"I think I've demonstrated enough."
I got off from her body.
"This is your chance to properly seek revenge."
The 3rd year hesitated. I looked at her straight in the eyes.
"Think about this properly. She would do much worse things to your family if she were to get the chance."
She wavered even more.
"I-I don't want to kill! Killing is wrong! I-I want to stay on the right path!!!"
I looked at her expressionless for a while. I then vanished, leaving her alone with the rest of the students.
"It's these kinds of idiots that die early."
I then thought of Maria.
"Maybe she'll be lucky."
As I sat on the roof, a woman in a black cloak appeared.
"As always, you're on the roof."
I immediately appeared above her and kicked her. She blocked as I smiled.
"Impressive."
I quickly flipped back and rushed back in, creating a huge boom in the process as we clashed fists. A massive shockwave was released, forcing many people and students into a panic. We quickly pulled back from each other and I looked at her.
"Looks like you've gotten much better... Alma."
"Obviously. I've already spent more than a hundred years training everyday. It'd be weird if I didn't get any better."
She then instantly appeared in front of me.
"Since I'm now more than a century old, wouldn't you say I'm old enough now?"
She pressed herself against me as she swung her arms around my back.
"Huh Isaac?"
I was unsure of what to do next, until I heard Ashley speak telepathically.
{It's okay. She's been waiting the longest and she held herself back all these years just for you. Maria and I have already allowed her.}
I didn't hesitate any further as I went in and kissed her. After a while, she pulled back. She had a look of confusion.
"So easily? Is it pity?"
I easily understood what she meant. She'd easily understand my action as pity.
"No it's not. I've never had pity for you."
"Then wh-"
"Because I felt like it. Because I wanted to. But previously, because of what I did to your family..."
She hugged me tightly.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter. I knew exactly what my family was doing and I had come to terms that they must be exterminated. I've never once despised you for that. It's just that..."
She leaned up and kissed me.
"I wish you accepted me sooner."
"There's still plenty of time."
1 Week Later, Blake Mansion, Alchemy Room
I had brought the Rejuvenation Herb to mom and she was concocting it into a pill as she spoke.
"Did you tell the others yet about your condition?"
"No. I haven't yet."
She stopped.
"Why?"
"I don't feel there's a need to. You don't inform the whole family when you sprain your calf during training right? It's the same for me. Naturally I'll recover so there's no need for me to inform them."
"How sure are you that you'd recover without this pill I'm making?"
I sat on the chair.
"Atleast 20 years of meditation would be needed to mend my core."
Mom snickered.
"That's a long time."
"You're the one who said decades don't matter to us mom."
She laughed.
"You really have grown Isaac. I just hope you won't end up like me and your father."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"You've never questioned why we have never helped you in any sort of difficult situation right?"
"Naturally I didn't. I'm the result of every unfortunate situation that has ever happened so naturally I should resolve it myself."
"But it's only right for a parent to help. Unfortunately, we can't."
"Why?"
"Because our situation is like yours but much worse. We were both like you. We were becoming too powerful for this world. We tried to break through the shackles of this world but we ultimately failed. As such, our power was greatly sealed. We can barely invoke more than 5% of our original capabilities. That's why..."
She finished forming the pill and handed it to me.
"When you face those spirits, make sure to kill all of them."
There were a trace of tears in her eyes.
"Even if it's not for me, do it for your father. He has suffered too much for too many years."
I gripped her hands tightly.
"Garden of Aggrudysil. That's where I'll find them. Once I open the entrance to the spirit world within that garden, I'll solve everything."
3 weeks later, Linchestin City, Imperial Academy
I was in Lady Raika's office. She was doing some filing as she quickly drank a cup of coffee. She put down the papers.
"So, you're resigning?"
"Yes."
She sighed.
"The children love you you know?"
"It doesn't matter to me what the children feel."
She sighed.
"Isaac. Are you okay? Can you tell me the real reason you're resigning?"
"Armania. I'm going to the Elven continent of Armania. I'm sorry but I cannot further elaborate on that."
