The Poet's System
Chapter 65: Underlined Motive

Chapter 65: Underlined Motive

Daylan held his stance, a grin on his face as he watched Rhea rise to her feet.

Rhea moved to clap her gloves together, but Daylan had no intention of letting that happen. He dashed in, hoping to stop her before she could activate her sound aspect.

But he didn’t realize—it was all a trap. The moment he got within reach, Rhea struck at his ribcage. The attack came too fast, catching him completely off guard.

Taking it head-on would’ve shattered his ribs, so he twisted mid-air and met the blow halfway, reducing its impact. Even so, it was enough to slam him into the ground.

"What?" Rhea said sarcastically with a laugh.

"You know what, let’s talk while we fight... I’m enjoying this."

Daylan spat on the floor, teeth clenched, as he pushed himself upright.

"Getting my ass handed to me isn’t exactly my idea of fun. Time to flip the script."

The moment he finished speaking, he dashed at Rhea, feinted a strike, then followed with a swift, powerful kick—but Rhea blocked it with ease.

The fight quickly grew more intense, with each of them gaining a fleeting edge over the other. The smiles on their faces and the thrill behind every strike made it clear—they were both enjoying every moment.

"By the way, the people you picked to take the fall played their parts perfectly. I made sure they choked on their own blood and died—Stanley won’t be able to investigate a thing," she muttered.

Daylan nearly lost his edge at her words, his eyes snapping wide in shock and disbelief—but the smirk on Rhea’s face said it all.

"My Luck ability is invisibility."

She vanished instantly. Daylan’s eyes darted from side to side, but before he could react, a powerful blow slammed into his gut, sending him crashing to the ground.

She appeared once again with her hands resting on her waist and wearing a smirk.

"I was in your room when you showed up. I toyed with your mind a little using my sound aspect—just enough to make your emotions hit harder."

Daylan smirked, finally realizing the source of his sudden outburst.

He started to rise to his feet, but Rhea remained seated on the floor, clearly finished with the fight. Without hesitation, Daylan also dropped to the floor.

"I’ve got to admit, you’re powerful. I never thought anyone could take over nearly half a city on their own."

Daylan wasn’t shaken by her words—but what troubled him was the thought: if she could turn invisible, how many times had she already snuck up on him?

"I’m looking forward to having a real fight with you someday. I’ll probably lose—considering you can literally become darkness when it counts—but it’ll be fun."

The sparkle in her eyes made it clear just how much she was looking forward to that day.

Daylan turned to her, a little bit confused.

"How did you know that?"

Rhea’s expression shifted.

"Oh, I didn’t just spike your emotions. I felt everything you felt, knew where you were, and even caught glimpses of what you saw. It wasn’t literal, but it was like the wind was speaking to me—and I understood. So yeah."

Darkness clouded Daylan’s mind as he recalled Rhea’s duel with Astara during the tournament. Something didn’t add up.

"How did you lose to Astara with all those abilities?"

Rhea’s expression grew serious.

"About that—you need to be careful. Not with Astara or Medora, but with the people around them." She locked eyes with Daylan.

"In truth, both of them have betrayed you... though not in the way you think. It’s something I suggest you consider—maybe even help them with."

Daylan took a deep breath. It was a relief to know none of them had truly betrayed him—but he still needed answers. What was he missing?

She continued, "During the tournament, I lost because they simply asked me to."

Raising her hands, she added, "Don’t get me wrong—Astara’s a formidable opponent. But I wouldn’t have gone down that easily. When the authorities speak, though... you listen."

She shrugged as if it was just the way things worked.

Before Daylan could say a word, she spoke up.

"By the way, you were never supposed to be in custody. I kept you there by my own decision. I needed to confirm my suspicions—and now I know. You are the Poet."

Daylan sighed. He knew Rhea wouldn’t reveal all this without some underlying motive. Her expression gave nothing away, but Daylan knew better than to assume that was all there was to it.

"I don’t think you are helping me for no reason, are you?"

