noir breathed out a sigh of relief as he looked at Kyran.

"You... did you really have to say that?" He asked.

Kyran's expression turned serious as he looked at Noir, "If I don't, then it will be unlike Tyr."

"'Unlike Tyr..'" Noir repeated incredulously. "You..."

Tyr was not even real.

In the end, Noir could only sigh in response.

As for the Crown Princess's response, it appeared Kyran was not one bit affected. It was as if he was immune to responses like that.

"For the magic items. I meant what I said, Master Noir." Kyran continued as he took off his mask.

Noir nodded, "I understand. As for the one month. Are you planning to ask the Lord of the Tower's help?"

Kyran shook his head and answered, "No. I really can finish it in one month."

He looked at Noir with a slight smile and said, "Sorry, Master Noir. But I have to go somewhere. Please tell the rest I'll be back tomorrow."

Seeing the seriousness in Kyran's expression, Noir did not ask any questions and only nodded.

"Alright."

"Thank you."

Kyran's eyes turned dark purple and in an instant, he vanished into thin air.

When Kyran reappeared, he was standing in a dimly lit room, and he was facing a small window.

Outside the window, the sky was still dark. However, there were signs of the sun rising soon.

From the scene outside, it was easy to confirm that he was no longer in Starhorn.

Kyran lowered his gaze to his left and looked at a person, sleeping soundly on the bed.

From the dim light that came from a small floral-shaped lamp on the bedside table, the person's features were barely visible.

The person on the bed was none other than, Cyneah. And the location that Kyran had warped to was the 'cottage' deep in the forest outside the city of Noser.

'Not her...' Kyran thought, as his expression turned gentle.

He did not want to admit it, but he was very shaken after meeting the Crown Princess. That was why he wanted so bad to check on Cyneah to ease his nerves.

Now that he did, his heart became more at ease.

To be honest, back when he was in the Tower of Tribulations when he experienced a life and death crisis, he always thought of all the people he cared about.

Cyneah had been one of them.

The moment he decided to take her under his wing, and even before his godmother took her as her apprentice, he already saw her as one of his own.

At first, he thought, it was because she reminded him of Kyra. But given the age difference, Kyran realized it was not because of that.

Most likely, it was because he sympathized with her. Their situation might be different, but both of them were thrown into the outside world with only themselves to rely on.

But then Kyran met Nolan, then the Conclave.

However, Cyneah was all alone. If he had not found her in the cave, she would have died without even getting a chance to really 'feel alive.'

Kyran took a deep breath and sat on the floor just near the side of the bed. From his position, he could still see Cyneah's peaceful face and he could not help but smile.

But his smile was short-lived as he recalled what transpired back at the Tower of Conclave.

He worried about his clan. Especially on how the small clues he got from the Crown Princess pointed out that the reason the Royal Family needed talented Array Specialists had something to do with his clan.

Most likely, they already knew how complex the Regis Estate's array was and wanted to gather talented Array Specialists to deal with it.

The one month he gave the Crown Princess was actually a deadline he set for himself to find out the truth.

He did not tell Noir, but he could actually complete all the magic items in just a few days. He just did not want to shock the older man senseless that was why he refrain from talking about the details of how he could accomplish it.

Anyway, he needed that one month because he would need to meet Byron and start his plan.