Roman walked out of the Dragonstead home, the clan by the same name was no longer and it wouldn't be a stretch to say those were the last two living. Roman knew Yuri as a friend, but even our friends have dark sides and solely because of that friendship. You wouldn't be able to bring yourself to murder them.
About a year earlier, Yuri had come to Roman telling him about wanting to give birth despite being infected. Now this isn't normally possible, when you're infected by Merlo you become a daemon and daemons don't have reproductive systems. Meaning that the function is ceased but that wasn't the case for Yuri. He could still conceive a child however since it's never been done before. They couldn't know for sure what the child would be.
"Even if you wanna have a child, it's still impossible for you to live to see him born."
That was incorrect however, Yuri's gift was a very special one. One that allowed him to resist the effects of ailments for however long he wanted. With 'however long he wanted being till the ailment albeit slowed down killed him' Using that power he would slow down the effects of Merlo's blood until his child was born.
"Don't think your gift is all that Yuri! you'll cannot remove the effects, just prolong it."
That was true, although he could prolong the effects. One day he would still die. However, that day would be after the birth of his son.
Yuri lied to Hana, it wasn't a complete lie. Hana had cancer and would die in a few months and Yuri was infected, both of them were at deaths corner so why not leave a remnant in this world before they pass.
"You'd let him what!"
"Eat me," Yuri said as he flipped through the pages of his notebook. "That way he can gain my gift, my mana, my everything."
"You're trying to create a hybrid. I will not allow that Yuri!"
"Roman, can't you let this dying bag of sand have one last wish?"
"That wish is too much, does Hana know about this?"
"No, and I don't intend for her to find out."
"She deserves to know."
"She'll understand."
"Yuri."
Yuri prolonged his life for a year, even though they cast healing magic on him. There were no changes whatsoever to Merlo's contamination. A day before Hana would give birth, Yuri had a chat with Roman.
"The doctors say she should be conceiving tomorrow, I'd like you to be there. To take care of her and the child when I'm gone."
"You're still on this."
"Roman. Just... Just do it for me."
"Fuck."
The reason Roman says he's blessed by Alto when in regards to the birth of Igor is if he came a little bit sooner he would've witnessed the death of his friend, he also could've witnessed his own death at the hands of the daemon.
"So Merlo just let you go despite him infecting you?"
"It wasn't that simple... I gave him something."
"What?"
"Fuck Roman, just leave it alone."
"What... did you give him."
"The dragon blade."
"Oh no."
"Just... Leave it alone."
The dragon blade was a relic of the Dragonstead clan, the weapon with special powers was now in the hands of the one person it shouldn't be and that wasn't the worst part. Over the years Merlo has destroyed villages and taken their weapons, the two of note he has in his possession currently are the dragon blade and the wolf's tusk of the Halterglaide clan.
"The kid's something else." Hana said while looking at Igor walking around the house.
"He can walk? it's been two months and he looks-" Roman stopped halfway while talking.
"Human." Hana finished his statement. "His horns and tail are gone, probably an effect of eating Yuri."
"Has he used mana?"
"Not yet." Hana smiled as Igor chased a butterfly. "Roman."
"Yes, Hana."
"Take care of him. I beg of you."
"My position won't allow that."
"Please."
"..."
Roman looked after Hana and Igor after the death of Yuri for six months, right after Hana died he stopped. Not that he bore any hate toward the child... maybe there was a bit of that, but he couldn't stay in Nox any longer due to pressing matters at Vancrest. Upon leaving he gave the guards at Nox and Galestadine orders not to allow Igor into any other nations that aren't the two and when allowing him to enter Galestadine, they shouldn't allow him to use the main door unless he's a hunter.
This was a test, testing Igor's mental state as well as his humanity. If Igor truly was a human there would be no need for panic. He told the hunters at Nox to allow him become a hunter so he could find a means to gain finance but this was all because of what Yuri had told him when he asked about why he was creating a half daemon.
"Don't you think daemons are cheating?" Yuri coughed as he wrote in his journal.
"What do you mean?" Roman asked, watching Yuri write.
"Do you know how I felt after I fought Merlo?"
"..."
"I'm 38 years old... 38. I've trained since I was 4, perfecting both my way with the sword and with magic, and guess what Merlo had to do."
"Yuri."
"He ate a bunch of humans and gained their abilities." Yuri coughed again, this time harder. "I'm the only one who can do this Roman, if it works. Humanities first daemon will be born."
"So you're thinking about humanity. Your son will suffer."
"I would apologize if I could, but at this pace. No one will be able to defeat Merlo."
"And your sure your son will."
"He'll be eating me after all."
"And hopefully Merlo."
Yuri laughed, but the casual laughter turned into a cough which he used water to calm down.