Chapter 3: Conversation
_Knock! Knock! Knock!_
A series of knocks echoed from Lucien's door.
The sound echoed throughout the room, prompting an almost instinctive opening of his dry eyes. Lucien silently wondered, _Who is it that is coming into the room at this time?_
He had been lying in bed for a long time, thinking. He made numerous plans and strategies for the future path he desired, which kept him awake. His body felt groggy and weak, a sensation he had long forgotten - but some parts of him relished the strange yet familiar feeling.
_Knock! Knock! Knock!
The knocking continued, prompting Lucien to sit up and gesture with a phrase:
"Come in."
With a slow push, the door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with dark hair and black eyes standing at the entrance: He had a well-trimmed beard and was dressed in a white linen robe, black trousers, and a fur coat to keep warm in Parin City and protect himself from the chilling winds of Black Tower Mountain.
Lucien immediately recognized him as Wilson Erebus, his uncle, who was his father's younger brother. The man was a trustworthy individual, who handled a position that was rare in the city of parin: he handled the patriarch position when Lucien's father was gone.
Lucien immediately pushed away his blanket and stood up neatly. He bowed and greeted his senior, "Good morning, uncle," in a genuine tone.
"I apologize for waking you up, but don't you think it's wrong to call it morning when the moon is barely setting?" Wilson jested with a smile.
Wilson was a man who lived to correct the mistakes of others and truthfully he had a clean ear to hear such errors.
Wilson approached Lucien's bed, sat down with a muffled thud, before gesturing for Lucien to follow suit.
As Lucien sat back on the moderately decorated bed, Wilson clasped his hands and said calmly, "The Black Emperor was truly the pioneer of his time and the architect of its innovation.." he paused for a moment before asking:
"Don't you think so too?"
Lucien remained quiet, as if deep in thought. He then parted his lips and said, in a way that made him appear older than he was,
"Perhaps, but I believe it is incorrect to attribute all of that period's innovations to the Black Emperor. Humans are intelligent, and whether the emperor interfered or not, everything that happened was bound and unavoidable.
"How about the revelation of mysticism?" Wilson asked quickly.
Lucien smirked at the question, "Perhaps that is the only accomplishment the emperor can truly claim came from him."
According to recorded history, shortly after the War of the Four Emperors, Caesar issued a decree that revealed to the world the mystical nature of existence as well as the path by which humans could acquire truly divine powers. However, he was assassinated in 1145, shortly after issuing his decree, effectively ending the war.
Wilson laughed at Lucien's reply. He then parted his hands and inquired with concern, "Are you okay? You understand that the peace you know and love will be destroyed tomorrow. You will have to enter the world of the recipients. A place where the most heinous types of death are commonplace. A place where you will encounter unspeakable horrors and witness events that will drive you insane."
_It appears that several things went wrong after my death. Are these horrors a result?_ Lucien frowned as he deliberated.
Wilson sighed in defeat when he saw Lucien's sudden frown.
"Do you not want to go?" I am capable of achieving that. If you do not want to become a recipient, you are not required to join the orthodox organizations. Just say whatever you want; I am confident your father will accept it.
Lucien shook his head, "Maybe being a recipient is not the best option. But I was born influenced by heaven, and whether or not I choose to become a recipient, I will inevitably be drawn to recipient-related matters--and without the necessary powers, I will die a more gruesome death."
Wilson, realizing his nephew had no intention of backing out, inhaled the cold air, causing his nose to freeze and become itchy.
He rubbed his nose and inquired, "Why are you acting as if destiny is predetermined? It varies depending on our actions."
Lucien's lips curved as he said, "In the eyes of the ones we call gods, such things do take a more planned-out turn, so..." Lucien paused, realizing that his experience as a creator was influencing his words, and if he wanted to survive in this family, his Strangeness must never be revealed to these people.
Wilson was taken aback by Lucien's abrupt pause: "Why did you stop? You say such interesting things," he said, puzzled.
Lucien did not respond to his question, instead saying, "Everything will happen as it should."
Wilson slowly rose from the bed, realizing his nephew's unwillingness to speak, and said, "Well, I came to speak with you about tomorrow, but seeing as you know, I doubt you need it..." He then took gentle steps toward the door.
As he reached for the doorknob, he paused and turned to Lucien, who was sitting on the bed, a smile curling up on his face as he whispered, "Hmm, not tomorrow, but today.."
