Emerion's POV
After a few minutes, the old man returns. He still looks a bit awkward, thanks to my sister. I need to ask and confirm many things. By the look of the interior and surroundings, there is no doubt I'm in one of my family's eastern-side palaces the one Pristilia captured. I don't know what my sister Arlienne is thinking, but I have no intention of going back. I need to know what happened to Alec too… I look at the old man, who is sipping some tea to hide his awkwardness… He misunderstood the situation after all.
"Where is Alec?" I ask, looking at him and then at my sister. For a moment, the atmosphere goes silent except for Pristilia's tied-up general, who is trying to say some nonsense, but Arlienne's spell keeps his mouth shut.
"What a timing, brother… Here I was enjoying some tea… I guess without chatting I won't be able to enjoy it. Let's see do you want a long answer or a short answer?" my sister says with her usual smirk and sips more tea. What does she mean by a long answer or short answer?
"Just tell me what happened… in detail," I say, looking at her. Of course I would want to know. His uncle was probably healed by my sister, so Alec should have returned to normal perhaps. But I don't know how mental breakdowns really work.
"So you want a long answer, huh? Then you'll have to get it from the old man here. I'm interested to hear it from him too." Arlienne smirks and looks at Alec's uncle, who gets nervous for a second before sighing.
"It's a really dark chapter that I thought I would never open," Alec's uncle says with another sigh, his expression a mix of grief and sorrow.
"Well, dark chapters are the most interesting ones," Arlienne says with a hint of curiosity, like a child wanting to go on a ride at a carnival. I lightly smack her head, and she glares.
"Hey, what was that for?" she asks, rubbing her head.
"Just let him continue. You can already tell it's difficult for him, so don't make it more difficult," I say to my sister before letting the old man continue. He looks more annoyed than relieved. Perhaps he really doesn't want to talk about it. But he starts speaking again.
"If you want to know what happened with Alec, then you will have to… understand a bit of our family history first," the old man says, looking at both of us.
"Your family's history, you say?" I look curious now. They're merchants what history could they have?
"Yes. Do you remember what Alec told you his last name was when you both introduced yourselves?" his uncle asks, looking at me. I try to recall. Oh I remember now...
"It was Kirtanson, right?" I ask, looking at the old man, who just nods. My sister looks shocked for a moment before composing herself.
"We don't really tell our last name to anyone, especially nobles. Perhaps Alec's divine blessing didn't consider you a threat or a bad person, that's why he told you his last name," his uncle says. I look dumbfounded for a moment… but my sister looks excited; she can't contain her curiosity now.
"So you're one of the few left from the Kirtanson family. How interesting. Now that explains the situation with Alec," my sister smirks, connecting dots I still don't understand.
"What do you mean? I never read anywhere about a Kirtanson family," I say, confused.
"Because, brother, even some Measters aren't allowed to share that knowledge with anyone. Let's just say I found out somehow in the forbidden records Father keeps in his room," Arlienne says with a smirk. She did what now? But that's not important. I need to know what happened to Alec and what their family history is.
"Can you tell me what your history is now?" I ask, keeping my composure.
"The old man is surely uncomfortable telling you this. So I'll tell you, brother
and hear me out without interrupting," Arlienne says proudly. Yeah… she takes pride in her knowledge.
"Around 400 years ago… when humans had just begun to discover the Nullborne Factor, it was a time of knowledge and creativity. But it was not a pleasant time for common people. Because the Nullborne Factor existed in such small numbers you could count on fingers nobles believed that finding or gaining them would bring glory, which eventually it did. But those missions took a lot of manpower and gold. Children were forced to join those missions before they even hit puberty. They lived in the worst way possible. There were food shortages, the economy was falling, but nobles didn't care all they wanted was the Nullborne Factor. The common people had nobody to protect themselves. Their children and men were taken away for the sake of those missions. Some returned home, but many didn't. During that time, many missions failed. And when nobles' pride was wounded, they let their anger out on the commoners. They did things you can't even imagine. It was a dark period for the common people." Arlienne pauses. I feel my hand shaking a bit. So that's why Measters aren't allowed to share this knowledge… probably the common people have forgotten it too.
"But still, it doesn't explain Alec's situation," I ask, curious.
