Inside a warm family room with a softly glowing fireplace, Duke Hubert Guartav was sitting in his leather chair. His face looked tired, lines of worry clearly visible on his forehead. He was massaging his temples, thinking about his son who had been missing since morning.
"Father!"
The shout made Duke Hubert startle. He turned quickly toward the door.
"Hudeon?" Duke Hubert stood up instantly, an expression of surprise and relief mixed on his face. However, his surprise increased when he saw who was standing behind his son. "Why are you with Kazien and... Prince Alvin?"
"It's a long story, Father!" Hudeon exclaimed while running slightly to hug his father for a moment.
Hudeon then invited Kazien, Alvin, Allen, and Arken to sit on the plush guest sofas. A servant immediately arrived to serve warm tea.
With sparkling eyes, Hudeon began his story. He told how he met Kazien, entered the cave, was thrown into the desert, saw the fight against the earth dragons, and even made an adventurer card on another continent.
Duke Hubert listened with his mouth slightly open. He was stunned, especially when his youngest son proudly showed the adventurer license card with the distinctive Yovel continent stamp.
"This... really is a stamp from the Yovel continent," Duke Hubert muttered in disbelief. He looked at Kazien. "So, that cave..."
"Correct, Lord Duke." Kazien interrupted politely, then re-explained about the ancient ruins and the random teleportation magic trap.
"Goodness..." Duke Hubert leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples again. "I never imagined that cave was such a dangerous trap. I will immediately order my special forces to seal and guard the place so no more civilians go missing."
Duke Hubert took a long breath, then his gaze softened as he saw Hudeon's beaming face.
"Did you have fun adventuring with Kazien?" he asked gently.
"Of course, Father!" Hudeon answered fieryly, his hands moving enthusiastically to demonstrate something. "I really enjoyed my adventure there! A new place, a dwarf race I've never seen before, and a large monster that almost destroyed the city!"
Duke Hubert smiled thinly, feeling happy to see his son return safely with valuable experience. However, he shifted his gaze to the two strangers sitting quietly beside Kazien and Alvin.
The purple-haired man with an elegant yet cold aura, and the other with brown hair and a somewhat wild smile.
"By the way, Kazien..." Duke Hubert broke the silence. "Who are those handsome purple and brown-haired men? I've never seen them with you before."
"The two of them—"
Before Kazien could finish his sentence, Arken had already stood up. With a wide smile showing his row of white teeth, he bowed slightly, a gesture of respect wrapped in excessive self-confidence.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Lord Duke! I am Arken Altavis!" he exclaimed loudly without hesitation. "I am Brother Kazien's adopted brother, as well as his third fiancé!"
Huh?
Arken's introduction was like a bolt of lightning out of the blue for Duke Hubert. He gaped, his eyes blinking in confusion. He never expected that Kazien, whom he knew to be very protective and stubborn about Alvin, could have another fiancé, let alone a man who looked so eccentric.
However, the surprises were not over yet.
Allen, who had been sitting quietly, now stood up slowly. His movements were smooth, reflecting high-class upbringing. He looked at Duke Hubert with sharp yet polite purple eyes.
"I am Allenzi Altavis, Kazien's cousin as well as his second fiancé after Alvin." Allen answered politely and calmly. "Nice to meet you, Lord Duke."
Duke Hubert felt his head spinning even more after finding out who those two actually were. However, one thing caught his attention more than their engagement status. That last name. And the status as Kazien's cousin.
"Kazien's cousin?" Duke Hubert frowned, trying to dig into his memory about Kazien's family tree. "What are your parents' names, Young Man?"
"My father is Lordius and my mother is Elisalva Altavis." Allen answered politely.
The atmosphere inside the family room instantly fell silent, as if time had stopped spinning right after Allen mentioned his mother's name.
Duke Hubert stared at Allen with an intensity that was difficult to read. His sharp eyes seemed to be digging through memories from decades ago, searching for a resemblance between the young man before him and the woman he had known in his youth.
After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the hard lines on Duke Hubert's face suddenly relaxed. And then...
"Hahaha! Incredible!" Duke Hubert's laughter broke out just like that, shaking the silence of the room. His deep, authoritative voice filled every corner, making Hudeon blink in confusion. "I never imagined that you were Elisa's son! No wonder your aura of calmness and the sharpness of your eyes felt so familiar. Where is she now?"
