Runaan bit her lip as she looked into Syria's sticky eyes, like those of a venomous snake.
'Why did he come?'
Syria hadn't paid any attention to me since being humiliated by Raon.
He hadn't even come home for a while, so I thought he had given up. It didn't feel good that he showed up the moment I returned.
"What did you do to make your hands so cold!"
Clara held Syria's cold white hands, frowning.
"It's still cold weather."
Syria smiled benevolently and unbuckled the sword at his waist, leaning it against the wall.
"You can protect yourself with Aura."
Rokan sighed, wondering why Syria was enduring the cold with his bare body.
"It's a hassle."
"You are the successor of House Sullion. Treat your body with more care."
"Yes, sir!"
Syria saluted, placing his hand on his forehead, then sat next to Runaan.
"Good grief."
"He never changes."
Clara and Rokan smiled warmly, finding Syria adorable.
"..."
Unlike the two, Runaan stayed tense, ready to move at any moment.
'His eyes are like before.'
Syria's eyes were filled with blatant desire, as they had been before his humiliation by Raon.
The only fortunate thing was that Snow Flower was beside the dining table.
She had brought it to clean after the meal, but now it could be used to prepare for any unexpected situation, which made me feel a bit relieved.
I couldn't beat Syria, but I could hold out until he did something strange to Dad and Mom.
'I'll stop him no matter what.'
As Runaan lowered her right hand under the table and focused on Syria's movements, the door to the dining room opened, and maids carrying new dishes entered.
The maids cleared away the cold food and placed steaming hot dishes on the table.
"Oh, by the way, I have a gift."
Syria smiled faintly and took out a Pouch.
When Runaan placed her hand on Snow Flower's hilt, a gray box popped out of Syria's Pouch. It was a box for packing bead ice cream.
"I bought it because a new flavor came out, and it reminded me of you."
Syria handed over the box with ice cream.
"Wait!"
Rokan raised his open palm.
"Mine comes first! How dare you cut in line!"
He put his hand into his Pouch and pulled out a bigger ice cream box than Syria's.
"Runaan! Eat your dad's first!"
Rokan waved his hand, insisting on opening his own ice cream first, not Syria's.
"As expected of the rich. They're the same."
Clara watched the three with a warm smile, finding the scene very heartwarming.
"Alright…"
Runaan took her hand off Snow Flower's hilt and accepted both Syria's and Rokan's ice cream boxes.
"I'll eat it after the meal."
"Alright. But you'll eat mine first, right?"
Rokan insisted, raising his finger.
"Yes."
Runaan nodded and looked at Syria. He gave a mysterious smile and then turned to Rokan.
"That's unfortunate. I also prepared a gift for Father."
Syria reached into his Pouch again, this time pulling out an elegant white wine.
"It's a 40-year-old Sicelle Blanc."
"Oh! Such a precious thing?"
Rokan's hands trembled as if the wine were a treasure.
"I found it by chance at an auction. Please, try it right away."
"No."
Runaan pushed the chair back roughly and stood up. It didn't feel right. Syria must have done something to that wine.
"Dad. Don't drink that."
"Ru, Runaan? What's wrong?"
Clara looked up with wide eyes.
"…It's too precious."
Runaan awkwardly moved her lips as she looked at the wine in Rokan's hand. It was a nonsensical excuse, but nothing else came to mind. I wished I could borrow Raon's words at times like this.
"It is indeed precious. It's not something you can buy with money. Moreover, it's a rare gift from my son after a long time."
Rokan nodded slowly, looking at the wine.
"Just drink it. I'll buy you another one next time."
Syria waved his hand, saying it was fine.
"No. You rascal. You buy gifts for Runaan, but none for me. I'll save this for bragging later."
Rokan chuckled and handed the wine to the butler, ordering another high-quality wine to be brought.
The butler soon returned with red wine and glasses, serving it to the four of them.
"It's a 30-year-old Barresia. It's not as good as Sicelle, but it's still worth drinking."
Rokan suggested they make a toast as a family for the first time.
"Alright."
Syria lifted his glass without any disappointment.
Clang.
Runaan clinked glasses with the three, focusing on Syria's eyes and hands.
Syria drained his glass in one gulp, and Rokan and Clara also sipped the wine with smiles.
Thud.
Runaan put down her glass without even touching it to her lips.
"Runaan, aren't you drinking?"
"No."
She shook her head at Clara and relaxed her slightly stiff fingers.
"Father, Mother, do you know?"
As the pleasant drinking continued and the wine bottle emptied, Syria leaned forward.
"What do you mean?"
