Chapter 44: Bucket List Again
I rubbed the back of my neck, letting out a dry chuckle. "So basically, my soul is out of shape, this headache is muscle soreness, and Avalon is just a high-end spiritual gym?"
Everyone burst into laughter at the ridiculous comparison.
"Hahaha! Precisely, my boy!" Grandfather boomed, slapping his knee in delight. "A spiritual gym! I like that phrasing!"
Alistair rested both hands on his silver-headed cane, looking down at me with immense fondness. "Well, today’s testing session is complete. You did exceptionally well for your first day. Rest up and enjoy the rest of your evening."
"Are you leaving already, Grandfather?" I asked.
"Indeed," Alistair replied with a nod. "Now that we understand the nature of your power, I must return to the Rothschild estate to make a few necessary arrangements before you and Yerin depart for Avalon. Be prepared, Seth. You’ll be leaving for the academy sooner than you think."
He gave me a warm, grandfatherly smile. "It was wonderful meeting you, my boy."
"It was great meeting you too, Grandfather," I said with a smile.
Alistair gave a firm nod, lightly tapping the tip of his silver cane against the reinforced floor.
*THUMP.*
In a swirl of dark shadows, his entire form dissolved into dozens of glossy black ravens. They let out sharp, theatrical caws before scattering across the training floor and disappearing into thin air.
My eyes sparkled as I stared at the empty space where he had been standing two seconds ago. "Whoa..."
Yerin nudged me lightly with her elbow, a mischievous grin hidden beneath her mask. "You’re thinking about how insanely cool that dramatic exit was, aren’t you?"
"One hundred percent," I admitted without a hint of shame, making her burst into giggles.
I turned my head toward Dad, noticing the polished walking cane he was holding in his right hand. "Hey, Dad... are you just copying Grandfather’s style with that cane, or what?"
Mom and Yerin instantly burst into laughter while Dad froze mid-step. His composed CEO persona completely cracked as a deeply exasperated groan escaped him. He reached over and aggressively ruffled my hair.
"Stop talking nonsense, brat," Dad muttered, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he straightened his suit jacket. "I’m heading up to my office. I have several corporate reports to finish before tomorrow."
Mom giggled, gently smoothing down the hair Dad had just ruined. "Don’t mind your father, Seth. He’s not actually annoyed, he just doesn’t know how to handle being teased by his son yet."
"I know," I chuckled, waving my hand casually. "I actually really enjoyed it."
Sitting on the edge of the bed as the dull ache in my head steadily faded, a sudden thought crossed my mind. I looked up at Mom and Yerin. "Hey... since we’re leaving for Avalon soon, I want to cross a few more things off my bucket list while we still have time at home."
The second the words left my mouth, Yerin’s eyes lit up like Christmas trees. She practically leaped to her feet, full of explosive, chaotic energy.
"YES!" Yerin cheered, whipping her smartphone out of her hoodie pocket with lightning speed and tapping the screen. "Let’s see! What’s next on the official list?"
I stared at her phone, completely speechless. "Wait... when the hell did you copy my bucket list onto your personal phone?"
Yerin waved her hand dismissively, flashing me a smug grin behind her mask. "Minor details, babe! What matters is that your primary bucket-list coordinator is fully prepared!"
I shook my head with a helpless laugh, pushing myself off the bed and standing up on solid ground. "You don’t even need to look at the screen. I already know what I want to do first."
I looked over at Mom. Unconditional warmth and happiness shone in her eyes as she watched us. A genuine smile spread across my face.
"I’m going to cook a full, homemade dinner for my family tonight."
...
Stepping out of the elevator into the sunlit main lobby of the mansion, I glanced at the grandfather clock near the foyer and froze.
The clock face read three in the afternoon.
’Wait... I was out for that long?’ I thought, rubbing my temple. When I’d gone down into the underground training grounds, it had barely been mid-morning. Time really flew when you burned through spiritual stamina and accidentally turned rats into skeletons.
"Alright," I said, rolling up the sleeves of my dark shirt. "No time to waste. I’ve got a feast to prepare."
I headed straight for the mansion’s main kitchen, with Yerin bouncing excitedly beside me and Val following a quiet, vigilant half-step behind.
The moment I pushed open the double doors, I was met by a dozen chefs in pristine white uniforms standing in neat, military-like formation around gleaming stainless-steel counters. The head chef, a tall man with a neatly trimmed mustache, turned toward us and immediately bowed so low his nose nearly touched his apron.
"Young Master Seth!" the head chef greeted formally, his voice trembling slightly with deference. "Lady Alice informed us that you requested the kitchen! We have prepared the finest imported ingredients from across the globe. Please allow my team to handle the heavy preparation for you—"
"Thanks, Chef, but you guys can take the rest of the day off," I interrupted with a warm, casual smile, waving my hand toward the exit. "Tonight, I’m cooking everything from scratch myself."
The head chef gasped, his eyes widening in horror as though I’d just announced I was going to burn the mansion down. "Y-Young Master! We cannot possibly allow you to endure the manual labor of a kitchen! If Lady Alice finds out we let you cook while we rested, she’ll banish us to the Arctic Branch!"
"Relax, Chef, it’s my own choice," I chuckled, shooing them toward the door. "I literally put ’cooking a full homemade dinner for my family’ on my bucket list. Consider it a paid afternoon off."
Seeing them still worried, I sighed, "I’ll deal with Mom, so go chill out."