Boundless Cultivation
Chapter 107 - Storm Brewing

Seraphina POV

Seraphina was agitated. A silent chaos was brewing among all the noble families, but nobody openly acknowledged it.

She closed the door to her bedroom and invoked a chant of silence and illusion, before summoning her personal aide.

“Did you receive any news from her, Matilda?” she asked with concern.

“Yes, your Royal Highness. Rubina has detected the presence of other witches around Montreval,” said Matilda. “They haven’t located him yet.”

Seraphina bit on her thumb. It was a bad habit that showed itself when she was extremely frustrated. Why can’t I reach you, my child?

She had swallowed the agony of staying away from her child long ago, determined to keep him safe and far away from royal politics. For a long time, she refrained from using her powers to acquire information about Alaric - afraid of catching unwanted attention - and it had worked.

She had complete faith in Eustace that he would take proper care of Alaric, even though their son would probably have to bear the mark of a bastard for all his life.

However, when she suddenly received a system alert about Alaric, notifying her of the start of his cultivation journey, she couldn’t contain her excitement any longer.

For the past two years, she had occasionally entered Alaric’s dream world and observed him in secrecy. By 12, he had grown old enough not to suffer any potential consequences due to such an intrusion, although she had complete control over her bloodline ability.

Normally, invading the dream world of a cultivator over such a long distance would’ve been impossible. However, her blood coursed inside Alaric which forged an extremely potent connection between them through which she was able to secretly keep an eye on him.

She had dispatched her most trusted ally and bodyguard, Rubina, a tier 4 royal guard, to shield Alaric from the shadows when she sensed danger to her child.

The day her premonition turned true and Rubina had to defend Alaric from a pack of werewolves, her heart almost leaped out of her chest.

On top of that, the whole event attracted the eye of an Inquisitor. And that was very alarming news. Eliminating an Inquisitor wasn’t easy to pull off without attracting the attention of higher powers.

Damned be the consequences, she was prepared to visit Alaric and personally protect him. However, once her head cooled down, she relented, expressing her gratitude to the high-gods in the heavens.

Apparently, the Inquisitor didn’t investigate the matter officially or probe into the de Vermond family that deeply.

On further communication with Rubina, she learned that Alaric had grown up to be a very talented cultivator, and he even made a few close friends. She was proud of her child.

However, the peace didn’t last long. She discovered that the Inquisitor had expressed a keen interest in Alaric. His personal aide was keeping a close eye on Alaric.

The surprising fact was that they were keeping things under wraps for now, even from the Black Flame hunter and The Bishop. For some reason, that made her even more concerned.

Contacting Eustace directly wasn’t a risk worth taking. Besides, they had concluded that he was already aware of the situation.

Then, about a month ago, something unusual happened. Alaric had managed to detect her presence inside his dreamworld, even in her transformed form.

Moreover, he was somehow able to prevent her from accessing his dream world. No matter how much she tried, it was impossible to infiltrate his mind, even with brute force attempts.

She couldn’t figure out how that was possible. She had wondered whether Alaric had somehow awakened his royal bloodline, but that wasn’t the case. Either he possessed an extremely strong willpower or an impressive ability that allowed him to construct a potent mental shield, even while dreaming.

Normally, she wouldn't have been this agitated. However, some old clan enemies had recently reemerged. Scarface was a witch of frightening power.

She shuddered, recalling the stories she had heard as a child. The vile ancient witch had vowed to destroy any male heir to the throne, and for three generations, she had adhered to her promise.

For almost a century, no male heirs to the throne were born, and Scarface was lost to the wind, becoming a horrifying legend.

However, almost a month ago, rumors of people witnessing Scarface near the border of a small village reached her ears. How that was possible, she didn’t know. Seraphina only knew one thing - the vile witch was hunting her son.

Scarface vanished again after that incident, but known members of her malevolent clan were spotted across many villages. They had somehow learned of Alaric, but were not able to pinpoint his exact location.

Ironically, it seemed that the presence of an Inquisitor in Montreval served as a deterrent for the vile witches to investigate that city - at least for now.

Perhaps they believed that witches or the heir to the Kingdom of Eldoria wouldn’t hide in a city under the rule of a Bishop, and where an Inquisitor maintained an active presence.

Still, they were closing in, and her sense of premonition was flaring. She doubted that the Count was aware of this threat.

