831 Rayan

“Our future would never be prosperous if you keep this att.i.tude, child,” said her father, as his thin arms folded toward his chest. It was hard to imagine this stick-of-a-man being called the Strongest Commoner. However, her father was never strong. “I dedicated my life to our family and wished you to do the same.”

“All of Shon is my family.”

“That’s what you should tell the public, but never what you believe. The people also realize that Shon is a name rather than an ent.i.ty. It is a symbol of strength and defiance. Whoever carries it is our blood.”

“Then, the name dictates blood, not the opposite,” said Rae with a smile as the priests started lining the table with food. “Have you heard about Ascent?”

Her father turned his eyes toward her as if the name was forbidden even between the two of them. He didn’t say a thing until the priests finished presenting the food, and he raised his hand to dismiss them. Everyone left.

“When we received word that Arthur Silvera appeared, you ordered that he get a.s.sa.s.sinated because he would threaten our empire. I thought it was a rash and immature decision, but you had better foresight than I did.”

“I didn’t know he was the outsider, the bane of the seven families. Since our Theocracy is low on runic artifacts, I had to monitor the young talents that could threaten us.”

“And you were right. Arthur Silvera has now grown to be a greater threat than we imagined, and no one can do a d.a.m.n thing. Nations that lived for a millennium fail to find him, and even then, what can they do?”

“He is a master of all trades and every type of ability. You poison him, and he heals. You entrap him, and he teleports. Even if you manage to kill him, he reincarnates. Arthur Silvera is inevitable.”

“The outsider is one with this world,” said her father as his long thin needles grabbed a piece of toast to b.u.t.ter it. “If we wish to conquer this world, we must go through him first.”

“We should support him against Ilios,” suggested Rae, and her father paused. He stared at her through his thin slits for eyes, judging her silently. “We have been fighting the seven families for generations. Finally, at last, their enemy appeared.”

“A common enemy would unite the seven families,” her father said as he placed down his food. “Arthur Silvera is a chance and a deathtrap for our family. If the seven families realized that we sided with him, they would band together to destroy us.”

“If we do nothing, then we’d be his enemies too.”

“Once he becomes strong enough, he will prove worthy of our a.s.sistance. Otherwise, he is a risk.”

“Arthur Silvera will never trust us if we don’t risk it now and stand beside him. We must take a stance now and show him we are allies.”

Bang!

The Father of Shon slammed his fist on the table, making the plates shake. “You can do as you like once you wear the crown. Otherwise, never tell me what to do. Understood?” her father growled.

“I understand,” said Rae after a few seconds, as her red eyes looked away from him. She was disappointed in how narrow-minded he was being. “I will no longer partake in any major decisions.”

“After your recent contributions, I would say that would be best. Besides, my son is already working alongside Arthur Silvera, no?”

“Yuran would rather see Shon burned than help us,” said Rae with surprise. Her father gave a deep, meaningful smile. “He threw away our name, father!”

“My blood runs through his veins, and when the time comes, he will realize that nothing matters more than family.”

Rae could not believe her father would be this foolish. After all, Yuran threw away the name of Shon, even though he was the eldest child. His mother was left to die in the southern tower before Yuran and his mother’s knight, Alan, ran away from Shon.

“As you wish, father,” said Rae before standing. “I remembered that I have some matters to attend to since I have been missing from the church for so long. Please, excuse me.”

“Call over your younger brother once you leave,” her father said, making Rae pause. “I’m talking about Rayan.”

Rae stopped walking at the base of the stairs because she realized that her father knew about Rayan. After a nod, she left and informed the priests to bring Rayan over.

Rayan was a rare human. He was her younger brother, but white scales began to form over his body after his awakening. Most said he was the reincarnation of the White Dragon, who had once ruled the heavens, but Rae knew the truth.

There was no reincarnation, but her father finally managed to create a successor of his powers. While Rae was his strongest child, with a strength that rivaled giants, Rayan had the same ability as her father.

Therefore, once her father dies, Rae will inherit the crown while Rayan will be in charge of the houses. Rae bit her lower lip, making it bleed, as she walked toward one of those houses.

Rayan was standing outside with several priests, who came to escort him toward the chapel. He had short white hair, deep red eyes, and scales covering his chin and cheeks. Once he saw her, Rayan stopped walking.

“Sister Rae,” bowed Rayan as per customs. Rae nodded in response before she glanced at the priests to be dismissed. In a few seconds, only the two siblings stood opposite each other.

“Father wants to have breakfast with you,” said Rae, and her brother nodded. “He has great expectations for your awakening. How does it feel?”

“I feel honored,” said Rayan after a pause. However, his face showed not the slightest twitch. He was unlike Rae, whose rage burst at the slightest provocation. “I heard you were in a coma.”

“And what else did you hear?” asked Rae as she walked toward him. Rayan stared at her until she was inches from him.

“I heard that father a.s.sumed the worst. Is it true that you’ve changed?” asked Rayan with a blank expression. Rae stared at him and sighed before placing her hand behind his head and pulling him toward her.

“I will never change, Ray,” she said while caressing his hair. “You are my only real brother and the only thing our mother left behind. You will do great, so don’t worry.”

Rayan was silent before he raised his arms and hugged her back, making him smile. After that, the priests came over to take him, and Rae watched them leave. The young boy with white hair looked quite lonely between the fawning priests.

After that, Rae walked into her former house. Although it was called a house, it was more of an orphanage for all her half-brothers and sisters. Her father made sure to birth many children to carry his wills and powers, and this house had a hundred of them.

The letter in her pocket asked her to investigate the truth, and her birthplace was the first place to start. Since her father refused to take a stance, Rae had to do it.

***

“Are you nervous about meeting her, Yuran?” asked Arthur, the thin, sickly-looking man training with his magic gun. Yuran didn’t answer but shot another volley of bullets before placing his weapon down.

“We lived in separate houses back in the citadel, so I never met Rae before leaving Shon. However, I heard about her succession soon after I built the house in Rivery Island.”

“There are different houses in the palace?”

“Not a palace, but the Grand Church of Shon. The Highest Cardinal, Father of Shon, has over four hundred children separated into different houses.”

“…what?”

“Four hundred is my estimate, and it could be more,” said Yuran with a pondering expression. “I happen to be his eldest child, but I’m also his greatest failure. He was still experimenting at that time.”

“Experimenting how to transfer bloodlines and create hollow containers,” confirmed Arthur, and Yuran nodded. “I hate to be a bringer of bad news, but your father is sick.”

“I always believed he had no choice since he had to face the seven families. However, after traveling to every part of the world to cure my mother, I realized there is always a choice.”

“How is she now?”

“Thanks to your frequent visits, she regained consciousness a week ago. However, her coma made her lose her cognitive and physical abilities. Therefore, it would take some time before she becomes well again.”

“Well, I’m glad. Rae should accept my offer after realizing the truth, which few of them know. A stealer of bloodlines has to have someone to steal from.”

“That can be why he sealed those memories,” Yuran said with sadness. “He knew that the side effect of a new bloodline is the loss of ident.i.ty.”

“I’m glad that it didn’t work for you, Yuran, as cruel as that fate has been,” Arthur said before jumping from his table. “Let’s forget about this matter and welcome our new guild master. Our first guest has arrived.”