She sighed.
"Okay Isaac. Just remember to not disappear on us again."
I stood up and smiled.
"Yes."
With that, I vanished, leaving Lady Raika alone. I appeared on the roof of the imperial Palace. Ashley, Maria and the Original 50 were waiting for me. I glanced over them before I spoke.
"Originals listen. We're entrusting the Familia to you again. Although I have been neglectful these last two decades, I'll ask you to keep up the good work of improving the Familia for it is our home and sanctuary. I thank you for the effort all of you have put into strengthening our home. As you know, we'll be leaving so again, we'll entrust our sanctuary to you. BLACK FAMILIA FOREVER!!!"
All of them roared back.
"FOREVER!!!"
I smiled.
"Dismissed."
All the Originals vanished, leaving behind Maria and Ashley. I approached them.
"We're heading to the Elven continent. It's where the door to the spirit world called Garden of Aggrudysil is. Are the three of you ready to go?"
Maria replied.
"Three?"
Karina then instantly appeared beside me.
"Going somewhere without me?"
I looked at her.
"You're more than welcome to join us if you want."
"Of course I'm joining! I simply want to take a good look at how the Elves of today look like."
Ashley cracked her fists.
"Well let's go then."
Maria spoke.
"Flying or running?"
I stretched my arm.
"I personally prefer running. The rest of you may fly if you want."
Karina folded her hands.
"The rest of you can fly also. I'm running too."
Maria and Ashley looked at each other. Ashley smiled.
"We're also running."
I walked to the edge of the roof and looked at the horizon.
"I guess that's settled then. Let's go."
All of us instantly vanished. We were traveling at lightning speeds, zipping past forests and grasslands in seconds. Soon, a figure appeared by my side. It was Alma. She was pouting.
"Hmph there's no way I'm letting you leave without me."
I looked at her. Strapped to her back was a giant sword. She was wearing the black cloak with white patterns that the Originals wore.
"Giant sword?"
"Yeah!"
Ashley smirked.
"She's been practicing it for the past one hundred years you know? All...for...yo-"
"DON'T LISTEN TO HER ISAAC!!! I JUST DID IT BECAUSE I LIKE GIANT SWORDS! I mean...I just like them. T-thats it. There's absolutely NO other reason."
Maria giggled.
"Yeah right."
Karina couldn't help but stifle a laugh.
"Young love."
I smiled.
"Let's speed up a bit."
All of us charged up our mana and burst forward as we ramped up our running speed. It was closer to jumping than running now since we were going in a straight direction in open plains. We passed multiple A-Rank beasts and they couldn't even notice us. I suddenly remembered.
"Hey Ash. What happened to my mg card?"
"You mean your mercenary guild card? I have it right here. It's still valid since I've been renewing it every 5 years. Why did you ask?"
"I'm probably going to need it to enter the border of Armania."
"Can't we just breeze through it. I'm sure they won't notice if we enter."
"I think they will. It's not a stretch to say there are elves that are well over 50,000 thousand years old. That's well more than enough time to learn a lot of skills, including advanced detection magic. I don't want to fight unnecessarily. That's why we should try and respect some of their rules."
We stopped. I put my hand to the ground and let out thousands of strings of chaos mana that spread all the way forward. They infiltrated deep into the the towns and cities around the border. I was surprised.
"Nothing?"
Karina stood next to me.
"What do you mean?"
"I feel nothing. No sort of barrier made, array arranged or detection magic found. There's absolutely nothing at all. They just left their country defenceless to infiltration."
Ashley spoke.
"Let me try."
She put her hand into the ground and did the same thing I did.
"You're right. There's nothing.
"She then perked up and smiled.
"However...we're going to be receiving visitors soon enough."
I stood up.
"They must've felt our mana signatures when we were running. So it looks like they maybe have some other means of monitoring their borders."
At that moment, multiple people surrounded us and aimed their arrows covered in very high grade fire runes. I couldn't help but smile.
"Looks like the Elves are interesting after all."