"I will see you soon, Saint!"
The triclops escaped untouched, laughing at what she witnessed.
"Everyone! After her! Don't let her escape."
"Nobody moves, or I'll stop you myself." Theo threatened with gritted teeth and a clenched fist.
"What are you talking about, Theo? Stopping us from killing an invader, a Demon Follower, no less! As a Saint, you are the last one I thought I'd hear that from." Levia bellowed while reluctantly keeping her sword away.
"I want to capture her more than anyone in this room. She tried to kill me and almost succeeded, but she's a messenger, someone we cannot touch, or they will do something even worse to her. The risk is too great. I am going after them alone."
"WHAT!? Are you insane? I know Saints receive blessings from their Gods, but you are still weak! What do you mean to do to her? To who?"
"They took Rose, and they are using her as a hostage to get to me."
Levia's mind blanked at his words, "....That's impossible!"
But Theo just ignored Levia and simply motioned to one of the men garbed in black, "You, get me anything that can enhance mana output and a book that details about minor spells and how to open the Mana Core."
"Theo! What do you mean Sister Rose was taken!? If she really was taken, we would've heard the fight that happened. It's impossible to subdue her like this." Levia had her doubts, "Is it possible that they are lying? You, go investigate Rose's room."
Levia ordered.
"No need—" Theo was just about to explain when another one barged into the room.
"Theo!" A shout was followed by Theo being pulled into an embrace. Thalia was on the verge of tears as she arrived with the three children in tow, "Are you okay, my son? Did they hurt yo—"
From the corner of Theo's mouth, blood flowed. Her eyes turned eerie and then filled the room with bloodlust.
"Levia, call your father from Laura's room."
"Why, Mother?" Theo had to ask, seeing how those pair of eyes were all but devoid of mercy. Thalia carried a smile still, but her tone was anything but warm.
Wiping the blood off his face, Thalia simply answered, "We're going to kill them all, of course."
The Family of Sigurd was known for many things. They were small, a small Region but had a formidable Knight Order.
The Army was even more terrifying than the last.
The three parents who led the subjugation of a corrupted Dragon.
Their Offsprings could match any genius.
And so much more.
Despite being newly established, their fame, or rather infamy as a Family, reach far and wide.
The Sigurd Family is also known as the Den of Dragons. They have little to no history, and their forces were small and insignificant.
However, despite their small forces, they continue to thrive because they hold a major trade route of the South East.
They are protectors of the meek and accept all no matter the race. They are good people, but those who observe from the other side of their generosity would say otherwise with chattering teeth.
Because despite a Dragon's wisdom and patience, they all have a reverse scale that should never be touched. And the Sigurds' volatile nature perfectly showcases said draconic nature.
A reverse scale would make them bear arms without fear of the consequences, no matter how large the force before them.
Their family was said reverse scale.
When Thalia said she'd kill the ones who touched her son… she wasn't paying any lip service, and Theo could tell.
'I've seen many insane people. Heck, I'm one of them... but Mother Thalia... even I am frightened of her.'
Her fury was rising to insane levels. Theo was befuddled, but the others around him had already foreseen this reaction.
It was unknown to him, but an incident in the past proved that only those with a death wish would antagonize the Sigurd's. Twelve years ago, Levia cried after being picked on by arrogant young nobles of a sure Kingdom.
As a response, Alba, Laura, and Thalia picked on the bullies' whole family, demanding an apology.
Of course, the Noble Families refused, laughing at their faces. The Sigurd's were valuable prospects, but not enough to make the Nobels pay with their pride to appease them.
Three days later, a war lasting a month began, and by the end of it, three families buried their heads on the ground begging for forgiveness.
Of course, if their children started the fight, the parents wouldn't respond. The enigmatic family was not petty enough to support the wrongdoings of their spawns.
However, if they were struck without any reason, the Dragons would not hesitate to waste the world.
Now that one of those Dragons saw its child hurt, Thalia's fang began to show, "Order the entire Mage Tower to move. If those lazy assholes complain it being night, then tell them I'll subject them to a Wing Tiger Torture once I'm finished."
"Yes, my Lad—"
"Wait a minute." before anyone could leave, Theo once again stopped them from moving, "Mother Thalia, please don't be too hasty; you don't even know where they are, right?"
"Oh, my sweet child, are you worried about this mother of yours? Don't worry, Viel secured the perimeter, so the escaped Demon Follower already has a tail. We'll know where they are soon enough."
