Seven figures sit around a long table.
"The budget this year is just right, Patriarch. We need this to let them grow."
A fat man, with sleazy mustache and only side hairs said.
"Shut up, Rual, you just cover up the misdeeds of her."
"And what about you, Salcie? Are you suggesting that we pour resources to your bias?"
"Bias? We are not biased, we just think he is the better choice."
"Better choice, my ass. You just want to step over others because you are also an illegitimate child, Dwen."
"Oh, shut up, Miro. What makes you think you are legitimate."
"I am legitimate! Hey, Narisa, help me here, will you?"
"I support Carlay silently, not like you lots who wants war."
As she said that, everyone turned silent.
A few moments more, they tried to find words to say, but the silence was so thick that any noise will break it.
"Are you done?" Charles, who was listening, along with his butler, spoke.
Everyone got silent once more, but this time, much thicker than earlier.
A slow opening of the door broke the silence, and the creaking was heard much louder than expected.
"Pardon my tardiness, Patriarch."
"Sit down, Bella." The butler said as Charles sighed and took one file from his desk.
There were six bold letters in the front of the said file.
BUDGET.
It was the budget of the family, and it will be allocated to each faction.
The Head Maid - Bella Baltinoir. Class- Rapier Princess. She is the one that makes the house in order, clean and without turmoil. She isn't supporting any candidate, and remained neutral.
The Military Officer - Miro Baltinoir: Class- Holy Paladin. He supports the first son, which is the way he was chosen as the General of the Baltinoir House, because his father, is Charles' brother.
The Finance Department - Rual Baltinoir: Class- Merchant. A distant cousin of Charles, and supports Carlay, along with Narisa: Class- Stellar Assassin, who is the leader of the Night Eye, the department of information of the Baltinoir Family.
Salcie Baltinoir, the Head of Research Division: Class- Plague Doctor. She is smart, and believes that Corinth is the best choice, because Carlay is a woman, and Constantine is young.
And lastly, Dwen Baltinoir, the son of Charles' brother to a maid he took into his house. Class - Berserker. The only one that specialized in one class. He is the one that trains each and every player in the game.
Behind him is his daughter, the Soul Queen Apostle, Ayaka.
This is the reason of his firm belief in Constantine.
"This is the budget allocation for this year." The butler, started to list one by one.
It was always known by everyone that Bella will always get 20%, but today, that changed.
18%.
It was lowered by 2%.
Although she looked unbothered, deep inside, she was asking a question, of who got the percentage she lost.
That was when, they saw it.
10% for each and every other department, 20% for the family funds, and 22% for the Game Department.
In short, 22% for Dwen, to handle the players of Magic Night.
This year, they lost a big deal because Constantine let a rat in, and destroyed their Space Ores business, which is 2% of all the over all budget of the family.
But this time, Charles decided to reinstate that 2% more to Dwen, and in there, it seems that the Patriarch is supporting his youngest son.
Silence.
"Sir, you have to--!"
"Shut up, Rual. I know what I am doing."
"But Sir--!"
A glare stopped him from speaking.
Everyone then glared at Dwen, who is now relaxing at his seat.
Even Bella, was bewildered.
Giving the 2% to the Game Management, the moment they lost one of the businesses they have.
"Last month, I saw a talented kid."
Charles broke the silence, as he gestured to the butler.
A holographic screen appeared, replaying the moment Charles lost him.
As they all watched, Narisa slammed the table.
"THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!"
She exclaimed as she watched how Zypher render her team useless. Every shot, is accurate, and every move, is precise and calculated.
It is like looking at a professional player.
"He is a smurf!" Miro suggested, only to be looked down by Narisa.
"He can't be a smurf." Narisa stood up and pointed at the screen.
She slid back the video, and pointed at a move Zypher did that made her gasp in surprise.
The beginner move, scanning the environment.
When professionals move, they predict the way of the battle. Though they make this beginner move, they always do it when they are confident, but Zypher did it all the time.
