Rearing Demons
Chapter 81: Undercurrents

Chapter 81: Undercurrents

"Who won?" the King murmured, staring at the figure.

His eyes narrowed, and soon, he saw someone step through the dust.

"Sir Yur," Renri said in a shocked tone.

Walking out, Yur cracked his neck. "That was more difficult than I thought," he muttered to himself. "I still have a lot to learn."

Fortunately, he could now see where he lacked the most and could work on it.

His fine control and basic combat skills were lacking. He was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with when trying to kill, but anything short of that proved far more challenging.

"A bit more training is needed." He wasn’t discouraged. The more he recognized his weaknesses, the better.

"Julian?" the King called out, worry and shock in his voice.

"I’m fine, I’m fine." From behind Yur, Julian walked out—his appearance slightly disheveled but otherwise unharmed. "If I hadn’t protected myself with my essence, that could have been worse."

He shook his head, but excitement flickered in his eyes; even enjoyment.

"I noticed some issues in your fighting style," Julian suddenly commented. "Although you’re more powerful than me, it seems you’re still learning."

Yur was highly skilled, but only when he wasn’t holding back. Since he had restrained himself, Julian, a seasonedfighter, could see the gaps.

"That’s normal. I trained myself. No one to spar with," Yur shrugged, not denying the claim.

"Well, you and I should spar more, then," Julian offered. "That way, you can practice, and it would even help me."

Yur rubbed his chin, considering the offer. His memories provided theoretical knowledge, which greatly boosted him, but the practical aspect still needed work.

"Sure," Yur nodded.

"Great." Julian laughed and patted Yur’s shoulder. "You’re not bad."

Although he still felt a lingering sense of danger from Yur, he could tell that, throughout the fight, Yur hadn’t tried to kill him—not even once.

"I did beat you, so that’s a bit odd coming from you," Yur said, raising an eyebrow.

"I was holding back," Julian scoffed, trying to save his dignity.

"Same here," Yur countered. "I didn’t even use a weapon. If I had, your head might be rolling on the ground right now."

Julian exhaled sharply, ignoring Yur’s unfiltered bluntness.This young man doesn’t care who he speaks to or how.

Though slightly offended, he couldn’t refute Yur’s words.

"So?" As they talked, the King approached, his gaze flickering between Julian and Yur, still in disbelief.

"He passes," Julian shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You can bestow him the title."

"Great!" The King nodded, a smile creeping onto his face, but internally, he was elated.

With Yur accepting nobility in his kingdom, it meant another powerful warrior on their side against the Welit Kingdom.

"We can hold the bestowment ceremony tomorrow," the King said.

"No, I don’t want a ceremony," Yur rejected immediately. "I’d rather the title just be given and done with today."

The King raised an eyebrow but still nodded. "That’s fine, but we’ll need more nobles present to officialize it." Rubbing his chin, the King thought for a moment before offering a different solution. "Here, I’ll try to get it done today, but it will take a few hours. We need to go through territory allocation, title designation, and more. I’ll have people start on it now."

"Why don’t you get familiar with the people you’ll be guarding?" Julian suggested. "It’s better that way."

"True." The King turned around and waved at the two girls. "Both of you, come here."

Ley and Xia hurried over, both visibly tense in Yur’s presence.

Xia felt even more intimidated. After all, Julian was her father. She had always seen him as the strongest.

"You two will be under Yur’s protection from now on," the King declared before turning to his daughter, Princess Ley, with a stern gaze. "And you—do not make too much trouble. We are in wartime."

"Y-yes, Father," Ley nodded meekly, embarrassed at being scolded in front of a stranger.

The King nodded, then smiled at Yur. "Thank you again for this."

"It’s fine." Yur shrugged. He had his own reasons for accepting, so it benefited him regardless.

"Zhal, make sure you protect the Queen well," Yur added, his eyes shifting to Zhal, who had been standing silently at the side.

The young boy nodded quickly.

"Thank you as well, Zhal," the King smiled at the mute boy.

Unlike Yur, who radiated a dangerous aura, Zhal appeared much gentler and more innocent.

Zhal gave a small bow before silently walking toward the Queen, positioning himself like a bodyguard; a role Yur had secretly assigned him.

"Now then, I have much to prepare," the King said, "so I’ll let my children show you around. We shall meet in a few hours?"

"Sure," Yur nodded.

He glanced around and quickly spotted his two maids, who had been waiting by the door. Without saying a word, he headed toward them.

Xia and Ley exchanged looks, unsure whether they should follow.

"Go with him, Ley!" The King frowned.

"Y-yes." She nodded hastily and hurried after Yur.

"Xia, come here."

Julian, on the other hand, called his daughter over.

She frowned slightly but walked up to him. "Yes, Dad?"

He leaned in, his gaze earnest. "Stay near him, alright? He’s strong and will ensure you’re safe."

"I understand." She nodded.

"However," he continued, lowering his voice, "he’s still a stranger. Stay in areas where everyone can see you, alright?"

Although they had little choice but to trust Yur, they still knew nothing about him.

The war loomed.

Assassins had already tried to strike more than once.

"Yes." Xia nodded.

With a sigh, Julian kissed her forehead. "Go, then."

