The smell of simmering soup drifted through the air, blending with the softer scent of baked bread. It was warm, earthy… comforting in a way that made time feel slower. I could hear the faint clatter of pots from the kitchen, where Aunt Sora's steady rhythm never faltered. Even from here, I could picture her, focused, firm, like always, her sleeves rolled up as she stirred the pot without looking away.
We sat in the dining room around the old oak table. Syl sat across from me, petting Ben absently under the table with her foot. Lily was beside her, legs swinging a little off the edge of her chair, humming softly. Uncle, the blacksmith, took the seat nearest to the fireplace.
Ben let out a little "mrrf," curling near Syl's feet like he belonged there, which he did. Somehow, his steel-like fur still managed to reflect the soft firelight, like dull silver.
Uncle's voice broke the quiet, full of laughter. "I still Remember those days, when Subaru and Thorn had quite the adventures," he said, hands moving animatedly as he spoke. "Back when Thorn wasn't king, he was known as the Great Fang."
Syl blinked, leaning forward. "Really? My daddy was really strong… was he one of the strongest?"
Uncle let out a low chuckle. "He held his ground, I'll give him that. But the strongest? Maybe not. Still, Subaru respected him enough to call him brother. That's not something Subaru did lightly."
I leaned forward, curious. "So, Uncle… who were the strongest back then?"
He rubbed his chin, brow creasing as he thought. "That depends. You want the good or the bad?"
I smirked. "Both. No holding back."
He grunted, his voice lowering a bit. "Well then... Back in those days, the Demon King ruled the shadows, and his top seven were called the Deadly Sins."
Lily gasped, her eyes wide. "The Seven Deadly Sins?"
Uncle nodded grimly. "Aye, and the Dark Knight too. That one… he was the closest to the Demon King. You didn't want to cross paths with him."
Syl tilted her head. "Dark Knight? Who was that?"
Uncle didn't answer right away. His voice dropped lower. "No one ever really knew who he was… just that he wore a black helm and never spoke. He was more shadow than man."
I frowned. "So… Grandpa wasn't the strongest then?"
Syl looked at me quickly. "But if those people were that strong, how were they defeated?"
Lily added softly, "And… did Grandpa help fight them?"
Uncle leaned back, chuckling. "So many questions. Subaru didn't tell you all this?"
Before I could answer, Aunt Sora came in carrying a large basket of steaming loaves. Her expression was unreadable, but I caught the subtle twitch of her lips as she placed the bread on the table with a solid thud.
"Granduncle isn't the storytelling type," she said without looking at him.
Uncle snorted, clearly amused. "Can't be, Sora. Didn't Subaru use to tell you stories all the time?"
She shot him a look. "That was then. Lily, Syl, come with me."
Both girls responded at once, Syl with a sigh, Lily with a little skip in her voice. They stood up and followed her toward the hallway. Ben stirred at Syl's feet but stayed put, his head dropping back down again.
Uncle leaned toward me once they were gone. "Since it's just the two of us… let me tell you something. Subaru didn't fight in that war."
My eyes widened. "He didn't? Why not? If he was strong…"
Uncle cut me off, shaking his head. "No one knows why. During that time, he wasn't even at the Dreadholm Dominion. We were rebuilding it, and he just… vanished. Came back after the war ended."
That didn't sit right. "Wait… didn't Grandpa say he destroyed the kingdom and rebuilt it?"
Uncle let out a deep laugh. "Where did you hear that from? Subaru?"
I nodded, still unsure. "Yeah. But he said it jokingly, so I wasn't sure he meant it."
Uncle's expression softened, though his voice didn't lose its weight. "It's not a total lie. He didn't destroy it in the way you're thinking. But yes… he took it by force. That land was his by right."
I stared at him. "His… by right? How?"
Before Uncle could answer, Aunt Sora returned, balancing a silver tray stacked with roasted meats and bowls of hot soup. The smell was overwhelming, in the best way.
Lily and Syl followed right behind her, each carrying a tray of their own. They placed them carefully on the table and returned to their seats. Syl sat beside Ben again, who greeted her with a small yawn.
Aunt Sora sat down, her eyes settling on Uncle like a stone dropping into still water.
"You don't need to start bringing up stories," she said flatly.
