Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Atlas walked beneath his black hood with the large explorer bag strapped across his back, his steps were steady against the dirt road stretching away from the wounded city. The road ahead looked ordinary beneath the afternoon light, yet every step carried a strange finality.

Atlas continued walking until the city walls were no longer visible through the trees. Only then did he stop beneath the shade of a large roadside oak and slowly lower the heavy bag from his shoulder.

The bag hit the ground with a muted thud.

He crouched beside it afterward and opened one of the side compartments before pulling out the folded map he had purchased before leaving.

One gold coin.

That alone made the map expensive enough that ordinary commoners would never even dream of owning it.

But this was not an ordinary map.

The parchment itself felt thicker than normal, almost like treated beast hide, and thin lines of faint Spirit ink moved subtly across its surface whenever Atlas’s fingers brushed over certain places. Cities, roads, forests, rivers, mountain ranges, ruin territories, trade routes, and border markings were all drawn with unsettling precision.

A map made for explorers, Travelers, Nobles even.

Atlas silently unfolded it across the grass.

His gaze moved first toward Ormolio.

A small mark near the southeastern section of the Human Continent.

Then slowly—

His finger traced the nearest border path.

Across forests, Past old trade roads, Through distant mountain regions and Beyond several city territories.

Finally, his eyes stopped at the distance written beside the outlined border route.

5569 kilometers.

Atlas froze.

For several long seconds, he simply stared at the number without moving.

Five thousand five hundred sixty-nine kilometers.

He knew the Human Continent was large.

Even slum children heard enough drunken merchants and arrogant nobles speak about the scale of Eliomor to understand that the world stretched far beyond their miserable alleys.

But knowing something vaguely And seeing it written before him—

Were entirely different things.

Atlas’s brows slowly furrowed beneath the hood.

’Can I even reach it in one month?’

The thought surfaced naturally.

One month of food was packed inside his bag.

But distance like this was not crossed by food alone.

Roads had guards, Forests had beasts, Territories had patrols, Rivers had crossings, Mountains had weather and humans—

Humans had questions.

Atlas silently stared at the map for several more moments before slowly exhaling.

Stopping changed nothing, so he folded the map again.

Lifted the bag.

And continued walking.

- - -

Far away from where Atlas currently was, in the direction he had marked as the next point of his journey, stood Lumivale.

It was the outermost city of Celestara, the Angelic Continent.

Unlike Ormolio, Lumivale was not a city that survived because nobles controlled every road, every shop, and every poor district beneath them. It was a border city built for movement. Merchants, explorers, foreign travelers, winged patrols, wandering craftsmen, and caravans from multiple races passed through its gates every day before moving deeper into Celestara.

The city was larger than Ormolio.

Its roads were wider, its outer walls were cleaner, and its guards did not treat every poor traveler like a criminal waiting to happen. That did not mean Lumivale was fair. No large city was truly fair. Wealth still mattered. Status still mattered. Strength mattered more than both.

But compared to the Human Continent, the difference was obvious.

In Lumivale, The Discrimination between commoners and Nobles were almost on equal, though the Nobles had money and Power, they couldn’t just throw around a commoner like an object.

In this same Angelic Continent Celestara, the outermost city Lumivale - In the Eastern trade route - Angels flew by, some had carriages going through the route and one of those carriages belonged to an Influential Noble house - Rosaria Household.

Two guards(Angels) had been assigned for this carriage to take the goods that were for their household business, most of these goods were Relics and One of these Relics were...Important.

Very important to be delivered to it’s right place.

But as the carriage went forward they noticed many presences ahead - When they reached a few meters distance from those presences they saw it - the Heir of Doophleshate Household, Ronan Doophleshate - An Angel, wearing a White and yellow attire as his wings remained folded behind him and his arms crossed as he looked coldly toward the arriving carriage.

He was not alone - Behind him stood a presence that made the Arriving Rosaria Carriage Guards, who stood at A-ranks Gulp in unison - the one Standing behind Ronan was a S-rank personal guard of his Household, Name - Luxas Grovelias.

He remained calm and expressionless while with his presence making the Carriage guards turn pale as they knew they were in a bad situation.

Not because they had done anything - No, it was because of Ronan, the Heir of the Doophleshate household always targeted the Rosaria Household’s goods whenever he got the chance to.

As to why he did this, that was another matter entirely.

