[Name: Roy Zoldyck]
[Constitution: 23.75 (Note: Normal person = 1)]
[Remaining "Life Energy": 31]
Night fell. Neon lights illuminated the darkness, and the streets bustled with traffic.
After finishing his training, Roy sat at the dining table in a bathrobe, eating dinner. Gotoh sat beside him, having returned with Kastro after buying tickets. Tonight's dinner was lobster baked with cheese, a whole roasted chicken with thin pancakes, and a liter of fresh milk. Kastro had been sent back to his own room. They would meet up tomorrow morning before boarding.
Gotoh served Roy's meal, then began packing luggage while reporting what he'd learned. "After Harrison's death, no one will dare challenge the young master in the short term. The airship ticket is set for 10 AM tomorrow. I've already notified reception and booked a driver. Luke has also arranged to retrieve the luggage we left at the airport."
Gotoh pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. "Additionally, we encountered Young Master Illumi at the airport. He was giving Kastro strange looks. I suspect..."
"The test has just begun." Roy interrupted Gotoh, using his knife and fork to carve the roasted chicken, saying casually, "Don't worry about it. Consider it a necessary trial for Kastro becoming an intern butler."
So many dream of entering the Zoldyck family. With just words and kowtowing, how could he prove himself to others?
"Yes." Gotoh felt reassured, continuing. "The estate called this morning asking when the young master returns. I've already reported your return date."
Gotoh paused, watching Roy carefully. "Luke said he'll respectfully await the young master's return in the training room."
With an electric baton, waiting respectfully at home? Roy recalled Luke blocking the door when he'd left home, conveying Silva's orders. He picked out a tender piece of chicken breast and placed it in his mouth. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.
"Tell him to get a higher-powered electric baton. One million volts—too low."
'Is the young master holding a grudge against the master?' Gotoh responded reluctantly, despite his concern. "Yes."
He immediately pulled out his phone to notify Luke.
"This... I can't decide..." Luke received the late-night call, flustered and at a loss. He felt trapped between two impossible choices. Either choice meant death. He couldn't win either way. He simply passed the decision up to Silva.
The moon hung at its zenith. Silva opened the door, wrapped in a blanket. Kikyo lay sound asleep on the large bed behind him. A white leg hung down from the bed's edge. Luke quickly lowered his head and explained the situation.
Silva gazed through the corridor's glass window at the dark night, listening quietly. Beside him, Luke bent lower, cold sweat streaming down his back after finishing his report.
"How many days has he been away?"
After a long while, Silva suddenly spoke. Luke organized his thoughts, replying respectfully, "Four days. Including tomorrow, five days."
"Five days..." Silva fell silent. After a moment: "Do as he says."
"Yes." Luke bowed and withdrew. The door closed. A small hand traced along Silva's burly chest again, lazily asking, "Who?"
Silva said nothing, grabbed the woman's arm, skillfully pressed her against the door, and thrust forward.
That night shattered the ancient castle's silence.
In a dimly lit room, Zeno rocked in his chair, listening to the TV, tapping the armrest with satisfaction as he grinned.
"Half an hour plus... not bad, better than last time."
Old people see through everything. Keeping a family together was all about legacy. Having more children was good. Unlike Zeno, unlike Zigg, unlike himself, Maha, who'd only had one child. So Silva was promising. The old man thought of Milluki, thought of Illumi, and finally recalled the young man who bowed to him each morning as he passed by. Thinking back, several days have passed since eating his cooking.
"Mm... when's that Roy kid coming back... right... tomorrow... tomorrow's a good day..."
Drowsily, Maha muttered to himself, his voice growing smaller until faint snoring began.
"Young master, I checked the weather forecast. Tomorrow's a good day. Sleep early."
Night deepened. Gotoh finished packing luggage, turned off the lights, and then lay down on the nearby sofa. One floor away, a young man huddled in a barrel in darkness, hugging his knees, only his hollow eyes visible, firmly locked on room nine across the hall, waiting for the lights to turn off.
In room nine, Kastro finished calling his master, packing his luggage alone. He suddenly stopped, pondering whether, as an intern butler, he should wish the young master goodnight.
He got his answer: Roy's faint snoring, hands folded on his chest, rising and falling with his breathing.
"Hiss~ ah..."
A colorful tunnel stretched out beneath his feet. Beyond it lay the familiar ocean. In his deep sleep, Roy rolled up his pants as usual and entered the cognitive world. After spending some time by the sea, he reached out and pushed open the Demon Slayer door.
The familiar falling sensation came. When he opened his eyes again, he couldn't see Makomo's beautiful, large eyes. Curious, he got up and looked around.
He found Makomo in the kitchen, crouching beside Sakonji Urokodaki, watching him handle a fresh river fish.
"We are having fish for breakfast this morning."
Sakonji Urokodaki heard movement behind without turning his head. His kitchen knife sliced sashimi rhythmically, making Makomo's mouth water.
"Master treats Eiichiro too well. Instead of sleeping, he went to the river in the middle of the night to catch fish for him. Hey, Sabito, I'm jealous."
The little girl pouted, puffing out her cheeks. The fox-masked young man leaning against the beam glanced over, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Genius deserves special treatment. If you and I, while we were alive, could reach Eiichiro's level, Master would want to catch fish for us daily."
"Hehe, I'll tell you a secret—Master also caught fish for me~"
Makomo pulled down one eyelid, making a face at Sabito. Sabito let out a soft sigh, smiling despite himself as he glared at her. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Roy strolling over, mimicking his posture by leaning against the beam, silently watching Sakonji Urokodaki busy in the kitchen. After a good while, Roy spoke up, "Master, where is your limit?"
Seeing Biscuit's training regimen reminded Roy of Netero's past. Netero also performed 10,000 prayer punches daily, with one stipulation: he had to complete them within one hour. By this calculation, if he eliminated the pauses between prayers and maintained that pace, his daily punch count could conservatively reach one hundred thousand!
Sakonji Urokodaki faced away from Roy. His ears twitched, but he didn't answer.
Roy smiled, explaining, "I just want to know what level swordsmanship reaches at its deepest."
This time, Sakonji Urokodaki turned around, looking at him seriously, holding the freshly sliced sashimi in his hands.
"There's no deepest, only deeper."