Uncle let out a low chuckle, still chewing on a piece of meat. "You really are such a killjoy," he teased.
Aunt Sora didn't glance his way. She balanced a spoon between her fingers, her tone as dry as ever. "And how does that affect anything?"
Uncle sighed, but there was no bite in it. "You really need to brighten up, Sora." He raised his cup, his grin still lingering. "Thank you for the meal."
We followed suit. I heard all of us, me, Lily, and Syl, say it together, "Thank you for the meal," and then silence took over as we began eating. The soft clink of spoons and bowls filled the room.
The warmth of the food didn't fully reach my thoughts. I kept eating, yes, but somewhere inside, a question lingered.
What right did Grandpa really have to take over a nation?
Ignis's voice stirred within me, as if he'd been waiting. "Brat, that is not of your concern."
I replied inwardly, letting out a quiet sigh in my mind. "I know… I know. But I still wonder if Uncle ever knew about you."
Ignis let out a low, smug laugh. "Who wouldn't? I was the great King Ignis of all dragons, you ignorant speck."
I didn't answer. I only muttered under my breath, "Hmmm…"
Syl's voice brought me back. "Uncle," she said, pausing mid-bite, "you didn't answer my question."
Uncle blinked. "Which one?"
She leaned forward slightly, her hands on the table. "How was the Demon King defeated? If he really was the strongest, then who could defeat someone like that?"
He sat back, eyes narrowing slightly. "From what I heard, the Demon King fell in a one-on-one battle."
I leaned in before I could stop myself. "Who was it?"
Lily's voice rose with innocent excitement. "Was it the Imperial King?"
But Uncle's gaze turned to me. His tone was quieter now, but steady. "Well… Kibo, it was your father. Ryuu Satoru."
Everything stopped for a moment.
"What?!" That came from me, Lily, and Syl all at once. I nearly choked, coughing hard as the bread caught in my throat. I grabbed my chest, trying to breathe.
Aunt Sora didn't flinch. "How do you think your father got his title? The Duke."
Uncle nodded. "Yes. Sora is right."
Inside my head, Ignis's voice came in sharp and cruel. "Brat, what an accursed world we live in. Your father killed the Demon King… and here you sit, clueless. How do you feel, still unaware of that, you witless child?"
I stammered inwardly. "I… I don't know what to say. Just… wow. Both my mom and dad… they're stronger than I ever imagined."
Ignis scoffed. "Why wouldn't they be? If you knew what you were carrying, you wouldn't even be shocked, you pathetic, unaware fool."
Syl stared at me, her eyes full of awe. "Kibo's father… really did?"
Uncle nodded again, his expression calm. "Yes. At least, that's the story passed around. Not everyone witnessed it."
Aunt Sora's tone didn't change. "Yes. That is so."
Lily leaned forward now, her expression full of wonder. "What about the Imperial King and King Thorn?"
Uncle opened his mouth, but Sora beat him to it. "The Imperial King fought the Dark Knight. As for King Thorn, he faced other demon armies."
Uncle sighed, slumping slightly. "Why do you always have to interrupt?"
Sora narrowed her eyes. "I thought you didn't want to say anything."
I raised a hand slightly, still caught in the web of questions. "And… did the Imperial King win?"
Her voice was as flat as the table. "No. He didn't. He was defeated."
I frowned. "Oh… he was?"
Syl lowered her spoon, eyes flicking toward Uncle. "Then… who was fighting the Seven Deadly Sins?"
Uncle shook his head. "They weren't part of the war."
Sora's voice was sharp. "Only Sloth was present."
I felt Ignis shift in my mind, his voice rumbling with interest. "Hhmmm…"
I thought back at him. "What are you thinking about, Ignis?"
Lily's voice broke in again, overlapping gently. "Did Sloth fight?"
Uncle shook his head. "No. At least, not from what I heard. Sloth didn't fight anyone. He was the one who helped the Demon King's army retreat… he transported them away after the Demon King was killed."
I paused, spoon resting in my hand.
"How strange is that…" I said quietly.
Sora stirred her soup slowly, the spoon swirling through the surface in steady circles. Her voice came out flat, like she wasn't even really thinking about it. "It is strange, but… who will care about the details when the Demon King was defeated?"
