Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 28: The apology and the invitation.

"I want to apologize to you both more personally," Kai began, his tone reflecting guilt. "I’m sorry for putting you in danger without your knowledge. I never had bad intentions in hiding who I was, I did it out of simple precaution."

Roshia and Mira listened intently.

"You already apologized before, Kai. And while it is true you put us all at risk, you were also the one who saved us." Roshia looked at Mira. "Except for her, the rest of us would still be caged or sold if it weren’t for you, and for that, I apologize too. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did when you confessed everything."

Kai lowered his gaze slightly to the ground before looking back up at them with a sigh.

"Thank you so much for staying despite everything. I swear I will never let you down again," he affirmed, projecting confidence and security.

"We know," Roshia replied, standing up with a small, familiar smile. "I’ll go check on Elara. You two should talk in private."

Mira watched her leave and nodded gratefully. When Roshia was gone, Mira shifted on the bench to look Kai directly in the eye. Before she could utter a word, Kai spoke first.

"I’m incredibly sorry for not telling you anything sooner, Mira. I know you said I was like a father to you, but I truly don’t remember any of it. That’s why I didn’t want to approach you and tell you, I didn’t know how to act in that situation." He paused for a few seconds as he thought. "But that is no excuse. You had the right to know the whole truth, to know who I am, and I took that from you. I hope you can forgive me, and even if I don’t remember anything, I hope we can have a good relationship again and that you can trust me once more."

Mira remained silent for several seconds, processing his words.

"It really hurt when you said who you were. Years ago, when I was still small, you were my only father figure after my mother and father died in a beast attack in the Merg jungle. You arrived and saved the village. Seeing a poor, lonely girl, you decided to stay for a while to teach and train me." Her left leg trembled, showing her vulnerability. "I became strong because of you. I am who I am because of you, and I am very proud of that. When you finally left the village, you always came back every few months to see how I was doing and spend days by my side. Those were the best moments of my life."

She stopped, her voice breaking at the last words. The woman who always showed strength removed her armor for the first time in front of the man who was once everything she had.

"That’s why, when you stopped coming to the village, I felt confused, alone, and afraid. Everyone worried about the Great Hero’s disappearance, everyone speculated about what could have happened. When the village saw how much I was suffering, they stayed by my side and were good at comforting me. But even though I moved on, I always kept waiting for the day you would reappear."

Kai’s face conveyed the guilt of not having told her sooner.

"I didn’t know I was so important to you, Mira. I’m truly sorry. I want you to know that this time it won’t end like the first. I’m here for you, and it might be a bit late, but if there is even a tiny chance you can trust me again, I will fight for it."

Those words struck Mira’s heart directly. The tears that had been threatening to fall throughout the conversation finally overflowed without control. She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you... thank you for coming back." Mira’s face was buried in his chest, soaking his shirt with her tears. "Of course there is still a chance. Despite everything, I can’t stop trusting you. Besides, you taught me that I should always help others. Now you need that help, and I will be here for you."

Kai let out a laugh.

"I know you will be," he replied, gently pulling her back. "We should get back to our tasks."

Mira nodded as she wiped away the remaining tears and stood up from the bench. "I’ll go with Thorne to keep preparing the newcomers."

"Perfect. Have a good day, Mira." He stood up with a smile as she walked away.

Kai moved away from everyone to a more private spot to review the system improvements from last time. He opened the statistics panel, checking them carefully.

STATS

Strength: 21

Speed: 20

Endurance: 15

Intelligence: 22

Mana: 800/800

Perception: 25

After thinking for a few seconds, he decided he should increase his endurance, so he used the two points he had saved.

STATS

Strength: 21

Speed: 20

Endurence: 17

Intelligence: 22

Mana: 800/800

Perception: 25

He closed the panel and drew his daggers.

"In theory, I unlocked a system inventory," he murmured to himself while opening the inventory panel with his mind. He extended his arms, and the daggers vanished into thin air, stored in the inventory. Then, with a thought, he selected the daggers and they reappeared in his hands.

Kai smiled with satisfaction watching the daggers disappear and reappear without issue. But his thoughts were cut short. The sound of fast hooves resonated from the main road. It wasn’t Valira’s relaxed trot or the heavy step of the pack horses. This was urgent.

Kai stored the daggers in his inventory with a mental gesture and stepped out of the small training area behind the barn. Thorne was already in the central square, axe resting on his shoulder, looking toward the village entrance with his ears perked up. Mira appeared from the east side with her bow in hand and an arrow nearly notched. Roshia came out of her house with Elara clinging to her legs, the girl watching everything with wide eyes.

