Not getting any response from the old man, Kyle's grip loosened, and he took a step back with a blank expression.
'Why isn't father saying anything?'
He looked at the nearby servants, his head throbbing with a headache.
"Where are my brothers?"
His voice was calmer this time, but his face remained expressionless.
Among the servants, an old man in a butler outfit quickly approached him. The old butler glanced at Kyle, then lowered his head, avoiding eye contact with those intimidating eyes. As a long-time butler of the household, he had watched over Kyle since a young age, knowing him to be lazy and carefree.
Now, seeing Kyle exude such a powerful aura, he wondered how the young master had changed so much in just a month.
Just two days ago, when the monsters attacked, things were really dire. Some distant relatives suggested contacting Kyle, who was studying at the Royal Academy, for help. After all, the academy had a lot of powerful individuals.
However, Kyle's father, Baron Ohan, rejected the idea because he understood that even if they informed him of the situation, he wouldn't have much influence. He also knew that if they told Kyle, the kid would immediately rush over without considering anything else.
The butler sighed, realizing that now that Kyle was here, they couldn't hide anything from him.
"I'm glad to see that you're fine, young master. Please follow me."
Kyle quietly trailed behind the old butler who used to nag him during his childhood.
The duo soon passed through the once beautiful garden, now filled with broken tree branches. Kyle breathed in the lingering stench of blood and noticed the lifeless bodies of a few monsters scattered on the grass, but he remained silent. Even if he wanted to speak, the words seemed stuck in his throat.
After walking through the empty corridor, they arrived in front of the biggest room in the house. The butler turned to face Kyle, his expression serious.
"Due to the sudden monster outbreak, both master Neon and master Ray, along with other powerful individuals in the city, fought bravely. They were able to evacuate half of the citizens as well."
Kyle's gaze remained fixed on the doors of the room. He wanted to rush inside and see the situation but patiently waited for the butler to finish his words.
"Everything seemed fine, and reinforcements arrived after a few hours. But suddenly, the leader of the monsters unleashed a lethal poison skill on the group fighting at the front."
"It was an (A)-Rank python, and both master Neon and master Ray got injured in the surprise attack. Initially, it didn't seem too serious, but after three hours, the ones injured by the poison fell into a coma. Right now, healers from the capital city are doing their best to save them."
After the butler finished, he turned around and opened the door. Kyle entered the room with slow, unsteady steps. Only after a few seconds, he paused, his eyes fixed on the four beds in the room. In an instant, his gaze landed on the two familiar faces he had been longing to see.
Their breathing was labored, their complexions pale, and strange black veins were spreading across their bodies.
'What can I do to help?'
Kyle stood frozen in front of the door, watching the healers' frantic attempts to stabilize the patients, but it seemed like nothing was working.
'I can't do anything.'
His palms turned sweaty, and he felt useless for the first time in his life.
'If I was stronger, maybe I could've helped them, and this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault...'
Despite being more mature than his peers, Kyle was just 16 years old. His brothers were fighting for their lives right in front of him, and all he could do was watch them suffer.
His hand trembled, but then a hand grabbed his shoulder. Kyle slowly raised his head to stare at the old man.
"Dad...?"
Baron Ohan's eyes welled up with tears, and he held onto his shoulder tightly.
"They will be fine."
Kyle, who was on the verge of tears, fought to hold them back. He glanced at his father and clenched his fists.
'What am I doing? They are fighting with everything they have. How can I lose hope?'
Kyle's heart started to calm as he found courage in his father's presence. He looked at the four people lying on separate beds, and for a brief moment, a beautiful green light flashed in his eyes before fading away completely.
The old butler standing behind the duo glanced at the unfamiliar face Kyle had brought along.
He approached Nine and, upon learning that Nine was Kyle's classmate and friend, apologized and instructed some servants to guide the young man to a tidy room.
However, Nine declined the offer and opted to fulfill the missions they had undertaken before leaving the Academy. After telling the butler to deliver a message to Kyle, he set off in search of the mission herbs.
...
After standing for an hour, Baron Ohan and Kyle went to the study to wait for the healers to bring news. Time seemed to trickle by slowly as Kyle paced around inside the study. He was unable to sit still, eat, or drink anything.
Finally, after one long day, the head healer came out of the room. Unfortunately, the news he gave was not what Kyle or anyone wanted to hear.
After trying their best and using one of the best healing potions, the healers were able to stabilize the patients' conditions, but it was only temporary. The python poison acted too quickly, and before they could remove it, it spread through the patients' veins and caused significant damage to their hearts.
The healer explained that even if they regularly used high-level potions to stabilize the patients, they could only survive for a maximum of eight months.
The news hit Baron Ohan like a lightning bolt, causing him to slump in the study chair.
Kyle slammed his fist into the wall. He refused to accept it. There's no way he can just let his brothers die. With a sweaty forehead, he looked at the healer with a desperate expression.
"Are you sure there's no other way? I believe there must be something... anything we can do to save them...?"
"Damn it! I'm willing to do anything if there's even a glimmer of hope. I'll pay any price!"
The healer glanced at Kyle, noticing that he had completely lost his composure. After pondering for a moment, the healer hesitated, as if recalling something seemingly impossible.
"There might be a way..."
Kyle's gaze met the healer's, and he clenched his fists tightly.
"It doesn't matter what it is. I'll do anything to save them."