"So… my daughter, you have returned," the man said in a deep voice, his panic from earlier nowhere to be seen. He appeared old, in his 80s, and wore a silver crown on his head rather than gold like I had expected. Embedded within the crown were not jewels either, but skulls with glowing green eyes. Ominous.
"Hehe~ hi, father!" Axilia exclaimed happily, still not letting go of my arm. This caused the man before me to set his gaze on my arm which his daughter was hugging, then my face.
"… This is the man you brought back as your partner?" He said, voice dangerously quiet.
"Yep~" Axilia replied, leaning on my shoulder.
"Hmph. How pitiful."
At this, both Axilia and I froze, confused.
"Father… what was that?"
"I said… how pitiful," the man repeated, glaring at me. "This man was the best you could find, in all of the Living Realm? His power is beyond weak. I will never let puny insects like him inherit the throne!"
