Shadow Slave

The woman had no trouble passing the security checkpoint.

Just like that, Mordret entered the stronghold of the great and powerful clan Valor.

His birthplace.

It felt fascinating to come back here. Mordret did not exactly consider this place his home, but he remembered it well. Not from when he had lived here during early childhood, but from the time he spent here right after coming back from the Dream Realm.

He had been twelve... or was it thirteen?... and already an Awakened. Reaching Bastion first, and then coming to this beautiful place. Everything in the waking world had felt soft, but his return... Was not at all like he had imagined.

As memories flashed in his mind, Mordret felt a dark, suffocating emotion rise from the depths of his soul.

'Now is not the time.'

Infiltrating the stronghold was already a risk. He could not allow himself to act rashly... his family were no fools. They had safeguards in place to detect him, and it had taken a lot of effort to make this moment possible.

If there was one thing Mordret was good at, it was remaining cold and calculating.

So, no matter how much he wanted to let go, he had to hold himself back.

These people were not his enemies, anyway. They were just servants... the masters were safely hidden away behind much more impenetrable defenses.

The child and the woman he had been observing for the past couple of weeks were not random people, of course. They were the son and the wife of an Awakened retainer of the great clan Valor. Usually, a family like that would have resided within the fortress itself, but with the warrior spending most of his time in the Dream Realm, the woman wanted to live closer to her family.

That was a vulnerability which Mordret had planned to exploit.

And now, he was inside the complex, hiding in the woman's eyes as she hurried to meet her husband.

training grounds, and parks. The stronghold was

facade, however,

clan Valor was preparing for

about that. All she worried about

Mordret was touched.

for her partner... she is just full of affection,

family, he couldn't help but feel a little

were stationed in heavily defended rooms. There were some living quarters, as well, and that was

joy. A bright smile appeared on the man's

"You're here!"

wasting any time, they

but also a lot of duties. Awakened retainers had to spend long months in the Dream Realm, protecting Bastion or one of the other Citadels under

they did

Dream Realm was the Dream Realm. No one was

not a surprise that the woman's life was full of fear and

'Poor thing...'

the Awakened had just returned to the waking world, he was not coming home. Instead, he was preparing to embark on a new

listened with a faint

if I can distinguish myself in front of them, then even receiving the support of the elders to become a Knight won't be out of the question! You know that I am well-respected among the men... all I need is one last push. Can you imagine how our lives will change if I Ascend? I won't be

woman smiled, but Mordret could

though, not wanting

course. Just... be careful, okay? I

The man smiled.

to those pitiful dogs? The people serving the government can

Mordret was delighted.