SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 475: After Caelvyrn’s Visit

Rhosyn exhaled slowly through her nostrils, the lingering irritation left by Caelvyrn finally beginning to fade from her features.

"The truth?" she murmured after a brief silence. "His name doesn’t ring a bell." Her gaze dropped, turning thoughtful rather than vexed. "He never provided a name, so I cannot identify him. Our bloodline fractured long ago, and consequences like this are inevitable." She paused, glancing back at Trafalgar. "Still... I can only hope that encountering him will yield something of substance regarding the Primordials."

Trafalgar gave an understated nod. "I share that hope."

However, his eyes flickered momentarily toward the document Caelvyrn had left upon the table.

"What continues to unsettle me," he admitted, his voice dropping, "is the way he characterized him. A grandmaster of war. Someone capable of snapping me like a dry twig. That is hardly an adversary I can approach with casual indifference."

Rhosyn leaned back in her seat. "You will not be walking into this alone."

Trafalgar looked at her expectantly.

"There will be three of us," she stated firmly. "You, me, and that lecherous dragon."

A faint twitch touched the corner of his mouth. "True. Though there will be two of them as well: the man and his disciple."

Rhosyn’s expression shifted slightly at the mention. "The disciple did not seem inherently wicked, based on your previous accounts."

"Correct," Trafalgar agreed. "She gave me no such impression."

For a fleeting second, the image of Vivi crossed his mind—the bizarre manner of her approach, the initial falsehoods, her subsequent terror, and the pieces that still refused to form a coherent whole.

"There is something I withheld from Caelvyrn," he murmured.

Rhosyn’s gaze sharpened. "What is it?"

Trafalgar draped an arm over the back of his chair. "She claimed to have sought me out because she uncovered information regarding the Void Creatures."

Rhosyn went perfectly still.

"Concerning the Void Creatures?"

"Indeed." Trafalgar’s gaze remained unwavering. "I cannot determine if that was an absolute truth or merely a ruse to gain my proximity. Either remains a possibility. Yet, if her goals align with ours, there is potential value to be found."

Rhosyn pondered this in silence before giving a single, decisive nod.

"Beyond a doubt," she replied, her voice dropping into a focused, low register. "If she can assist in locating the others, that in itself holds value. And as for the Void Creatures..." She frowned. "Those entities descend like a tempest. One never knows when they will strike or where the chaos will spread. It is far better to be prepared before the storm arrives."

Trafalgar remained silent for a moment before nodding.

"Agreed. Prevention is superior to reaction."

Rhosyn remained quiet for a short while, then tilted her head.

"By the way... how did the Council proceed?"

Trafalgar released a soft breath. "Other than an encounter with that girl?" He settled further into his chair. "Predictable. Too many sycophants vying for my attention. Too many meaningless exchanges."

Rhosyn showed no surprise.

"The true significance lay in the session itself," he continued. "They resolved to establish a neutral force. Its mandate is to safeguard cities and territories that currently fall outside the direct jurisdiction of any Great Families."

This captured her full attention immediately. "A neutral force?"

"Quite so." Trafalgar’s eyes drifted, as if replaying the sights of the Council chamber. "It shall answer to the Council of Sages, with the Ten Elders maintaining oversight. A vote was held." He paused. "It carried."

Rhosyn blinked. "That is... remarkably unexpected." Her brow furrowed. "It sounds almost as if the Great Families are prepared to relinquish a measure of their power."

Trafalgar shook his head instantly. "They are not."

She turned her gaze toward him.

"They shall remain barred from direct interference," he explained. "At least publicly. But do not mistake that for benevolence." His tone grew colder. "Men like Valttair never pledge support for such initiatives unless they have already calculated five steps ahead."

Rhosyn’s eyes narrowed. "So you suspect he has an ulterior motive?"

"I would be far more shocked if he did not."

The conclusion came too naturally to be dismissed as mere doubt. Trafalgar understood Valttair too well by this stage. A resolution of such magnitude—intersecting with neutral territories, Rift anomalies, Void Creatures, and the shifting geopolitical landscape—meant House Morgain would never permit its existence without securing their own hidden advantage.

Nonetheless, after a brief pause, he added, "Regardless, the force itself represents a positive development for the world."

Rhosyn offered a small nod. "Without question." She tapped her fingers rhythmically against the chair arm before stilling them. "And should a calamity arise in the future—something that transcends a mere skirmish—a structure like this could serve to unite the families."

Trafalgar’s features remained largely impassive, but his eyes betrayed his skepticism.

"I would not be so certain of that."

Rhosyn scrutinized him. "Why?"

"Because there was active opposition." His eyes grew icy. "The mere fact that some contested it speaks volumes." He hesitated, then added, "When the moment of crisis arrives, existing divisions do not evaporate simply because the world necessitates it."

"Very well," she said, rising. "Then I shall see you after the wedding."

Trafalgar gave a singular nod. "Indeed."

A beat of silence passed before he added, "Please excuse the lack of an invitation."

The remark appeared to catch her off guard. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because the ceremony will scarcely be noteworthy." He glanced toward the table, then moved his focus back to her. "It was decided to keep the affair intimate. It is less of a celebration and more of a formal agreement to solidify the alliance."

Rhosyn studied him. That sounded entirely fitting for an arrangement between families of their status.

However, Trafalgar continued.

"Yet, Aubrelle mentioned something to me."

Rhosyn’s expression softened ever so slightly. "Oh?"

"She suggested that we might arrange a separate event later. Somewhere private. A modest gathering with people we actually hold in regard."

That caught her by surprise.

"Truly?"

"Indeed." Trafalgar’s tone was steady. "Should that come to fruition, you are welcome to attend."

For the first time in an age, Rhosyn looked genuinely flustered—a sensation unrelated to bloodlines, ancient menaces, or mortal danger.

"Oh," she breathed. "I understand."

Trafalgar noted her reaction but chose not to dwell on it. "No one there will be aware of your status. You will simply be a friend of mine, and of Mayla’s."

Rhosyn maintained her silence.

"You will finally be able to let your guard down," he added. "If only for a while."

A flicker of genuine relief crossed her face.

"That... sounds infinitely better than I anticipated."

Trafalgar gave an approving nod and stood up. "Good."

He gestured toward the door.

"Shall we?"

Rhosyn stood and smoothed her attire with a graceful flick of her wrist. "Yes, let us go."

They exited the chamber together. Their dialogue had reached its conclusion. Caelvyrn had vanished into the shadows. The wedding stood as the immediate focus. And following that, lurking in the unknown future, lay the meeting neither of them could afford to dismiss.