Aesop stepped closer, his fingers lightly brushing against the glowing blue lines etched on Nikos’ skin. His expression, once calm, turned intense, as if he were studying a rare artifact. “Your aura veins… they’re extraordinary. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Boy, tell me, what is your ability? And… what blessing were you given?”

Nikos couldn’t help but laughed as Aesop’s fingers traced the glowing lines on his skin, the sensation tickling him slightly. “Haha… sorry, that tickles a bit,” he said, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Well, as for my ability, I can fully control on metals.”

Aesop’s eyebrows rose slightly at this, but before he could respond, Nikos continued, his voice lowering as if to share a secret. “And the blessings? Well, I actually have two.”

Aesop’s hand froze in midair, and his eyes widened in shock. His voice, usually steady and composed, came out in a strained whisper. “Two blessings?!” He blinked, as though trying to comprehend the enormity of what he had just heard. “Is that... even possible? No one has ever had more than one blessing before—well, except Heracles, of course.”

Alexander, who had been watching the exchange in silence, stepped forward with measured grace. His hand rested firmly on Nikos’ shoulder. “Yes, that’s right,” Alexander said. “In all of history, no one has ever possessed more than one blessing—except Heracles, of course. But my son,” he tightened his grip on Nikos’ shoulder, “my son is the exception.”

Aesop’s shock lingered, his eyes locked on Nikos, the weight of the revelation slowly sinking in. He muttered, almost to himself, “If this is true…” He paused before straightening his posture, his voice regaining its strength. “Alright. You claim he has two blessings? Prove it.”

With a confident smile, Alexander nodded. “As you wish.” His hand gently patted Nikos’ shoulder. “Let’s show them, son.”

Nikos responded with a nod. At Alexander’s signal, one of the servants hurriedly fetched two swords and handed them over. Both Alexander and Nikos moved to an open space, their movements synchronized as if they had rehearsed this countless times.

Alexander’s voice rang out clearly, cutting through the tension in the air. “Watch closely. What you’re about to witness today will be etched into history.”

Alexander and Nikos stood fifteen meters apart. Nikos adjusted his stance, his eyes narrowing in focus as he channeled his aura into the blade of his sword, the weapon glowing faintly with energy. Across from him, Alexander remained perfectly still, a serene smile playing on his lips.

“Let’s begin,” Alexander said, his voice barely cutting through the tense silence. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, closing the gap between them with impossible speed. He moved so fast that Nikos doesn’t registered him approach until he was already upon him, mere inches away.

Before Nikos could react, Alexander’s aura-infused sword sliced through the air, aiming directly for his head. Instinct took over, and Nikos raised his sword in a desperate attempt to block the strike, but he knew he was a fraction too late—the blade was a hair’s breadth from his neck.

Then, a blinding cloud of dust exploded around them. The world seemed to stand still for a moment, until the sharp clang of metal against metal pierced the haze. A heartbeat later, Alexander’s figure was hurled backward from the heart of the dust cloud.

As the dust slowly began to settle, the figure of Nikos standing tall. Somehow, he had managed to block Alexander’s strike at the very last moment. His chest rose and fell heavily with each breath, and his hands clenched tightly around the hilt of a shattered sword. The aura surrounding him flickered, still pulsing with energy.

Nikos remained still, catching his breath, his eyes locked onto his father’s.

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“What happened?” Cyrus muttered, squinting as he tried to make sense of the scene through the lingering dust.

Princess Eileen, equally baffled, glanced at Alexander before turning to Leon. “Leon, what exactly just happened?”

Leon, his gaze fixed on Nikos, spoke slowly, as if still processing what he had witnessed. “Nikos should have been cut in two by that strike. I don’t know how he blocked it. The blade was just inches from his neck. If that had been me, I would’ve struggled to block it, let alone push Alexander back with such force.”

Alexander stepped forward. “Exactly. That strike should have cut him in half,” he said “But thanks to Nikos’ blessing, he can perfectly parry any attack no matter how powerful.” He paused, adding with a knowing smile, “Well, except for attacks from Heracles, of course.”