She turned and followed Ley, who was already chasing after Yur.

With the girls gone and most of the family dispersing, the King approached Julian, his expression serious.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Can we trust him?"

"No." Julian’s response was immediate. His expression was firm.

"I agree," the King admitted. "However, he’s our best chance to shift the tide of this war."

"That’s why I sent Xia to stay close to him," Julian said. "It shows on the surface that we trust him."

The King nodded—he was doing the same with Ley.

"What about his title?" he asked.

Julian stroked his chin in thought. "I don’t think he’ll stay long. Give him the highest title. He has the strength for it, and it could give us leverage."

"Duke?" The King raised an eyebrow. Julian was the only Duke in Freau.

"Yes," Julian affirmed. "Trustworthy or not, you were right about one thing, he will have a large impact on this war."

Julian’s gaze darkened as he stared at the sky.

"Welit is moving fast. I’ll need to head to the front. If we can keep Yur here, our family will be safe."

The King nodded, his own expression heavy with worry.

"I’m thinking of having Ley try to win his favor," the King admitted.

Julian smirked. "You have the same thought as me."

"Xia?" The King’s eyes widened. "Isn’t she your precious daughter?"

"What about Ley?" Julian teased.

"He’d be far better than the prince of Welit," the King scoffed. "If Ley can win him over, we’ll gain a powerful ally."

Julian let out a bitter chuckle. "Look at us," he muttered. "Using our daughters to sway a cultivator."

Although he smiled, the bitterness in his voice was evident.

But there was no choice.

For Xia, it was either death or marriage.

No in-between.

The King exhaled heavily. "We’ll let them figure it out themselves. I’d rather not force them into it."

Julian nodded. "Agreed. Though... I doubt it’ll be difficult."

The King grimaced. "He’s handsome and powerful," he admitted. "I’d be surprised if neither of them were swayed."

Julian nodded, his thoughts darkened by the uncertain future.

————————————————————————

Yur walked ahead with the two princesses behind him, and behind them were his maids. Zhal was already with the Queen, so he would not be joining him anymore.

Before leaving, Yur had already given him instructions—simply, protect the Queen from all harm.

I should try and practice the Ritual of Withering Chains and see how I can use it with my unique ability, Ritual Embedding.

Ever since unlocking his Ashkavaal bloodline, the ability Ritual Embedding had gone unused. He had no rituals compatible with it, at least, not until now.

The Ritual of Withering Chains was definitely something he could embed into another. Not only would it kill them from the inside, but it would also chain them at the same time. It could even be useful for attacking others in secret.

All he needed was to figure out how to use Ritual Embedding

While lost in thought, Ley and Xia, who walked behind him, felt an unusual pressure.

Before, when Julian was protecting them, they could act out and have fun.

But with Yur as their protector, someone potentiallystronger than Julian, they didn’t dare. He had bested Julian with ease and didn’t seem to put him in his eyes. What were they compared to that?

Say something. Ley eyed her cousin, wanting her to speak and break the tense silence.

A tense silence only they felt.

Fine. Xia glared at Ley but still decided to speak to break the suspense.

"So, Sir Yur..."

Yur turned his head and looked at the two calmly. "Yes?"

"I was thinking that since we’ll be spending more time together, it might be good to learn about each other." Xia gained confidence as she spoke, but deep down, she felt very intimidated by the man who had defeated her father.

"I disagree. I am simply protecting you, nothing more," he replied without skipping a beat. "Just don’t do things that invite trouble, and we will be fine."

"Umm..." Xia felt speechless. He had said only a few words and then immediately returned to his own thoughts.

She turned to Ley, her confusion evident. I tried. Now what?

I don’t know!

The two exchanged silent gestures, conversing with their eyes.

"Where are your rooms?" Yur suddenly asked, catching the two off guard.

"Well..." Xia found herself unable to speak, feeling a strange threatening pressure from his black eyes.

"I need to know so that I can keep an eye on that area," Yur clarified.

"We stay in the Royal Halls," Xia pulled herself together and replied.

"Alright, lead me there. I shall keep guard there from now on."

Yur didn’t require much sleep. His body did experience exhaustion, but ever since the Ritual of the Successor, his energy reserves seemed almost endless.

"What?" Xia looked at him in doubt.

"That is how I will protect you. I shall keep an eye on you both for most of the day."

Yur also had his own reasons for wanting access to the Royal Halls, and this was a perfect opportunity for him.

"Umm..." The two girls exchanged uneasy glances. Yur was not royalty, meaning he technically couldn’t enter the Royal Halls freely. Even if exceptions were made, being watched at all times meant no privacy.

"What’s the issue?" Yur asked, not understanding their reaction.

"Well, like..." Xia struggled to find the words.

"Master Yur." Suddenly, the two maids stepped forward. "As ladies, they require their own privacy, thus their awkwardness. If you would like, we can guard them at night while you do so during the day."

The one who spoke was Quin.

Yur shrugged and nodded. "Sure, that’s fine. But I want hourly updates at night."

"Of course." Quin gave a quick bow.

Xia and Ley exhaled in relief, inwardly thanking Quin for her quick thinking.

"Alright, you two are free to do whatever it is you want. I shall keep an eye on things," Yur stated.

"Umm... thanks?"

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