"A monster called Baphomet has appeared in the south."
"Baphomet!"
"Hmm…"
Rokan frowned, while Clara tilted her head in confusion.
"That monster…"
"Yes, it's a monster. A very formidable one."
Syria nodded calmly, smiling.
"Mother and Runaan might not know, so I'll explain briefly. It's a very strong monster that can use both Aura and Mana, with intelligence surpassing that of humans."
He continued, moving his fingers as if drawing a picture on the table.
"But unlike other monsters, Baphomet has a unique trait."
"A trait?"
"Yes. From birth, it seeks a mate."
Syria slowly brought his left index finger and right index finger together.
"A Baphomet that finds a mate becomes incredibly stronger. The Baphomet that appeared in the south is probably looking for its mate right now."
"That's not all."
Rokan put down his glass and sighed.
"Baphomet is a growing monster."
He frowned at the blood-red wine in his glass.
"They grow faster than humans known as geniuses. We must deal with it before it finds a mate and grows stronger."
"Father knows well."
"I fought one when I was about your age."
Rokan shook his head, recalling the horrific experience.
"But it's a bit pitiful."
Clara sighed, fiddling with her glass.
"It's looking for a mate, but gets attacked…"
"…Mother is kind-hearted."
Syria narrowed his eyes, finding Clara's words unexpected.
"Don't say that. They follow their instincts and often attack humans for no reason."
Rokan shook his head, saying they were still monsters.
"Oh, there's one more unique thing about Baphomet."
"What is it?"
"It seeks a mate, but if that mate is a blood relative, it gains unimaginable power."
"A blood relative? What a bizarre monster… Ah."
Clara dropped the glass she was holding.
"Th-this is…"
She trembled all over as if she had been electrocuted, then fell backward with the chair.
"Clara!"
Rokan jumped up and ran to Clara.
"What's happening!"
"Mom!"
Runaan leaped onto the table and jumped down to where Clara had collapsed, holding Snow Flower.
"What are you doing! Call the healer immediately!"
Rokan shouted at the butler and maids, but none of them moved.
"Why aren't you…"
"Don't shout."
Syria smiled, wetting his lips with red wine.
"They're just following my orders to stay still."
"S-Syria?"
Rokan's lips trembled as he saw Syria's eyes change suddenly.
"You're impressive, Father. That drug works on the mind, regardless of one's skills, but you resisted this long. I'm a bit surprised."
"You did this?"
"Who else?"
"Is there no one!"
The dining room door opened at Rokan's shout, and the family's swordsmen entered.
"Take Clara to the healer, and capture that…"
But the swordsmen stood behind Syria, placing their hands on their swords.
"W-why are you…"
"Isn't it odd that the servants closest to you became mine? It's only natural for the swordsmen to follow me."
"You bastards!"
"I put a lot of effort into this. Money, martial arts, base desires, and even their weaknesses."
Syria smiled as he looked at the warriors and servants behind him.
"Father has become too complacent in peace. He's become an old, fat dog eating only what Zieghart throws him."
"You bastard!"
Rokan's eyes turned red with rage as he stood up.
"Zieghart is strong, yes. But 80% of that strength comes from Glenn Zieghart. The rest are just leftovers."
Syria laughed, looking up at the warm lights that seemed out of place in the atmosphere.
"The world will change soon. At the center of it, House Sullion will become a thorn in Zieghart's side."
"Do you think I'll let that happen! Never… Ah!"
Rokan staggered and fell. He trembled uncontrollably before collapsing.
"The drug works well when excited."
Syria touched his chin, amused.
"Ru, Runaan. Run…"
Rokan's last words trailed off as he stiffened.
"Dad, Mom."
Runaan panted heavily as she watched Rokan and Clara, who could only move their eyes. Their eyes trembled, as if pleading for her to run away.
"What did you do!"
She bared her teeth at Syria.
"You thought I drugged the wine? That's no fun."
Syria lifted the nearly empty wine bottle. As he opened his palm, the bottle fell and shattered, red wine soaking the white floor like blood.
"There was nothing in this wine. What I tampered with was…"
Syria's finger pointed at the glasses Rokan and Clara had drunk from.
"Those glasses."
"What did you do to Mom and Dad!"
Runaan, shrouded in killing intent, raised Snow Flower.
"Runaan. You made a mistake."
Syria waved his hand, smiling brightly.
"If you wanted to stop me and save Mother and Father, you should have kept talking. You should have told them that your brother was acting strange, that he seemed crazy. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered."
