As Aria and her aunt conversed, Aengus noticed some people attempting to barge into the house rudely.
“Shua..”
He quickly cast a defensive barrier, not wanting to waste time on them. They were weak and nothing to take seriously.
He was amused to see their hard efforts to break down the door, though.
—
Bang!
“Tsk… Weaklings! One more time!”
“Break the door!”
Outside, Young Master Quin shouted in frustration, watching his six C-Rank servants struggle to break down the simple-looking wooden door despite all their effort.
The six burly men scratched their heads, casting displeased glances at their useless young master after hearing his insults.
Reluctantly, they lifted the heavy wooden log again to strike the door with all their strength.
This time, a fierce collision ensued.
Boom!
“Argh!”
The six servants were knocked back, landing hard on the ground from the impact.
The wooden log fell onto the lower bodies of two of them, causing them to scream in pain, their tongues sticking out from the sheer force on their Pen*s.
On the opposite side, the door remained completely intact, without even a slight shake or vibration visible on the rundown hut.
“What the hell… What is this house made of?… Hey, do you know who lives here?” Young Master Quin demanded, grabbing a passerby by the collar.
The passerby, frightened, quickly answered with what little he knew.
“I only know there are two sick men inside, a woman, and a few kids… Oh, right… They have another woman who takes the children outside sometimes… Please, let me go, Young Master Quin. I don’t know anything else…”
“Scram!” Quin shouted.
“Thank you, thank you… Young Master is benevolent,” the passerby stammered, sprinting away and not forgetting to flatter out of fear.
One of Quin’s lackeys whispered to him, noticing something unusual about the house and its residents.
“Young Master, we should leave. This house isn’t normal. Perhaps it’s better to forget about them…”
Paah!
As soon as the lackey spoke, he received a hard slap from Quin, who then spat on his face. “You think I’m useless too, don’t you?”
“Uh, of course not… Young Master… We don’t.” The lackey answered, appearing loyal on the surfave, but inside he was cursing Quin’s eighteen generation.
“Forget it… I know you all think of me as a useless, arrogant bum with nothing to offer… But I’m going to prove I’m also a proud member of our clan, just like my big brother…”
Quin clenched his fists, feeling humiliated and frustrated by his own powerlessness.
“Quin, what are you doing here?”
A sudden, overbearing voice reached Quin’s ears.
Quin turned to see City Lord Zane approaching with a few guards behind him, the previous guards also present.
“Uncle, you’re here… There’s someone inside who insulted not only me but the whole nobility,” Quin complained viciously, pointing toward the house.
Zane looked stern, radiating the natural authority of an S-Rank. As the lord of Silk and ruler over hundreds of thousands, his powerful aura was unmistakable.
“Quin, you haven’t changed in the slightest… Always creating trouble for the AxelCrest Clan,” City Lord Zane shook his head in disappointment.
“Instead of feeling inferior or wasting time like this, why don’t you contribute to the clan’s trade business? You can achieve something beyond just following in the footsteps of your brothers and forefathers… You don’t have to be a hunter to make a difference.”
Quin looked reluctant. “But, Uncle, that won’t give me the power to survive in this world. So, I’m sorry, but I refuse. I know that without my status as a young master of AxelCrest, I’d end up as a slave… or even food for the demons. That’s why power is essential.”
“And you think by causing all this ruckus, you’ll get a gift from the gods?” Zane scoffed, irritated.
“No, I was merely defending the honor of our city and nobility,” Quin replied, flinching slightly but maintaining a righteous tone.
“Hmph… Whatever. I won’t care about you anymore.”
He turned to the City guards.
“Guards, knock on the door.
Let’s see who was so bold as to enter the city and ignore our rules in my presence. Let’s find out which ‘superior’ has graced us with their presence…” Zane commanded, a note of sarcasm in his voice as he gestured to his ten guards.
“Yes, my lord.”
The guard nodded and began to knock on the door but received no response, even after waiting for a while.
“See, Uncle Zane… They’re so arrogant. They don’t even care about your personal visit. You should punish them personally,” Quin added, trying to fuel the situation.
But the City Lord wasn’t one to make hasty decisions based on a disgruntled kid’s words.
He decided to wait patiently outside for now.
—
Aengus was currently focused on healing their souls to bring them back to consciousness.
Aria and her aunt watched with nervous anticipation.
Aengus placed his hand on her father’s chest and activated the Sacred Kirin’s Healing skill.
Ethereal green healing energy flowed from his palm into her father’s body, spreading into every nook and cranny.
Aengus didn’t stop there; he further boosted the skill’s effect by using the God-Slayer Aegis five times.
Aegis provided him with a divine power that transferred from his body to Aria’s father.
Gradually, the effects of the rapidly cast skill became clear as Aria’s father, Ashter, began to flutter his eyes, slowly regaining consciousness.
This brought a smile to Aria’s face as she gently held her father’s hand.
This was the same man who had risked everything to save her in a time of extreme crisis, her fatherly hero.
Having finished healing Aria’s father, Aengus began to heal her uncle, Astrid.
Noelle was already smiling, though tears blurred her vision.
It had been so long since they had talked. She missed his voice and presence so deeply that she would cry every night.
Now, she would finally be able to speak to her husband again. And it was all thanks to this young man—or perhaps she should say, her new son-in-law.
