Far from Titanora, which was bracing for upcoming changes set to shake the world, a few nostalgic places were also witnessing shifts in their paths.
Among them, Ardoros, one of the strongest continents, had seen little change in the past few months, particularly within the Devereaux family’s domain.
The absence of several family members involved in the Flagbearer battle had maintained a serene atmosphere.
But this calm wasn’t universal.
After the incident involving Edward Abernathy during his quest to stop the Demon Queen, things had taken a turn for the worse.
Despite several attempts to contain the information, rumors about Edward getting screwed by goblins spread like wildfire.
Within the Abernathy family domain, grand citadels gleamed white, and towering statues pierced the clouds, showcasing the strength of the Abernathy bloodline.
A wide central path in the capital city led directly to a huge white stone gate etched with intricate runes.
This path guided individuals to one of the mansions belonging to the fifth wife of the family head.
Her mansion, adorned with glimmering golden lines and floral designs, was a sight to behold. Calling it a mansion felt like an understatement; it was more like a palace, its marble grandeur radiating power and elegance.
Today, though, the atmosphere was filled with hustle and bustle. A few figures wearing sewn clothes in white and slightly green fabrics moved safely towards the gates, inside which a small meeting was occurring.
Inside the hallway leading to the large hall room, they passed through gates guarded by two Abernathy members.
In the room, several seats surrounded a huge table, at the head of which a woman sat, clasping her hands and resting her forehead on them.
“How can both father and son be this stupid?” the woman muttered, clenching her jaw and gritting her teeth after hearing the news of her son being broken and his biological father missing.
Tapping her foot, her eyes glowed a deep shade of crimson as she thought about the mission, which was simply to prevent the Demon Queen’s army from turning into a complete mess.
“Mistress, the Riantain family got to him first,” one of the men, wearing pristine white clothes, came forward and knelt, informing her that Luna Riantain had taken Edward with her.
“It’s better this way, or I would have killed him myself,” the woman’s pupils trembled, her eyes showing rage after learning her son had fled for his life in a broken state and then had an embarrassing encounter with goblins.
“Mistress, please control yourself. If someone hears this…” an old woman seated around the desk warned about the complications they would face if her statements leaked out of the room.
“Haah, first he came out disabled from that small continent, and now his mind is destroyed too,” the woman said, ignoring the old woman’s statement, focusing instead on Edward’s current mental state and how the situation had ruined any chances of rising in position.
“Embarrassing how pathetic father and son are,” she muttered, standing up with both hands on the desk, her dress fluttering as her eyes roamed the room, contemplating the next step.
First, the man she had chosen as a mate, the strongest yet stupid male servant of the family’s head, had become crippled. Instead of just dying, he brought a crippled son into the world as well.
“What about that information?” the woman inquired, wanting to know why news about Edward was spreading like wildfire despite their continuous efforts to suppress it.
“Mistress, it seems a demon appearing like a child is spreading these rumors,” the kneeling man informed her. He explained that they had encountered a small demon with black streaks in its pupils and a strange habit of pronouncing the letter ‘M’ as ‘B.’
The last time this demon was seen, it was heading towards Jade Dominion, having narrowly escaped several Abernathy members who had finally caught it red-handed.
“A demon? Is this the Demon Queen’s doing?” The woman halted, glancing at the man who brought this information, chewing her nail while her pupils tried to fathom why the Demon Queen would target Edward.
“Aunt, it’s not the Demon Queen, but someone else,” a voice echoed inside the room. The firmness of it caused the other members present to flinch, recognizing the owner of the voice.
“Hm, what does that mean, Nephew?” the woman inquired, folding her hands and looking towards her sister’s son, who wasn’t an Abernathy but was allowed to live with her for training due to her presence here.
“Didn’t you find it suspicious how Edward’s incompetent father died on Titanora?” Gabriel came forward, holding a small wooden flute. He closed one eye, checking if something was stuck in the pipe, as it hadn’t been performing well for a few days.
“Wasn’t the Demon Queen herself—no, don’t tell me,” the woman stopped, realizing that if the Queen had indeed been involved, it would have been big news. But there wasn’t anything like that, most importantly.
“Wait, did you see what happened on Titanora?” she turned towards the old woman, trying to understand exactly what had transpired on Titanora.
“No, Mistress. It appeared as if something was blocking my vision, and I believe it was the same for Master as well,” the old woman informed, sharing a confidential piece of information. It would be considered an insult to the Supreme Seers, who were unable to see through even the first layer of protection.
All of them, including Gabriel, were taken aback by the old woman’s words. Not only her, but even the head of the family had been unable to discern what had transpired on Titanora.
“But, I think, Mistress, there wasn’t much except for the Young Master’s normal return from there,” the old woman further clarified, mentioning her vision of Edward simply conversing with the Devereaux family members.
Unbeknownst to her, it was a delusion created by Esme on Ryuk’s orders to confuse them.
“…Exactly, Aunty. How about I ask my friend about what happened there?” Gabriel stepped forward, placing his hand on the old woman’s shoulder. She flinched before slowly standing from her seat, making way for him to take it.
“Oh, thank you, Grandma,” Gabriel said with an angelic smile before placing his feet on the table. He adjusted himself and blew the flute to play.
SCRR RRRKK RRHHH
“Kugh”
“Ugh”
The sheer sound of his flute caused everyone to clap in unison, but with their heads between their hands, covering their ears.
“Hmm, hmm, Ryuk Devereaux, you say? I see, hmm,” Gabriel murmured, his eyes remaining closed as if he were communicating with someone through his ability.
Being from the race of sirens, he indeed possessed the ability to manipulate sound frequencies as needed. Through a given artifact, he was able to communicate even from this far away.
“Ryuk Devereaux? Was he behind all this?” the woman inquired, her eyebrows furrowing slightly upon hearing a somewhat familiar name.
“Huh, no, Aunt.” Finally engaging in conversation with his friend, Gabriel leaned on the table, placed his flute on it, and continued to play, twisting and rolling it as if to continue, “Exactly. That friend wants information on Ryuk Devereaux’s location in exchange for details about what happened in Titanora.”
“Huh? Who is he, though?” Not finding it difficult to locate a black bearer due to their network of information, the Abernathy family woman inquired about the person he had just talked about.
Gabriel halted, lifting his gaze toward the woman as he explained, “Lucas Devereaux. He’s the same guy who practices the Rakshasa Technique.”
