Reincarnated as the favorite of an obsessive goddess: gave me a system-Chapter 33: The calm before the storm.

[ SYSTEM MESSAGE ]

Undetected enemies successfully eliminated.

+100 XP.

Level: 21 (450/500)

King Gabell stood up, adjusting his royal cape with hands that still trembled slightly. Around him, the nobles began to mutter, their panic slowly transforming into a morbid curiosity.

"Silence!" Gabell roared, his voice recovering the authority his position demanded. "What you have witnessed tonight was an unprecedented act of treason by the Kingdom of Zenit. They have attempted to assassinate me to invade Athelgard."

A duke, his face pale, pointed at Kai and Lyla. "And them, Your Majesty? They are not part of the guard. How is it they were here armed?"

Gabell looked at Kai for a brief second, a flash of mutual understanding passed between them. The King knew he could not reveal the true identity of either Lyla or Kai.

"They are high ranking adventurers," Gabell lied with astonishing naturalness. "Hired in secret to act as my personal guard after I learned of what was being planned. Allice, the subordinate of the Great Goddess Lyla, also assisted us in the process."

Allice took a step forward. "My duty, as you well know, is the security of Athelgard."

The nobles nodded, accepting the explanation. Once the royal guard began to remove the corpses and escort the guests to their quarters, Gabell signaled Kai, Lyla, and Allice. They retreated to Gabell’s private chambers.

There, he collapsed into his armchair, exhaling a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the entire kingdom.

"Thank you," he said simply, looking at the three of them. "If it weren’t for you, my head would be decorating a pike on the Zenit border right now. Kai... what you did down there... I have no words."

"We did what was necessary, Gabell," Kai replied calmly. "But this isn’t over. Zenit won’t sit idly by now that their plan has been exposed."

"I know. Tomorrow morning, I will send emissaries to the rest of the neighboring kingdoms to formally denounce this aggression. I will also reinforce the borders."

"Good. We are leaving," Kai announced. "The village needs us."

The next day, the three began their journey back. Valira seemed to sense Kai’s urgency and galloped with strength. After several days of travel, when the village finally came into view in the distance, Kai’s heart settled.

"They’re back! Kai, Lyla, and Allice are back!" shouted one of the lookouts.

The news spread like wildfire. People poured out of their homes and the cultivation fields.

"Kai!" a small, high pitched voice stood out among the crowd.

Elara ran toward him at full speed, her small legs moving in a frenzy. Kai dismounted in one leap and crouched just in time to receive the impact. The girl wrapped her arms around him in a hug so tight it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

"I thought you’d be gone a thousand years!" Elara exclaimed.

Kai laughed softly, stroking her hair. "I promised we’d be back soon, didn’t I? And I always keep my promises."

He pulled back slightly and pulled an object from his inventory that shimmered under the sunlight. It was a crystal flower, carved with extreme delicacy by the city’s artisans.

"Here you go. The crystal flower you asked for."

The girl’s eyes widened until they looked like two moons. She took the gift with a massive smile. "It’s beautiful! Thank you!"

Roshia approached, looking at her daughter with a smile full of tenderness before nodding respectfully toward Kai. Gradually, the villagers returned to their tasks, leaving the main group to gather.

Thorne and Mira approached then. Their faces did not reflect the same overflowing joy as the others, they were serious, marked by the responsibility of having guarded the village in their leader’s absence.

"Kai," Thorne said, crossing his muscular arms. "The message... it reached us just this morning. Allice used the fast channel, but even so, the distance is what it is."

"We regret not being able to act," Mira added, adjusting the bow on her back. "We were ready to leave for Athelgard as soon as we read the notice about the possible fugitive or the attack, but we knew we wouldn’t arrive in time. We felt useless staying here."

Kai placed a hand on Mira’s shoulder. "Don’t say that. Your presence here is what allowed me to sleep a little in Athelgard. Knowing the village was protected by you was my only guarantee. Besides," Kai added, looking toward the forest horizon, "nothing grave happened. We prevented the assassination and eliminated the infiltrators. I didn’t see anyone escape the hall, so the immediate danger has passed."

Mira nodded, though a shadow of doubt crossed her eyes. "That’s good, but we’ll stay on high alert for a couple more days, just in case."

Hours later, when the bustle of the welcome died down, Kai sought out Lyla. He found her away from the center, sitting under the shade of a large oak tree. She was sitting in the tall grass, legs crossed, her gaze lost on the horizon as she watched the chimneys of the houses begin to release the smoke from dinner preparations.

Kai stood still for a moment, simply observing her. She is beautiful, he thought. He approached slowly, trying not to break the silence of the moment.

