SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant Chapter 533: An Important Meeting [IV]

Trafalgar drew his hood back over his head again.

Darian stood from his chair and declared, "Come. I’ll take you there."

Trafalgar rose, and Caelum trailed behind him quietly, unwavering like a shadow.

Darian arrived at the door ahead of the others. He cracked it open just a bit and scanned the hallway cautiously before exiting. With a quick peek in both directions, he offered Trafalgar a faint nod.

The three departed the office as one.

They ventured deeper under the castle, navigating concealed passages and buried inner halls hidden beneath the grand upper levels. This area of House Thal’zar lacked the grandeur of noble splendor. It appeared ancient, hushed, designed for lasting strength over showy elegance. Their footfalls echoed across the stone and dissolved into the tunnels before them. No servants lingered nearby, no maids bustled with trays, no guards stood visible. Darian picked this path exactly because so few ever ventured here.

After some time, Trafalgar broke the quiet.

"Does my family know about this place? Or the Sylvanel? Or did you decide to keep it to yourself?" His tone remained hushed, yet it carried clearly to Darian amid the silence. "If it holds something dangerous enough, the right answer may be telling the whole world."

Darian replied without halting his stride. "Neither house knows." He eased his pace at the next corner and continued, "I wanted you to see it first. That is our understanding. I would rather avoid moving in a way that displeases you." He hesitated briefly, selecting his following words with precision. "If we discover something that can threaten the world, I’ll leave that decision in your hands after you’ve seen it."

Trafalgar held his response for the moment.

They came upon a staircase plunging even deeper, where the atmosphere shifted noticeably. The stonework in this stretch escaped the war unscathed, or nearly so with no scars in view. That tracked logically. This path sat remote from the spots where Valttair and the cunning void creature had ravaged the castle.

As they descended, Trafalgar’s fingers grazed the wall softly.

’This section survived almost perfectly.’

He angled his head toward Caelum slightly, pitching his voice low to avoid echoing ahead.

"Caelum. If we find something important down here, what do you think we should do with it?"

Caelum responded instantly, his voice steady as always. "That depends on what it is, Young Master. If it can be hidden safely, I would recommend doing exactly that. If it is grave enough to put the world at risk on a larger scale, your father should be informed."

Trafalgar shot him a look. "Even while he’s training?"

"Yes. He may be away, but he is not unreachable. And if what we find is serious enough, a Council becomes unavoidable regardless of where he is."

Trafalgar nodded faintly. "Right."

A few more steps echoed in silence.

His mind wandered beyond just the secret chamber. Some thoughts clung to the previous exchange, to his words spoken before Darian, and to Caelum’s unflinching loyalty despite hearing every bit.

Thus, Trafalgar voiced the question plainly.

"What did you think of what I said before, Caelum? About family."

Caelum paused shortly before replying.

"You already know what my family’s role has always been inside House Morgain. We ensure that the house continues to prosper. That is what we have done for generations." His voice stayed even, showing no defensiveness or haste. "If those are the thoughts of the future head of House Morgain, then so be it."

Trafalgar heard him out without a word.

Caelum went on, "I cannot say it is pleasant to hear. It is not. But given how you were treated, I would call it a natural conclusion." He lingered just long enough for the next statement to hit home. "If one day you choose to kill them, I will help you."

A subtle hint of mirth escaped Trafalgar in a breath.

"Hm. You’re colder than I expected. I thought you’d sound more disappointed."

Caelum kept perfect pace. "It does pain me to hear it. I won’t pretend otherwise. But pain has nothing to do with where my loyalty stands." He turned his head a touch. "I swore that to you already, Young Master. And I believe you will bring greater glory to House Morgain than any other heir could."

The corner of Trafalgar’s mouth twitched faintly.

"I like hearing that."

His voice stayed casual only briefly before shifting to firmer resolve.

"So if I ever have to face one of my brothers or sisters, support me when that day comes. And if one of my father’s wives tries something again, I’ll expect you beside me there too."

"Of course," Caelum affirmed. "You need not doubt that."

Finally, the stairs came to an end.

Darian halted so suddenly that Trafalgar nearly collided with him.

The chamber ahead loomed starkly empty, giving it an eerie strangeness.

A squarely shaped chamber. Bare, unadorned walls. A stone pedestal rising in the middle. A bowl placed upon its summit.

That summed it up completely.

Trafalgar gazed upon it and declared, "There’s nothing here."

Darian pivoted halfway to face him. "Give me a moment."

He advanced and lifted a single hand. Fur erupted over the skin, fingers bulged thicker, and nails hooked into savage tiger claws. His remaining human hand stabilized the bowl. A rapid slice across his palm unleashed the gash.

Fresh blood pattered into the bowl.

The room hung silent for an instant.

With sufficient blood accumulated, the wall rearward of the pedestal stirred to life.

Stone rasped harshly against stone in a profound, concealed rumble, unveiling a passageway where solid barrier had stood mere seconds prior.

Trafalgar observed the gap materializing and whispered, "So this is why no one ever found it."

Darian bandaged the injury using a strip ripped from his sleeve's inner layer. "Exactly. No one without pure Thal’zar blood can open it."

He turned his gaze back toward them.

"Follow me. And watch your footing. This place was never arranged with elegance in mind."

Trafalgar and Caelum trailed after him into the passage.

The chamber ahead utterly eclipsed the first room in scale.

Shelves lined the walls, overflowing with scribbled notes, thick ledgers, stray sheets, and bundles piled sloppily and abandoned as such. Tables scattered throughout bore messes of writing implements, hardened ink, faded blotches, glass phials, and debris from endless tests. Certain boards retained cryptic symbols and smudged arithmetic. Deeper within loomed the foulest element of the lot.

Chains.

A table secured at a slant.

Restraints crafted to confine a form denied any voluntary release.

Trafalgar’s stride hesitated.

’That must be where Icarus kept it while he worked on it.’

No other feature in the room demanded further clarification thereafter.

Events unfolded here transcended the realm of battle alone. They were born of unrelenting mania.