Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 486: Chapter 486: Familiar Smell

Chapter 486 – Familiar Smell

Cassius didn’t know how many hours he had slept, but it was definitely no more than three.

His eyes were still heavy, and his mind was slow, as though it were dragging some kind of golden mountain.

And honestly, that wouldn’t be far from the truth.

After what had happened last night, the Last Born realized that he needed to put more effort into his sect.

It was, for now, the only source of power that belonged to him and him alone. And to build it up, there were so many things to do and plan that even of the three hours he had spent sleeping, more than half had gone into putting things in place.

His first goal, just as Isolde had said, was to spread the Church of the Reader to a wider range of people.

He had thought about openly sharing his status as a Blessed of the Church. That would certainly push many people to join.

However, the idea was discarded as soon as it sprouted.

It was too soon to do something like that.

First, he didn’t know how Vorn, the Lord of Death, would react. Second, he preferred to reveal it once he was sure that doing so would better elevate the Church.

In the beginning, they needed true believers. Not poor folks who joined just because of him.

Plans had been made, and would soon be put into action in order to observe the response.

For now, though, Cassius was ready to go back to the Academy and continue his final preparations there.

’No rest for the wicked, as they say. But I am the least wicked person in the world,’ Cassius thought, then added with a dry smile, ’Should I say four worlds? I wonder what the other two worlds integrated into Sunu Gaal besides Darklore are.’

Hard to guess. Maybe something related to the First Vaelgrim?

"You are already ready to go back, Cassius?" Morenna Hood said, snapping Cassius’s mind out of its daze. He blinked, remembering that he was in the midst of saying goodbye to his grandmother.

He laughed curtly, pushing his long white hair back in an exhausted manner before replying. "Yes, grandmother," he said, his voice echoing in the room. "I believe we are even a bit late right now. Right, Isolde?"

Isolde, standing beside him, nodded. "Yes. But I don’t think anyone will say anything about a Palatine missing a class. In fact, I don’t even think you go to class that much."

"I actually—!"

"Come on, don’t lie." Esmeray cut off his soon-to-be lie, looking at him with a smirk.

Her face was radiant as she stood beside her mother, wearing a short skirt and a red top, her ears riddled with piercings.

As she spoke again, her eyes glittered with a strange gleam of happiness. "I can count the number of times you came to class on one hand."

Cassius chuckled. "Alright. But did I miss anything worthwhile?"

"I wouldn’t know," the Princess replied, shrugging. "I don’t focus in class."

Morenna glared at her daughter. "And you say it with pride? This is why you were not chosen to go to the Wastelands."

"Who wants to, anyway?" Then she frowned. "And I say we don’t send brother there. Mother, you seem to forget that it’s a bloody Tier Four Fractured Land. Brother is only Second Rank. It’s too dangerous!"

Cassius and Isolde looked at each other at that moment, knowing the discussion that was about to ensue. One they didn’t want to take part in, since they were already late. However, taking their leave at that moment was certainly not possible.

So they sighed inwardly and listened awkwardly.

"Are you underestimating your brother?" Morenna said, her tone turning stern.

"I am not. I know what he can do better than anyone."

"Then why don’t you tell Cassius, your cousin and nephew, not to go?" Morenna pointed at Cassius. "Don’t you care about him enough?"

Esmeray looked at Cassius for a couple of seconds, then shrugged. "He is stronger than Raven. And I don’t like wasting my time trying to convince someone who won’t even consider my advice."

"Your brother chose to go himself," the Queen replied. "And we respect his choice. If he had wished not to go, we wouldn’t force him either. So if you want him to stay, go convince him."

Esmeray pressed her lips together, clearly irritated. It was not as if she hadn’t tried to make Raven see reason, but it was useless.

Anesthesia was going to the Wastelands.

And that alone was reason enough for her obsessed simp of a brother to go against the world if need be.

It was a losing battle.

So she sighed, crossing her arms under her chest, deciding not to say anything else on the matter.

One thing was certain, though: her parents were not careless enough to let anything happen to Raven.

Because if Raven were...

’No! Don’t think about that, Esmeray. Don’t do it!’ She shook her head, refusing to even consider that possibility. For if that ever happened, Esmeray didn’t know how she would be able to live without her own brother, the one who had been her first real emotional support all this time.

That life would certainly taste sour.

"Don’t worry, Esmeray," Cassius finally spoke, breaking the suddenly tense silence cloaking the room. "Raven and I will be together, and there are many of us. You already know how special our class is. He will be safe."

He smiled faintly. "I promise you."

Esmeray’s crimson eyes were transfixed on him at that moment. When he smiled, for a heartbeat, the princess saw an echo of Dorian in Cassius’s features.

’They really are brothers,’ she thought with a wide smile and, simply because she felt such intense happiness in her heart, stepped forward and pulled Cassius into a tight hug.

Isolde’s body twitched as she suppressed her instinct to push Esmeray away from her husband.

She had been quick to stop herself, but Morenna noticed it, and said nothing.

Instead, the Queen only let out a small, understanding smile.

’I must calm myself. I almost struck Cassius’s own family,’ Isolde thought with alarm, looking at Esmeray still hugging her husband, and wondered how long this would last.

Cassius was feeling very awkward at that moment. He hadn’t expected a hug from Esmeray for a single moment, let alone one so boldly given right beside his wife.

He could already feel her dissatisfaction.

"You are so cute, Cassius. Isolde sure is lucky."

"Ha-haha, right? You should tell her that more often." He coughed, returning the hug respectfully before trying to break it.

But as he did, the Last Born suddenly paused, his body freezing.

His nose twitched; a strange but familiar scent was caressing it.

It was a smell he was sure he knew from somewhere, but his memories refused to tell him where.

But that was only at first. Soon enough, memories associated with that particular scent rushed into his mind, carrying him back to his wedding day, when all of them had been gathered in the groomsmen’s room.

There, his brother Dorian had been smoking beside the window.

His cigarette had given off a peculiar pink smoke, so distinctive that Cassius had never encountered anything quite like it anywhere else.

And Cassius’s perception was anything but ordinary.

So if his sense of smell was telling him that the scent lingering on Esmeray at that very moment was the same as the one produced by Dorian’s cigarette... then there was a very good chance that it was true.

’How?’

Finally, Esmeray pulled away from the hug, smiling as she raised a hand to give his shoulder a playful tap, only to stop midway when she noticed Cassius’s knitted eyebrows.

"What’s wrong?" the Princess asked. "You don’t like me hugging you? Is it because of your wife? Did I make a mistake?"

"Oh, no." Isolde stepped closer to her husband, offering Esmeray a practiced smile. "Of course not. I’m pretty sure Cass is just thinking about something else, like always." Then she turned toward Cassius and took his hand. "Right, Cassius?"

The Last Born didn’t respond to his wife. Instead, he kept his attention on Esmeray, and with his head tilted slightly to one side, genuine confusion written across his face, he asked,

"Have you seen Brother Dorian lately, by any chance, Esmeray?"

The Princess’s eyes widened instantly.

Her heart skipped a dangerous beat as surprise seized her entire being, making her stagger a step backward, then another, before she could even think of controlling her reaction.

"W-What?"

—End of Chapter 486—