Anyways, Now as the carriage arrived near Ronan, he spoke ”Stop the carriage, the trade route from here has been blocked by my Father...there is an emergency situation you see.” He spoke with a cold look yet internally a smug expression took place.

The guards stopped just a meter away from him and spoke in a shuddered voice ”B-But Lady Seraphiel has ordered us to deliver this-”

Ronan spoke mid sentence ”We will hear no excuses, even if Seraphiel speaks herself, And also we will be checking the carriage, if you don’t listen while i am patient; I will have to use force.”

Behind him Luxas looked directly toward the guards coldly, his mere presence making them feel suffocated, They shuttered in fear and desperate voice ”W-We understand, We will do as you say y-young master Ronan.”

Ronan smiled at that and went toward the carriage and ordered both guards to take out whatever that was being delivered - and when they took it out Ronan grinned and said ”Haha, Good, Now you guys go back...we will be taking this relic for research according to the measures we were given by her Majesty.”

”Y-Yes Young Master, we will return back...” They couldn’t say anything, they knew he was bluffing, they knew he was using Luxas to get the Relic and bluffing about the whole emergency situation but...they couldn’t do anything.

Ronan himself was A-rank but the man behind him? He was S-rank, several times stronger than Hundreds of A-ranks.

So they couldn’t do anything and turned the carriage back as they lowered their heads.

and Ronan? He grinned as he saw them going away with their head lowered.

’Hehe, Now Seraphiel, What will you do?’ He thought before turning away.

- - -

While this happened in the Eastern trade route of Lumivale, Far away from here - at the Centre of the Continent of Celestara, the city known as Solara - The Royal palace stood with it’s grandeur spread for kilometers at the very centre of this city.

Inside this Royal palace - In the private chamber of the Queen, Solaris Clamorious sat on a Long couch as she wore a revealing golden gown, her breasts hung loose as she leaned forward and took the cup of tea on the table.

Solaris Clamorious was the Queen of Celestara, but at first glance she looked far too relaxed for someone carrying a continent on her shoulders. She had long golden hair, bright amber eyes, and white wings that gave off a soft royal pressure. Her beauty was obvious, but what stood out more was her playful, shameless personality.

Seraphiel Rosaria sat opposite her with a much calmer presence. She had silver-white hair, clear blue eyes, and elegant wings folded neatly behind her back. Unlike Solaris, she did not waste movement or words. As the sole heir of the Rosaria Household, she carried herself like someone used to handling trade, nobles, relics, and problems more than the shameless and bored Queen in front of her.

She and the Queen were...friends. Yes, Friends.

And that’s exactly why they were in her Private chamber or else no one would even dare think about stepping here.

Seraphiel also took the cup and took a sip before speaking ”So, you want me to clear five abyss rank Ruins in Lumivale? for what?”

Solaris smiled and spoke in her sweet and cute voice ”Hmph! Why are you like that? I told you it’s because it’s a formality so that i can make you stay in this city and we won’t have to meet time to time.”

Seraphiel looked at her pouted display speechlessly and spoke ”Hah...so you want me to become a branch Guildmaster here by clearing the Ruins and then make me accompany you?”

Solaris nodded her head readily as she spoke ”Yes! Yes! that’s exactly what it is! You are really fast to catch on Seraphiel!.”

Seraphiel sighed at her childish behaviour before she spoke ”Hmm, i want to spend time with you too, but i am the sole businesswoman of my Household you know that right? so i have to constantly deal with those pesty Nobles...Well, if you can send someone capable from your Royal palace then-”

”Don’t worry! I will send someone as your replacement! Now can you please do that?” Solaris spoke as she came forward and her massive breasts shook violently.

Seraphiel looked at this and spoke flatly ”...Maybe you should reduce some of that.”

Solaris lowered her head as she pouted again and spoke ”Hmph! You don’t understand, it’s what men fall for nowadays and also, it’s in front of you that i wear these...”

Seraphiel shook her head and stood up as she spoke ”Ok then, i will complete the formality within a month, It’s abyss class so recruiting Explorers would be Mid-High difficulty...well, i have to do it though, so bye for now Solaris my Bestie.”

Then she exited the chamber through the massive door.

Just as she exited, her spirit communication relic buzzed and she received a message - Ronan Doophleshate has stolen the Moonveil Relic you ordered to Deliver under the pretence of researching it for the chaos going on in the Eastern route.