Rhea turned to him with a soft smile, one that slowly darkened.

"You know," she said quietly, "I used to practice speeches for this moment."

Daylan raised a brow. "For meeting me?"

She gave a nervous laugh. "For if I ever got the chance... to be seen by you."

A brief silence filled the room, followed by her wearing an enthusiastic expression.

"You get it when everything in your grasp slowly starts slipping away, but you are too young or naive to understand, huh?"

Daylan remained silent.

"I’m sure you don’t remember, but when I was thirteen, I met you and Medora once. I was hiding behind the Goddess of Worth statue—by the bridge leading to the church. I was crying... my family had left the city and hadn’t come back for almost a month."

She shrugged, "I was pitiful back then."

She hugged her legs tightly.

"When you got there, you didn’t say a word. You just looked at me, handed me a 500 silver coin, ruffled my hair... and ran off with Medora."

Daylan listened patiently as she avoided his gaze.

"I wanted to thank you for your kindness, so I followed you. But I had no idea... you were running from a guard because you’d stolen the money you gave me from the church."

Daylan scratched the back of his head, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed.

"So I was like, ’Ooh, why not take out this guard as a little thank-you for you, so you could get away?’" She laughed softly.

"But the person I ended up fighting was none other than the former captain of the Honor Guard—Captain King Rodger. He’s a Divine Arch now. He was impressed by my skills, and before I knew it, I was part of the guard... and eventually, the captain."

Daylan was impressed to learn he had once helped her, even if unknowingly. But what puzzled him was how something he did six years ago had anything to do with her helping him now.

Daylan cleared his throat, but Rhea cut him off.

"I wanted to know who you were, but I had no leads—and as an ordinary guard, there wasn’t much I could do. So when I finally became captain, I was relieved. At last, I could be my hero’s guardian angel... even if we never got to meet."

She took a deep breath.

"That’s when I started learning about your family—about the Phantom and your mother."

Daylan stared at her, eyes full of both gratitude and confusion. Why would anyone want to be his guardian? He had more enemies than he cared to admit.

"Now I know all your comrades are being pulled away. I wish I could fully help you—fight by your side like I’ve always dreamed—but unfortunately, I can’t. Even so, I’ll do my best to give you the best information and be there whenever you really need me."

Daylan didn’t want to dismiss her offer—he didn’t have that luxury. And while he didn’t fully trust her, he was grateful she was at least willing to help.

Their conversation continued as Rhea began catching him up on some of the things she had done for him.

She had intentionally kept Medora in the guard for longer than usual, needing her to grow strong enough to protect Daylan—and she was glad it had worked.

Rhea wasn’t ready to leave without one more fight. She pulled Daylan to his feet, and without missing a beat, they launched into another duel—trading blows as they chatted.

She had been receiving scattered reports from both the chivalries and ordinary citizens—most of them accusing Daylan of various things. Some claimed he had manipulated the princess and needed to be stopped, while others swore they could see dark energy radiating from him.

She had dismissed all the claims—though she still investigated them out of caution. But everything changed when a message from the church appeared on her desk, marked with an official chivalry stamp. It instructed her to keep an eye on Daylan. That’s when she knew—he was in real trouble.

Out of nowhere, after exchanging blow after blow in a fierce duel, they both collapsed to the floor—sweat streaming from their bodies and soaking into the ground beneath them.

"To make things easier, I’d suggest you go for Medora first. Her mother’s a handful—caught up in some serious mess—and Medora can’t bring herself to say no to her.

As for Astara, I’d advise you to take your time. She may not have betrayed you, but she’s not under any influence I can detect. If she is, it’s likely coming from the higher-ups.

So deal with your mother before you even think about facing your king, Poet."

They both lay on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, letting the silence settle between them.

Before long, Rhea rose to her feet. Without another glance, she gave Daylan a casual wave across her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

Kill Mother before it’s too late, huh?—he smirked.

Why must I kill her though?

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