Alaric, why don’t you open your mind to your mother? She knew she was being unreasonable. After all, how would he recognize that it was his mother attempting to reach him?

Still, she couldn’t wait anymore. Yesterday, when she attempted to breach his dream realm, she had sensed the weakness of his form - Alaric had been seriously injure,d and she had no idea why.

“Is everything prepared?” asked Seraphina, adorning a series of gemstone-embedded rings on her hands.

“Yes, your Royal Highness,” Matilda replied with a bow.

“Good,” Seraphina said, enveloping herself in a black cloak. “We will depart before early dawn.”

She could only hope that nobody would perceive her absence - or rather, detect the presence of a duplicate - until she managed to reunite with her child.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Hang on, my son. I’m coming for you.

***

Inquisitor Dominus POV

Dominus chilled in a luxurious bathtub that easily accommodated his large frame. The soapy water enveloped his body up to his neck, his arms sprawled outside the tub and rested on the cold surface of the ceramic.

The Bishop had arranged a nice residence for him, but he especially admired the luxurious bath chamber. It had become a ritual for him to unwind in his bathtub every evening to destress from his hectic schedule.

He inhaled a puff of cigarette, before gazing through the large glass window - tinted from one side. A ring of smoke drifted from his mouth as he admired the evening sky, filled with patches of heavy, dark clouds.

The frequent flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder hinted at an upcoming storm. Flicking the ash from his cigarette, he took another long drag before dousing it in the ashtray beside his bathtub.

Just as he lifted the glass filled with red wine, he detected the presence of his personal aide, Raviel.

What is the matter now? Raviel wouldn’t have disturbed him if the matter weren’t urgent. A grunt was all the permission Raviel required before he materialized inside the bath chamber.

“Forgive my insolence, my lord,” said Raviel with a deep bow. “I’ve some urgent news that might be pertinent to that matter.”

Dominus sipped the red wine before snapping his fingers and conjuring a bubble of isolation around the entire bath chamber. If Raviel was being this cautious and urgent, it could only mean that this matter concerned Alaric or Count Eustace.

“Proceed,” said Dominus, as he slowly rose from his bathtub, dried his body with a fluffy towel, and slid into a soft, white robe.

“We’ve detected the presence of several witches in the nearby towns, and not the friendly kind,” his aide reported with a neutral tone. “Early conclusion is that they are looking for something or someone.”

That was strange indeed. If the witches hadn’t bothered to thoroughly hide their presence, that meant they were being hasty.

Could they be reinforcements for those three witches who are in the city? He immediately dismissed that idea. If these new players belonged to the same clan, they would’ve arrived straight in the city.

“And how are our friendly witches faring?” the Inquisitor asked mockingly. “Did they make any move?”

“They appear to be more agitated than usual,” offered Raviel. “In fact, they are maintaining a closer watch on the count’s estate.”

Hmmm…that is troublesome. Dominus and Raviel had discovered the presence of those three witches a long time ago, during their surveillance of Alaric.

At first, he had been very concerned when he noted that one of them was a formidable Tier 4, while the others were powerful Tier 3 witches.

It was beyond him to subdue a Tier 4 without thorough preparation or calling on the resources of higher forces in the Church. However, instead of acting hastily, he trusted his intuition and was rewarded to discover that these were the same witches who had rescued Alaric from the werewolves.

There was no other way to solve the puzzle piece. The three witches kept a thorough watch on the Count’s estate, even going as far as to monitor Alaric during his training sessions in The Whispering Woods.

And, if there had been any doubt, it was dispelled when the Tier 4 suddenly spotted them both, even through their stealth treasures. The Dao energy unleashed by the witch had matched the signature lingering at the crime scene.

Dominus and Raviel had both braced to fight to the death, but things took a turn for the better. The Tier 4 simply vanished after leaving a note which stated - “Stay out of our business and you will live.”

Everybody was aware of everybody else, and nobody had needlessly escalated matters.

Ever since then, Dominus had referred to that group as friendly. And as far as witches went, they were indeed better than most - only keeping an eye on their objective instead of slaughtering people and imprisoning their souls for nefarious purposes.

The whole incident further affirmed that he had been correct to monitor Alaric, and keep things under wraps. If the child was under the protection of a Tier 4 witch, he was either very special or had influential connections.

