Just as things were beginning to calm down, Kael appeared.
"Uhm… hey there," Reiji said awkwardly.
Kael didn't respond. He just stood there, silent, watching.
"Hello?" Sel said, stepping forward and narrowing her eyes, invading his space.
After a long pause, Kael finally spoke. "What was that?"
"Huh? What was what?" Reiji asked, visibly confused.
"What you did at the guild," Kael replied, eyes narrowing. "You triggered something. I don't know what, but I felt it."
'I can't tell him about my skill… I don't even fully understand it myself,' Reiji thought. 'And Kael is the last person I want figuring it out.'
"I don't know what you're talking about," Reiji said with a forced grin.
Kael's expression twisted. "Don't lie to me, runt. I know what i felt."
"He said he doesn't know what you're talking about. Now buzz off," Sel snapped, stepping between them.
Kael turned his gaze to her. "Ohh… I see. It was you, wasn't it?" His voice dropped as he leaned in.
"So what if it was?" Sel replied coldly. I can't let him trace anything back to Reiji. If he figures out the ability, he might find its weakness.
Kael smirked. "Thought so."
"Wait—what?" Reiji blinked. "If you already knew it was her, why bother asking me about it?"
Kael didn't even glance at him. "Doesn't matter. What matters is that someone moved fast enough to hit me… without me even seeing it." His smirk curled into something darker. "That's rare."
"Well now you know," Sel said flatly. "So get lost."
Kael's eyes flared with anger.
"Keep talking," he growled. "I will figure out what you did. And when I do, I'll find a way to break you. Count on it, missy."
He stepped closer, his face inches from hers.
But Sel didn't flinch. "Really? I'll be waiting. But next time? Don't expect to walk away just coughing up blood."
Kael stared for a beat longer, then turned and walked off without another word.
Sel turned to Reiji. "You need to get stronger."
"Huh? Where did that come from?" Reiji asked.
"You can't keep relying on your skill. It's not just power—it has drawbacks. Big ones," Sel said as they continued walking. "Eventually, someone's going to figure it out. You need to be ready before that happens.
"Downsides? Really? What are they?" Reiji asked as he glanced at Sel while they walked.
Sel remained quiet for a moment, calm and thoughtful. Then she spoke.
"What you possess… it's not a skill, per se. It's an ability."
"Huh? Aren't skills and abilities basically the same thing?" Reiji asked, brow raised.
"Kind of. But not entirely," Sel replied. "In this world, skills can be learned, trained, leveled up. Abilities, however—what they call blessings—are different. They aren't taught. They aren't improved. You're either born with them… or a god grants them to you."
"Oh… okay, I think I get it," Reiji said, rubbing his chin. "But wait, if they can't be upgraded, then what's the point of training?"
Sel slowed her pace slightly. "Your ability was granted directly by me. And when we grant chara—when people like me—grant abilities to the people of this world, we usually set a limiter. Something to control how much of it they can use."
Wait… Reiji narrowed his eyes. Was she about to say "characters"?
"But," Sel continued, "I was in a hurry when I gave you yours. I didn't have time to fine-tune it… so I just picked something useful from the list and gave it to you."
Reiji's eyes widened. "You didn't? Then… shouldn't that be a good thing?"
Sel stopped beside a vendor and handed over some coins. "It's because there's no limit that you have to train."
"That doesn't make sense," Reiji muttered. "Why would I need to train more if there's no limiter?"
Sel took the meat skewers and kept walking, biting into one before answering.
"Because when someone overuses an ability—when they draw more power than their body can handle—something called an overload happens."
"Overload?" Reiji echoed, eyes lowering in concern.
"The body starts to break down," Sel said between bites. "Veins rupture. Bones fracture. Organs fail. It's gruesome. That's why ability users are rare—and why they're only chosen carefully, in small numbers."
Reiji felt a chill crawl down his spine. "That's… brutal." He looked at her, now nearly finished with her food. "So I have to get stronger to keep my body from collapsing when I use my ability?"
Sel tossed the empty skewer into a bin. "Exactly. And not just for that. You need strength for them, too. Don't forget why we're here."
Reiji nodded slowly, crossing his arms as he stared ahead—just in time to spot someone familiar walking toward them.
"Wait… isn't that Ren?"
"Yep. That's him," Sel said, her gaze following Ren's direction.
"Hey, Ren! Whats up? How have you been?" Reiji said out as they closed the distance.
"Reiji. Sel. The king has summoned you," Ren said, his tone even.
Reiji blinked. "Wait… seriously? The king wants to see us? Did we do something wrong?"
"I doubt it," Sel replied, calm as ever. "We haven't done anything that would warrant suspicion."
"Exactly," Ren nodded. "It's just a formal summons. Nothing to worry about."
Reiji exhaled. "Alright. Let's get this over with."
Sel turned, already walking. "Come on. Don't keep royalty waiting."
They made their way toward the looming castle of Grimholde—a fortress of black stone and jagged spires that scraped the clouds. The iron gates, massive and engraved with ancient runes.
"Damn… this place is huge," Reiji muttered, craning his neck to see the top.
"Close your mouth. You look like a tourist," Sel said without turning.
Reiji chuckled awkwardly. "Right…"
The gates groaned as they swung open. Inside the courtyard, flags bearing the royal crest fluttered on high walls. The trio moved in silence—Ren leading, Reiji observing, and Sel scanning every shadow.
They reached the throne room doors, towering and carved with scenes of war and conquest. As they opened, a chilling silence filled the air.
The throne room was immense, lined with obsidian pillars and torches that burned blue. At the far end sat the king—his golden throne raised above all, cold and absolute.
Ren stepped forward and knelt. Sel and Reiji followed suit.
"Sire," Ren began. "These are the two adventurers who successfully cleared the—"
"Silence," the king cut in, his voice sharp as a blade. "I have eyes, do I not?"
Ren dipped his head lower. "Y-Yes, sire."
Sel narrowed her eyes slightly but kept her head down. Just as I thought…
Reiji tensed. So this is the king? What an ego. I get that he's royalty, but damn—he reeks of arrogance.
"Reiji. Sel. I've heard of your mission—what you accomplished on your very first outing as adventurers…" He leaned forward, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smirk. "I must say, I'm impressed."
Sel bowed low, her voice composed but sincere. "Thank you, Your Majesty. We are honored to receive such praise from you."
The king's smirk widened. "Why don't you come work for the kingdom? It would be an honor, wouldn't it?" He paused. "After all, the so-called 'hero' is useless. The goddess gave us a fraud—nothing more than a waste of breath."
Reiji's jaw clenched.
What is this bastard talking about? Ren? Useless? Incompetent?
His fists tightened at his sides. How could someone like this be a king?
Ren said nothing. His head remained bowed in silence, unmoving.
Sel, catching Reiji's reaction, spoke with calm precision. "Your Majesty honors us too greatly. But we are nowhere near as capable as the hero. We could never take his place."
A heavy pause.
Then—
Laughter. Loud, booming, deliberate. The king roared with amusement.
Reiji looked up, confusion flickering beneath his fury. Why the hell is he laughing?
The king wiped a tear from his eye, still grinning. "You did well. That was a test." His voice turned warm. "The hero represents the strength of the kingdom. And he is as competent as they come."
Reiji blinked. "He was joking?" His anger deflated, replaced with wary calm.
Sel smiled softly beside him, as if she had known all along.
The king rose slowly from his throne, his presence filling the hall. "I am Leopold von Grimholde, King of the kingdom of Grimholde.