Heir Of The Supreme
Chapter 68: Home Tutor Bodyguard Blaine! (1)

Chapter 68: Home Tutor Bodyguard Blaine! (1)

A fire glowed softly, its flickering light casting dancing shadows against the dimly lit cave floor.

The rhythmic crackling of the flames was nearly drowned out by the rush of the nearby river, its rapids surging against jagged rocks.

On the embers, a slab of meat sizzled, its pink flesh darkening to a rich, golden brown.

Fat dripped into the fire, sending up fragrant wisps of smoke and filling the campgrounds with a pleasant aroma.

Lifting the cooked meal carefully, Blaine wordlessly handed it to Cecelia.

The princess accepted it, her stomach twisting with hunger as she gazed down at the steaming cut.

Without proper tableware to eat with, the two youths resorted to washing flat river stones and using them as makeshift plates.

It was a crude solution, but they didn’t really have much of an option.

A trickle of drool escaped the corner of Cecelia’s mouth as her grip tightened on the dagger she held.

As soon as she cut into the meat, rich and tantalizing juices spilled forth.

It was almost absurd. Despite the lack of spices and the primitive conditions, Blaine had somehow managed to create something that smelled like it belonged in the imperial palace’s dining hall.

Unable to hold herself back any longer, Cecelia brought a slice to her lips and took a bite.

Instantly, her eyes widened in surprise.

From the look and smell, she knew it would taste good, but it was better than she had expected. No, it was far better.

The meat was tender, the taste bold yet refined, carrying the faintest hint of charred crispness from the open flame. The absence of seasoning should have made it bland, yet somehow, it was anything but.

Cecelia’s chewing slowed as a thought struck her—if Blaine could make this with nothing but a makeshift fire, how good were his dishes when he was given the chance to properly work his magic?

Her stomach twisted again, this time not with hunger but with regret.

Suddenly, Cecelia wanted to go back in time to curse her earlier self. Why had she declined something like this in the past?

Pride of a princess? What a joke!

She had no right to claim such a thing after how she treated Blaine.

But there was no medicine for regret. The past was the past, and if Cecelia wanted to taste a proper meal from Blaine’s hands, they needed to make it back home safely first.

While Cecelia lost herself in thought, Blaine worked in silence, methodically searing another portion of meat over the fire.

After he poisoned the long-eared monster, he quickly stripped its meat before it could thoroughly saturate with poison.

Unfortunately, the creature’s stomach was too risky to eat, considering that was where most of the toxins would have concentrated. Still, the rest of its body was on the menu.

Even if a bit of the analgesic agent seeped in, it wouldn’t be at a strong enough concentration to be a real threat.

Unlike the Rank 2 Unknown, who had enhanced its entire body with mana, including its stomach lining, Rank 1’s couldn’t do the same.

Blaine had initially believed that the long-eared creature would be a Rank 2, like the one they met earlier, but luckily this one wasn’t.

Even among members of the same species, individual monsters had varying levels of strength.

This made sense, too. While Blaine had been encountering a disproportionately large number of Rank 2s these days, they were, in fact, the minority.

If the world was filled with that many Rank 2s, humanity would have perished long ago.

After he put the monster out of its misery, he immediately began work on it.

Since Cecelia had effectively banned him from fishing... A prohibition that Blaine had only agreed to on the surface, he might as well do the other thing he found pleasure in.

Cooking.

His movements were precise and practiced. Blaine didn’t just have the efficiency of a soldier, but he was someone who displayed genuine care at every step of the process.

It was almost hypnotic to watch.

Blaine didn’t know why, but Cecelia stared at him with visible wariness for most of the process.

A deep unease had twisted in her gut as she observed, half-expecting the meat to shift and sprout some grotesque appendage at any moment, like some kind of eldritch horror.

However, he didn’t let her distract him. Blaine was a master of his craft, someone who wouldn’t lose his focus even in the most tense of conditions.

Cecelia had experienced another panic attack when she saw Blaine pull off his earlier stunt.

If the Darkness Monster was nearby, it would most certainly have a noise of that magnitude. His whole plan was borderline suicidal at best, even if it worked out without a hitch.

The young Lionheart’s actions were far too crazy for a sane person like herself to understand.

Ignoring Cecelia’s grievances, Blaine finished grilling his own meal, and he greedily devoured it in a fashion worthy of the beast behind his family’s name.

His prior diet of MREs had left him with a horrible memory.

While Blaine was able to somehow force it down his throat without revealing his revulsion, he most certainly didn’t enjoy it.

However, he didn’t feel like making food earlier after hearing the corpse’s ominous words.

(’You will lose them... Fail to protect them... Just like us... Soon... They will join me... And the others... All people you let die... Watch... As history repeats itself again...’)

Sadly enough, the chilling prophecy had somewhat come true.

Rick was dead, and Blaine had no idea what happened to the others or even if they were still alive.

As for Cecelia and himself, it wouldn’t be strange if they died from a surprise attack at any time.

With his mana reserves just starting to replenish themselves, Blaine could only rely on his one good arm to defend them.

Fortunately, there was one positive thing about their whole situation.

Cecelia had somehow gained the ability to use mana.

While Blaine initially assumed that she was hiding her power for some reason, her surprise was genuine.

Well... Regardless of whether Cecelia was faking her reactions or not, she was able to at least use mana. Even if it was just a sliver of the amount Blaine could.

Unfortunately, though, this didn’t mean that she was capable of fighting alongside Blaine.

Unlike the auburn-haired youth, she lacked the skills necessary to efficiently kill her foes.

As much as holding a dagger caused her hands to shake uncontrollably.

While Cecelia had trained somewhat in fighting, her proficiency was nowhere near the level required of her.

Feeling Blaine’s gaze fall on her, Cecelia also tilted her head in his direction.

Cecelia chewed slower, her gaze flickering to his bandaged wound.

Blaine’s expression betrayed nothing but the subtle way he shifted when he moved and the near-imperceptible tension in his shoulders... It was clear he was still in pain.

The wound he had taken for her was not something that could be ignored, and yet, he carried on as though it barely existed.

For all Blaine’s skill, for all his strength... He wasn’t invincible.

Cecelia had told him that herself earlier.

Setting down her meal, Cecelia’s mind was preoccupied with something far more pressing. As various thoughts ran through, her grip on the dagger tightened.

She had spent her entire life relying on others to protect her and to fight in her place.

Yet here, in this brutal wilderness, with only Blaine at her side... How much longer could she afford to remain useless?

She could still feel the helplessness from before, the way her body had frozen as death loomed before her.

That powerlessness... That weakness...

She couldn’t bear it anymore.

Her face was conflicted, as if in the midst of an important personal decision.

Blaine’s gaze flicked to her as she shifted, but he said nothing, merely watching in silence as she seemed to steel herself for something.

Cecelia inhaled deeply and exhaled, clearing her mind of hesitation. She closed her eyes briefly before finally gathering the courage to speak.

"Sir Blaine..."

Though remaining outwardly impassive, Blaine’s attention sharpened.

"...I have a favour to ask of you."

Blaine said nothing, merely allowing her to continue.

Cecelia glanced down at the dagger in her hand, then back to Blaine. The weight of her next words settled over her, but she pushed forward anyway.

"I... I want you to train me. Please teach me how to fight."

The fire crackled between them, casting long shadows in the quiet, cavernous expanse.

For the first time in her life, Cecelia felt like she was taking her first real step forward.