Nox lay in bed, still asleep as the sun began to rise. Meimei lay beside his pillow, also sleeping, though lightly, while Veil floated lazily about.
Veil hadn't had a chance to look around the room before, so he was using this opportunity to explore the place. The ball of darkness drifted from one corner of the massive room to another, curiously investigating everything there was to see.
As Veil explored, he thought about what his Vessel had done just a few hours ago.
"'The child is weird that's for sure. To defeat Bottom Feeders or Harbingers isn't strange but a Disaster? That is something One hasn't seen before.... Especially given that the boy had had no proper training of his power before..."
Veil drifted into the bathroom. Just like the bedroom, it was massive, with white, polished tiles, an unreasonably large bathtub, a shower enclosed in glass, a toilet also enclosed in glass, and a sink. A small cabinet stood next to the sink, likely holding bathing supplies.
The large windows on the far-right wall let in the golden light of dawn, illuminating the bathroom and turning the dust particles into gold glitter. A few potted plants sat on the windowsill. Veil drifted toward the bathtub and simply lay there, inspecting its polished surface as he continued to think.
"'... Hm, perhaps it won't be long before the child will receive the Mark... That way the strain from using One's Divine Power will not be too hard... I wonder how long before One can absorb the next Fragment. The sooner the better.'"
Veil drifted toward the pots of succulents, inspected them briefly, and then floated back to Nox. He hovered over the boy, watching the peaceful expression on his young face before returning to his body.
The sun climbed higher into the sky as the household staff went about their various tasks as quietly as possible. Nox remained asleep. Meimei, however, had awakened. She stretched contentedly, even letting out a satisfied meow. After stretching, she glanced at the wall clock, looked out the window, and finally turned her attention to her Master.
'It's 9:58 AM? How is Master still asleep??'
She walked over to Nox and placed a paw on his nose.
Nox didn't react.
Meimei repeated the action, but he still didn't react. She climbed onto his chest and shifted her form slightly, growing a little larger. Nox remained asleep, though one of his eyebrows twitched. Meimei grew again, this time reaching the size of a bobcat. Nox's frown deepened as his eyes slowly opened. He opened his eyes to find Meimei's enlarged face right in front of his own as she licked his nose. Nox wheezed, "M... Meimei!"
Meimei climbed off the bed, looking smug. Nox could finally breathe. He sat up straight, only for a headache to slam into him. Immediately afterward, a cooling sensation washed over him. Nox remained dazed for a moment, but Meimei's childish voice soon brought him back to his senses.
"Master! You need to clean up so we can go for breakfast!"
Nox glanced helplessly at the gluttonous feline. He got out of bed and, with great effort, walked into the bathroom. He stepped into the shower, squeezed shampoo into his hair, and scrubbed.
After a while, he stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist and another around his hair. A cold breeze from the air conditioner raised goosebumps on his skin. He walked to the closet, opened it, and took out a pair of dark-blue cargo pants and a brown top.
"Where's my instructor?"
Meimei, who was busily grooming herself, paused.
"... Who?"
"The Beast Shifter woman with white hair and blue eyes."
Meimei thought for a moment.
" ... Oh! I sent her away! Master was asleep, and she came while you were sleeping, so I, Meimei, sent her away!"
Nox frowned as he finished dressing and slipped into a pair of dark-brown boots.
He tied his hair back and stared into the mirror. Silver eyes stared back at him, and he noticed that he wasn't as chubby as before. Hell, he'd even dare to say he was looking lean. After examining his outfit for a moment, he walked over and picked Meimei up with one arm. Surprisingly, it was easy despite her size.
He opened the door and walked out. What greeted him was a seemingly endless hallway. Nox chose a direction and set off for the dining hall. When he arrived, he looked around before turning his attention to the almost-empty long table. A food package sat on it. He picked it up and walked out.
He wandered through the estate, occasionally passing staff members who bowed when they saw him. Eventually, he made his way from the North Wing to the West Wing, which housed the library, greenhouse, and training grounds. Of the three, he surprisingly chose to visit the training grounds.
The training grounds were a huge field stocked with equipment, ranging from cold weapons such as swords and spears to firearms. Some personnel practiced archery at one end, while others fired high-caliber rifles at targets. Elsewhere, some practiced hand-to-hand combat while others sparred with swords.
When Nox strolled in, the lively scene fell silent. People stared at him with varying expressions, but Nox didn't care. He barely looked in any direction but forward. He set Meimei down and spoke aloud.
"Where's Nevia?"
Silence followed.
Then came the heavy thud of boots as the crowd parted in one area. A burly, shirtless man with a thick ginger beard wearing black pants and boots stepped forward. He looked like a tank, with a bald head and bushy eyebrows.
"A pretty boy like you wants the Second Deputy Retainer? You'd be better off going to drive around and pick up some girls!"
A few snickers rippled through the crowd. Meimei growled, and several snarls echoed from elsewhere among the onlookers. Nox raised an eyebrow as he assessed the burly man. '... A Titan Half-blood?'
Nox sighed.
"All brawn and no brains, I presume."
Silence fell for a few seconds before the burly man shouted, "You damned bastard! You think just because you're the Chairman's son you're worth shit, huh?! How dare you come here making demands?!!"
Nox opened the food package, pulled out a sausage, and fed it to Meimei. He didn't even glance at the over seven feet tall man. The veins on the burly man's shiny head bulged. 'This wretched bastard! Daring ti humiliate me?!'. He let out a roar, crouched low, and leaped into the air before descending toward Nox with one fist drawn back, clearly intending to turn Nox in jam.
"I'll teach you a lesson, you damn brat!!"
The nearby people retreated, but Nox remained calm. The shadow beneath his feet flickered as if coming to life, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.He grabbed Meimei and tossed her out of harm's way before assuming a fighting stance, looking at the descending shadow.
"Tz—"