A lone rider entered the village with a royal Athelgard cape fluttering behind him. The man dismounted before the animal had even come to a full stop, holding out a tube sealed with red wax.

"Lord Kai," he panted. "A letter from King Gabell."

Kai took the tube, broke the seal, and unrolled the parchment. The handwriting was elegant but firm.

Kai, I invite you to the palace as my guest of honor. Bring whomever you wish. There are matters we can only discuss in person, and a gratitude that must be given face to face. — Gabell.

Kai looked up. The messenger was still waiting.

"When?" Kai asked.

"Immediately, sir. The King wishes to see you before the next full moon."

Kai looked at Lyla, who had just arrived from the well with a jar in her hand. She read the letter over his shoulder and nodded slowly.

"Let’s go," she said softly. "Gabell doesn’t invite just anyone."

Kai rolled up the parchment.

"Thorne, prepare the ten best guards we have for the village defense. Mira, you and Roshia stay with the town. Lyla, Allice, and I will go. We depart tomorrow at dawn."

Mira frowned. "Only three? What if it’s a trap?"

"Gabell is not the type to set traps," Lyla replied.

The messenger bowed deeply and remounted. "You will be expected at the palace."

When the rider left, the village fell silent for a moment. Elara tugged on Kai’s cloak.

"Are you going to see a King?"

Kai knelt down and ruffled her hair. "Yes, little one. But I’ll be back soon. And I’ll bring you something beautiful from the city."

"A crystal flower!"

"Deal."

That night was quiet but heavy with anticipation. Kai and Lyla sat by the main hearth’s fire. Allice sharpened daggers in silence nearby. Thorne entered with a mug of beer and sat across from them.

"I don’t like this," Thorne muttered. "Royal invitations always bring trouble."

Lyla rested her head on Kai’s shoulder. "Gabell is loyal."

"That seems to be the case, but regardless, I prefer you don’t show yourself fully, Lyla, or that you do so discreetly. Even if Gabell is one of the few who knows you, it’s still risky for people to associate you too closely with us."

Lyla nodded. "I know. I’ll try to go unnoticed."

At dawn, the three departed. Valira carried Kai with a firm and proud stride. Lyla rode another of the mares, and Allice was on a black horse that seemed to enjoy speed a bit too much. The journey lasted three days through green landscapes and cristal clear rivers. On the third afternoon, the walls of Athelgard appeared on the horizon under the setting sun.

The gates opened without question. An escort of twelve royal guards waited for them. The captain bowed deeply.

"Welcome. The King awaits you in the throne room."

They crossed the city amidst curious glances. Some children pointed at Valira in wonder. Kai kept his eyes forward, but he noticed something strange, in a side square, a man in a gray cloak was talking quietly with two guards. The man looked up for a second and his eyes met Allice’s. She didn’t say anything, but her hand tightened on the reins.

At the palace, Gabell received them in person.

"Well Kai, it seems you don’t just have your subordinate with you, Lyla came too."

Kai cleared his throat slightly. "Please, act as if you don’t know Lyla. To save us trouble, you know."

Gabell looked at Lyla and understood the situation. "Of course. I won’t say anything about you, my goddess. I will act as if you were an adventurer with the same name."

After saying those words, Gabell paused to think for several seconds and connected the dots.

"No... you don’t have Lyla and Allice by your side and call yourself Kai by coincidence, do you? You are him."

Kai interrupted him. "Yes, but please, full confidentiality. If the gods find out "

"I understand. I will be discreet." He looked at Allice. "You could have explained the situation better when you came the other time to tell me about the village."

Allice was about to respond, but Gabell just let out a small laugh and continued.

"Come. There is a banquet prepared. Tomorrow we will talk business. Today... today I just want to celebrate that you are here."

The dinner was magnificent, with tables loaded with venison, exotic fruits, warm breads, and aged wines. Musicians played soft melodies. Gabell told stories of his youth. But when the banquet ended and the guests retired, Allice and Lyla went for a night walk through the gardens. They returned an hour later with serious expressions. Allice closed the door.

"There are new nobles. Three I’ve never seen at court before. One wore a ring with a strange engraving... a scythe, very subtle."

Lyla added, "And in an alleyway, there were several people with weapons. This smells bad. Very bad."

Kai nodded. "We’ll have to be careful. Tomorrow we start investigating. Discreetly."