"Syria…"
"Oh, right. When we were kids, you did tell Father and Mother that I was strange, didn't you? Why didn't it work? Why didn't they believe you?"
Syria gestured to the warriors and servants behind him, showing a sly smile.
"Even then, many of them were standing behind me, reporting in my favor. Father and Mother thought you were having delusions and pitied you."
"You…"
Runaan gritted her teeth and drew all the Aura from her energy center. A blue Astral Energy wrapped around Snow Flower's blade.
"Magnificent! You don't know how long I've waited for this day!"
Syria's lips trembled with excitement as he looked at the Astral Energy aimed at his neck.
"It was worth letting that guy live and go back."
At his light clap, the warriors and servants approached the collapsed Rokan and Clara.
"Stay back! I'll kill you all!"
Runaan roared, aiming Snow Flower at the warriors.
"Rebellion is always beautiful. But…"
Syria licked his red lips, pointing at Rokan and Clara.
"If you leave Father and Mother like that, they'll suffocate and die. Are you okay with that?"
Runaan's fingertips trembled at his words.
"..."
The Astral Energy on Snow Flower's blade melted away like spring snow.
Clang!
In the end, Runaan's sword fell to the ground.
"A wise choice."
The dining room lights went out with Syria's final laugh.
Raon stood at the center of the great training ground, drawing his Heavenly Drive. He pointed the white blade at the still-dark sky, holding his breath.
Recalling the advice Glenn had given him two days ago, he swung his sword.
Whoosh!
A sharp gust of sword wind cut through the cold dawn air, drawing a thin line on the training ground's floor.
Whoosh!
Without looking at the line, Raon raised Heavenly Drive again and slashed down in the same posture.
The second sword wind poured out, but the mark on the training ground's floor did not increase.
After performing 100 downward slashes, the only mark on the ground was the first one.
Raon nodded in satisfaction and raised Heavenly Drive again, slashing down.
The precision and sharpness contained in the 100 sword strikes transformed into speed and weight, leaving a mark on the training ground's floor like a mace strike.
He then performed basic swordsmanship, embedding the essence of the martial arts he had learned so far into each strike.
Focused entirely on each sword strike, by the time he finished his training, the rising sun was at its zenith.
'Now for the Light Wind sword technique…'
-You fool!
Just as Raon was about to practice the Light Wind sword technique, Wrath leaped in front of him.
-It's the promised time! Hurry up and go!
Wrath pointed at the sky, reminding him of the meeting time.
"Hm…"
Raon lowered Heavenly Drive and looked up. Wrath was right; it was almost time for the meeting.
'It's a bit regretful.'
-Forget regret! You've been training non-stop since that old man visited!
'I've been training well lately. It feels like a waste of time.'
Though it didn't feel like he was growing significantly, it felt like his chaotic martial arts were being organized, making each training session satisfying.
-You're the first person I've met who's obsessed with martial arts!
Wrath shook his head in disbelief.
'Then a bit more?'
-Shut up and go to the ice cream store! I've been waiting for bead ice cream!
'Alright, alright.'
Raon sighed and quickly washed up, heading to the store.
Arriving almost exactly at 10 o'clock, most of the Light Wind division was already there.
"Why is the one who called the meeting late!"
Martha frowned, saying he was late.
"Judging by the sword, he must have come straight from training."
Burren shook his head, looking at Heavenly Drive.
"He's really relentless. Relentless."
He sighed, saying he couldn't keep up.
"I wonder what kind of training he has in store for us…"
Dorian shivered, already dreading the training.
"Vice Division Leader."
Mark Goetun bowed his head respectfully.
"Hmm?"
Raon tilted his head as he approached the Light Wind division. At this time, the one who usually mumbled "Handsome Raon" in a sleepy voice was missing.
"Where's Runaan?"
"He hasn't arrived yet."
Burren shook his hand.
"That's strange. He's never late for an ice cream promise."
Martha tilted her head, finding it odd.
"..."
Raon looked up at the clock in the square.
Tick.
Even at 10 o'clock, Runaan didn't show up.
-Hey!
'I know.'
Raon nodded and looked at the Light Wind division.
"If I'm not back in an hour, something has happened at House Sullion. Dorian and Martha, follow me!"
"What?"
"What do you mean…"
Without listening to their responses, he dashed westward.
-The ice cream girl not keeping her promise is strange!
'Yeah. She never breaks an ice cream promise.'
Runaan might seem lazy, but he never breaks two promises.
Training and ice cream. Especially when it comes to buying ice cream, he arrives more than an hour early to wait.
'Something must have happened.'
Certain of this, Raon headed for House Sullion.