Robert did not imdiately rise after his father's last words. His gaze lingered on the parchnts strewn across the desk, the ink stains, the calculations of resources, and the lists of nas—all testants to how fragile their clan still was. After a breath, he finally asked, voice quiet but heavy:
"Father… How many are left of us?"
The question stilled the room. John leaned back in his chair, his face unreadable for a long mont. Then he exhaled, each word edged with both pride and sorrow.
"Ninety remain. We lost ten yesterday. Good n and won who stood for the clan in difficult tis. Their children are now the clan's responsibility. This morning, I gave coins and resources to their families. It will not bring them back, but it will keep their sons and daughters fed, clothed, and trained. No one under my watch will fall into ruin for a sacrifice made in our na."
Robert's heart clenched at the number. Ninety. So few when weighed against the threats looming on the horizon. His hand tightened on the arm of his chair. "Their deaths cannot be aningless. Every step forward has to count. Which is why, Father… The first thing we need is a team for gathering information."
John raised an eyebrow. "Information?"
"Yes." Robert's tone sharpened with urgency. "We cannot fight shadows if we do not know they are coming. If we are always reacting, we will never stand a chance against clans like the Walkers. But if we can see danger ahead of ti, if we can prepare…" His voice lowered, but the conviction in it was iron. "Then no matter their strength, we can survive."
For a mont, silence hung between them, broken only by the faint scratching of a quill sowhere outside in the hall.
Finally, John's lips curved into the faintest ghost of a smile. "You are right. So then—who do you trust for this task? Spies and informants are no simple matter. One false tongue can burn an entire clan."
Robert's answer ca without hesitation. "Sai. His mind is sharp, his patience unmatched. He already reads people better than most. If we train him, he can lead such a group. And beneath him, we will build layers—disciples who can blend, listen, and return unseen."
John studied his son for a long mont, weighing the certainty in his tone. He nodded firmly and said, "Let us go with that plan. I will call a eting of the elders this afternoon, and you will present it with . Until then, begin the groundwork. When we speak later, I want proof that your idea has substance."
"Yes, Father." Robert stood, bowing slightly before turning to leave.
As he stepped into the corridor, the tension in his chest tightened rather than eased. Even with his father's support, he sensed the weight of responsibility growing increasingly pressing.
Now it was his task—not just to suggest, but to build.
He walked quickly across the courtyard, the morning sun spilling gold over the training grounds, where younger disciples were already moving in drills.
Their swords glead, their stances were uneven, but their voices carried determination. Robert's eyes scanned them all before he breathed a quiet command to his system.
"Scan the clan. Identify any disciples skilled in disguise or subtlety—those who could be trained to support Sai."
The system's response ca swiftly, crisp letters flashing across his mind:
[Three candidates found:
Scott—Body Tempering Realm, Level 9. Practicing in the eastern ground
Hayes – Body Tempering Realm, Level 9. Practicing on the eastern ground.
Coner – Body Tempering Realm, Level 9. Practicing on the eastern ground.]
The nas burned in Robert's vision before fading. Three. Only three. A fragile seed to build a foundation upon—but it was sothing.
He turned his steps toward the training grounds.
From a distance, he could see them already—Scott's broad shoulders moving with raw power as he swung a spear, Hayes crouched low with blades flashing in quick arcs, and Coner practicing footwork with quiet, disciplined focus. To most, they were ordinary disciples nearing their first breakthroughs. But Robert's system had marked them as different. He trusted that.
He lingered at the edge, watching them. The grit of effort and the clang of steel echoed in the air as sweat trickled down their faces. None of them knew yet that the weight of their clan's survival might soon fall on their shoulders.
Robert's gaze hardened. Ninety left. The Walkers stood in the shadows, observing everything from afar.
We cannot waste ti.
He stepped forward, his shadow stretching across the dirt, and three heads turned toward him almost instantly. Their expressions shifted—from surprise to awe and then to nervous respect as they realized who was watching.
"Clan heir," Scott murmured, bowing.
Robert nodded slightly, his tone even. "Go on. For now, I will watch.
