Nether Sovereign Reborn

Chapter 3

"Welcome back, young master Davon."

"Regal, where is my lord father?" Davon asked, completely ignoring the greeting.

"The patriarch is in his study. I will lead you to him right away," Regal replied, before gesturing for Davon to follow him.

"If it isn't my dear little Davon, I hardly see you these days. Ever since you decided to attend normal school for reasons best known to you, I find it very hard to see you. Just look at you, you've gotten so slim. It pains my heart," a mocking voice came from the other side of the hall.

"Oh, my dear big brother Trevar, seems like you're in good health. Honestly speaking, I thought that by this time, after being married into the Pitcher family, that you would've become fertilizer. Seems like they don't treat you as much as I thought," Davon said with a smile that was not a smile.

Trevar's face twitched slightly upon hearing the last part.

"Well, my dear brother... word has it that you've set your eyes to acquire yet another valuable chess piece," Trevar said, giving Davon a knowing smile.

"Oh, dear brother, I'm not sure if there is a chess piece for eunuch, cause if there is, I'm pretty sure you'd do just fine," Davon said, the smile on his face not fading the slightest.

"Seems like you've gotten quite the vicious mouth, my lovely Davon. I should be on my way. Just a word of advice from a big brother to a little brother: give up. Second brother's means are beyond what you can imagine. Anyway, I'll be off. I have a meeting with second brother... my dear ninth brother?" Trevar said in a slightly cocky tone before walking past Davon.

"That ball-less seventh brother of mine sure does have a way to get on my nerves. Regal, let's be on our way," Davon said, his teeth clenched hard.

_Knock, knock, knock_

"Which entity?" A deep, collected voice resounded from the other side of the door.

"It is the ninth son of the main line, Davon Sungate, requesting lord patriarch's audience," Davon's calm tone resounded through the corridor.

"Proceed," the deep, calm voice came again after a moment of delay.

_Creeeaaakkkk_

Davon opened the door to the study.

It was a pretty large room stacked with rows of shelves filled with books, and right in the middle of the room was a single large-sized wooden table and a single chair behind it, facing the door.

On the chair sat a middle-aged man, seemingly in his late thirties.

"And what might the issue be?" Mark, the current Sungate Patriarch, asked, his attention still fixed on the journal in front of him.

"In regards to the earlier proposal I made to lord father... I mean lord patriarch."

"Failed? It's been two months since you enrolled into that secular academy and yet you've been unable to hold the Raizen lady's heart? Unfortunate," Mark said, the temperature in the room suddenly began to rise.

"Davon, I expect better from you. Don't disappoint me," Mark said in a calm tone, his attention still on the journal in front of him.

As if that was the release signal, the temperature in the room began dropping back to room temperature.

"Is that all?" Mark asked.

"One more thing, lord patriarch. My informants in the Clevates family tell me that they would soon be making a move. I humbly suggest that we make preparations against an invasion while I speed up my plans in regards to the Raizen girl, considering that we don't know which cards the Clevates have under their sleeves. We would most likely have to form an alliance with the Raizen alliance, but to get the advantage in the negotiation, I'll need the Raizen girl for leverage," Davon's report flowed, his tone calm and steady.

Finally lifting his head from the journal in front of him, Mark set his gaze on Davon for a brief moment before focusing back on the journal in front of him.

"I'll leave it in your hands. Handle it," Mark's clear voice resounded through the study.

"Yes, Lord Patriarch."

Walking into his room, Davon's thoughts were in disarray. "Fedora... arghhh, why is it so hard when it comes to you? Why won't you just accept my request? In the end, it all boils down to me to rid this world of corruption, of the pain and suffering. Peace? Such a beautiful illusion. War is fought for peace. People hate for love, and we all just live under the false sense of security. The weak don't deserve to exist. Wherever there is weakness, there is a flaw. There will always be someone to be looked down upon. My world, the world that I will bring, will be a world of the powerful. Equal rights. Equal strengths. Equal standing. And I will stand as the judge against those who attempt to break the balance. No more war. The true peace. The world shall know my name. They will call me... cough... cough."

"Regal Baratheon," Davon muttered in a soft tone after shutting the door to his room behind him.

"At your service, young master," the gray-haired Regal's voice resounded through the room as he walked out of the shadow of a pillar in the room.

Regal was Davon's caretaker and had been with him since he was a child.

"What do you want?" Davon asked, his voice impatient.

"Young master Davon, I think there is something that needs your attention."

"Speak," Davon said, taking a seat on his large bed.

"About the Lux boy... he's alive..."

******

"Young master Orcus, I must repay this debt of kindness which you have shown my Raizen family. To think that there was such a young genius hidden in this city, please receive my toast," Lilith Raizen, the Raizen Family Matriarch, said, a slight smile hanging on her lips.