Lucien stared at the door for a while before muttering softly and sighing, "Huh, isn't this exhausting? To think being human again would be so exhausting."
With nothing else to do, Lucien lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, needing to rest before what was to come.
....
The sound of chirping birds startled Lucien awake and served as an alarm. He stood up, pushed aside his thin blanket, and approached the window.
The outside was a light blue, with various trees frozen to their roots, reflecting Parin City's natural weather. However, a sweet fragrance entered his nostrils, clearing his mind and driving sleep away.
Perfumers created the scent, which was intended to spread sweet fragrance throughout the mountain. Private perfumers were common in Parin City, and most nobility preferred to hire them to create elegant perfumes for their estates.
Looking around, the silent night cathedral became clearer, with guards stationed at the entrance. Tall castles rose in every direction, their architecture and design inspired by the Black Emperor Caesar, who was known for his love of the exquisite and elegant.
Soon, a young, melodious voice echoed from behind Lucien's door,
"Young master Erebus, are you awake?" The voice paused briefly before adding,
"If that is the case, I will wait while you bathe."
In Parin, servants were not permitted to see their young masters until they had bathed, and they were not allowed to address them by their first names until they had married.
Lucien smirked at the absurdity of such a rule. "Wouldn't that be incredibly awkward in some situations? Assume Damon and I were eating together when a servant entered and said, 'Young master Erebus, you are needed.' Now, who would respond?" he wondered to himself.
Lucien then turned to face another door on the left side of the room, adjacent to his drawers:This was the door leading into his bathroom.
"They have less architecture for such a powerful family; I expected such a room to be extravagant and lofty, but it reminds me of a dorm apartment back on Earth," he reflected.
…..
When he was done bathing, dripping wet and wrapped in a towel, the door opened and the young maid entered Lucien's room. She smiled broadly at Lucien, with her features slightly above average. She was dressed in a dark fur robe with long sleeves and trousers.
She wiped Lucien's body with the towel he was wearing, her smile remaining constant. She was clearly a well-trained girl who approached her work with professionalism. In no less than a triad minute, Lucien found himself dressed in a white linen shirt, black trousers, and a long lion fur coat.
Lucien felt the coat weighing on him, but it was necessary in the cold mountain of Parin City, so he suppressed his thoughts and gestured by raising his hands.
The young maiden recognized the sign and stepped away from the young master. Even though he was now a normal human, the feeling of his body being rubbed by another was oddly irritating.
_Maybe the issue of my death is still weighing on me._he speculated.
"You can leave now," Lucien said to the young girl who obeyed quickly and exited the room.
However , before she left, she returned the smile, perplexed by the unusual friendliness displayed by the otherwise cold young master. Was something wrong with him? Is he alright? Could this be attributed to the ceremony's pressure? Her mind raced with such thoughts as she exited the room and closed the door behind her.
Lucein sighed.
After some time, there was a soft knock at the door. Lucien answered the knock, and as the door opened, his younger brother appeared in the doorway, his head noticeably higher than usual. Lucien's behavior the day before seemed to have had a significant psychological impact.
"Are you ready, Brother?" Damon inquired with Lucien.
Lucien stroked his fur coat before spreading his arms. He looked at his younger brother and murmured, "Yes."
Damon's face gleamed as he adjusted his black vest.
Lucien immediately noticed his clothing and inquired, "Are you not going to wear something thicker?"
Damon lowered his eyes and examined his clothes before smiling at Lucien. "It's okay. I have a coat downstairs, and all I will be doing is watching. So it's okay."
Lucien paused briefly before uttering a soft "okay." His desire to continue the conversation gradually faded.
Damon responded with a nod.
In his previous life, he was a being who did not need to strike up a conversation with anyone, and most people died if they came into his presence. However, he had grown tired of the tedious conversation. This caused him to reflect inwardly with a phrase he enjoyed while on Earth.
_Whatever goes around must come around, such is the wheel of the world._
...
The two brothers soon exited the house, which looked more like a castle.
On their way, they ran into a lot of the Erebus Family's servants.Some greeted them, some pretended not to notice them, and some were completely terrified of them- or to be specific, all these reactions were attributed to Lucien.
Surprisingly, they were not escorted or even provided with transportation. Perhaps it was because the silent night cathedral was so close to Erebus Castle, or it could have been for entirely different reasons.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone