The crimson-haired man walked towards the entrance of the village, there he sat down and looked out at the forest. 'Why did you betray me, dear friend.' The man thought to himself before shaking his head. Footsteps came from behind
"Have you all decided what to do?" He said without turning back. Behind him, Jordan and Ter were looking at his back, feeling the lonely figure.
"Thank you for saving us," Jordan said as he did a slight bow. The crimson-haired man waved his hand without looking back. "Don't mention it, I did it for someone." then he looked at them.
"Are you kids alright?" He asked Jordan, who in turn nodded his head
"Yes, thanks to your medicine, this debt, I will repay." Jordan respectively bowed towards him again.
"I did it for someone, I don't need you to repay me. Could you leave us two for a bit please." the crimson-haired man said as he signaled for Ter to sit down. Jordan left without saying anything.
"First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Lucas Grimor." Lucas said when Ter sat down.
"I am Ter Lest, thank you for saving my son." Ter introduced himself while a bit surprised. Lucas Grimor, that was the head of one of the 8 ancient noble families, a wanted man.
"What is your son's name Mr. Lest?" Lucas asked with expectations.
"His name is Ryle-"
"I see, so you used the name his mother gave him." Without letting Ter finish, Lucas smiled as he looked at the sky.
"Mother? You mean?"
"His mother gave him the name Ryle Grimor, my son." Lucas then looked Ter straight in the eyes and bowed his head. "Thank you for taking care of our son when I was not capable of doing it."
Ter sat there stupified, it is not like he never expected to meet Ryle biological parents, but this was too sudden, how did he even know Ryle was his son? It is not like there is only one Ryle in the world, there have to be more, right?
"This... Mr. Grimor, how do you know that he is your son?"
"His bloodline, at first I thought it was the Grimor bloodline but I never expected him to inherit his mother's bloodline as well and somehow fuse the two."
"Bloodline?"
"The history of the bloodlines is quite old and secretive, and more importantly, very long. Just know that the 8 great families and the royal family have had received bloodlines after the head of the families went to explore a very "Special" place and this was their reward."
"We of the similar bloodline can feel a feeling of closeness," Lucas said while still looking at the sky.
"I see... so... you want to take him away?" Ter said dejectedly, if it was someone of similar power than him, he would never allow it. but this man was a rank 8 mage, a rank 8! His fighting will only get the rest of the family in danger.
"Yes, but... not now, he needs to find out by himself," Lucas said after thinking for a bit.
"Why?"
"Hm, have you told him that you are not his biological parents?"
"No."
"Now what do you think would happen if someone told him "Hey, I am your real father, come back with me"?"
"He would think you are crazy." Ter shook his head.
"He is a child and he has already accepted you as his family, even if I am his biological father, he never met me, he doesn't know me or why we left him here and could not take him back. The situation at the time was very complicated and was a fight between life and death, but he won't care about that. For all he knows, I am a stranger and you are his father." Lucas kept staring at the sky. after a while, he started speaking again.
"Do you still have the necklace?
"The one with his name on it?"
"Yes, that one, when you tell him the truth of his adoption, give him the necklace and tell him to insert his mana in it when he bloodline is active."
"That necklace is.."
"A recording necklace, his mother has recorded her last moments with him and also the reason for her to send him away." Lucas stood up and walked towards the village. "Let's go, we will help them bury the villagers."
3 hours later, all the villagers were buried. Only, Lily, Ter, Mae, Kent, Milan, Jordan, his two children, Ryle, Lisa, and Lyn were left of the villagers.
"What do you plan to do?" Lucas asked as he looked at the grownups.
"What can we do...." Kent said dejectedly. Mae was there still sobbing with Lily comforting her a bit, while both Jordan and Ter were looking at Lucas.
Seeing their reactions Lucas could not help but shake his head, it was always hard to lose close friends and family.
"Let me be blunt, they attacked not because of the village itself but mostly because of the beautiful women there and talented children" as he said he looked at Mae and Lily and the house where Ryle and his sisters were staying in. "Although many will not bother after such a loss on their side, more will give you trouble if you still in a village where rules, are nonexistent."
Everyone looked at the ground, especially Lily and Ter. Their family was most definitely the cause of the massacre. Both Jordan and Kent put a hand on Ter's shoulder when Ter looked at them his eyes moistened. Both were shaking their heads, saying it was not their fault. Even Mae who was grieving embraced Lily to comfort her.
Lucas who saw that could not help but smile. 'These are good people for Ryle to have by his side, trust is a very hard thing to earn and this much care is even harder than trust.'
"Here is my proposition, I will send you all to the capital, there you will get a house that will fit for you all to live there. But I have some conditions." Lucas's eyes flared with excitement. What was in the capital? The Magic Academy, also known as the 'KEY' of that special place. as long one meets the requirement and is at the top, they can enter it, and what better place for Ryle to grow that somewhere that gave their family their bloodline.
"What conditions?" Kent said after thinking for a while, they could not stay here and the Capital was under the direct control of the royal family, no one would dare to disturb them for no reason, but there is never a free meal, where was the catch?
"I want all the children to attend the Magic Academy, the attendance age is 14." Except for Ter, everyone looked at Lucas with surprise, this is the condition? isn't this just giving them more freebies? as Kent prepared to question him, Ter spoke up.
"Many thanks then, we will do as you say." With Ter speaking out, the rest did not say anything. They have known each other for many years and trusted each other's decisions.
"Great, take your thinks, we will be leaving tonight," Lucas said and went to keep watch at the gates of the village. During midnight, a carriage pulled by 4 horses left the village.
