Chapter 9: The Lies Never Last Before Alert Ones
As the private dinner continued, Alex leaned forward, eyes fixed on Samy.
"So, what are you going to do?" he asked.
Samy grew alert, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Alex's tone sharpened.
"They don't call me the Dark Shadow for nothing. I know everything."
Samy narrowed his eyes.
"What are you saying you know?"
Alex smirked.
"Still not going to tell me, huh? Fine. Let's start with this—Shinra is not your brother."
Samy blinked.
"Oooh? And who told you that?"
Alex stood up slowly.
"You're not stupid, and neither am I. Shinra is the son of Hiroshi—one of the strongest guild leaders in Wisdom, second only to the Guild Master himself.
And you think I wouldn't recognize his son?"
He leaned closer, voice cold.
"I'll ask again—what are you really planning? And who the hell are you?"
Samy sighed, leaning back casually.
"For the record, I'm nobody. Just a normal villager.
An orphan. My parents died protecting me during a raid in Wisdom. My brother died later in battle.
I found Shinra during the recent chaos and took him with me. I want him to have a better future in Elyasia."
He smiled faintly.
"I've decided to open a bakery—like his parents once did. After that, we'll see what comes next."
Alex nodded slowly.
"That's good… but listen carefully. You're sending Shinra to the guild for education. From now on, both of you will be under guild watch. I'll personally handle his admission until you're settled with your shop and home. And remember…"
He tapped the table twice.
"I'll always be watching him."
Shinra, still a bit drowsy, interrupted from the side.
"Wait—Samy didn't find me. I found him."
Samy chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. You found me, I found you—it's the same, little brother."
Shinra gave a confused stare but didn't press further.
Later that night, outside the guild
Ryken approached Samy while Shinra slept in the room with the lizard curled beside him.
"Samy, I want to talk to you," Ryken said.
They took a walk under the quiet night sky.
"You two… you're not real brothers, are you?" Ryken asked.
"Why didn't you tell the guild in Wisdom that he's Hiroshi's son? Are you out of your mind?"
He took a deep breath.
"And who the hell are you? I worked in the guild's records department before becoming a captain. I checked—your name doesn't show up anywhere in the orphan records.
And I know.
Because I'm an orphan too. Same age as you."
Samy stopped walking and looked into the distance.
"You don't need to get into my past. Trust me, when you learn the truth, it won't be easy to digest. Just know this—I'm not the bad guy."
Ryken frowned.
"Maybe… but I owe Shinra's parents. I swore to protect him if something happened. So if you don't come clean, I'm staying with both of you to keep an eye on him."
Samy smiled.
"Then welcome to the family, brother."
He turned and walked toward the guild without another word.
Ryken stood stunned.
"Wait—are you serious?!"
The next morning
Everyone was up early, preparing to board the ship.
The port was buzzing with activity. Workers loaded supplies. Families huddled together. The ship's hull glistened under the morning sun.
As the last of the villagers climbed aboard, a loud whistle echoed across the port. The ship slowly pulled away from Raisen Port, bound for Elyasia.
Their journey had begun.