Chapter 8: Ch 8: Getting rid of another spy
The carriage ride was not comfortable, so Kael decided to cut it short. Using magic was second nature to him, and creating a passage between the temple and their new home took only a few seconds.
The carriage driver looked startled as the surroundings suddenly changed, but Kael’s magic stabilized the carriage as well.
"You can drop us off here."
He opened the door and stepped out before the driver could even catch his breath.
The driver eventually recovered and gave Kael a look that clearly asked why he had even bothered hiring a carriage in the first place. But the answer was simple—Kael wanted to waste the temple’s money.
"You two should come out as well."
Kael spoke to the pair waiting for his instructions, and they wasted no time climbing out of the carriage. The driver looked at the three of them with narrowed eyes before glancing toward the forest. There was no house in sight.
"Are you sure you want to get off here? I don’t see your house anywhere."
The driver asked the question while pretending to be a kind older man, but he could not fool Kael’s experienced eyes.
This driver was likely a spy hired by the temple to keep an eye on him and locate his hideout. Unfortunately for him, Kael had already seen through his intentions.
"It’s alright. There is a cliff we need to cross to reach my home anyway. The carriage won’t be able to make it across, so it’s better if we continue on foot from here."
Kael maintained a polite smile, and the carriage driver could no longer insist on taking them farther.
So the man turned around with a sour expression and drove away.
Kael noticed the driver glancing back several times, but he showed no reaction.
He only turned toward the other two once he was certain the driver had completely left.
"You two, listen carefully. From now on, we only have each other. There is no need for you to rely on anyone else either. If you need anything, come to me. Before we head inside, do either of you have any questions you want to ask?"
Kael used a firm yet kind tone with Leon and Seraphina. He did not want to frighten them, but he also needed to establish his authority.
That way, they would come to respect him.
He waited for them to ask something, though he had not expected either of them to actually speak up.
"I... are you sure it will be alright for you to become our guardian? Won’t we become a burden to you?"
Leon was the one who asked the question.
It surprised Kael because he did not remember Leon being this open with him in his previous life.
But then again, Kael had never truly tried to understand Leon back then either, so he could not fully blame the boy.
"You do not have to worry about becoming a burden. Right now, you should just focus on growing up properly."
Kael could not stop himself from ruffling Leon’s hair. Surprisingly, the boy did not pull away and allowed him to continue.
Kael eventually withdrew his hand with an awkward expression before snapping his fingers and dispelling the illusion surrounding his house.
The forest parted, and a magnificent two-story mansion came into view. It had a well-maintained garden along with plenty of open space.
Kael did not care much about the size of the estate, but he certainly appreciated the self-maintenance spells placed on it.
He noticed the shocked expressions on Leon and Seraphina’s faces, and a smile spread across his own.
"You two, welcome to my home. Starting today, this will be your home as well. We are one family now."
Kael welcomed the children, and they finally snapped out of their daze before taking a few hesitant steps forward.
He waited for them to calm down, and once they did, Leon immediately asked another question.
"You said we were going to cross a cliff. Where is the cliff? I don’t see it."
Leon’s eyes were filled with trust, which made it unfortunate that Kael was about to betray that trust so quickly.
"Well, I lied about the cliff to send the driver away. Sometimes you need to tell a lie or two to get out of a difficult situation. But do not try that with me, because the consequences will not be pleasant."
Kael laid down the rules, and Leon nodded obediently. Seraphina was also listening attentively, which was reassuring.
"I will take you both to your rooms now. Get settled in, and later this evening we can discuss the house rules and your daily schedules."
...
The mansion had plenty of unused rooms, so finding one for Leon and Seraphina was easy.
In his previous life, Kael had given Leon a room on the opposite side of the mansion. Back then, it had been his way of maintaining privacy while also giving Leon some personal space.
But this time, Kael decided to give Leon a room closer to his own. He did the same for Seraphina, and the two soon settled in.
Once they were finished unpacking, Kael returned to his own room and collapsed onto the bed.
The exhaustion from the day was finally catching up to him, and his eyelids felt heavier than before.
He wanted to sleep, but now was not the time. He still needed to reinforce the barriers around the estate and prepare dinner.
Kael groaned as he forced himself back to his feet and got to work.
Magic came naturally to him, but that did not mean he could simply wave a hand and strengthen the barriers. He still had to carefully reconstruct the complex spells he had mastered in his previous life.
At least cooking was relatively easy.
He had been cooking for years, so he ended up preparing dinner almost without thinking.
Once everything was ready, his familiars brought Leon and Seraphina downstairs, and Kael served them dinner.
He allowed the pair to finish their meal before moving on to discuss the house rules.
Kael set down his fork as soon as he noticed the other two were finished, and his expression turned serious.
"Now that we are done eating, it is time to discuss our living arrangements. I will give you freedom, but in return, I expect you to follow certain rules so you do not get yourselves into trouble."