"Yeah… now the spicy part comes. Like every story has a hero, destiny decided to shape one at that time. A commoner, whose name is forgotten or buried so deep that even I couldn't find it, was blessed by the Old Great Sage. Before reading Father's journals I didn't believe in that, but now it explains the concept of divine blessings. The Great Sage blessed the commoner with a divine blessing that allowed him to read people's emotions and hear their inner voices. But that era was a dark age for commoners. When he received the blessing, he slowly began going insane. The pleas of the commoners, their suffering, and their inner thoughts drove him berserk. The nobles' prideful, inhuman, uncaring nature only added fuel to the fire." Arlienne drinks more tea and pauses.
"What happened after that?" I ask. This story is very interesting.
"That commoner no… my family's ancestor slaughtered nobles seventeen times," Alec's uncle says. My eyes widen. The room goes cold.
"I know that might sound cruel and inhuman to you, but what the nobles did before and after makes his actions justifiable," the old man says, looking down.
"You mean what nobles did after makes his actions justify… which means..." I try to connect the dots, and Arlienne finishes for me
"Nobles had the last laugh in the end. The six great noble families defeated that commoner." She finishes explaining. I remember Measters teaching me about the six great noble houses, but never why they are great. The six great noble houses are House Nightbloom, House Stormlance, House Frostborne, House Ironcrest, House Sunfury, and my own, House Dawnveil.
"Yes, nobles had the so called last laugh. They didn't even show mercy to his children and wife," the old man says, filled with a hatred he has carried for years.
"Then how are you here if no children survived?" I ask, curious maybe at the wrong time, but still.
"It is said that one of the man's children survived… or the nobles let the child survive," Arlienne explains. If that is true…
"They took an Oath of Echoes from the child, ensuring his descendants would never revolt against nobles, and that they must live under a different identity. They gave the child the last name Kirtanson. The divine blessing of hearing inner feelings or voices became a key for our family later. We used it in our business, and it brought us good fortune. But once that last name became known again, we had to hide it to protect our family," the old man says, pained.
"We were having this conversation because you wanted to find out what happened to Alec, right, brother? What do you think happened to him after hearing this story?" Arlienne asks with a challenging look. I hate that look. But let's see… His ancestor went insane because of that divine blessing… some blessings pass through bloodlines… so Alec inherited the blessing and the insanity with it.
"He went insane… I get it. But the question is where is he?" I ask. Arlienne claps her hands.
"You figured it out! I knew you wouldn't disappoint me, brother," she says, hugging me. "Hey, you still haven't told me where he is," I ask, pushing her back slightly.
"He is at Miravale Island for mental treatment," his uncle says with a sigh and a hint of concern.
"I will fulfill the duty you gave me… but keep my nephew safe and return him to normal if possible," the old man says to my sister. I look suspicious now what kind of deal did my sister make?
"Very well. Be at the council of my family. I will make sure your nephew returns to normal. By my words, Father will of course give you a seat. I have already listed your contributions in rescuing our eastern territory… even though they are false. But Father will believe my words," Arlienne smirks. So they made a deal when I was unconscious. But I don't want to go back to my family…
"Look, I don't know what you're plotting, but I don't want to" Before I can finish, she pumps something like balloons, which take the shape of me and her. I look dumbfounded. Their mana pools feel the same as ours but probably won't last long in a hard fight.
"We are not going back home, brother. Perhaps life has too much to offer so much knowledge outside, so many experiences… Perhaps we can find something far more valuable than the Nullborne Factor out there. While we're gone, nobody will know. I made perfect replicas of us. Not even Father will suspect they will behave like us, cast minor magic like us, and have qualities like us." I'm surprised she managed to invent such a thing. And she wants to do what now? She called me a runaway, but this is the same thing she's doing now. Before I can say anything, Arlienne grabs my hand.
"So you know what to do. Don't forget our deal, Hector," Arlienne says to the old man, who looks annoyed.
"My name is Eril. Not Hector. I've told you twice," he sighs.
"Oh, forgive me, I'm bad with names. So Eril, don't forget our deal," my sister laughs. Then she turns to me.
"Are you ready, brother? We are going on an adventure." She pulls my hand as we fly into the evening sky. I don't know where we are going. I have too many questions… but at least I don't have to go back to my family.
"Adventure, you say… It will be an annoying adventure with you for sure," I say, pretending to be annoyed.
"You're always a mean big brother," she pouts, faking it. I hope I will find answers and the meaning of my life on this journey.