The suns fell, casting the valley in a deep orange glow. Nassandra and Freon rode a carriage back home, and during that time, Freon was annoyed. The feeling of being plotted against was disgusting. He felt ashamed for how stupid and impulsive he was. It was unlike him. Nassandra saw how upset he was and reminded herself to make things difficult for Lord Kel and Lady Vivian, if they were promoted to be Ten Dawns. They did not say much. Freon looked out the window and ruminated, while Nassandra reviewed her combat system in her head. This incident made one thing clear to Nassandra, and that was a combat system was not enough. She needed battle experience too! The ability to stay calm, to plan and predict ahead, to choose the optimal spell… These were arguably more important than a personalized combat system. However, battle experience was not so easily gained. It could not be nurtured in safe environments. Much like how a flower needed sunlight, it had to blossom in the middle of near-death experiences! The problem was how would she do it?
When they returned home, they were surprised to see their uncle standing outside, talking with some people and the landlord. To be honest, they rarely saw their uncle these days. They had no idea what he was doing, or where he was. Which was funny, because he was supposed to be their Protector, the guardian of the Arcellius Family. How was he supposed to protect them if he was absent? They both thought this and refrained from saying anything. They were happy to not have their uncle following them around everywhere. The siblings disembarked from the carriage and approached their uncle. As they did, they overheard the conversation.
"As I said, we found that this person hasn't filled out the appropriate paperwork to rent out their building. Under the law, we will have to detain him temporarily, and you will have to vacate the building," a tall man said. He wore a simple uniform and had two subordinates with him.
The old landlord had a hunched back, requiring a cane to prop himself up, and bad eyesight. "Detain?" he cried. The fear in his voice was evident. He did not understand what he did wrong.
"Yes, this is the fourth time I've explained this," the man replied with a grimace. To anyone else, he would have flown into a rage, but this was an old man. Thus, the officer had more patience.
"But that can't be true! There must be a mistake somewhere," the landlord muttered.
"There is no mistake. Please, come with us." The man gestured to his subordinates, who went and detained the poor elder. "As for the tenants, please vacate by sunrise tomorrow. Do not make things hard for us," he warned before leaving.
Protector Avin did not do anything the entire time. He did not argue or use his aura to suppress the officials. He simply watched them leave with squinted eyes. He looked at Freon and Nassandra, and said plainly, "You heard him. We need to pack our things and move."
"So suddenly?" Nassandra was dumbstruck. "Where do we move?"
"I haven't thought of that yet."
"…"
"Ah, right. I recall you were having your Ten Dawn exam today. What were the results?"
Freon smiled bitterly. "It's like this…" He narrated the events quickly.
"I expected as much. The issue with the landlord, and then your exam… Those two senile sages must be behind it. They don't want to see our family rise again."
"This happened because of what you said at the party. You should just apologize. Then everything will be settled."
"Brother is right. We won't have to move then," Nassandra urged.
"You want me to apologize?" Protector Avin's lips curled into a cruel smirk. There was no humor in his dark eyes.
"Then what do you suggest?" Freon raised an eyebrow. "This is how it works. You want the Arcellius Family to return. This means joining the Engelsheft Families and the Zino Kingdom. Even a tiger must bow its head to a pack of wolves. This is probably their warning. The next won't be so kind. So, unless you plan to overturn the entire kingdom, it might be time to bow your head. They have a million ways to deal with us. You should have known this would happen, since the very beginning!" Due to his earlier embarrassment, he did not hold back. He said everything he wanted to say. And in a sense, he was complaining about himself too for failing to anticipate Lord Kel and Lady Vivian's plot. He was truly frustrated!
Protector Avin laughed, which was the exact opposite reaction Freon and Nassandra expected. He said, "No, you're right. I didn't expect they would move this fast. However, it's a good thing for us."
"How?" Freon was bewildered.
The man smiled. "An opponent hidden in the dark is hard to defend against, but once they are in the open, they are not difficult to handle. Come, we should continue inside." He ushered the siblings upstairs, and when he closed the door, he smoothly took out his wand. A brilliant Magic Circle bloomed and shrouded the entire second floor. He explained, "This is a perception barrier. It can prevent anyone outside from eavesdropping on our conversation. You two didn't notice, but there were over twelve people watching us before."
Nassandra was startled. The hairs on her back stood on end. "You saw twelve people spying on us? Are you sure about that?"
"I could sense their gazes. Don't forget, I am a Perception Realm too."
"Should we do something then?"
"No, it seems they're content on watching. Let them. Even if some of them are Perception Realms, or they're using magic to spy on us, they can't pierce through my barrier. They can't tell what we're doing."
"Is it the two sages again? Why do they hate our family so much? What did you do?" Freon grimaced. Although their uncle stayed with them for a while now, he never spoke about the Arcellius Family, or the tragedy that befell it in detail. It remained a mystery to Freon and Nassandra to this date. That said, there was a growing sense of loathing in his heart about this family and his uncle. It made him resent inheriting this mess!
"We can talk about that later," Protector Avin answered. "You said I should have known this would happen. I did. I knew all along the two sages wouldn't tolerate our rise again. So, I have been planning and gathering allies this past year while you've been in the Xingyuu Empire."
"This… This sounds like an uprising," Freon said in disbelief. His breathing picked up. He could not believe his ears. Was his uncle serious? Did he really mean to overthrow the Engelsheft Families? This went far beyond the little conflict Freon envisioned!
His uncle read his thoughts and replied, "Yes and no. I don't intend to overthrow the Engelsheft Families, nor do I wish to become king. My main goal has always been to revive the Arcellius Family and, at the same time, deliver justice on those who destroyed it fifty years ago. But it's as you said. My position is problematic. As long as we wish to join the Engelsheft Families, we must abide by their rules. We need to submit. That goes against my objective."
"You mentioned allies? Who are they?" Freon frowned. This was sounding worse and worse in his mind. He wanted to convince his uncle to stop this madness. Only… would he listen?
"Many of the Hochlaegen Families have contacted me in secret. Many are upset with the current situation. The Engelsheft Families have ruled for too long and prevented any new budding families from rising. They hope I can reverse this situation." Protector Avin smiled deeply. The darkness on his face seemed to grow colder, almost malevolent. "To be honest, I went to the Xingyuu Empire and displayed my power for good reason. After three battles, my reputation and fame have already spread far and wide. People have seen what I can do now. That is the basis for our cooperation. Since the beginning, I have been laying down the foundation for the Arcellius Family's eventual revival!" Towards the end, there was a hint of madness in his voice. Nassandra paled, too frightened to say anything, while Freon gulped. His throat was dry. The repercussions of what their uncle said… It was far greater than they could have ever imagined!