Far away from the battlefield, two people were sat comfortably in a decorative room. The manor itself was not considered as extravagant as the premier estates in Firecast, but it was larger and fancier than any of the common houses in the lesser districts. At the very least, it occupied its own plot of land with a modest garden in the front. If translated into wealth, the owner would be a fledging noble. They could live without worrying about most things, but if they tried really throwing their weight around, they would be seen as a joke. The top families, such as the Engelsheft Families, would not spare them a glance.
The younger teen sipped his tea with a relaxed posture. His face beamed with happiness as if the goddess of luck were smiling on him. He felt as if all his misfortunes in life have been redeemed by this single chance! It was surprisingly Gunther Paralun! The other man was his father and the patriarch of the family. While they were considered nobility, their family was merely a side branch of the main Engelsheft Family. Their statuses were not great. They were constantly suppressed by the main family to prevent any uprising. So, while many civilians envied their position, the truth was that they had no future. Without an earth-shattering change, their fate was sealed!
This was exactly why Gunther tried courting Yuna. Only he knew that she possessed an extremely powerful Bloodline. Furthermore, it was very compatible with his own latent one. The potential was too frightening to imagine! In a generation or two, they would have the potential to overtake the main family and become a true Engelsheft! The mere allure of such wealth, power, and status made him drool. Taking one step to reach the top, who would not be tempted? Hence, he was behind Freon's mysterious attack. This was no surprise at all. He would do anything to eliminate his competition!
After Avin revealed Freon's relationship with the legendary Arcellius Family, Gunther felt he had to act immediately. Otherwise, the future he hoped for would be robbed from him. So, he decided to convince his father to help. Of course, he omitted various details. If he mentioned that the Protector of the Arcellius Family was present… Nearly no one would anger such a powerful person. Compared to that legendary family, why would anyone help a lowly descendant of a branch family? It would be inconceivable! They would rather curry favor with Avin than him!
His father agreed easily. He was considered quite ambitious, just like his son. While killing Freon, the brother of Ten Dawn Nassandra, was a risky move, if they were not discovered, then there was no harm. Remember, Freon was largely seen as a failure. His sister had achieved Low Condensed Drop and had a near-guarantee to reach higher. Her future was destined to stand at the top of the kingdom! However, Freon was a mere Low Gaseous Fog and at the initial levels at that. He could hardly be called an Arcanist. People cared about him for his relation to Nassandra. No one cared about him as a person. The Zino Kingdom would not bother too much about the loss of such an insignificant figure. Such was the way of the world!
Thinking this, Gunther's father decided to enlist the help of one of the many armed divisions in the Engelsheft Family. He managed to gain a favor from decades ago and decided to use it now. Otherwise, with his authority and status, he could never request this. Once the unit departed, this father and son were smiling from ear-to-ear, imagining the enormous benefits reaped from this. Gunther was a little worried about Avin's true power, but he laughed inwardly. Twenty fighters, a mixture of martial artists and Arcanists, planning an assassination… Could they fail against an old man? His viewpoint was limited by his power. If Gunther was a genuine Condensed Drop Arcanist, then he would understand how frightening Avin really was!
The doors opened as they were engrossed in their own fantasies. The father-son duo turned around with a smile, expecting good news. However, their faces froze. The Peak Gaseous Fog Arcanist who demolished Freon's home had returned. When he departed, his appearance was upright and strong, his aura was powerful and imposing, and his confidence was deep and arrogant. But now… The man was hunched over and out of breath. His face was twitching in anger and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he wanted to kill someone! Gunther's mind nearly collapsed.
They failed? the father-son duo wondered incredulously as they turned frightened.
"Brother…" the father said carefully.
The man snorted. "Don't call me brother."
The father felt awkward. "Lo- Lord, what happened? Is the job done?"
"We met with some problems," the man gave a long look at Gunther. "Everyone apart from me is dead."
"Impossible!" the father shouted. "It's just three people! How could you fail?"
The man chuckled darkly. "Perhaps, you should ask your son."
The two glanced at the boy. Gunther shriveled into his chair. If he could, he would run far, far away. Fear was painted across his face as his lips quivered. He could not believe it at all! He tried playing dumb, but his face betrayed his façade. They could easily tell he was lying. His father grew infuriated! Rather than taking one step straight to the top, this was falling straight down to the bottom! There was no need to regret anymore. Their fate was sealed!
"You should know who that man is, right? Tell me!"
"He…" Gunther hesitated.
"You!" His father stood up and slapped Gunther. A massive red imprint emerged on his cheek. "Spit it out now! Don't you understand how much trouble we're in already? Do you want to die?" He hoped this would appease the man, but he had no reaction. This made Gunther's father despair further. They were really in deep trouble.
"Fine! He's Avin Arcellius, the famous Protector of that legendary family!" Gunther explained. As soon as he did, he felt all his energy leave his body. He felt spiritless.
"Lord… Lord Avin?" the two trembled.
They were more knowledgeable than Gunther, but that was no surprise. Gunther was young and the Arcellius Family had already declined for many decades. It was normal that his knowledge was superficial. However, they were different! They might not be old enough to remember the Arcellius Family in its heyday, but they grew up in its shadow. Back then, everyone knew of this family! After all, the deceased matriarch of the Arcellius Family, Sage Serana, was a legendary figure. She had one of the greatest Magic Potential! If she were still alive, they would say she was an older version of Nassandra! That was how highly everyone saw her.
Naturally, Lord Avin could not be ignored either. He acted as the Protector of this unfathomable family. While his Magic Potential was lower than Serana, he met many fortuitous encounters and through hard work, he scaled the ladder to the top! To defend this family, as well as Sage Serana, it was hard to imagine how unfathomable his strength was. Even so many years ago, Avin had a frightening reputation. He was like a dragon amongst sheep. Nearly no one could compare to him! Even now, no one understood the true extent of Avin's power. It seemed infinite!
Many thought he died after the Arcellius Family's disappearance, so his stories faded with time. But to think he returned at this time! Suddenly, their failure in killing Freon seemed expected… The captain was gloomy to think he agitated such a person. Avin would never let this disgrace go. His death was basically guaranteed! In fact, the entire family might be implicated! This matter became a million times more complicated than dealing with Freon alone.
Gunther's father was pale from head-to-toe. "My son… Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"He's just one man!" he shouted back. "What can he do?"
"Even now, you still don't understand!" his father yelled. "Lord Avin… is not someone we can deal with! You've doomed us… You've doomed us all!" He turned to beg the captain and grovelled on the floor. "Please, brother! You must ask the main family on our behalf! We need their help!"
The man smiled. "Brother? I don't know who you are."
"You!"
Gunther's father was instantly stabbed by a short blade. It pierced straight through his lungs, forcing him to cough up blood. The captain coldly pulled out the dagger and slashed again. This time, the throat was split in two. He struggled for a fraction of a second before passing away. Gunther was shaking so hard that he wet himself. The captain flicked his dagger and glanced at Gunther.
"No! No, stay back!" Gunther screamed. "Help! Anyone, help!"
A few minutes later, the captain left the room with an expressionless face. Behind him were the corpses of the two. Gunther's body was especially sad. It was clear that he was tortured horrendously before dying a slow and painful death! In his last dying breath, he wondered how everything went so wrong? Originally, he and his father were sat happily, waiting for the good news. But now, his final thought was… regret! Extreme regret! One last memory of Yuna and Freon flashed through his mind. Gunther was standing next to the two with a smile on his face. Perhaps, that life was not so bad after all?