Reborn as a Useless Noble with my SSS-Class Innate Talent
Chapter 233 - 233: Ch 233: The Surrender- Part 1

At the divine palace of Goddess Seraphina, panic swept through the radiant halls like wildfire.

The celestial air, once serene and filled with quiet hymns, now trembled with anxiety as attendants whispered in dread.

The cause of their fear was simple and unthinkable—Seraphina had used divine power to curse a mortal.

One brave attendant stepped forward, her voice shaking.

"Your Grace… there was no need for someone as divine and exalted as you to lower yourself to curse a mortal. Such actions—"CRASH"—could invite retaliation from the other gods. They will see this as a breach of the sacred law.""

Another added.

Seraphina's eyes glowed with growing fury, the golden light of her form flickering with unstable divinity. She stood slowly from her throne, her aura suffocating.

With a cold wave of her hand, the attendants were reduced to nothing but glowing ash, their prayers silenced in an instant.

Only the head attendant remained, watching the devastation without flinching. She stepped forward, lowered her head respectfully, and said.

"I will find new souls to replace them, my goddess. It is of no concern."

Seraphina's anger did not waver, but she waved the woman off.

"Do what you will. Their whining irritated me."

The head attendant bowed again and left the chamber, her footsteps echoing alone in the now-empty hall.

Left in solitude, Seraphina slumped back into her throne and let out a low, bitter sigh.

"Nothing ever goes the way it's supposed to," she muttered. Her voice, once melodic and commanding, now carried a trace of weariness.

She looked down at her own hand, the radiant skin flickering with cracks of light. Pain coiled through her arm, and a wince passed over her face.

Divine magic, when misused, punished even the gods.

"I broke a law. Of course it hurts."

She admitted aloud, clenching her fist.

Still, her expression hardened.

"But I had to. That creature… that boy… Kyle. He's not just another mortal. He's a threat to everything. To balance. To the divine order. To me."

Her eyes narrowed.

"I won't allow another one like him to exist. Not now. Not ever."

As the pain pulsed again, she gritted her teeth and whispered.

"It was for the greater good."

______

Melissa finally drifted into sleep after the long, exhausting day. Her breaths were slow, but her body twitched slightly as the curse branded on her wrist pulsed with malevolent heat.

It reacted to the opposing force that wrapped around it—Kyle's mana seal. For a tense moment, the two magics clashed.

Then, the curse retreated, suppressed under Kyle's power. Melissa's features relaxed, her fingers unclenching as calm finally settled over her.

Bruce, seated nearby, had seen the whole exchange. He let out a quiet sigh, watching her sleeping face.

"She's not used to this. She's always pushing herself too hard, but it's clear she can't handle this alone. That curse… she shouldn't have to bear it."

He murmured, turning toward Kyle.

Kyle stood beside him, silent for a beat. Then, he answered with steady resolve.

"She won't have to. I'll find a way to cure her. This happened under my watch. It's my responsibility."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Bruce gave a quiet nod, seemingly reassured.

Kyle turned to leave, intent on reviewing his notes in the temporary office they'd set up in the village.

But just as he stepped into the corridor, a voice stopped him.

"You're kind, Kyle. Taking responsibility for Melissa is admirable. She's lucky to have you looking after her.e"

Said the Grand Duchess Amanda, stepping from the shadows with arms folded.

Kyle gave a respectful nod.

"I can't ignore it, Your Grace. She was cursed while following my orders."

Amanda tilted her head.

"I know. And I agree she deserves care." Her gaze sharpened. "But don't lose yourself in that guilt. You're engaged. Don't forget that. Helping Melissa is one thing—getting too involved is another."

Kyle held her gaze, unreadable.

"I understand."

"Good. She's loyal. I admire that. But so are many others. You can't save everyone by carrying their pain yourself, Kyle."

Amanda walked past him, her tone softer but firm.

Kyle didn't respond, merely turning his eyes toward the room Melissa slept in. The seal on her wrist shimmered faintly under the moonlight.

He would protect her. But he would also have to tread carefully—between duty and emotion.

Kyle entered his office with a quiet sigh, rubbing the tension from his temples as he closed the door behind him.

The day had been long, and the weight of recent events pressed heavily on his shoulders.

The faint scent of ink and parchment filled the air, grounding him in the familiar rhythm of planning and preparation. He had barely sat down when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

He said, his voice calm but wary.

Sasha stepped in briskly, her expression unreadable—but she wasn't alone.

Behind her stood a group of worn and frightened individuals: the surrendered priests and soldiers from Okla.

Their robes were torn, and they looked like they hadn't slept in days. None of them dared meet Kyle's eyes.

"They surrendered. So I brought them here. You need to go easy on them."

Sasha said flatly.

Kyle's gaze swept over the group. His expression didn't soften.

"Surrender doesn't absolve responsibility. They aided an invasion."

He said coldly.

The priests fidgeted, and a few of them took a step back instinctively. One of them, an older man with sunken cheeks, finally gathered enough courage to speak.

"The Grand Priest… he abandoned us. He told us to wait for him and then disappeared. We—we don't know where he went."

The man said, his voice trembling.

Kyle's expression darkened slightly, but he didn't seem surprised.

"Of course he did."

He leaned back in his chair and glanced at Sasha.

"Use them however you wish. Labor, fieldwork, cleansing the ruins. I don't have time to deal with them."

Sasha's lips curled in a pleased smile.

"As you command. I'll make sure they're put to good use."

Kyle nodded once, already shifting his attention back to the documents on his desk.

Before leaving, Sasha paused at the door and looked back at him with a small frown.

"Don't overwork yourself, Kyle. There's still a long road ahead."

She said, her tone laced with unusual concern.

Kyle didn't look up, but he raised a hand slightly in acknowledgment.

Sasha left with the prisoners in tow. The door shut behind them, and silence returned to the room—except for the soft scratch of a pen as Kyle resumed his work.

Left alone again, Kyle leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment.

His thoughts wandered to Melissa—still sleeping under the effects of the curse—and the weight of his promise to protect her.

The seal he had placed on her would hold for now, but it was only a temporary solution. He needed answers.

And more than that, he needed power—enough to crush any divine interference from the God or its chosen puppets.

He opened a drawer and pulled out several old scrolls marked with forbidden runes.

These were records he had collected over the years—knowledge that was shunned or erased by official doctrine, pieces of forgotten truths that even the gods feared mortals would rediscover.

His fingers hovered over one of the seals, and he hesitated only a moment before breaking it open.

The room dimmed slightly as the scroll unfurled, revealing ancient script that pulsed with residual mana. Kyle's eyes narrowed.

If the God wanted war, then he would bring it retribution.

Outside his window, the wind shifted. A faint, divine pressure trembled in the distance—faint, but watching.

Kyle didn't flinch. Let it watch.

He would show it what real monsters were made of.

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