The Sword Saint looked at him carefully.
"You seem unusually confident about this young man."
Albert nodded.
"Because everything Lady Zoey said is true."
His eyes grew serious.
"In fact, she left out some details."
The Sword Saint immediately became interested.
"Oh?"
Albert continued.
"That young man was able to conceal his true strength from me."
Those words alone caused the Sword Saint’s eyes to narrow.
Albert was not an ordinary Awakened.
He was standing at the threshold of becoming a Pioneer.
His class specialized in stealth, detection, and assassination.
In terms of sensing abilities, very few people in the world could rival him.
Yet Kael had hidden his presence from him.
That alone was unbelievable.
"And that’s not all."
Albert’s expression became increasingly solemn.
"When the Sand Worm appeared, I remained inside Lady Zoey’s shadow while they escaped."
"I witnessed the first clash."
The Sword Saint immediately sat straighter.
Albert’s next words caused even him to feel shocked.
"They were evenly matched."
Silence.
A long silence.
A newly awakened individual.
Matching a Sand Worm approaching Level Fifty.
Even the Sword Saint found that difficult to believe.
Yet Albert had no reason to lie.
More importantly, Albert wasn’t finished.
"Talent isn’t the only thing."
Albert’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"He possesses excellent character."
"He fought a level forty-five opponent to defend his friend."
"He stayed behind to face the Sand Worm so others could escape."
"He didn’t hesitate when dealing with the plunderers."
"His willpower is exceptional."
Albert finished speaking as the room descended into silence. The Sword Saint’s brows furrowed as he stared off, thinking.
Most people underestimate how difficult it is to face monsters. Even when levels are equal, monsters possess superior strength, durability, and killing instincts.
Their aura alone can crush weaker minds.
Yet Kael had stood before a Sand Worm without retreating. That alone was an impressive feat.
The sword saint fell into a deep thought.
Everything Albert listed are qualities he valued greatly.
Talent. Resolve. Character. Willpower.
Talent isn’t the only thing that makes a great warrior.
The ability to protect others.
The ability to kill when necessary.
All of it was essential.
All of them were qualities he searched for when evaluating potential disciples.
Slowly, the Sword Saint leaned back.
His eyes drifted toward the doorway Zoey had exited through moments ago.
For the first time in years, genuine anticipation appeared within him.
Perhaps...
Just perhaps...
The young man Zoey spoke so highly of might truly be the disciple he had spent decades searching for.
The Sword Saint found himself genuinely eager to meet this young man in question.
---
Meanwhile, Kael scratched the side of his nose as he pushed open the front door.
A frown appeared on his face.
Ever since dealing with those two thugs in the alley earlier, his nose had been itching nonstop. He thought about it for a while and came to a conclusion.
Someone was definitely talking about him.
He shook his head helplessly.
The price of being awesome was truly heavy. When people weren’t admiring you, they were probably gossiping about you.
His thoughts quickly drifted away as he stepped inside the house.
Warm light spilled from deeper within the building, immediately telling him that Lyra had already returned home. A second later, another sensation assaulted him.
The smell.
A rich aroma drifted through the air, carrying hints of butter, garlic, roasted meat, and enough spices to make his mouth water.
His stomach responded instantly.
A loud growl echoed through the hallway.
"Kael? Is that you?"
Lyra’s voice came from the kitchen.
"Yeah, it’s me."
Following the scent like a starving hunter tracking prey, Kael headed toward the kitchen. The moment he stepped inside, he couldn’t help pausing for a second.
The kitchen table was covered with food.
Several side dishes had already been arranged neatly while a large steak rested at the center of the table. Its surface glistened beneath the kitchen lights, coated with melted butter and garlic. Beside it sat bowls filled with freshly diced fruit alongside what looked like an expensive dessert purchased from one of the better stores in town.
Kael felt his throat move.
This wasn’t dinner.
This was a feast.
Just then Lyra glanced over her shoulder and noticed him standing there.
"Oh, welcome home," she said. "Take a seat. I’m almost done."
Kael pulled out a chair and sat down, though his eyes never left the food.
"What happened?" he asked after a moment. "Did I forget some special occasion?"
Lyra rolled her eyes.
"Do we need a special occasion to eat something good?"
She turned back toward the stove and continued stirring whatever was inside the pan.
"I still had some money left after buying equipment with what you sent me, so I decided to make something nice for us. Do you have a problem with that?"
Kael simply shrugged.
Seeing that, Lyra snorted softly.
"Well, if you absolutely need a reason, let’s just say we’re celebrating our successful awakening."
A chuckle escaped Kael’s mouth.
"Fair enough."
He leaned back in his chair and looked at her.
"Not only is my sister the cutest, she’s also the most considerate. Seriously, how lucky am I?"
The words had barely left his mouth before a chill suddenly ran down his spine.
His instincts screamed.
Slowly, he looked up.
Lyra had turned around.
She was staring directly at him.
The kitchen knife in her hand reflected the light overhead.
For some reason, Kael found that extremely threatening.
He immediately cleared his throat.
"Okay. No teasing."
Lyra rolled her eyes.
"Took you long enough."
Only after she turned back toward the stove did Kael finally relax.
A few minutes later dinner was ready.
The two siblings took their seats and immediately dug in.
For a while neither spoke.
There simply wasn’t any room for conversation.
The steak was perfectly cooked. The vegetables were seasoned just right, and even the fruit somehow tasted sweeter than usual.
At some point Kael became convinced Lyra had secretly invested points into the cooking stat, if that was even a thing.
Nothing else could explain this.