For a moment he was silent, staring at the softly flickering flames, as if searching for a flicker of hope behind the blaze of truth he had just realized.
But his voice broke again, quiet, almost a whisper desperate to be believed.
"But… not all governments can be like that, right? There are still some who fight… at least one or two people…"
"Of course," Kakek Henry nodded slowly.
"There are still those who try to fight from within. Those who know the truth but don't have enough power. They're silenced, transferred, or... they vanish without a trace."
Rio closed his eyes. Inside his head, fragments of memory surfaced—the scholarship he had received, the relocation program for victims of the tragedy, even the swift decree that had placed him in a cheap apartment on the outskirts.
All of it… felt too easy.
"I thought I was just lucky...."
The blond-haired man gave him a meaningful look. "You're not entirely wrong. You are lucky. Because you're still alive. And because now, you know."
The fire in the hearth crackled softly, illuminating the room with a trembling, reddish-yellow light. Their shadows danced on the old stone walls, creating a tense atmosphere that was hard to ignore. Rio looked at the blond-haired man before him, his hoarse voice breaking the silence.
"How did you manage to kill those three Eaters who were chasing me… alone?" he asked, his eyes probing and full of astonishment. The question had been nagging at him, but he had held it back to understand the situation first.
The blond-haired man turned toward Kakek Henry, his expression growing serious. It was as if he were silently asking for permission—or perhaps the strength—to reveal something they had kept tightly hidden.
Kakek Henry closed his eyes for a moment. Then he gave a slow nod, a small gesture that felt like opening a door that had long been locked.
"We are the Gladius family," he said finally. His voice was deep, heavy, and laden with the weight of a long history. "Our family has endured for hundreds of years... through many things best left forgotten."
The sentence was cut short as Lisa's voice sliced through the air, cold and sharp.
"Don't you speak so carelessly of our family and what we do here to an outsider," she said without turning, still busy wiping her blade. But the tone of her voice was impossible to ignore—it wasn't just an objection, but a warning.
Kakek Henry faced her, calm but full of authority. "He's not just anyone, Lisa."
Lisa scoffed, rolling her eyes before crossing her arms over her chest. Her gaze fell upon Rio, full of a suspicion that had yet to fade.
"Seriously, Kakek? You're going to tell this person everything? What if he's one of them? How do you know he's any different from the ones in the city center?"
Dany said nothing, only staring at the fire. His face was no longer relaxed as it had been before.
Lisa's sharp gaze remained. "People like him… they live comfortably in the central district. Living off filtered news and fake parties. They think Eaters are just fairy tales to scare little children. They laugh at us, who have lost everything. They don't know what it's like to live in fear."
She took a step forward, this time truly looking at Rio as if to strip his thoughts bare. Her voice lowered, like a test being aimed straight at the heart.
"You? Do you really know that pain? Or are you just playing along because you've only felt fear once?"
Rio was silent. He didn't answer.
Kakek Henry slowly rose from his chair. His body might not be as strong as it once was, but his gaze still held a power that could command the room. He looked at Lisa, and for a moment, the atmosphere hung between them.
"There are things," he said softly, "that even you do not yet know, Lisa."
Lisa opened her mouth to retort, but Kakek Henry simply raised a single hand, signaling her to stop. Then he turned back to Rio.
"We have seen many faces. Gazes that hold something deeper than mere fear. And this boy…" He took a slow breath. "...his eyes hold something that most people who have come to this house do not possess."
Lisa held her breath, as if wanting to argue—but stopped herself. Dany remained silent, but it was clear from his expression that he wasn't surprised by the old man's decision.
Kakek Henry sat back down, slowly. "If he is no one, he will leave once he has healed. But if he is more than that... then he will learn why we once hid this house from the world."
Kakek Henry continued the sentence that had been cut off earlier. His voice was calm, but it felt heavier—as if every word contained a history that had consumed so much.
"Our family is known throughout history for one thing… the sword. For hundreds of years, people came from all over, begging to be taught. But over time, we refused. Not because we were arrogant… but because our training is not for everyone." He stared at the fire, not merely reminiscing, but as if seeing the faces of those who were lost.