Allen was slightly surprised to see the Duke's drastic change in mood, but he quickly composed himself. "Currently, we live in the capital, Lord Duke." Allen replied in a tone that remained polite. "Our house is located right in front of the academy."
Duke Hubert's eyebrows shot up, his face showing momentary confusion. "A house in front of the academy? Isn't that mansion occupied by the central Guild Master?"
"You are correct." Allen replied, a thin smile gracing his lips. "My mother is indeed a Guild Master, Lord Duke."
Duke Hubert's laughter rang out again, this time louder than before. "Hahaha! I never thought that Elisa was the Elisalva I've known since childhood! That little girl who used to be so rebellious is now leading thousands of adventurers across the entire territory of this kingdom? The world is truly small!"
The news shocked everyone in the room. Even Hudeon stood up from the back of his chair, staring at his father in disbelief.
"Father!" Hudeon exclaimed. "Do you and Brother Allen's mother really know each other?"
"More than just that, Hudeon." Duke Hubert replied after his laughter subsided. He leaned his back against his leather chair in a relaxed manner. "Elgard, Kazien's father and Elisa were my playmates since I was very small. So, naturally, I know exactly who Elisalva is."
Hearing that confession, Kazien felt as if he had just found a missing puzzle piece. He never expected that Duke Hubert was actually his own father's childhood best friend.
"So..." Kazien ventured to ask, his curiosity no longer able to be contained. "Was the person Aunt Elisa was arranged to marry back then you, Duke Hubert?"
Duke Hubert immediately waved his hand, chuckling. "Of course not! At that time, Elisa was arranged to marry Jastiver's father. It was a very rigid political engagement!"
"Back then..." he continued in a softer voice. "Elisa once fled here. She knocked on the gates of this mansion in the middle of the night, saying she had run away from home because she refused that engagement. My father, who was serving as the Duke at the time, felt pity and allowed her to stay here for a while."
Hubert took a long breath, his smile turning slightly bitter. "However, she truly was a wild woman. One morning, she disappeared without a trace. She left without saying goodbye to us, without leaving a single word."
Hearing the story about his mother's past, which turned out to be quite a "trouble" for the Guartav family, Allen felt uneasy. He spontaneously stood up from his seat and bowed quite deeply.
"Please forgive my mother's past impolite actions, Lord Duke. I did not realize she had once caused your family such difficulty." Allen said sincerely.
"Hahaha! You don't need to apologize, Allen." Duke Hubert waved his hand, signaling for Allen to sit back down. "That is already a sweet memory of the past. At least now I feel very relieved to know that she is doing well, successful even, and already has a handsome and tough son like you."
The sudden compliment made Allen feel flustered. His usually calm face turned a slight shade of red, and he scratched the back of his head even though it didn't itch at all.
However, Duke Hubert's attention did not stop there. His sharp eyes shifted to the hands of Kazien, Alvin, Arken, and Allen. He noticed the silver glint encircling the ring fingers of all four.
"So, you have also become Kazien's fiancé?" Duke Hubert asked, his voice carrying a tone of teasing Allen.
"Yes, Lord Duke!" Allen answered firmly, his shyness replaced by pride. "Arken and I have officially become his fiancés!"
Once again, Duke Hubert's laughter exploded, this time longer than before. He laughed until his shoulders shook.
"Hahaha! Extraordinary! Truly extraordinary!" Duke Hubert said after his laughter began to die down and he wiped a slightly watery corner of his eye. "I really didn't expect that Kazien, who was once so stubborn toward Alvin, as if he didn't want to look at anyone else, would end up having this many other fiancés. You are truly full of surprises, Kazien."
Duke Hubert shook his head slowly, imagining something. "I'm sure Elgard will be very shocked and furious at his own son for being considered too 'greedy'." the Duke teased.
Kazien could only sigh in resignation, unable to defend himself because what the Duke said was true. "I cannot deny your words, Lord Duke Hubert. My father is indeed the conservative type regarding my relationship with Alvin."
"But at least..." Alvin added with a calm smile, glancing at Kazien affectionately. "We are all happy, and that is what matters most to us."
Duke Hubert nodded, understanding the nature of their relationship.