"Oh please, Matriarch Raizen, you flatter me," Lux said, raising his wine glass and downing its content.

The dinner had barely started, and the dining hall had a palpable tension hanging in the atmosphere.

All thirty-two seats were occupied, with Lux and Lilith seating on two opposite ends.

Some of the higher-ups of the Raizen alliance were looking at Lux, the hostility in their gaze evident. Some were curious, while the others were just indifferent.

"Um... Matriarch Raizen, what exactly is a totem?" Lux's voice spread through the dining hall, followed by a deafening silence.

Acting like he didn't notice, Lux continued, "I once created a totem. I don't even know how, but I've never really been taught or anything, so I would really appreciate it."

"Is that so... well, you're in luck. Unlike other families, the Raizen family has a tradition of letting our family members stay in the secular world till their coming-of-age ceremony. But times are changing, and my daughter Fedora was exposed to the Totem world earlier than she should have. Tomorrow, I'll be holding her Totem awakening ceremony, and after that, you can join her too to learn about the Totem world. What do you think?" Lilith said, a slight smile plastered across her face.

"Tsk... what's the catch?" Lux said, exhaling slightly.

"You join my—"

"I refuse. I don't plan on getting involved in any power pull. All I can promise is that if your Raizen alliance needs help and it's within my means to aid, I will not withhold. If that is not enough, then I suppose I should take my leave," Lux stated his terms, his tone calm as he stared directly at Lilith.

"Kid, you've got guts. We have a deal," Lilith said, before standing and walking toward the door.

"I will take my leave now. Elenore will show you around."

*The next day*

"When is the awakening ceremony starting?" Lux asked. He donned a white shirt, a pair of black pants, black boots, and a black high-collar overcoat, giving him a refreshing but classical look.

"You won't be able to attend the awakening ceremony, but you can attend the totem talent testing ceremony after that. Maybe use the chance to test your totem talent," Elenore replied casually.

They were walking down a long corridor with massive portraits hanging on both sides.

"The awakening ceremony should be over, and they should be about starting the talent testing ceremony," Elenore continued as they stopped in front of a medium-sized door.

"Shall we?" she muttered before pushing the door open.

The duo was greeted by the sight of a large hall, and in the center stood a massive, colorless, semi-transparent crystal and a large crowd surrounding it.

Standing before the massive crystal was Lilith and another lady who looked strikingly similar to Lilith, albeit a younger version.

Her long black hair flowed down her shoulders like a waterfall. Her beauty was capable of purifying ghosts.

She was Fedora, the only daughter of Lilith Raizen and the next Matriarch of the Raizen Family.

Lilith, as if sensing Lux's gaze, turned toward him and gave a slight nod.

Facing the crowd, she shouted:

"Aside from my daughter Fedora, we have another guest who will also be taking the totem talent test: young master Sheol."

Following her announcement, the entire hall was filled with murmurs from the alliance members.

"To be addressed as young master by the Matriarch, he must be extremely promising or from some major family."

"I've never heard of a young master Sheol before."

"Silence," Lilith's voice resounded through the hall as all the murmuring stopped.

"I guess that's my cue," Lux muttered as he brought out a plain black oni mask from beneath his overcoat and put it on his face.

"Let's go."

The crowd made way as they noticed the movement from the back.

The alliance members were stunned as they watched Lux being escorted to the center of the hall by Elenore.

"Lady Fedora, an honor to meet you," Lux said in a deep voice that he obviously faked.

Fedora smiled slightly, reaching out her hand to Lux for a handshake.

Lux received the handshake with a slight nod.

"Fedora Raizen, step forward," Lilith said in a calm tone.

"Place your hand on the talent crystal."

Fedora did as she was told.

"Now repeat after me."

"Totem... Link."

"Totem... Link."

_Whooosh_

A cold gust of wind threw the entire hall into disarray.

An ice flake appeared on Fedora's forehead.

"Wow, it's an internal totem manifestation. She has great potential."

"Look, the talent stone is lighting up. From the weakest talent, gray... brown... yellow... green... blue... red... purple...

OMG!!! She got the highest level, purple talent."

"As expected of the next matriarch of the Raizen Family."

"After such a feat, I guess we won't be moved by the young master Sheol guy."

Lux stared at the massive crystal in the middle of the hall as it emitted a bright purple light.

"Wow, she got the highest level talent," Lux muttered, in a slightly depressed tone.

After a while, Fedora stepped down from the stage, and the entire hall's focus was on Lux.

"Young master Sheol, you can repeat the process," Lilith said, a satisfied smile plastered across her face.

"Sure," Lux said, his tone a mixture of calmness and exasperation.

Climbing the stage, Lux stretched out his arm. As soon as his palm came into contact with the crystal, he felt a very cold energy engulf him.

*Huff, huff*

After letting out a few breaths, Lux steeled his resolve and proceeded.

"Totem LINK!!!"