C3: The Cold Duke's Whisper

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Lacostte finally let go of my hands, causing my knees to buckle as I collapsed, gasping for air. But something felt wrong. I felt strangely light, as if I were floating. The moment I opened my eyes, the world spun violently.

Icy, sharp eyes. Short white hair. A muscular build, sculpted as if forged for battle. There was no mistaking it-this was 'the Cold Duke,' Lord Caine Eterno. He was using magic; it was one of his specialties. But unlike Elias, his power didn't extend further than necessary.

"I was going to throw you aside had I not been informed you were in a healing state," he said, his voice low. With that, he gently lowered me to the ground. I immediately stood up without hesitation, bowed my head, and spoke the words that felt heavy on my tongue.

"Forgive me, Lord Caine. I was wrong to be lazy and to have failed your expectations. I am still learning, and I do not yet fully understand my surroundings, but I am trying my best to serve the Pallas family, my Lord. I beg for your forgiveness."

I placed my right hand over my chest, right near my heart-a gesture of utmost respect, love, and honesty.

"Now I am convinced that you have truly changed," he murmured. His fingers trailed along my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. "The Kael who served me before was quiet, fragile, and powerless. Yet here you are, bowing before me, speaking with such strength and begging for forgiveness... I will make you remember everything tonight."

His last words faded into a whisper-a dangerous, low sound that sent shivers racing down my spine.

He ordered me to stand, and I obeyed instantly, following him toward the carriage. It seemed Lacostte wouldn't be joining us; she simply handed me a thick binder along with a sealed letter. There was nothing I could do but wave goodbye. I didn't realize then that the simple gesture made her blush.

Shaking off my confusion, I opened the binder and began flipping through the pages. It detailed my duties, responsibilities, and a strict schedule. According to the papers:

[WORK TIME SCHEDULE]

Total Working Hours: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM (16 hours total)

Allocation: 16 hours ÷ 5 people \= 3 hours and 12 minutes per person.

KAEL'S SHIFT SCHEDULE

- CROWN PRINCE ZEPHYRION: 6:00 AM - 9:12 AM

- DUKE CAINE: 9:12 AM - 12:24 PM

- MARQUESS REN: 12:24 PM - 3:36 PM

- COUNT LUCIAN: 3:36 PM - 6:48 PM

- PRINCE ELIAS: 6:48 PM - 10:00 PM

THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW

'Oh, so this is how it works,' Kael whispered silently to himself. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his demeanor carefree and vastly different from the previous owner of the body. While they shared the same fragile appearance, this soul possessed immense hope and spiritual power-something that made the Duke want to claim him entirely.

"I will let you off the hook this time, Kael, seeing as you have truly forgotten your duties to this family. But do not forget what I said about tonight."

The Duke's voice carried absolute authority, heavy and commanding. It was enough to make Kael feel numb, his toes curling as his legs began to tremble in fear.

The Duke watched him closely from across the room. To others, the scene might have seemed tense, but in Caine's eyes, he saw nothing but a trembling little puppy that he wanted to protect and caress for the rest of his life.

"U-understood, Lord Caine. I will follow your orders obediently," Kael stammered. The nervousness never left him; he knew he had already made enough mistakes today.

"Obediently..." The word rolled off the Duke's tongue like sweet symphony, music to his ears. Little did Kael know, those words would change his life forever.

"By the way, what is our destination today?" Kael asked, flipping the pages quickly, eager to avoid causing any more trouble.

Even though the Duke knew exactly where they were going, he enjoyed testing Kael's limits.

"Today... we are heading to Nullbane Bastion!" Kael exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He was genuinely excited to finally see 'the fortress that repels the void'-a place where real battles begin.

The structure was imposing, though parts of it were in disrepair. That was their task for the day. It took him only fifteen minutes to assess everything. He was smart, usually preferring to blend in, but today... there was no reason to hide his true capabilities.

KAEL'S POINT OF VIEW

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness and Master Kael, we have arrived at our destination."

We stepped down from the carriage, and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. Good grief, this height! Lord Caine towered over me, and I had to crane my neck just to meet his gaze.

This body is freaking useless!

"Lord Caine, dar-ven problem: saen-shield mana loraen, vael Saen-Witch aelta tor dar."

A soldier in armor bowed respectfully as he spoke. Surprisingly, I understood every word. My brain and this body seemed to cooperate perfectly when it came to their language.

It translated to: "Lord Caine, we have a problem: the light-shield mana is low, but the Great Witch is too old to handle this work."

From what I knew, the soldiers here weren't educated in the common tongue; they focused solely on their native language and duties. Aionios prioritized strength over academics. If I had known I'd reincarnate here, I would have chosen to be a warrior instead of dealing with all this, I thought bitterly.

"Grat dar ven saen-dar, Teo. Naog gar vel." (Thanks for the information, Teo. Let's go inside first.)

While the others were busy discussing, my mind raced. I pulled out my notebook and began scribbling designs for a machine. I was the Game Maker, after all. It was time to make this world better.

( author note: THIS IS A LONG DISCUSSION INSIDE'S KAEL'S BOOK PLANNER SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I PRECISELY DESCRIBE THE PLAN HE IS MAKING)

STAZ-RIN: FULL STRUCTURE SPEC

Nulltung Name: Staz-Rin Gar \= "Stand-Prince Hold"

OVERALL LAYOUT

- Dimensions: 12m x 8m x 6m tall.