2 days later, while the group was on their way to the capital, Sun City was in turmoil. In the city lords mansion, Amisa was scared shitless.
"Seli, any news?" she asked her bodyguard as she was pacing back and forth.
"Yes, Miss. 2 rank 8 mages and a rank 9 mage will be hunting Lucas Grimor."
"DAMN IT! Why did he have to be here, if he wanted to, he could kill me without me being able to do anything! THESE USELESS FUCKS! CAN'T EVEN KILL A SINGLE RANK 9 WITH 5 RANK 9s and 20 RANK 8s AMBUSHING HIM!"
"Miss, there can be here at any moment, please be careful of your words." Seli respectively said.
"Jackson, what happened in the village?"
"Miss, we sent our scouts. no one was there. The village was burned to the ground."
"And I lost my toys! go get me some of the prisoners!"
"Yes, Miss." Jackson left with Seli following behind.
While Sun City's higher-ups were discussing the appearance of Lucas Grimor, the royal family also was doing the same. Emperor Venar was sitting on his throne with William and Celica in front of him.
"Is that true?" Venar asked which caused William to nod his head in turn.
"Your majesty, he bought the town permit, but if he wanted to raise new children to fight for him, he could by slaves and give them freedom and train them. their loyalty would be higher. I don't believe that is why he did it." Celica, in turn, shook her head.
"While that is true, your majesty, you need to know that talented slaves are taken before even being there for a bit."
"Sigh... am getting too old for this, If only I had a good successor, I could finally rest. William, any news from the Grimor family?"
"No your majesty, they seem to be hiding in the Dananses Forest, these traitors know how to hide," William said while releasing a bloody aura inside the room.
"Any news on your part Celica?" Venar
"Your Majesty, there have been movements in the dark. Feather City and all of its subsidiary cities are barely in our control. Many corrupt officials were killed in the last months and replaced, but even then. many more were only giving us fake reports. I suggest a purge to all higher-ups in Feather City and its subsidiary cities and even villages."
"A purge... ever since Lucas left, this kept happening. I feel like we are being played by a third party."
Venar furrowed his brows, William also furrowed his, it was his job to gather information.
"I will also do a purge on all of our spies in the old Grimor region. it feels like we are being played from inside." After he said that he took out a small transparent stone and after a few minutes crushed it.
"Cancel the hunt for the Grimor family, if you meet any of them sent an invitation and if you meet either Lucas or Rena, send a personal invitation, not as the emperor but as their old friend. I want to hear their side of the story."
"But your Majesty! You are aware of their bloodline!" William denied immediately, the explosion bloodline, if a rank 9 were to explode his whole mana core, no rank 10 would be their match. If Lucas wanted to, he could level the Palace with the explosion.
(A/N: Btw, they are not aware of what happened to Lucas, so just see that they are not aware of many things that will be revealed later on. )
"Celica, don't rush to purge them, for as long as I am alive they won't dare to move, They are probably waiting for my death. Until then, let them think we are unaware of their operations and keep doing what you were doing till now."
"Yes Your majesty!" As she said that she prepared to leave.
"What about that waste.?" Venar's voice stopped her.
"Your majesty, the beast was taken care of, his head is for display. as for the first and second prince, both are under strict watch. With how their brother ended, neither can make anything to harm the image of the Royal family."
"Good, I want you to keep your eyes on those two for 24 hours, 7 days a week, once Emily rises to become the empress, get rid of them. I will apologize to their mother when I meet her again." Venar then raised his hand and signaled them to leave. After they left, he looked at the door to the right.
"Now, Emily, eavesdropping on your father?" As he said that, the door opened and Emily, the first Princess walked through. She had blond hair, blue eyes with a tinge of green in the outskirts. she was fairly tall for a woman but it was the perfect height within this age, standing at 2.10 meters. average heigh being 2m for women. With men at around 2.10m, a relative busty build with muscles enhancing her beauty. Her snow-white skin and tall legs, as she walked towards the emperor, she emitted a confident aura, not arrogant, or overbearing but one that she was very confident in her own decisions and choices. Her choice of a dark blue with green stripes as her clothes made her beauty even harder to ignore.
Seeing her walking towards him the emperor revealed a smile that he rarely showed to anyone else.
"You look more and more like your mother with each passing day."
"Father, I have been thinking of what you told me the other day, I think you are right. but I want to ask father that if find a suitable candidate outside the competition that you will give us your blessing." Emily said as she walked towards.
"Acting all mature now, are we, just a week ago you jumped at me when you saw me. No hugs for this old man?" Venar said as he walked towards, Emily slightly blushed but soon ran up to him and hugged him.
"haha, don't force yourself Em, do whatever you want. If you find someone you truly love and he loves you back, then I will give you my blessings even if he were just a normal person. Your happiness is the most important to me." As he said that Venar gave her a slight kiss on her head. and walked back to the throne.
"Father, I wish to go into the Wish Re-" Before she could even finish her words she was interrupted
"No, one can enter only once and you can get stronger, remember, everyone under rank 7 mage can enter that are below 20 years old. While you are a rank 6 mage already, your combat powers are lacking. I will send some of the best tutors to train you."
"Can you send aunt Celica to train me?"
"Why Celica?"
"She also started with limited talent and I think she can teach me more than others can. And I want to learn some of her assassination skills, If I know them, I can counter them." Emily said with a smile.
"Ah, it has been so long, indeed, I hope you get a good encounter in there and increase your talent even further. Oke, I will send Celica to train you." Venar said and walked out of the throne room, Emily instead went back to her courtyard to proceed with her training. 'I will not disappoint you, father. Mother, look after me.' As she said that she picked up a spear and started training.