Aesop, who had been observing in quiet fascination, nodded slowly, his curiosity piqued. “lThat was the first blessing,” he said, with a glint of anticipation in his eyes, he added, “Now, show me the second.”

With a knowing smirk, Alexander raised his hand into the air. In response, a sharp whistle cut through the silence as a swift arrow shot from one of the palace windows, aimed directly at Nikos’ heart. But just before it penetrates his chest, it abruptly veered off course, changing direction mid-flight toward Alexander, who casually caught it in mid-air, inches from his eyes.

In an instant, Leon and the nearby knights unsheathed their swords, surrounding Princess Eileen in a protective stance, their eyes scanning the area for threats.

But Alexander, chuckling, raised a hand to calm them. “Relax!” he said, pointing toward the window. “This was all planned. I asked one of the servants to fire an arrow as soon as they saw my signal.”

Leon stormed forward, his face flushed with anger. “You reckless—”

Before he could finish, Princess Eileen gently placed a hand on his arm. She smiled softly, shaking her head. “It’s alright, Leon,” she said. Leon hesitated for a moment before stepping back, though his glare remained fixed on Alexander.

Alexander gave Leon a playful smile before turning to Aesop. “See that? That’s Nikos’ second blessing. Nothing he doesn’t know about can hit him. ‏(except for attacks that came from Heracles, of course) But still, pretty handy, right?”

Annoyed, Nikos said to his father, “You could’ve at least given me a heads-up! What if it was in cooldown?”

Alexander laughed heartily, patting Nikos on the shoulder. “Hahaha! You? A miracle in flesh, take in down by a simple arrow? Now that would’ve been truly embarrassing!”

After absorbing what had just transpired, Aesop’s lips curled into a sneer. “Boy, you really are something, aren’t you?” He paused, his eyes narrowing with disdain as a mocking laugh escaped him.“From what I heard from the princess earlier, your brother doesn’t even have aura veins, let alone any aura to speak of. Isn’t it pathetic? Imagine being related to someone so utterly useless.” He leaned forward slightly, his voice dripping with venom. “Be honest with me, Nikos—doesn’t it make your skin crawl, having a brother like that? A walking disgrace. I’d be embarrassed to even say his name.”

The words cut through the air like a blade, and Andromeda’s head slowly lifted. Her expression turned to stone, cold and expressionless.

Nikos stood frozen, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed on the ground. A chill coursed through his veins, numbing him from the inside out. His chest tightened painfully. Rage flared within him, hot and fierce, but before he could raise his head to defend his brother, a powerful shiver ran down his spine.

Behind him, Nikos could feel his father’s eyes drilling into his back—a silent warning. It was a reminder not to act impulsively in front of Aesop, to hold his tongue no matter what.

In that tense moment, Nikos recalled his father’s strict instructions from earlier, just before they left to meet Aesop.

At the door, as they were about to step out, Alexander had turned to him with a grave expression. “Listen carefully, Nikos,” he had said. “Our request has been granted, and Aesop is here. But trust me when I say, he’ll resent the whole arrangement. He’s unpredictable, temperamental. Whatever he says or does, don’t challenge him—on the contrary, agree with everything. No matter how difficult it is, do not contradict him. Don’t let me down.”

Nikos had given a slight nod. There was little to discuss—he understood the gravity of his father’s message. Now, standing before Aesop, the echoes of those words pressed heavily on his mind.

Amid the growing tension, Princess Eileen broke the silence, her sharp gaze fixed on Aesop. “Mind your words, Aesop,” she said coldly. “Whatever your opinion may be, Cyrus is still a member of the Hyctria family, and you have no right to insult him.”

Aesop’s brows furrowed, the weight of her rebuke sinking in. He let out a deep sigh, realizing he had overstepped. “You’re right,” he admitted, his voice softer. “I went too far… My tongue slipped. I apologize.”

But before the tension could settle, Nikos forced a laugh, cutting through the awkward moment. “Haha! It’s alright, Princess,” he said, trying to smooth over the situation. “Elder Aesop only spoke the truth, I can’t deny that. What can I do? I just have to live with it.”