It means two things, it's either he is a smurf, or he is confident in his summon.
But even if he is confident in his summon, he can still be ruled out as a smurf, as he is letting the summon do his job, which is risking him his position.
But, he executed it beautifully.
Immaturity, to the point of cataclysm.
As they start to see the wonder boy, the door swung open.
"Pardon us."
"Good evening."
Carlay and Constantine entered the meeting hall.
What they saw made them question their sanity.
The whole family, is watching the boy who made them lose pathetically, except for one, who doesn't understand the flow of battles.
He pestered Miro a few times, and Miro got angry at him because of his incessant blabber.
Playing before them is when Zypher shot down three assassins, each one in their eyes, that clearly blinded them from the trajectory.
As they paused the video, they saw that Briar is the shield, and Zypher is using her not just as that, but also fades in and out of her back, to dodge and counter attack.
They could've went for Briar, but the continuous fire from Zypher taunts them, making them unable to focus on one.
A ragtag team can be played like this, but what surprised them more is that every move of the Magic Nights guild was ingrained to them until perfection.
In short, this made the video more impressive than it is.
"We must learn that, and teach the team." Narisa muttered as they all looked at one of the seats.
Towards Dwen.
"2%, huh?" Bella said as she smiled.
"Better take that 2% and make it an investment." Salcie chimed in, as she leaned back on her chair.
Dwen, who saw it, felt the pressure as he watched the video for the second time, but the video abruptly closed.
"Okay, that's enough."
A laughing voice came as he was also bewildered by the thing the elders of the house was doing.
They all looked at the person who entered, and was shocked to see him carrying a boulder.
Annoyance colored the faces of everyone, except for Rual who was stoned earlier for seeing everyone expect more from the illegitimate son.
"Why the long faces?"
Corinth said as he kicked Rual out of his chair, which Rual did not mind, and sat on it.
Rual stood behind him like a subordinate which irked the others more than needed.
Seeing this, Narisa pulled in Carlay and made her sit on her chair, which left Constantine standing alone.
Dwen was going to stand when Ayaka patted his shoulder and shook her head.
Corinth's disrespect was enough. Narisa's next move is also lacks in politeness.
Constantine will receive all the ire and discomfort if they make any moves.
Seeing this, Corinth just laughed and dropped the egg into the table.
"What is that?" Charles asked.
Corinth grinned, but he shook his head.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wrong question, Elder. The question is, how did I get this?"
Everyone's rage went through the roof.
Elder? He did not even gave Charles the respect he is worth, but he already thinks himself as the owner of the family.
"Then how?"
Charles, being patient as he is, asked.
Corinth grinned as the floating screen earlier played another video.
In the video was the same guy they are watching earlier.
It started on the part where he counterattacked with the Stun Fist.
The video went on, and as they watched the video, everybody has seen a whole new world.
Not because of Corinth, but because they saw how Zypher managed.
Looking closely, Zypher is a low-level account.
From his Skills, and from his kit, they can see that he is still starting.
But, from the fight they are watching, Corin, Corinth's charater in-game, has a fourth of his life missing, while Zypher, despite all the combo he received, also did receive the same damage.
It is like a fight between an ant and an elephant, and the elephant lost it's leg while the ant lost two.
It is a humiliation, but Corinth seems to still be smug about it.
Constantine and Carlay almost bursted out laughing, but they held it in.
It was then that the video reached it's peak, when Zypher rode the majestic bird.
Seeing this, Miro and Narisa's blood ran cold.
They saw this bird many times.
Fought this many times.
And lost to it many times.
But Zypher.
Zypher has the said bird in his hands.
Saxon, the Emperor.
That was the name they called him, as they can't damage him well, and heals abruptly. With the help of the other Elders of the dungeon, they were almost wiped out again and again.
This just made their hearts sting a bit. It was like they were slapped, but with a chicken wing.
