SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant

Chapter 438: Chapter 438: The Aftermath [II]

Trafalgar opened his eyes slowly.

The ceiling above him came into focus in fragments, then fully. His body felt heavy, as though weight had settled into muscle and bone, yet there was no sharp pain, no tearing sensation, no lingering wound demanding attention. The strain had passed. What remained was exhaustion layered deep beneath the skin.

He drew a slow breath.

The overload was gone.

When his mana had collapsed, his armor and Maledicta had vanished with it, dismissed automatically back into his inventory. Now he lay bare from the waist up, skin marked only by faint traces where healers had examined him. Residual mana lines along his torso suggested thorough inspection. Someone had made sure nothing internal had fractured.

His gaze shifted.

Aubrelle sat beside the bed.

Blindfold secured over her eyes. Back straight. Hands resting calmly. Still enough that she might have been carved from stone. She had not noticed.

’She’s looking through Pipin. She hasn’t realized I’m awake.’

He turned his head slightly.

Across the room, Garrika lay on the second bed, bandaged and unmoving. Her breathing was steady but shallow. Recovery was not complete.

Trafalgar extended his hand and took Aubrelle’s.

She startled instantly, shoulders tightening.

”Trafalgar?”

”The same,” he replied quietly.

She did not hesitate after that. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, the embrace warm, firm, unrestrained in relief. Concern had been held in silence for hours; now it surfaced without restraint.

He returned the embrace without hesitation, his arm resting around her as naturally as if he had never fallen at all.

Aubrelle did not pull away immediately. When she finally loosened her hold, her hands remained lightly against his shoulders as if confirming he was truly there.

”How do you feel?” she asked.

At the same time, she turned her head slightly. Outside, Pipin shifted direction mid-flight and began returning toward the chamber. The external view faded from her awareness as the familiar approached the window.

Trafalgar adjusted slightly against the pillows.

”Rough,” he said. ”My muscles feel heavy. But there’s no real damage.”

He flexed one hand experimentally. Control responded without delay.

”What’s the situation?”

Pipin slipped back into the room moments later, settling near the window before hopping to the inner ledge. Aubrelle’s focus returned fully to the present.

”All the family heads gathered,” she replied. ”They’re discussing what happens next. It hasn’t been many hours since the battle ended.”

Her tone shifted slightly.

”Trafalgar... are you certain that was the right move? You drew a great deal of attention.”

She did not need to clarify what she meant.

His growth.

His performance.

His talent.

He gave a faint exhale that might have been a quiet laugh.

”If you mean my unique talent, don’t worry. People were already speculating. My rate of advancement isn’t subtle. If the world is going to look, I’d rather give them something clear to see.” He paused briefly, memory settling into place. ”The intelligent Void creature survived.”

Aubrelle’s fingers tightened slightly.

”Yes.”

”That will bring complications later,” he said evenly. ”It won’t disappear quietly.”

”Then rest,” she replied. ”You’ve done enough for now.”

The subtle shift in the room did not escape them.

Lysandra straightened from where she had been resting against the wall the moment she sensed Trafalgar fully awake. Arthur, who had remained composed near the foot of the bed, stepped forward with measured strides, stopping at an appropriate distance. Neither of them intruded. Neither delayed.

Arthur inclined his head slightly, one hand resting behind his back.

”My Lord,” he said evenly. ”How are you feeling?”

Trafalgar adjusted his posture against the bed, shoulders rolling once as if testing tension before answering.

”Fine,” he replied, his tone calm.

His gaze sharpened a fraction.

”How many casualties did we sustain?”

Arthur did not hesitate.

”Aside from the one I informed you of earlier,” he said, keeping his voice steady, ”none. The remaining troops held formation. Considering the scale of the outbreak, the outcome was highly favorable.”

Trafalgar gave a slow nod, eyes lowering briefly in acknowledgment.

”Good.”

His attention shifted to Lysandra.

”What is Valttair doing now?”

Lysandra stepped forward slightly, folding one arm across her midsection where bandages were hidden beneath her clothing.

”He and Elenara are currently speaking in private,” she said, her tone controlled. ”The other heads have already withdrawn. A decision is being made.”

Trafalgar’s gaze held steady for a moment.

’We’ll see what that decision brings,’ he thought. ’If we gain the favor of the heirs now, it will matter later. We were the ones who pulled them out. That fact won’t disappear.’

His fingers flexed lightly at his side as the plan aligned.

The battle had concluded.

Trafalgar shifted forward, planting one hand against the mattress as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His muscles protested immediately, not with sharp pain but with dense resistance, as though they had not yet decided whether to cooperate. He remained still for a moment, measuring his balance.

Then he stood.

The floor felt solid beneath him. Heavy, but stable.

Lysandra’s brows tightened slightly.

”Where are you going?” she asked, her tone steady though her posture had straightened.

Trafalgar adjusted his footing, rolling his shoulders once before answering.

”A walk.”

There was no further explanation.

His gaze moved to Arthur.

”Take care of Garrika.”

Arthur brought his fist lightly to his chest in acknowledgment.

”As you command.”

Behind them, wings brushed softly against stone as Pipin slipped fully back into the room, crossing the short distance in a controlled glide before settling on Aubrelle’s shoulder. She tilted her head slightly as the connection returned in full.

”I’m coming with you,” she said, already rising from the chair.

Mana shimmered briefly at her hand as she materialized her staff. One hand wrapped around the smooth shaft of the weapon to guide her steps. The other reached for Trafalgar without hesitation, fingers closing around his.

He did not pull away.

They moved toward the door together, the corridor beyond already guarded, already aware.

Whatever Valttair and Elenara decided in private, Trafalgar intended to make his own position known before the world shifted again.