- Location: Built into the Bas-Noct wall of Nullbane Bastion.

- Shape: Octagonal tower, 3 levels. Constructed from Stone and Black Iron.

- Defense: Runes carved on every seam to prevent Vaed corrosion.

- Power Flow: Downward. Saen energy descends, Vaed residue vents upward.

LEVEL 3: SAEN-BAS CORE (Top Floor - The Heart)

- Purpose: Houses and protects the mana crystal. Restricted access for the Saen-Witch only.

Component Specification Function

Saen-Bas Cradle 2m diameter iron ring with 8 rune pillars, suspended by chains. Holds the mana crystal 1m off the ground. No contact \= No Vaed rot.

Dar-Rune Circle Floor inlay with 16 Aionian runes. Used for monthly attunement. Locks mana frequency stability.

Vael-Seal Hatch 0.5m thick lead door, airtight. Seals the room after activation. Only opens if the core cracks.

Saen-Vent Crystal-lined chimney to sky. Vents excess energy as light. Black smoke \= Vaed contamination.

Info: 1 Saen-Bas \= 40kg crystal. Lasts 30 saen-tor cycles before needing replacement.

LEVEL 2: DAR-GAR REFINERY (Middle Floor - The Mind)

- Purpose: Converts raw mana into stable Staz energy. Fully automated.

Component Specification Function

Vael-Tor Coils 4x copper-iron coils, 3m tall. Pulls raw mana down. Maintains stable flow at 1.2 staz/s.

Dar-Gar Chamber 4m x 4m room with slate & silver walls. Raw mana is "cleansed" by the runes. Sounds like chanting when active.

Null-Filter Bone-steel mesh soaked in salt. Catches Vaed particles. Must be burned every 3 days.

Staz-Pipe 0.3m crystal-lined pipe. Transports refined energy downwards. Glows white when active.

Output: Full shield charge \= 20 mins. Weapon enchantment \= 8 mins.

LEVEL 1: STAZ-NAOG ANVIL (Ground Floor - The Hand)

- Purpose: Imbuing items with energy. Main work area for soldiers.

Component Specification Function

Staz-Naog Plate 3m x 2m Meteor-iron slab. Items placed here are infused with energy via runes.

Bas-Ven Stacks 2x large vents on back wall. Burns off corruption. Black smoke \= Item was tainted.

Tor-Stand Rails Iron clamps. Locks items down. Breaks automatically if overloaded to prevent explosion.

Staz-Gauge Crystal rod with 10 marks. Shows power level. 10 \= Max durability (lasts 1 year).

Kael-Lever Floor switch, guarded. Kael rank only. Controls the main flow. Safety measure.

Capacity: 3 Shields OR 8 Swords per cycle. Requires 4hr rest afterwards.

SAFETY SYSTEMS

Vaed-Breach: Runes invert and machine shuts down. Requires Saen-Witch to reset.

Overcharge: Rails snap and item is ejected automatically.

Core Failure: Saen-Vent emits a high-pitch scream. Evacuate immediately.

OPERATING CREW

- Kael-Staz: 1 Warden (Operator).

- Tor-Dar: 2 Guards (Load items, maintenance).

- Saen-Witch: Only required for emergencies or core replacement.

I raised my magic pen, satisfied with my work, only to realize I wasn't alone. Duke Caine was staring at me, and everyone else had gathered around, watching me write as if I were the center of the world. The Duke's expression was unreadable, but his eyes were locked onto mine.

"U-uhm... I just have a suggestion to give, D-Duke Caine," I stuttered, handing him my notebook. He took it and read through every detail, his face impassive.

I felt so small, fidgeting with my fingers, terrified of his reaction.

"Hmm. It seems you are indeed a clever man. You deserve praise."

He looked me directly in the eye and clapped. Suddenly, everyone else joined in, applause echoing around me. But my triumph was short-lived as a woman stepped beside the Duke, looking at me with clear disdain visible only to me.

"Begging your pardon, my Duke, but we do not have the funds to spare for such an extravagant project," she said, her voice sharp.

I knew exactly what she thought of me-just a lowly servant who didn't know his place.

"Sorry to interrupt, my Lady and Lord Caine," I spoke up confidently. "But according to the Treasury records, there is more than enough balance for this. May I see the book for a moment, my Lord?"

The Duke handed it over without hesitation.

"As it states here, the Kingdom of Aionios is the wealthiest realm in the world. This project is merely a piece of cake in terms of budget. Does anyone object? I am ready to answer any questions." I lifted my chin, showing them I wasn't the same person anymore.

"Well done, Kael. You truly make me proud," the Duke praised. He stepped closer, so near that I could feel his warm breath fanning my face. He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear.

"You really are a good boy," he whispered, patting my head gently. "And I expect you to be a very good boy tonight as well."

He turned away and returned to his duties, leaving me frozen and blank-minded.

'I am definitely not going to survive this...'

My ears were burning red. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, I wandered off to explore the fortress until the Duke called for our return to the castle.

The ride back was deafeningly silent, save for the rumble of the carriage wheels. As soon as we arrived, I rushed out, eager to move on to my third assignment.

Next Stop: REN ETERNO - THE ROGUE MARQUESS

to be continued........

total words: 2148

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