"Freon, you ungrateful bastard! Did you forget who saved you?! I could have left you to rot in those stinking mountains!"
"Only because of the Arcellius Family! Admit it!"
"I see… That's how you saw it."
"That's right," Freon declared. He expected things to escalate, except his uncle suddenly calmed down and turned serene again. It was scarier than seeing him angry. Freon swallowed the saliva stuck in his throat.
Protector Avin stared at Freon and got up. Halfway to the door, he broke the silence without turning around. "I protected your grandmother, your parents, and now you and your sister. I've done so for almost seventy years. Perhaps I've been focused on the Arcellius Family lately; however, I've always treated you two as my real nephew and niece. That has never changed," he said, shutting the door behind him.
Freon sat in silence. Vague memories started to resurface. In them, he was probably twelve or thirteen, around the same age as Nassandra now. That was before the Invasion of Aereon, when the Xingyuu Empire invaded the Zino Kingdom. His parents were still alive and together with his sister, they lived out in the countryside in their small house. Life was simple. His father hunted for game in the forest, while his mother grew vegetables in the garden. His uncle was there too. He helped around the house, taught them new things, and brought them to the city every once in a while. Nobody mentioned anything about magic, Bloodline Abilities, or even the Arcellius Family. Although Freon could barely remember what his parents looked like now, he did remember how happy he was. And Protector Avin… Uncle Avin was a key part of those memories. So, to say that his uncle never thought about them, and only considered the Arcellius Family… It was a blatant lie.
Yet, at the same time, it was true. Because his uncle decided to make the breakthrough to Blue Depth Core, that left their family vulnerable at the worst time. The Invasion of Aereon happened, and soldiers killed his parents, forcing him to flee with his baby sister. He spent the next several years living like beggars, eating scraps, and struggling to get by. Death was a close friend, but he persevered specifically for his little sister's sake. When Freon expected to die, it was the Conquestian who extended his hand and pulled them from the brink of despair. He offered them food, clothes, money, and even shelter, all without demanding anything in return. Meanwhile, Uncle Avin only came back after everything was over. How could Freon look at his uncle kindly then? That deep resentment and anger was hard to forget.
Ultimately, he sighed. It was filled with deep emotion. "I guess I went too far. I'll apologize later…"
Somewhere else, Benedict looked around with a slight frown. This was not his lodging at the rundown inn. He understood somebody saved him, so he was not worried, only he had no idea where he was. The room was decently furnished and comfortable though. It might have been Elizabeth or Shirley's mansion. He would have used his Martial Perception to investigate his surroundings, but that was sadly not an option. Resigned, Benedict called out for anyone outside. Guards quickly entered and within minutes, numerous servants and physicians arrived. They gave him the same treatment as Elizabeth, checking his wounds, his mental state, and so on. He was a Royal Guard and a former Grand Lord, a status second to Elizabeth in the Zino Kingdom, after all.
"Where am I?"
"This is the First Celestial Magic University's treatment wing," the physician-in-charge answered.
"The capital, huh… How did I get here? Do you know?"
"Your Lordship was brought here, along with many others, by Lord Avin Arcellius."
Benedict nodded. That much was expected from a Rank 3 King. He inquired about who else survived. When he heard that his friends were okay, most of the tension drained from his body. The Mordrigan Peaks were too frightening. He honestly thought those caves would be his final resting place. It was absurd to think a place like that could exist in the Zino Kingdom. The Zino Kingdom was around a quarter the size of the Alzar Kingdom, and many towns and villages neighboured the Mordrigan Peaks. It was, by no means, a remote or unreachable location. Yet, reality was stranger than fiction. Benedict smiled wryly. His dreams would be very interesting for a while…
The physicians reported that his legs were seriously broken, and most of his muscles were wrecked, a consequence of exhausting his Martial Energy and using World Energy. He would have been a cripple, if he was not a Perception Realm. Regardless, it would take a month or two before he could fully function again. He was disappointed, but all things considered, that was a fair price for survival. The servants and physicians left shortly afterwards. Benedict thought Freon and Nassandra would have been in the treatment wing as well, but apparently not. The extra company would have been nice. Sadly, he was left by himself. Since he could not move, and a martial technique seemed inappropriate, he stayed in his bed. Sunlight shined through the quiet room, as boredom crept in. He prepared to sleep, when his door creaked open.
Benedict raised an eyebrow. "Lord Fredrick."
"Sorry, I hope I'm not bothering you. May I come in?"
"Go ahead."
"Thank you. I brought gifts." Although he said that, it was his guard who carried everything. Sensing Benedict's curious gaze, Lord Fredrick explained, "I came to visit the others first when I heard you woke up. That's why I had gifts on hand."
"So, that's it. Please have a seat."
The Grand Lord smiled and pulled a chair next to him. "How are you faring?"
"I'm fine," Benedict said rather stiffly.
Although he was once a Grand Lord, sharing the same status as Lord Fredrick, their positions were very different. In the twenty-five Grand Nobility Households, the Hawken Household ranked in the lower half in regard to prestige. That was because their most outstanding property was their generational legacy of Royal Guards. While admirable, Grand Nobles typically saw themselves above being subservient, much less swinging a sword around. People like Lady Kalasena were outliers. To add onto that, Benedict was the second son of Sir Roland, and a squadron captain serving in Fortress Fallinard, away from the capital. He had little opportunity to interact with the Grand Nobles of his generation.
"Please call me Fredrick. I don't mind. How is your brother? I heard he was in the Xingyuu Empire."
"He's doing well."
"I'm glad to hear that. Our paths don't often cross."
Benedict shook his head. "Fredrick… can we skip the pleasantries?"
The Grand Lord chuckled. "Very well, I know you want to rest. I need to compile a report for the Ovarr and Dewshard Households, so I was hoping you could go over your experiences. Of course, you can decline, if you prefer. I can ask someone else."
"No, we can talk. I know how the Grand Nobility is."
"Thank you."
Benedict and Lord Fredrick's guard suddenly glanced at the door. Five seconds later, there was a knock. "Excuse me, Sir Benedict. Someone is here to see you."
Lord Fredrick remarked, "It seems you're quite popular."
"Who is it?" Benedict asked the man outside.
"Lord Aster from the Cisvernia Family."
Question marks appeared over Benedict's head. He vaguely remembered such a person from the victory banquet some time ago; however, he had no relationship with this Engelsheft. His head turned to Lord Fredrick.
"It wasn't my doing," Lord Fredrick denied.
Benedict frowned, but still shouted, "Come in!"
When Lord Aster entered, he jolted upon seeing who was inside. "Lord Fredrick, it's an honor to meet you again. I hope I'm not interrupting… Should I come back later?"
"Since Sir Benedict said so, it's not a problem."
"Why did you want to see me?" Benedict wondered.
"As you may know, the Cisvernia Family specializes in magical healing. I was wondering if you wanted me to treat your wounds?"
It was somewhat a daring proposal, because healing Arcanists were viewed less favorably than normal physicians. And what if the Arcanist decided to use a harmful spell instead? Unless the patient understood magic, they would have no way of knowing. This added another layer of suspicious. Lord Fredrick would have declined, and even Lord Aster figured he would not convince Benedict, but, contrary to their expectations, Benedict shrugged nonchalantly.
"Sure, I don't see why not."