They obeyed, moving back into their drills, though the strain of his presence pressed over them. Robert's eyes narrowed, his system overlaying faint markers over their forms—their strengths, their flaws, their potential.
Scott had strength but lacked subtlety. Hayes had speed, his eyes darting constantly, and an instinct for awareness. Coner moved with patience, his steps asured and careful—his discipline a rare thing.
Yes. With training, with guidance, they could beco what the clan needed.
But suspicion nagged at Robert. These three were seeds—but in the soil of the Magical City, seeds could be corrupted as easily as they could grow. Could they truly be trusted? Could Sai teach them loyalty as well as skill? Or would whisper from the Walker clan—or so other rival—bend them against Osborn roots?
He folded his arms, his thoughts a storm. For all their victory, for all their gains, he could feel it—the fragility of it all.
The Walker clan had not moved yet. But they would. And when they did, the ninety Osborns left alive would either stand tall together… or shatter under the weight of betrayal and hidden blades.
Robert's jaw tightened as he watched the three young n sweat and strain under the morning sun.
They did not yet know what roles awaited them.
But Robert did.
And he would see if they were strong enough to hold the shadows at bay.
"Co with ," Robert said at last, his tone calm but carrying enough weight that the three disciples froze mid-motion.
Scott, Hayes, and Coner glanced at each other, their foreheads damp with sweat. None dared to question. In unison, they nodded and fell into step behind him.
The training yard's chatter faded as they crossed the compound. So disciples paused, whispering as they passed. Few ever received a summons from the clan heir directly, and fewer still knew what such a call might an.
Robert ignored the stares. He slipped a hand into his spatial ring and drew out a smooth black stone etched with faint silver lines. A communication stone. Channeling a touch of spirit energy into it, he sent a ssage.
"Sai. Co to my chamber."
The stone pulsed once before he stored it away again.
By the ti Robert reached his room, the three disciples had grown restless. Their eyes road across the shelves stacked with scrolls, the faint glow of artifacts resting in the corners. Each one of them had a stiff posture, and you could feel the nervous energy flowing through their movents.
"Wait here," Robert said simply.
They obeyed, standing in silence, the tension in the air palpable.
Minutes passed. Then—
A firm knock sounded at the door.
"Enter," Robert replied.
The door opened, and Sai stepped inside. His movents were fluid and precise, and his sharp eyes imdiately swept the room before settling on Robert. He bowed low. "Young Master."
Robert inclined his head in acknowledgnt, then gestured to the three disciples. "I have a task for you. From this mont, these three will be under your charge. Scott, Hayes, and Coner's eyes widened. They had admired Sai from afar—his reputation for cunning, his unmatched ability to move unseen, and his ability to hear whispers others could not hear. For them, he was both ntor and distant legend. To be placed under him was more than they had hoped.
For a mont, happiness flickered across their faces despite their nerves.
Robert's voice cut through their thoughts. "Sai, you will teach them everything you know. How to blend in, how to listen, and how to return unseen. They will follow your orders absolutely."
Sai's gaze flicked toward the three. His eyes sharpened, studying each of them as though stripping away the surface to see the heart beneath.
Then he bowed again. "As you command. "I will prepare them, test their limits, and transform them into the individuals they need to be."
Robert stepped closer, his tone quiet but heavy with aning. "Be careful. From this point forward, your job is to collect every piece of information available in the city. If anything suspicious appears—anything at all—you report directly to . No one else."
Sai's lips curved in a thin, humorless smile. "Understood."
In a swift motion, the three disciples bowed in unison, their voices rising together. "We will follow!"
Robert held the silence for just a mont longer before he finally nodded.
"Good. Go."
They filed out, Sai leading them with quiet authority. Once again, Robert was left alone as the door closed behind them.
He sat back, exhaling slowly. The first step had been taken. But for these disciples to reach their true potential, they needed strength to survive. And strength demanded more than just training—it demanded breakthroughs.
Robert's thoughts turned inward. If they are to stand in the shadows, they must have the foundation to endure. For that, I will need pills. Spirit Awakening Pills.
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