"WHAT!?" Theo found it weird that the old man wasn't anywhere to be seen or how few of the assassins were in the house, 'That explains that.'
"And even if we lost them, we already made preparations since last month after Laura got poisoned… we were just waiting for the right time to subdue them, and they just gave me a good reason." Thalia continued.
"No, call him back. We can't have anyone following them!"
"But, my son."
"Mother Thalia, this situation must be dealt with by me alone." Theo argued with his brows meeting in the middle of his forehead, "I will not allow anyone saying anything otherwise, so just do what I say and cal—"
Theo's voice was drowned by the crisp and thunderous echo of his face being slapped.
His eyes were filled to the brim with shock.
But it was not Thalia who slapped Theo; instead, Levia said, "Mind your words, Theo. Do you think that's the proper tone to speak to your mother who only wants to help you?"
Levia… has a brother complex.
To some degree, she idolizes Theo and respects him despite what he has become. She wants to pamper him and give him everything he wants, but she wouldn't stand at first sight of him stepping out of line.
She may adore this younger brother of hers, but, amongst the entire family, she's also the only one who continued trying to set him straight when he was on a path of debauchery. Levia wouldn't stand to see him go the wrong direction.
As the eldest of the family, it is her job to set a good example and to set her siblings straight when they go astray, "I don't care if you're the Saint now, mind your manners. You are talking to our mother; do you think you can take that tone with her?"
Theo was silent as his eyes remained planted on the ground. He took a deep breath, and when others were worried about how he would react, he raised his head with clear eyes.
"Thank you, Older Sister, I needed that."
"O…kay?" Levia was shocked to hear him actually thank her, 'Did I hit him too hard?'
"Mother Thalia, I apologize as well… but I will not retract my words. Butler Viel has to return, and I must do this alone."
Thalia looked her son in the eyes. She could see that his words were no longer clouded, "Give me a reason why I should listen to you?"
Theo did not speak; he only showed them a pair of bloodied black gloves belonging to Rose.
"Those gloves… did they take Sister Rose?" Levia could not believe what she saw.
"To think they'd be able to subdue her." even Thalia was in disbelief.
"The triclops was here to make demands. I have what they need, and they have Rose. If anyone follows her, then they'll do something untoward to her. Mother… please, I have to go alone."
"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Thalia said before showing her son a son, "Tell me what you need."
Thalia wouldn't get in the way of her son's conviction.
Theo smiled at her mother's words, "Mother Thalia... please teach me how to do magic in an hour."
Theo begins his preparation.
***
Splash!
"!!!!!" Rose awoke, her body drenched in water, her clothes ripped to pieces.
"Wakey, wakey, Princess." In front of her was a man with a face full of scars. He was smirking while holding a bucket dripping with water, "Did you have a nice nap?"
'Where… am I?'
Her feet could not touch the ground, and her hands were bound by a chain link that was further pinned on the ceiling by a pike. She was cold, in pain, and being cursed at by a lackey, 'Did they… capture me—ACK!'
Rose's body swayed as the air inside left her after a kick to the stomach.
"Watch your eyes, you fucking dog!" the scarred man said with gritted teeth.
"Ulis, what are you doing?" the door opened behind the man called Ulis. A tall, cloaked woman with three eyes entered the room.
Ulis immediately stood straight, "Ca-Captain Sneha, when did you come back from the Sigurds!?"
Rose's eyes twitched, 'Did he just say the Sigurd? Did she leave for Theo!?'
"I just returned. More importantly, what were you doing with our precious hostage?" Sneha asked with a glare.
"Sh-She was trying to escape bu—"
"Shhhh, that's enough, Ulis. You don't have to lie like that." Sneha walked past Ulis and stood face to face with Rose, "Even I want to rip her to shred more than anyone. She killed eight of my best men; we can't touch her from what I saw, that Saint was more shaken than I thought. If we can't show the Saint a living hostage, then the exchange wouldn't happen. He might kill the sealed Archduke instead."
Rose's brows twitched, and then, she laughed.
"What are you laughing at, you bitch!?" Ulis growled in anger and slapped her across the face.
The pain stung, but Rose just continued laughing as she looked Sneha in the eyes.
"You think… you'll get what you want from Theo using me? You chose… the wrong hostage… to Theo… I was but a passing fancy—"
Rose spoke with sadness behind her words. With a broken heart, she laughed.