The garden of the Furcas mansion went quiet after the intruder successfully silenced all the stationed guards. The white flowers under the moonlight blooms with blood on its tips and the blade that slayed over 30 men produces a shrilling sound amidst the deadly silence.
Known for its illegal businesses as a slave trader and seller of unverified drugs, the Furcas family receives the judgement of Leo. An underground organization that oversees the events on the continent. It punishes friend and foe and kills royal bloods without hesitation. They can convict emperors and kings and live unscathed. They stand neither as villains nor heroes. And among the Leos, the one who can kill an entire family without sweating blood is the person known as Midnight.
His pale skin complements his greyish-white hair. His eyes look like a solid crystal of ice, devoid of any emotion and on his hand, the sharpest sword lies -- a sword that can cut mountains in a single slash. He received the name Midnight as most of his killings happened at depth of the night. But the people who died in his hands learned another thing before their deaths. And that is...the man resembles the moon. With skills that are too far to reach yet have the eyes that will always look at you as if you're near. The moonlight blessed the man. It is his own spotlight on the bloody stage he enters once in a while.
Inside Leo's headquarters where he's going to report, Rigel was greeted by a familiar face.
"Rigel!" A woman with grey hair, tied in a bun hugged the man drenched in the blood of Furcas.
"I have a son," Rigel said casually, completely ignoring her coos.
The woman broke the hug and examined the face of her son who she loves dearly. "What are you saying? Are you tired?" Worried that her son had his brain messed up in some way, the woman can't hide the panic in her eyes.
"No. I have a son. You can visit him in the institution if you want to."
The woman took a step back with no words to say. Her son whom she knows to be so addicted to the study of magic is now claiming that he has a son.
"Break enchantment!," she chanted after positioning her hands on Rigel's temples.
"I am not enchanted, mother."
Reene Regulus can't believe what's happening in front of her and the things that are being spilled on her son's mouth.
"I am here to report on my job and give my resignation letter."
"Rigel!"
His mother shouted in rage and confusion when he gave the letter.
"What's the meaning of this? Son? Resignation?!" Reene can't help but shout.
Luke Regulus, who was watching their exchange from afar, approached his family.
"Dad! Look at what they've done to our child. He said he has a son. He's not married! And then this..." Reene showed the letter. "Resignation, my dear. My son will leave us for an unknown child."
Luke, who can't handle his bickering wife, hits her nape to put her to sleep.
Rigel took the letter that fell on the floor and gave it to his father quietly.
"You're old enough. I can't understand your mother who always treats you like a child," Luke said before lifting his wife in his arms. "We'll visit next week. Good work."
And just how fast his father came into the scene, he also left in a few breaths. He didn't even care to say whether he'd accept the resignation or acknowledge the child.
The next day, Rigel processed the necessary documents for Kayne with the help of the headmaster's secretary. He also took Kayne out to buy his personal things after his lecture.
He made him wear gloves that nullifies any type of magic. He personally drew enchantments on every fiber used on the gloves and balanced it to be completely neutral that will give enough mana when drained and have a enough room when imbued with mana.
"Remember to change the direction of your mana every hour," Rigel reminded him before they set out. In this way, not only the child would be mindful of his mana flow but the things that will be damaged on their trip will be minimized.
Kayne wears a hooded coat above the oversized garments he's wearing. The blue coat covers him from top to bottom and only the strands of his dark grey hair can be seen. If the person does not know their background he/she can completely believe that the child is the professor's son because of his hair that shines like a silver when being hit with sunlight.
They first stopped at a clothing store where Rigel ordered a custom uniform for Kayne. The design he picked is the one with black turtleneck paired with white trousers and white overcoat decorated with blue fabrics and gold details.
The store staff who're swayed with Rigel's wealth do not know how to treat the young master that is innocently admiring his surroundings full of shiny and sparkly things.
They also bought books and other necessities for students. Each time they pass a new store, the excitement on Kayne's face can't be measured as if he's a dog who comes out of a leash. And Rigel, satisfied with the sight, toured him more in the town.
"What are you planning to do with your hair?," Rigel asked, pointing at Kayne's long hair that covers his face when he's concentrating on his work.
"I-I'll cut it," Kayne replied meekly, which received a nod from Rigel.
The professor took out another batch of magic items for Kayne to practice on since there is no survivor on all of the contents of the first box.
"Can you read?"
Kayne bowed his head, feeling apologetic once more. He can't read nor write. He can't understand the symbols that are written on the signboards they've seen today.
Rigel took out books in his library written in different languages including elvish, dwarven and runes. "Check out if you are familiar with any of it."
Kayne scanned the books and chose the one written in runes. "I can read this."
"Can you?"
Once Kayne started reading the first rune magic written on the book, a white flame came out of the book, causing him to panic and hide in a corner, trying to make himself as small as possible.
"How did you learn to read it?" Rigel asked.
"I-I don't know."
"Then how did you do it?"
"T-there's a voice. H-he's the one saying h-how to say it."
Rigel fell silent and tried to analyze the situation. It is good that the child can understand the rune but hearing things out of nowhere sounds like bad news. He piled up the books and translated a few rune magic to the common tongue.
"Is the voice saying any weird things to you?" Rigel asked while finishing a whole page of translated phrases.
"Nothing. I-It just whispers how to say these words." Kayne pointed at the runes Rigel is writing and those that are in the book.
"I see. Let us leave like that. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you how to read and write using runes as a basis."