SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 474: Caelvyrn [III]

"He is someone quite out of the ordinary," Caelvyrn remarked. "That has always been his nature. He preferred to stick to his own code and spent most of his time in isolation."

Rhosyn frowned, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Isolated?" Her expression was tinged with bewilderment. "That is highly unusual. It is rare for one of our kind to choose such a solitary existence."

Caelvyrn offered her a sidelong glance. "And yet, here you are, sitting all by yourself."

Rhosyn made a sharp sound with her tongue. "That is an entirely different situation."

"Is it, really?"

"Yes," she replied, the tone of her voice sharpening. "What befell me was a misfortune. It changes nothing about our fundamental nature. Our people are meant to exist together... usually."

Caelvyrn refrained from pressing the point, though the intent in his gaze suggested he could have easily dismantled her argument.

Trafalgar intervened before the topic could stray any further. "Let's stay on track. What do you mean when you describe him as unusual?"

Caelvyrn lounged back against his seat, his hand resting idly near the glass. "You shall understand soon enough once you encounter him." He lingered on Trafalgar for a brief moment. "At any rate, if you are looking for a first impression, he is actually quite reasonable to deal with—better than most, truth be told. But his preference for solitude has always been absolute. That is exactly why this development caught me off guard."

Trafalgar remained quiet, awaiting further explanation.

"Men like him do not rely on others to facilitate meetings," Caelvyrn continued. "He guards his privacy. To hear that someone sought you out on his behalf feels wrong. It is, at the very least, quite strange."

Trafalgar’s eyes narrowed slightly at this. "There is another detail," he added. "The young woman who approached me claimed to be his disciple."

Caelvyrn’s eyes sharpened. This revelation had clearly piqued his interest. "A disciple, you say?"

"That is right. She contacted me directly, citing his name."

Rhosyn looked between the two, confused. "Why does that strike you as odd?"

Caelvyrn paused for a heartbeat to collect his thoughts. "Because it is completely uncharacteristic for someone like him to take on a disciple. He was never the sort to suffer company for any length of time, let alone impart his knowledge to another." His fingers tapped rhythmically against the tabletop. "That fact alone suggests that the world around him has evolved more than I anticipated, or that something significant has shifted within him."

Rhosyn kept her silence, listening intently.

Caelvyrn turned his focus back to Trafalgar. "Continue. What else did she disclose?"

"Nothing that alters the core of the matter," Trafalgar stated. "The Crucial point is that she sought me out and that he requests an audience."

Caelvyrn gave a short nod. "That is sufficient information." He reclaimed his glass but did not partake immediately. "The reason that girl’s existence surprises me is simple. He was always a stubborn old bastard." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "More importantly, he was the most gifted combatant I have ever encountered."

Rhosyn’s expression wavered. "The most gifted? Most Primordials possess incredible inherent talent from birth. Individuals like Trafalgar already serve as proof of that."

"I am well aware," Caelvyrn replied. "But he was in a league of his own."

Rhosyn remained quiet.

Caelvyrn set his glass down. "His abilities transcended mere raw talent or bloodline purity. He possessed a natural intuition for the art of war. Combat, the chaos of the battlefield, the act of killing, and the necessity of survival—he could decipher the currents of a skirmish before others even realized it had commenced. It was as innate to him as drawing breath. He was a creature crafted for slaughter."

Trafalgar listened, choosing not to interrupt.

"That is why I assumed he died ages ago," Caelvyrn continued. "A man who lives to chase conflict, always dwelling wherever blood is bound to flow, is inevitably destined to meet his end. As time dragged on, I accepted his death as a certainty. Then, during the war, I sensed his energy once more." He narrowed his eyes. "What unsettled me wasn’t just his survival, but his decision to materialize in the middle of a conflict involving the Eight Great Families." He tapped the table once. "Something on that field captured his interest. It could have been you, Trafalgar. Or…" he glanced toward Rhosyn, "perhaps it was her."

"Then it must have been me," Rhosyn retorted instantly. "Detecting Trafalgar should have been a complete impossibility."

Caelvyrn made a vague, noncommittal sound.

Trafalgar noted the reaction but let the matter slide for the moment.

"Regardless, the situation is clear enough," Caelvyrn said, leaning back. "He observed something of interest. He dispatched an envoy. And now, we are the ones adjusting our path to reach him." His violet gaze fixed on Trafalgar. "Is there anything else you require of me before we proceed?"

Trafalgar shook his head. "No. That covers it for now." He rested an arm over his chair, meeting Caelvyrn’s eyes unwaveringly. "I only wanted to inform you before the encounter so that we might operate with the same knowledge."

Caelvyrn kept silent.

"Hearing your perspective certainly helps," Trafalgar noted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "At the very least, it alleviates the worry that we are stumbling into a situation that is blindly hostile."

Rhosyn looked at him, then back at Caelvyrn. For an instant, the dragon appeared almost amused.

"That may be true," the dragon admitted. "Or it may prove to be irrelevant."

"What are you implying?"

"I mean that even if he is a threat, we may be entirely powerless to change the outcome."

Trafalgar leaned forward. "Are you suggesting he might attempt to slay us?"

Caelvyrn gave a negligent shrug. "I am suggesting that we remain ignorant of his true intentions. Until we know them, we must prepare for any possibility." His eyes focused intensely on Trafalgar. "And in your current state, yes. He could likely snap you in two with little effort."

Rhosyn’s face hardened, but Trafalgar did not blink, holding the dragon's gaze.

Caelvyrn took a measured sip from his glass before adding, "That said, you are developing well. And rapidly. You are far more formidable than when we first crossed paths."

Trafalgar accepted the praise without outward reaction, though the gravity of the statement was clear. Caelvyrn signaled the end of the conversation by retrieving a small slip of paper, which he set upon the table. A hotel name was scribbled on the surface.

"I am staying there for the duration," he informed them.

Trafalgar briefly acknowledged the note with a nod. "Understood. When the time arrives, I will arrange for your transport."

"That will suffice." Caelvyrn rose with effortless elegance. For a fleeting moment, it appeared he would depart without another word.

Instead, he turned toward Rhosyn and gave her a slight, playful wink.

Her expression shifted instantly. A faint smirk played on Caelvyrn’s lips before he made his exit.

The door clicked shut behind him.

Rhosyn glared at the entrance for several seconds before speaking in a cold, monotone voice. "Am I permitted to slay him?"

"I would prefer you did not."

She made a soft sound of frustration. Trafalgar settled back, his eyes flitting to the paper on the table before returning to her.

"What is your take on all of this?"