Then, the sniper took the bird down, and Zypher fell to the deeper ends of the sealed dungeon.
That was when it paused.
Corinth just grinned at everybody, but he did not meet the reaction they he was waiting for.
A minutes passed, and they just sat silently.
Charles, seeing that he is smiling, knows the embarassment.
"So, why did you show us that?"
Corinth laughed as he asked.
He stood up, carried the boulder, and gave it to Charles.
"This is a gift for your retirement as a Patriarch. The Horned Wyvern."
"Retire? Are you being ridic-" the butler wss gonna say something when Corinth's laughter turned into maniac as he punched the butler's face.
"What? Am I not the strongest now? I even took down the prey he failed to take down."
As he daid that, laughter echoed through the room.
It was a bit of a moment before everybody's laughter died down.
It was at this moment that Ayaka's voice came.
"That egg is dead."
She said, as they stopped laughing. Well, not everybody is, because one didn't understand what's happening at all.
"Hey, illegitimate, no one asked for your opinion."
"Really, that egg is dead." Narisa said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Hey, I didn't know women can tell their opinions in these kind of matters." Corinth laughed.
"We sure do, especially when we are stronger than you." Narisa rebutted.
"Stronger? When I am the one who caught the thing that embarassed your master?"
"Caught? I don't see him here."
Sparks flew between Narisa and Corinth, and that was when Miro stood up.
"Corinth, stop this foolishness. The egg is dead."
He shook his head as he took the egg that was offered to Charles.
"No, don't take it. I thought you were on my side. Why are you embarassing me."
Miro stopped, and lookd at Rual.
"Piggy, take the Samsara Mirror."
"Who's Pig-"
"Take it." Corinth stated.
Rual, without second thought, ran as fast as he can, and without taking up much time, entered the hall again, with a mirror in hand.
Miro then took the mirror and pointed it to the boulder.
And then, like a phone that takes photos, he captured what was inside, and showed it to everyone.
Shock colored everyone's faces, especially Corinth's.
Inside, was a mangled, dismembered and without nourishment body of the Horned wyvern.
"No, that's not tr-"
"The mirror doesn't lie."
Narisa said as she tapped Corinth's shoulder and smirked.
"This is not true. I am superior! I caught this!"
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
Clapping sounds echoed through the chamber.
All of them looked at the youngest son, whose face is colored with mocking.
"The one who laughs first always fails." He said as he stood next to the boulder.
"You know, there is an easier way to determine if this egg is alive or not."
Comstantine said as he motioned Ayaka to come to him. Ayaka, looking at Dwen, saw this, and permitted Ayaka.
When she arrived, Constantine gave her the egg.
"No, what are you doing?! That's my trophy!" Corinth exclaimed.
"A rotten one." Constantine said as Dwen held Corinth back.
"Take your hands off-"
"Soul Arise!" Ayaka's voice said as bluish gray light enveloped the egg.
Then, a powerful surge of energy erupted from the room, enough to make it like a lighthouse.
Suddenly, all the light gathered in one place, as a skeletal wyvern came out.
But, it was not a normal skeletal wyvern.
It's horns, created a perfect circle that looked like a doctor with a disk on it's head.
Blue lights connected the skeleton, and blue fire is in the eye sockets.
The bones connected perfectly, and the skeletal wyvern grew two pairs of feet, aside from the wings it has.
Yes, it has evolved to a dragon.
The wings that was devoid of flesh now glowed in blue fire, which made it look like blasters.
Constantine then placed his hands above the head of the dragon, as he poured his energy onto it.
"Thank you, brother, for this wonderful gift."
Corinth's mouth went wide as he saw what happened. It truly is dead.
What made him shocked more is that it mutated when summoned, and now, black tendrils also flowed together with the blue energy earlier.
One of it's eyes went dark, and the other is blue light.
The bluish lights on the body became murky, and the wings became darker shade of blue with a tinge of menace.
The dragon then stood on Constantine's head, and slept there, like it is his nest.