Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 530: Knowledge

They sent for Lucas not long after their discussion settled.

A guard moved swiftly through the encampment and found him, delivering the message without delay. Lucas did not ask questions. The tone alone was enough to tell him it was not casual.

He made his way toward the command area, his pace steady, his mind already shifting back into focus. By the time he arrived, the three rulers were already waiting, their presence alone enough to quiet the surrounding space.

Lucas stepped forward and gave a slight bow.

"My lords."

King Highmoor looked at him directly, wasting no time. "Xavier, we called for you to hear your status personally. How are the preparations for your operation progressing."

Lucas straightened, his expression composed. "They are going just fine."

The Blackmare king observed him closely, his eyes sharp, measuring not just the answer, but the man giving it.

"And your readiness," King Highmoor pressed.

Lucas met his gaze without hesitation. "We will be ready when commanded to commence the mission."

The Empress watched him in silence, her eyes narrowing just slightly, as though weighing the certainty in his voice. There was no arrogance in it, only quiet confidence.

King Highmoor held his gaze for a moment longer, then gave a small nod.

"Good," he said. "Remain Prepared."

Lucas inclined his head. "Understood."

No more was said.

Nothing more was needed.

Lucas turned to leave once he had been dismissed, his steps steady as he moved toward the exit of the command area. He had barely crossed the threshold when a voice called out behind him.

"Xavier."

Lucas stopped and turned.

The King of Blackmare was already watching him, his expression composed but intent.

"You seem to have forgotten," he said. "I mentioned during my last visit that I wished to speak with you."

Lucas inclined his head slightly. "I remember."

"Then come," the king said without hesitation. "We will speak now."

There was no request in his tone, only expectation.

Lucas gave a small nod. "As you wish."

The two of them walked together, moving away from the central command area and further out toward the quieter edges of the encampment. The noise of soldiers and preparations gradually softened behind them until they reached a point where conversation could be held without interruption.

The Blackmare king slowed his pace, then stopped entirely, turning to face Lucas.

"I have heard a great deal about you," he said. "Not just your role in this war, but your... capabilities."

Lucas remained still, his expression neutral. "Capabilities can mean many things."

The king’s eyes narrowed slightly. "I am referring to your alchemy."

That brought a brief pause.

Lucas met his gaze calmly. "What about it."

The Blackmare king studied him closely. "Reports say you are not simply skilled. They say your methods are... unconventional. Efficient. Beyond what is normally taught."

Lucas did not confirm it.

He did not deny it either.

The king continued, "Blackmare has its own alchemists. Talented, experienced, loyal. But talent alone does not mean they have reached their peak."

He took a step closer, his tone lowering slightly.

"I would like you to visit them," he said. "Observe their work. And give them pointers."

There was no attempt to disguise the request.

Lucas considered him for a brief moment, then gave a slight nod. "That is not a problem."

The answer came easily.

But then he added, just as calmly, "What is in it for me."

The question was direct.

No hesitation.

No politeness layered over it.

The Blackmare king did not seem offended. If anything, he expected it.

A faint smile touched his lips. "Straight to the point."

Lucas said nothing.

"We will discuss that," the king continued, "when the time is right."

Lucas held his gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Very well."

The agreement was not sealed, but acknowledged.

A brief silence followed, but Lucas did not turn to leave yet.

Instead, he spoke again.

"If you are serious about strengthening your position," he said, "then alchemy is not the only area you should focus on."

The king’s attention sharpened. "Go on."

Lucas’s tone remained steady. "Your capital’s defenses. They are strong, but not unbreakable. Especially against what we are facing now."

The Blackmare king’s expression shifted slightly, interest replacing neutrality.

"What are you suggesting," he asked.

Lucas met his gaze. "Send for your chief of defense."

A pause.

"I will give him a few pointers," Lucas continued. "Ways to reinforce what you already have. Adjustments that could make a difference if your capital is ever directly targeted."

The king studied him closely, weighing both the offer and the confidence behind it.

Then he nodded.

"You are offering this freely," he said.

"For now," Lucas replied.

That answer drew a quiet, approving look from the king.

"You think ahead," he said.

Lucas did not respond.

The Blackmare king exhaled slowly, then gave a firm nod. "I will have him brought to you."

There was a moment of silence before he added, more sincerely, "You have my gratitude."

Lucas inclined his head slightly. "Make use of it."

The king gave a faint smile at that, clearly understanding what kind of man stood before him.

Not just a cultivator.

Not just an alchemist.

But someone who saw beyond the immediate battlefield.

And that, more than anything else, was valuable.

As Lucas walked back toward the heart of the encampment, the conversation with the King of Blackmare lingered in his mind, not because of the promise of reward, but because of what had been asked of him.

Alchemy.

It had been a while.

The war had not allowed for stillness, and alchemy demanded exactly that. Precision, patience, control over variables that could not be rushed. None of those things aligned with constant movement, sudden battles, and shifting fronts. Every day had been spent adapting, fighting, planning, surviving.

There had been no time to sit, refine, experiment.

No time to practice.

Yet as the thought settled, Lucas did not feel uncertainty.

He felt clarity.

Because nothing had been lost.

The knowledge was still there, intact and unshaken, stored in the depths of his mind as vividly as the day he had learned it. Every formula, every reaction, every subtle adjustment that separated failure from perfection remained accessible to him.

That was the advantage he carried.

Others needed repetition to retain mastery.

He only needed recall.

Lucas slowed slightly as he walked, his gaze unfocused for a brief moment as fragments of alchemical processes surfaced naturally. Ratios, heat control, infusion timing, the delicate balance between opposing energies, all of it flowed back into place without resistance.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.

If anything, the time away had sharpened his perspective. War had forced him to think differently, to see patterns in chaos, to act with efficiency under pressure. Those instincts would translate.

Alchemy was not separate from that.

It was another form of control.

Another form of dominance.

He exhaled quietly, his focus returning fully to the present.

When the time came to stand before Blackmare’s alchemists, he would not be relearning anything.

He would simply be reminding himself of what he already knew. That’s the perks of having knowledge that is greater than this era.