But he still couldn’t solve that mystery. Sure, the child had demonstrated extraordinary potential and most probably bore the blood of a witch in his veins, but so what? That didn’t entitle him to the personal protection of a Tier 4.

Not unless he hails from a high-noble family. That possibility sent a chill down his spine. But could it be possible? I have to know more.

He only wished Raviel could monitor him more closely during his training sessions, but that was impossible without alerting the count and his right-hand man. The isolation barrier completely nullified their surveillance capabilities, too.

“What’s your take on this matter, Raviel?” said Dominus. His aide possessed a sharp mind, and although Dominus had already formed a theory, he wanted to hear Raviel’s perspective.

“I suspect the new witches belong to an enemy faction,” said Raviel. “Judging by the concerned actions of our friendly witches, there is a high chance they might be looking for Alaric.”

So, you’ve arrived at the same conclusion. Dominus showed his approval with a nod before crossing his arms around his chest. We cannot leave things like this.

“What do you say we pay the friendly count a visit?” he said with a chuckle. “We’ve allowed this matter to simmer for too long. It’s time to get this sorted out.”

“Do you think that would be wise, your lordship?” asked Raviel with concern. “Things are getting too complicated now.”

Heat surged within his chest as he recalled the band of witches who had massacred his whole village, including every member of his family, when he was still a child. He had never witnessed such brutality, such carnage, and such disrespect for life before that moment.

Among all the witches, a single figure with a long gash on her face stood out. The ringleader who had committed the most atrocities and personally murdered his parents.

He was one of the few children spared that night due to his “good blood”. Fortunately, the reinforcements from the Church and a team of adventurers had arrived on time and managed to drive away the witches before they could abduct the children for their nasty ritual.

That night, Dominus had vowed to hunt down that scar-faced witch no matter how long it took and deliver justice unto her.

He had joined the Church not long after, convinced that tracking that witch would be easier with the Church’s vast resources.

It’s been over 20 years since that day, and while he had delivered justice to many vile witches, he had yet to locate that scar-faced witch again.

Dominus pulled himself out of his musing with a deep sigh. “You know very well where my allegiance lies,” he stated grimly. “For twenty years, I’ve poured my blood and sweat into the Church’s cause, and they still refuse to show me the secret records.”

He kneaded his temples before continuing, “How high must I climb before they deem me trustworthy? My patience is running thin, Raviel.”

Raviel kept silent, encouraging Dominus to vent his emotions.

“I have to find another way to locate that scar-faced witch,” he let out. “And that child is my only leverage to persuade the witches. His safety is paramount.” He had placed his trust in the Church, but wasn’t considered worthy enough by the high officials to scrutinize the secret records.

Every witching incident reported to the Church was archived as a standard practice. It facilitated follow-up investigations for both unresolved and closed cases.

These records were classified according to various levels of significance, and their access was severely restricted to Inquisitors and high-ranking officials.

Only a handful of those records were categorized as secret records, accessible only to high-inquisitors and the Church’s top echelons.

Dominus aspired to ascend to the rank of a high inquisitor one day, but that goal was a long way off and not guaranteed.

So when he discovered the mystery of Alaric, he had formed a plan. Alaric and the Count definitely had close associations to powerful witches. Perhaps one of those witches held knowledge about that scar-faced witch and could point him in the right direction.

He knew he was risking everything, including his reputation and life, by walking along this path. If the Church caught wind of his unofficial investigation, at best ,he would be dishonorably discharged or incarcerated.

At worst, he would be tortured for his association with such powerful witches. There was no guarantee that the witches would trust his intention and help him either.

It was more likely they would mislead him or outright eliminate him to cover this sensitive matter. But he had not risen to the rank of an Inquisitor by being a coward.

No pain, no gain. He chuckled.

“I have to inform you, my lord, that Alaric has turned 14,” said Raviel. “It is likely he will depart for admission into an academy before long.”

“Then we cannot waste any more time,” he said with a smile. “Prepare my gear, and assemble a squad of our most trusted black flame hunters. I have a feeling that we might need their assistance should things go wrong.”

Raviel nodded, then bowed and disappeared.

Alaric, I hope I’m not dooming myself by placing my bet on you. Dominus drank his wine in quick gulps before exiting the bath chamber. He had to make some preparations, as dealing with witches was always a pain.