Chapter 242: The Progenitor's Agent
The sudden noise caused Aiden to instinctively pause. He looked at Kyle with some surprise; from this angle, he couldn't see Kyle's expression. At first, he thought Kyle had simply dropped the cup by accident, but when Kyle slowly turned around, Aiden noticed he seemed to be gripping two broken pieces of the teacup handle—apparently it "accidentally" crushed in his hand.
"Oh dear, thankfully the coffee wasn't poured yet," Kyle said, a fixed smile on his face as he tossed the fragments into the trash bin. "You were saying... someone attempted a jailbreak?"
"Seems you do care about your sister after all," Aiden glanced impassively at the ignored shards on the floor.
"Let's stick to the main topic, please," Kyle's smile gained a certain intensity.
"Alright." Aiden then briefly explained the events of the previous day to Kyle, omitting only the part where the Countess was nearly silenced. Abigail had said the Blood Progenitor was once close to becoming the Dominator of the Death authority; Aiden wasn't sure if Kyle, who claimed to serve the Progenitor, knew about divine word. The process of saving the Countess involved his own divine word, something he couldn't casually reveal.
"They actually targeted that foolish girl... In hindsight, maybe it's fortunate she committed a crime and got locked up, otherwise..." Kyle seemed to calm down somewhat after hearing the account. He looked Aiden directly in the eye again, then lowered his head slightly. "Thanks to you resolving the situation promptly, Warden. Allow me to express my gratitude."
"Just doing my duty," Aiden replied calmly. "I notified the Inquisition right after it happened and asked them to increase patrols around the prison. This time, we were lucky the perpetrator happened to grab our strongest guard. Otherwise, things could have gotten troublesome." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel✦fire.net
According to the Countess herself, her initial target had actually been Aiden. It was only because Aiden had become wary that she chose Veronica who was standing nearby.
"I suspect the other party has already confirmed your arrival in the city. The purpose of the jailbreak... was likely to threaten you," Aiden said slowly.
"My thoughts exactly," Kyle agreed nonchalantly. "Unlike those sneaky types, I appeared in this city openly. By Staying just a couple of days is enough for the news 'there's a blood-kin here' to spread. Besides, I've been making inquiries everywhere since I arrived. It would be hard not to notice me."
And you're blatantly hiring models for photoshoots here, probably also a way to blend in, Aiden thought. But he didn't voice the sarcastic remark, continuing with the main topic: "Actually, that's precisely what I came to ask about."
"Meaning?" Kyle didn't understand.
"I got some information from the captured Countess. First, the supervisor who forced her into the jailbreak attempt can dematerialize his body. His lineage is at least Duke level or higher."
"That's certain. After all, he can command a Countess-level blood-kin."
"Second, she said he possesses a special ability. Merely through physical contact, he can instantly cause death—effective not only against ordinary humans but also against blood-kin," Aiden said, looking directly into Kyle's eyes.
He then observed Kyle's gaze sharpen noticeably.
"Just as I thought," Kyle's expression turned serious. "That person received the 'God of Death's' grace, just like those cultists."
Aiden realized Kyle had some concept of the power wielded by the God of Death's agent, though he still couldn't be sure if Kyle knew about divine utterances.
"Honestly, I'm a bit puzzled," Aiden brought up the main point. "For this person to think of using Ophelia to threaten you, he must have already identified you. His lineage isn't low, and he has such a special ability. Logically speaking... shouldn't he have just come after you directly to take your life?"
"Well..." Kyle hesitated.
Kyle had been near Rose Iron Prison when the Agent visited the hidden Viscount in the Upper District, and he had interacted with both Veronica and Abigail. The possibility of Kyle being the Agent himself was very low. So far, all the information Kyle provided had been verifiable, so Aiden tentatively believed Kyle was telling him the truth. But telling the truth didn't necessarily mean telling the whole truth.
"I get the feeling the Agent seems somewhat wary of you, hence trying this kind of method," Aiden pressed while the topic was hot. "Could it be you already knew the enemy possessed a special ability granted by the 'God of Death'? Are you hiding something from me?"
After several seconds of silence, Kyle sighed. "Alright, alright, it seems I can't hide this from you. And since you helped stop that bastard's jailbreak attempt, I might as well tell you."
His expression became serious, and he lowered his voice. "Actually, I carry a 'grace' bestowed upon me by the Progenitor. If that person is the God of Death's agent, then I am the Progenitor's agent. His contact-based killing ability... is likely ineffective against me."
"'Grace'? What kind of grace?" Aiden's eyes widened slightly. "Did you drink the Progenitor's blood?" It sounded like Kyle might be immune to the Agent's "Reaping" power.
"No, it's a grace of a higher order than that," Kyle wagged a finger. "My body has fused with a fragment of the Progenitor's heart. The Progenitor shared a part of his own 'immortality' with me."
Fused with a heart fragment... Aiden immediately recognized the similarity to how Abigail had fused her finger with his body, much closer than the Agent making the Countess drink his blood. Logically, the Progenitor should be at least a Saint of the 'Death' authority in terms of divine utterances. From Kyle's words, it seemed the Progenitor had passed the "Undying" power to him.
"Meaning, like the Progenitor, you can't die even if burned to ash?" Aiden pointed at Kyle.
"It doesn't reach that exaggerated level, but it's not far off," Kyle shrugged. "Other blood-kin die if their heart is completely destroyed, but I have no vital points. Of course, it just means I can't die. If I suffer severe injuries and don't get blood replenishment, the wounds won't heal."
"Sounds like your Progenitor treats you quite well. Are you his biological son?" Aiden asked.
"No. I am his dog, his most loyal hound," Kyle quirked his lips in a somewhat self-deprecating smile. "He trusts me relatively well because I am absolutely incapable of betraying him."