Uncle nodded beside me. His voice, usually loud and warm, had gone quieter, heavier. "Yes… Sora is right about that. In the end, no one cares about the details."
But I did.
Something inside me didn't feel settled. I kept eating, but it was like my thoughts had drifted far from the table. I finally looked up and asked, "If that's really all what happened… then do you know why Grandpa and my father never spoke?"
Uncle leaned back, sighing deeply. "That, I don't even know. Subaru never told me why. But I do know he was against the war. He didn't want to be part of it."
Lily tilted her head, blinking. "But… wasn't the Demon King a bad person?"
There was a pause. Uncle scratched his cheek. "I don't know."
Syl blinked in disbelief. "What do you mean you don't know? My papa said the Demon King destroyed kingdoms… that he was ruling everything through force."
Sora didn't deny it. Her voice was still calm, but firmer now. "Yes, that is true. But everything the Demon King did… wasn't all evil."
My hand stopped midway to my mouth. "How could that be? If people suffered… how could it still be good?"
Uncle placed his spoon down slowly. His eyes looked older just then. "War is a bad thing. Everyone knows that. But from the places I saw… the lands where the Demon King had already conquered… those places were peaceful. Life wasn't worse there. In some ways, it was better. That's what made me start to question things."
Sora glanced toward him. Her voice came quiet, but steady. "Maybe that's why Granduncle didn't join the war…"
"That doesn't cha…" I started to say, but the voice in my mind hit me hard before I could even finish.
Ignis's laughter rolled like thunder across the inside of my skull. "Brat, even when you hear things your elders say with their own mouths, you still question. You insufferable, dim-witted fool."
I clenched my jaw slightly and didn't answer.
Uncle kept going, unaware of the voice clawing through my thoughts. "It doesn't change anything, no. It's the past. The Demon King is dead. When he died, his armies pulled back, scattered. The kingdom was left broken. Only Subaru and Thorn stayed behind to take responsibility and help fix what was left."
Syl opened her mouth to say something else, but Sora's voice snapped across the table.
"Enough of the questions."
That ended it. Syl didn't protest. Her gaze dropped down to Ben, who lay curled at her feet, snoring softly. A quiet "mrrf" slipped from his nose as he turned in his sleep.
Then Sora's eyes locked on me. Her tone sharpened, commanding. "Since you're finally awake, you need to know. Don't go back into the kingdom. Not for now."
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Uncle's voice returned to its usual warmth. "And when I come tomorrow, I'll bring you a new katana. One better than the last."
My chest tightened with surprise. "Thank you, Uncle."
But Sora was already cutting in. "Also… you will spar with me next week."
I blinked. "Uhh… but Aunt Sora, why?"
She fixed me with that look, the one that made me sit straighter without meaning to. "Do you think I am foolish not to notice what's changed in you? Or do you want to deny it?"
Ignis chuckled inside me. The sound was low, brutal. "Your sadistic aunt has sharper eyes than you do. Unlike you, she's not a blind, weak-willed brat."
I swallowed. "No… you're not wrong."
Aunt Sora leaned slightly forward. Her stare didn't break. "Then prepare yourself. And for now…"
Lily leaned in, her voice soft and a little breathless. "Aunt Sora… is the Balmount Kingdom still tight?"
Sora's expression shifted again. Her mouth tightened, and her answer came firm. "Yes, Lily. And that's why you and Syl will keep training without pause. You all need to grow stronger. That's the only way to survive."
I furrowed my brow. "What's even going on in Balmount Kingdom?"
Sora didn't look at me as she answered. "Something we shouldn't involve ourselves in."
Then her eyes flicked to Syl. "Also… your father asked me to keep a good watch. Your mother is still searching for you."
Syl's shoulders tensed. "Okay…"
Uncle laughed, trying to lift the mood. "Thorn is something else. Hiding you from your own mother, even though he knows exactly what she's capable of."
Sora crossed her arms. "That, we both understand. But Granduncle knows, and your father placed you in my care. I won't let anything happen to you."
Uncle smiled at her, then turned to Syl. "You hear that, Syl? Keep getting stronger. Make your daddy proud."
Syl nodded, her eyes glowing faintly beneath the chandelier light. "Okay… I will."