"Enjoying the view, my Goddess?" he joked as he sat beside her.

She turned her head and gave him one of those smiles that always made Kai’s pulse race.

"It’s an incredible view. To see how something that started as a dream and a pile of ashes becomes a home... it’s more satisfying than anything I’ve received in my temples for millennia."

"It’s thanks to you," Kai said sincerely. "Without you, I’d still be just a lost soul after dying by a crane."

Lyla let out a soft laugh.

"And without your desire to save everyone, I’d still be a bored goddess," she replied, giving him a gentle nudge on the shoulder. "But tell me, you seem pensive. You’ve been turning something over in your head since we left Athelgard."

Kai sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk. "There’s something I can’t stop thinking about. When I attacked that slaver carriage carrying people from the other village, the ones who are here now."

Lyla nodded, her expression becoming curious.

"I faced a mage. He used a spell... a kind of high pressure water blade that cut better than any weapon. ’Liquid Blade,’ he called it. It left me with a mix of fear of its efficiency and a lot of curiosity." He looked Lyla directly in the eyes. "How exactly does it work? And more importantly... why have I never seen you use something like that? You master all the elements."

Lyla let out a melancholy laugh and looked at her own hands. "It’s a delicate subject, Kai. I had absolute knowledge of all branches, but as I’ve told you, we all have a natural affinity. You already know mine was always wind. Water... water was always the element I struggled with most to master."

She paused.

"Now it is almost impossible for me to perform spells of that type. The Liquid Blade isn’t just water thrown with force, it’s the extreme compression of water molecules into a line so fine and at such high speed that it causes what you saw. It requires meticulous mana control and a constant amount of energy to maintain the shape. The only water spell I can use now is the barrier you saw against Allice. It’s high level knowledge, yes, but it’s static. It doesn’t require the violent dynamics of an attack."

Kai listened with fascination.

"Could I learn it?" Kai asked, his eyes shining with determination.

Lyla looked at him intently and then stood up, brushing off the grass. "It’s difficult. But... I suppose we can try. Get ready; this is going to exhaust you."

Kai jumped up, excited. Lyla positioned herself behind him, instructing him to extend his right arm toward a pile of logs several meters away.

"The key is not to create water," Lyla instructed, her voice becoming professional and authoritative. "It’s visualizing a line, a line thinner than a hair. You have to squeeze the line with your mana from all angles until it cannot expand. Only then do you release it."

Kai closed his eyes and concentrated. A small orb of water began to form, trembling violently.

"More pressure, Kai! Don’t let it disperse!" Lyla shouted.

Kai grit his teeth. The sphere of water began to flatten, trying to become a line, but as soon as it tried, the water simply exploded over his feet.

"Again," Kai said.

He tried a second time, a third, fourth, fifth time. On each occasion, the result was the same. Frustration began to bubble in his chest. He felt powerful after the battle at the palace, but this simple exercise was showing him just how much he still lacked.

After nearly an hour of failed attempts, Kai fell to his knees, panting. He saw in the system that his mana was at 0, and his arms were shaking from the mental effort.

"I can’t..." Kai said, his voice heavy with sadness and frustration. "I’ve leveled up, I’ve fought assassins... but I can’t even form this. I’m still weak compared to what’s coming, aren’t I?"

Lyla felt a pang in her heart. She knew Kai pushed himself too hard, carrying the weight of the entire village on his shoulders. She approached him with soft steps and, without a word, took his arm to help him up and guided him back to the base of the oak.

"Sit down, you dummy," she said with a smile full of tenderness.

Kai obeyed, letting himself fall against the trunk. Before he could protest, Lyla sat beside him and, with a fluid movement, pulled him down. Kai ended up with his head resting directly on Lyla’s thighs.

The contact was so sudden that Kai tensed, a light blush appearing on his cheeks despite the exhaustion.

"Lyla... what are you doing?" he whispered.

"Shut up and relax," she replied, beginning to run her fingers through Kai’s hair. "You’re frustrated because you want to be everyone’s savior by tomorrow. Your current level is impressive, Kai, but there is still much to learn."

Lyla’s hands began to gently massage his head and forehead.

"You need to keep leveling up, yes," Lyla continued softly. "But not today."

Kai closed his eyes, feeling the tension leave his body. The massage was hypnotic, and the softness of Lyla’s thighs was the most comfortable place he had ever been, surpassing any royal bed.

"Thank you," Kai murmured, his voice becoming heavy with sleep. "You always know what to say." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Lyla smiled, looking down at the man she loved. She continued massaging his head delicately, watching as his breathing became slow.

Under the old oak, as the village submerged into the peace of the night, both shared a moment of absolute calm, unaware that a great problem was slowly approaching.