Return of the Youngest Son with SSS-Rank Talent
Chapter 42: Congratulations, young master!

Chapter 42: Congratulations, young master!

Kael looked at Sophie for a brief moment; after eight seconds of silence, he said:

"After I get ready."

"I understand, young master." Sophie bowed respectfully and left the room.

After the maid left, Eren entered, accompanied by Lydia, to prepare the bath. However, before beginning her tasks, Lydia greeted her with a bow:

"Good morning, young master." Her voice sounded respectful and monotonous, lacking any warmth.

She had already given up on any conversation with Kael that wasn’t strictly formal. She had tried, but never received approval, as the responses she got were always cold.

Kael, with a smile on his lips, replied, "Good morning, Lydia. When I’m free, I’ll discuss something with you."

Although his lips formed a smile, his eyes remained as indifferent and dark as an ancient pond.

"...I understand, young master," Lydia replied out of pure instinct. Surprise overwhelmed her. Did Kael want to talk to her?

What could the young master want to talk to me about? She wondered, heading to the bathroom to prepare the bathtub.

Kael followed Lydia with his gaze. The smile faded. He fixed his eyes on the window, watching as the snow continued to fall and cover everything in white.

...

After enlisting, Kael headed straight for where his mother had summoned them.

He didn’t dwell too much on what Alessia might want. He would find out soon enough. After all, if there was anyone he could afford to be less rigid with, even if only for a few moments, it was her.

Walking down the hallways, Kael crossed the main hall, where there was intense activity, and continued until he reached a room located in the southern part of the mansion.

He took the doorknob and opened it slowly, producing a slight click. As he pushed it open, the sound of the hinges reached his ears.

The door swung open completely, and...

"Congratulations! You’re the first to complete the dungeon," exclaimed Alessia, smiling proudly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Congratulations, young master!" shouted someone in the crowd, their voice full of admiration.

Another added, amazed: "It’s incredible that you were the first to achieve it! Congratulations!"

In the decorated room, a finely carved wooden panel displayed the inscription: "Congratulations, seventh young master, on completing the dungeon." The servants approached Kael, congratulating him with smiles. Among them were Eren and Lydia, applauding.

Kael watched the scene calmly. His expression hadn’t changed in the slightest; he remained indifferent. However, his eyes softened slightly when he saw his mother’s smile.

He entered the room, whose red and black tones dominated the space, and sat down in one of the chairs facing the table laden with appetizers and a two-tiered cake made with blueberries and purple strawberries.

"That’s extraordinary, young master! Clearing an entire dungeon in a single day...! Truly amazing."

"Lady Alessia must be proud. Having a son as talented as you is a blessing."

"With your S-rank talent, young master, this dungeon will be nothing more than a walk in the park for you. We have complete confidence in your ability!"

"My sincere congratulations! Not even the clan chief himself, in his younger years, achieved a feat like yours."

The servants approached Kael, praising him with broad smiles. They had all decided to follow Alessia after Kael obtained an S-rank talent at the awakening ceremony.

Empty words.

Kael didn’t need to look at them to know that every congratulation was a disguised lie. Those who were now smiling were the same ones who would have ignored him if his talent hadn’t been reborn. If he had remained the D-rank bastard, the room would have been empty.

But he didn’t hate them. Why should he?

The world was made up of masks. True faces only exist on corpses.

Pretend. Fake it. Submit.

That was what it meant to be human.

But Kael no longer walked that rotten tightrope.

In this life, he would save no one.

He would carry no one. He would leave nothing behind. He did not aspire to be remembered, or admired, or forgiven.

He desired only one thing: to follow his will. Until the end.

Stripped of guilt. Oblivious to morality. Naked before the world.

That was his path. Not that of a hero. Not that of a monster. But that of someone who no longer clung to anything.

An existence that did not fear death: that of a truly free man.

At that moment, Alessia approached with a smile and a plate of rice and chicken, Kael’s favorite food before his regression.

"Congratulations, son! You’ve completed the dungeon. Here’s your reward: a feast prepared with the best chicken our clan has to offer. It has peas, carrots, spices... all seasoned with the finest condiments..."

Alessia listed the ingredients as she brought the spoon to Kael’s mouth, a sincere smile of pride and happiness on her face.

Kael accepted each spoonful. His eyes narrowed, remembering his mother’s death.

In his past life, she had committed suicide after suffering a series of sexual abuses at the hands of her older brothers, especially Jasper, and some elders of the clan. It would all happen in two years.

But thanks to Kael’s actions, that future would no longer happen.

He savored the taste of the chicken and rice as he chewed and let his thoughts wander while listening to his mother’s happy words.

...

Snow fell gently on Kiran Mountain.

The sunlight, which provided no warmth, illuminated the place with its golden rays, creating twisted shadows on the white blanket covering the ground.

The branches of the trees moved with the wind, and the birds took flight.

Southeast of the mountain, in the middle of a large forest, the sound of insects and animals filled the air.

Lyra emerged from the dungeon, followed by her group of five, covered in blood and holding the dungeon’s core: an origin Stone.

"With this, we’ll be first again, right?" commented Aella, one of the group members.

"As always, with young Lady Lyra, first place is assured," said John, wiping the blood from his face.

Lyra looked at the members of her group and said, "We’ll rest and eat. Before nightfall, we’ll return to the city."

"Yes, miss!" Everyone nodded, and they began to move to light a fire and prepare the meal.

Lyra, her sword resting at her waist, gazed toward the mansion. Her thoughts were a mystery as the wind swayed her blood-red hair.