"Many have tried. Not all have returned home."
Rio was silent, trying to process it. "Then… where are the others? I mean, the rest of the Gladius family? Why is it just the three of you?"
The room fell completely silent. Dany looked down. Lisa stopped polishing her sword, frozen. And Kakek Henry, for the first time since they began speaking, did not answer right away.
A few seconds of silence passed before the old man finally spoke, softly, "I'm sorry, son. There are things… that you are not yet ready to know."
Rio nodded slowly, respecting the answer.
His eyes then shifted to Dany. "Now I understand… why the man with golden hair next to me was able to kill three Eaters on his own."
Dany spontaneously turned, clicking his tongue. "Hey, who are you calling golden hair?" he said, his tone annoyed but still half-joking. "My name is Dany. Keep that name straight in your head, and don't say that again."
Rio smiled faintly. "Alright, Dany. My apologies."
Then, his gaze turned serious again. "You can kill Eaters... so why don't you exterminate all of them? Why hide in a remote place like this?"
Kakek Henry answered before the others could. "You think we don't want to? But this world... is not that simple."
He walked slowly to the window, staring out into the darkness.
"There is something far above the Eaters' structure. But to even speak its name can draw attention."
"A leader?" Rio frowned. "You mean the government?"
Kakek Henry turned halfway. A thin smile crossed his lips—not a happy smile, but one of unavoidable irony.
"No. They are not what you imagine. And they are not like the Eaters you have encountered."
Lisa added in a flat voice, "If Eaters are claws and fangs... these are more like shadows moving behind the system. They are... not an enemy you can fight with strength alone."
Rio held his breath, feeling something far greater lurking behind those words. "Who... are they?"
Kakek Henry just looked at him. For a long time. Then he said, "For now, it is enough for you to know that we are not reckless because we are afraid. We are cautious because we understand… who we are truly facing."
Rio felt the hair on his neck stand up. There was something in Kakek Henry's intonation that made his heart beat faster—not from a clear threat, but from the unexplained mystery.
They hadn't named anything. But Rio knew, whatever it was... it wasn't just Eaters.
And precisely because of that… He gritted his teeth. His legs moved forward.
Then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee before the three of them. His voice was loud, but it trembled with a deep resolve.
"Please… teach me. Make me a disciple of the Gladius family. Whatever you know, I want to know. I want to survive. I want to fight back."
Silence hung in the room again, but this time it was not out of doubt. It was because everyone in it knew—that moment was not an ordinary request. It was the beginning of something far greater than mere revenge or escape.
They hadn't named anything. But Rio knew—whatever it was, the beings they alluded to were not just Eaters.
There was something far more terrifying. More structured. And all this time… he knew nothing.
And precisely because of that, for the first time, he felt small. Not because he was afraid. But because he realized the vast distance between vengeance… and ability.
Since he was a child, Rio had only one goal: to avenge his mother's death. He held onto that rage for years, honing his mind, planning everything in silence. But today, he had nearly died—without getting any revenge at all. And the blond-haired man now standing before him… had cut down three Eaters as if the wind were slicing through reeds.
Then he remembered Kakek Henry's earlier words—"Many have tried. Not all have returned home." That wasn't just a story. It was a warning.
Rio knew what it meant. The Gladius family's training wasn't just difficult—it was lethal. Yet as he looked at the three of them—Lisa, calm but sharp; Dany, agile and deadly; and the old man, who needed to say little—he knew one thing:
The three of them were true Eater slayers.
And this… was perhaps the only chance he would ever have to truly fight back. Not with emotion, but with ability.
He took another step forward, then knelt before them.
His voice was quiet, but unwavering.
"Please… teach me. Make me a disciple of the Gladius family. I know the risks. But I don't want to die for nothing. I want to be strong enough… to keep my promise to my mother."
Silence enveloped the room.
But this time, it was not the silence of doubt. It was because everyone in the room knew—this was not just a request. This was a decision.
And that night, amid the trembling firelight and the shadows of an unfinished past… Rio was no longer just surviving. He chose to fight back.