Under The Veil of Night

"Yes," Kevin replied shortly.

"I heard from my mother that the founders of this city are actually twelve awakened people, but every awakened people after that have to come from their lineage. There’s no one outside them who could awaken their talent, but this fact remains unknown until the incident that they call the first awakened," Kanae blabbered.

"Yes, you’re well informed."

"So you also know about this?" Kanae’s eyes turned large. She eyed the man beside her curiously.

Kevin nodded his head. "Kalin Family is the direct lineage of those lines. As a matter of fact, it’s actually very easy to memorize the surname of those people. Do you know them?"

"No, can you tell me?"

"Five of them built what they call as clan. As the city has just been built, the safety is still being questioned. To ensure that they can hold on the security of several areas, they built the clans. Their surname’s first letter or their clan’s name makes one word. It was STORM: Souhon, Tamari, Oboe, Ryukalin, Merion.

Oboe Clan was destroyed a few decades ago because of a dispute with the groups. Three of them built groups, which also make one word. It is SKY: Servo, Kanuri, Yam. Right now, the three of them have lost because of some matters. Kanuri Group disappeared along with the Oboe Clan, leaving only the weaker descendants who could never awaken their ability.

I believe you know one of them, Randy Kanuri, the leader of Hunter Group. As for Yam, it’s your senior, Dean Yam, the leader of Lore Group. The Servo Family was destroyed around one to two decades ago. They got involved in the dispute with the government, leaving nearly none of them alive.

And then, four of them build the four big families to uphold the economic condition of this city. As the government they make is still weak, the four big families become the front figure for the city. Their name also makes one word..."

"It’s DAWN, right? Doha, Aida, Wells, and Nali," Kanae interrupted.

"Yes," Kevin nodded his head. "Is the information too much for you?"

"Not really," Kanae whispered. She had known from a long time ago that the city’s structure was built with the clan and families in power. As for the groups, they were in charge of Black Street and the underworld. Although it changed slightly with time as gangs appeared, it was still faintly clear that the groups held more power than gangs.

"It’s a bit funny that their name can be made into words, though," Kanae giggled. "Storm, sky, dawn, the three of them signify nature, right?"

"My father believes that there’s some meaning behind the three words, but it’s not certain what," Kevin replied. "Besides, the name has been turning unclear because of the change in power structure lately."

Kanae nodded her head. She recalled the people on the government’s side. "Does it mean that the people who sided with the government have some relation with the twelve lineages?"

"Yes. If you try to inspect them, you’ll find out that they have some special circumstances that bring them to the government," Kevin replied. "Their bloodline is pretty close with the twelve families."

"How do you know that they’re close?"

"Only those from direct lineage have the possibility to awaken their talent, Rei. I think that you’re pretty lucky too to have the lineage from Nali Family to awaken in your body," Kevin commented.

"Is it normal?"

"Yes, but normally, it shouldn’t be the ability that is related to fight."

Honestly, he found it rather weird for her to have the ability that’s related closely with physical ability. Those who were selected to be the four big families have ability closer to things that didn’t have any relation with physical ability. They were mostly leading skill, economic skill, or other things.

Kanae smiled wryly. "I think I inherit the ability from my mother."

"Your mother?" Kevin didn’t remember anything about Kanae’s mother. He had searched a bit about Kanae’s background thanks to the nosy Neo, but he didn’t find anything strange about her mother.

"My mother changes her surname because of an internal dispute," Kanae explained. "But her real surname is Servo."

Kevin’s pupil shrunk when he heard the name ’servo’. From what he heard before, the Servo Family was known to be extremely powerful. They were known to dominate the groups for a long time because of their power. At the same time, their confidence in their power brought them to their demise.

They disagreed with the government, showing their fang. It turned the government against them, destroying them thoroughly and taking the younger ones to be their puppet in the experiment.

It was one of the horrible stories that his father told him in the past. He never knew that Kanae belonged to that powerful lineage. It was no wonder that she managed to become the number one group. It was as if she was sent to relive the legend from decades ago.

"I see."

"Is it that unexpected?" Kanae smiled bitterly. "I never meant to hide this, but my mother strongly against me uttering her surname."

"If the government knows about your existence, I believe that you won’t be here right now," Kevin said. The bounty that the government placed secretly to hunt every descendant of Servo Family was rather big. If they knew that one of them managed to awaken talent in regards of fighting, it was unknown what they were going to do.

"I know, they’re hunting me," Kanae sighed.

Kevin pulled the girl’s head to rest on his shoulder. Caressing her head lightly, he wanted to make her felt save near him.

"I won’t let them touch you."

Kanae nodded her head softly. Her eyes flickered as she recalled that there was one more thing that she hadn’t told anyone.

"Kevin, what’s your ability?"

"I don’t know for sure, but my father says that it’s called ’perfect soldier’," Kevin replied.

It was the term that was used for every Ryukalin Clan members who managed to awaken their talent at the right time. He didn’t really understand about it, but he knew that he has far better capabilities than other people in regards of fighting. It was as if he was born to become a soldier.

Everything that has the relation to battle would be a piece of cake for him to learn. From close battle combats to guns, he had learned them and had great mastery in both. Even his stamina and recovery ability were far higher than what normal people could hope to achieve in their life.

Their ancestors couldn’t really determine what kind of ability it should be called, so they just termed it as ’perfect soldier.’ Those who were born in this lineage were all very powerful. It was as if they were born to become a soldier.

"That’s quite imposing," Kanae giggled. "My ability is ’adaptability’. I can adapt to any kind of situation at the shortest time."

When he heard that word, he recalled Kanae’s fight with Anna. At that time, the word adaptability was fully expressed to the fullest because she could fight well even under the heavy pressure. It took her mere minutes to adapt to the heavy pressure around her.

"How about cooking?" Kevin arched his eyebrows. He recalled that Kanae was pretty bad at cooking.

Kanae’s face darkened at the mention of that thing. No matter what she did, she found it hard to cook. It was as if her ability didn’t work for that particular matter, which she didn’t understand why.

"I don’t know. I just can’t cook well and my sis will surely berate me every single time."

"I see."

"Doesn’t the government try to get you too?"

"They did in the past," Kevin’s eyes glinted with coldness when he mentioned it. "But my father didn’t give them any chance and train me to the fullest."

"Me too," Kanae murmured. "But I manage to hide because my father makes a second name for me. In their report, I’m known as Kirei Servo."

"You say Kirei?"