The Bookkeeper
Chapter 82: Bloodline Ritual 3

Chapter 82: Bloodline Ritual 3

Raiden barely had time to celebrate the peaceful zone Aeris’s words had granted him. The next morning—supposedly fateful—he found himself summoned to the palace’s courtroom by the high court.

Everything seemed usual with the six elders occupying their respective seats and the king maintaining the highest one among them, but two unfamiliar faces stood beside Raiden: a boy and a girl.

The boy had deep, glowing red eyes and rich brown skin, with dark purple, voluminous curly hair styled back with some strands falling forward. The sides were shaved and graying, showing refinement.

He was dressed in a deep maroon, double-breasted waistcoat with his white shirt sleeves rolled up to nearly his elbows, completed by an elegant black cape draped over his shoulders and various golden jewelry adorning his ears, hands, and neck, along with a black glove.

He smiled calmly and confidently, radiating warmth in his golden aura.

The girl, however, looked detached, confident, and a bit confrontational.

She had pale skin with a soft but cold undertone. Her hair was short, a tousled black bob with hints of deep teal at the ends, especially near the neck. She had violet eyes with a piercing, disinterested gaze.

Everything about her spoke of attitude, considering the choker-like cross pendant tattoo across her neck and the cigarette in her mouth. She was undoubtedly rebellious.

Despite her rebellious nature, she wore a glossy black high-collared robe that appeared to be made of leather or something slick, covering her crest, but her golden aura gave it away.

Raiden stood there with his face twitching in irritation, as neither of the two appreciated his presence. Not even a glance. But he braced himself; maybe King Hannes had good news for him.

Before long, the king spoke up. "Thank you for coming, Bookkeeper."

Raiden smirked as finally the two glanced toward him, but the girl’s stare was one of disgust, making his cocky expression become forced.

"Before we go into the matters of the day," King Hannes said with a steady tone. "Those beside you are the Guardians of Silence. Noelle Ardit, the current rulekeeper of the Kingdom of Aurelia—so she is technically the bookkeeper."

He gestured toward the man. "This also is MK, the rulekeeper’s personal guardian."

Raiden let out a sigh as he finally understood why the girl was so prideful.

King Hannes braced himself. "These two just delivered shocking news concerning the book of silence."

He drew a measured breath, expecting his revelation to land like a blow, but Raiden’s expression didn’t shift. The man already possessed every detail.

"The book of silence has been stolen alongside the previous rulekeeper, who was Noelle’s mother."

Raiden donned a mask of shock, his voice rising with calculated disbelief. "How? We won the war—how could this happen?"

King Hannes shook his head, weighted by silent grief. "How this came to be is beyond us, but the FIRMO assassins are out there—and you’re clearly their next target."

Noelle glanced at Raiden as she adjusted her cigarette. Raiden narrowed his eyes, his facade cracking as he gestured toward her.

"Is she seriously going to smoke in front of you?" he asked King Hannes.

MK leaned forward slightly, his gaze shifting to Raiden. "Forgive me if my lady’s actions seem inappropriate, bookkeeper," he said with measured politeness.

"This is actually a traditional herb from our kingdom—aether. It helps stabilize mana flow and is quite common among our people."

Raiden’s gaze shifted between Noelle and MK, puzzled by the dynamic. Did MK always speak for her? She hadn’t said a word in her own defense.

Hannes made a brief sound to command attention. "Given that our book is now the sole surviving copy, the rulekeeper and her guardian shall serve under your protection to keep it from falling into enemy hands."

Raiden’s lips parted in disbelief. Given Noelle’s attitude, he could already envision the chaos ahead. He would have much rather dealt with Alora—at least she wouldn’t push him to the point of murder.

But scanning the expectant faces around him, he realized negotiation was impossible unless he came clean about the assassins. And he wasn’t prepared for that conversation.

But then a smile flickered across his lips. This tragedy was exactly the opening he needed to insist on his real agenda—the bloodline ritual.

His face changed in a heartbeat, adopting an expression of sorrowful appreciation. "I’m deeply grateful for your assistance, rulekeeper."

"The pleasure is ours, bookkeeper," MK said, even as Noelle kept her eyes deliberately turned away.

Raiden’s fist clenched in frustration, but he managed a strained laugh. "Now, King Hannes," he said, his tone shifting to something more grave.

"This is exactly what I was referring to. Even what I thought was peace turned out to be an illusion."

He held Hannes’ gaze steadily. "We can’t put off the bloodline ritual any longer. If death comes for me, let it be while doing my duty, with the knowledge that all is well, not while my enemies laugh over my failure."

His voice turned ice-cold, causing Noelle to glance up in surprise. "This is the only way you can honor my family. Otherwise, you’ve failed as a kingdom."

The elders made their displeasure with Raiden’s words clear, though King Hannes quickly motioned for silence.

"I can see your words come from the heart—they mirror my own thoughts when I first learned of our situation." He paused as Raiden tensed, waiting for what would come next.

"If I can’t break the rules as king to make my kingdom stronger, then I’m just a puppet controlled by the throne."

Raiden’s pulse quickened with barely contained excitement.

"This is why I’ve made the decision to proceed with the ritual without the public’s knowledge and tell them once it’s done."

Raiden breathed a sigh of relief, already envisioning the peaceful life ahead. But then he remembered Noelle would be staying with him, and his expression soured.

King Hannes motioned to two elders, and they quickly approached with a jar of ashes, beginning to trace a magic circle on the floor in front of Raiden.

Once the circle was complete, the elders motioned for Raiden to step inside, which he did. They placed a blade, a seal, and a paper bearing the oath into his hands. King Hannes stood, prompting the other elders to rise as well.

"Read it aloud, Raiden Night," Hannes commanded, and Raiden nodded solemnly.

Raiden drew in a steadying breath.

"I, Raiden Night, sovereign of my blood and bearer of its legacy,

do bind all who descend from me to the sacred duty of the bookkeeper.

By my will, let this charge pass from parent to child,

unyielding through the ages, until the end of our line or the end of the task.

So let it be remembered. So let it be done."

As soon as he finished reading, King Hannes nodded. Raiden sliced his palm with the blade, bloodied the seal, and let it fall into the magic circle. Flames erupted immediately, engulfing both the seal and the circle.

But Raiden had to stay inside the circle as blue fire consumed it around him, enduring until nothing remained but ash.

The elders motioned for Raiden to offer his hand for treatment, but his regeneration had already sealed the wound. Since exposing his abilities would cause complications, he took the bandage they offered and wrapped his palm himself.

"Everything is complete now... the Dawnbringers won’t have grounds to target you anymore."

Raiden felt genuinely grateful—they had shown him a path to peace, after all.

"Thank you," he said, inclining his head with a slight smile.

Hannes nodded in acknowledgment, still standing with the elders.

"Now go and protect our kingdom. The fate of this world rests on you," he declared. "Ask for whatever you need—the rulekeeper has already declined having knights for protection."

Raiden looked at her with approval. That was a clever decision, and he started to think she might not be so bad to have around after all.

"Now make this world proud."

Raiden stayed where he was, rubbing his bandaged palm, while Noelle stood quietly with the aether between her lips.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," MK said, bowing respectfully.

"You may go to the hideout now," King Hannes said, and Noelle and MK took their leave without delay.

Raiden remained where he was, his expression unreadable, wondering whether they knew the location of the teleportation portal to the hideout.

After a moment, he sighed and started after them. Now he had two options: retrieve Leo and Levi, or burn down the Dawnbringers’ headquarters.