By the time the nanny and baby duo reached the courtyard, the sun was beginning to drop from the sky. The fading rays cast a purple haze over the horizon as the sky began to blacken.
Chayrith, lying leisurely in Meilan's arms, found the view beautiful—like witnessing the last embers of a fire before a new dawn. He always found himself at peace when he witnessed such a scene.
'It truly is a beautiful vision. At least your eyes are on straight, brat.'
Normally, Chayrith would launch into a tirade of expletives at the sound of the old man's voice. But surprisingly, he didn't disagree. He simply nodded casually at his words.
The old man fell silent within his mental space, taken aback by the sudden softening of Chayrith's attitude.
'Ho? Finally come around to accepting me, have you?'
'Don't kid yourself, invader. My tolerance for your infection is little more than a case of my magnanimity.'
A vein surged to life on the old man's temple before he wearily rubbed his head, muttering to himself. After he calmed down, he spoke again—this time his voice laced with a seriousness Chayrith couldn't ignore.
'Brat, we need to talk. There are some new developments here that require your presence. I may have a hint as to what is going on with this strange place and our role in it.'
Chayrith fell silent for a moment before agreeing. Getting his agreement, the old man fell into silence.
"Look, young master, your parents are back."
Chayrith's eyes gleamed with a little excitement as he looked toward the pavilion further within the courtyard.
The courtyard with the mansion was large—larger than most—due to Kaelira's love of walks and gardening. It was full of babbling creeks, all leading to a large lake in the center.
The lake itself was another mystery, as no one—not even the household staff—knew how deep it truly was. Vairon had a habit of fishing on its banks, always bringing back new and exotic sea creatures after every journey.
There were even rumors that certain sea beasts and leviathans of old resided in the dark recesses of the lake.
Chayrith cared little for the rumors; he had always enjoyed sitting in his father's lap as he fished. The peace and quiet, along with the gentle warm breeze that blew past them, calmed his young mind.
Sure enough, sitting in his usual spot by the lake was his father. A bamboo pole with a thin fishing line rested in his hands.
Seeing his father, Chayrith squealed cheerfully.
"DA!"
Vairon turned his head, a faint smile on his lips as he gazed at his son.
"There's my boy. Come, sit with your father."
Chayrith suddenly felt his body being lifted from Meilan's cozy embrace, tendrils of soft, cool wind wrapping around him as he floated toward his father.
"Hahaha!"
Chayrith let out a laugh of pure delight. The novel and wondrous feeling of flying never failed to ignite his childlike joy.
Vairon chuckled softly at his son's elated expression, a doting smile on his face. When Chayrith landed firmly in his father's lap, he noticed someone was missing.
Seeing the questioning look in his son's eyes, Vairon instantly realized who he was looking for. Pointing across the lake to the lone island at the center, he answered.
"There."
Chayrith followed his finger and found his missing mother.
Kaelira was wearing a tight white training robe, her motherly curves hugged tightly by the rough fabric. She balanced herself on one finger on the sharp tip of her famed halberd, defending against the continuous assault of several of their family's guards.
Three figures dashed to and fro, their forms flickering due to their dizzying speed. But every time they got close or seemed to gain the upper hand, Kaelira bent at some unnatural angle, dodging and counter-attacking without breaking a sweat.
"Come on, boys! Is this the best my legionnaires can do!? How do you expect to defend our city, our families, if you're this weak?"
After throwing one guard aside yet again, Kaelira pushed herself upright. Her feet landed expertly on the halberd. The men, all equally battered and bruised, lowered their heads with wry smiles.
"Big sis, we are no match for you. Whether you use one hand or none, we have no chance of landing even a slight scratch on you."
The young man who spoke—Dorian—was one of the youngest members of Kaelira's Scarlet Legion, their family's main fighting force. They were not death warriors, but brothers and sisters at arms. They were family.
Kaelira had taken them in as orphans, training them to be the most brutal and steadfast warriors by her side. She saw them as the family's last line of defense.
Dorian and the other two were their newest recruits—still green and unused to the brutal training she was infamous for.
Hearing his words, Kaelira's gaze sharpened. Her aura leaked out and grew, the pressure of her existence bearing down on them and pressing them into the floor.
"I do not care for your excuses. The moment you joined my legion—my family—you resolved yourselves to be the greatest. Your sniveling and whining hold no weight here."
As she spoke, her tone darkened, and the pressure doubled instantly. All three painted a picture of pure misery as their faces sank into the dirt.
"I will not retract my aura. Either you stand tall and grit your teeth, or you lay in the dirt like worms. Your fate tonight is up to your will. No amount of excuses will save you."
With that, Kaelira floated down from her halberd, landing softly as she pulled it from the earth's crust. At that moment she received a mental transmission from her husband, turning toward them—her entire demeanor shifting as she vanished from the island.
"MY BABYYY~"
Chayrith was taken aback at his mother's sudden reappearance. Before he could react, he was smothered in her kisses as she locked him in her embrace.
Whatever awe he felt at her earlier display of might vanished instantly as she devolved into the rabid kissing fiend he knew she was.
"I missed you so much! Did you miss mommy~?"
Chayrith rolled his eyes, though a faint blush touched his cheeks.
"KYAAAA~!"
Kaelira squealed gleefully, rubbing her cheek against his. Vairon shook his head, silently berating her for her uncouth appearance—and inwardly jealous that his son was stolen from him.
'Damn you, woman! Interrupting our father-son time… it seems the lesson earlier wasn't enough.'
Kaelira suddenly felt a chill up her spine. She glanced toward Vairon and, seeing the dark, hungry light in his eyes, her insides clenched.
"Y-You rogue, haven't you had enough!? I-I'm still sore!"
Seeing her flustered retreat, Vairon chuckled darkly. But before he could spew whatever garbage was on his tongue, a sharp chop to the back of his head cut him off.
"Hissss What was that for!?"
Incredulous, Vairon glared at Meilan with a wronged expression. Meilan remained impassive.
"Now is not the time to devolve to your basic primal instincts. Conduct yourselves with some propriety… both of you."
Kaelira's gloating expression froze. She avoided Meilan's narrowed eyes and whistled softly to the side.
Vairon swallowed his complaints and stood, walking toward the pavilion. As the rest followed, they began discussing Chayrith's upcoming birthday feast.
Kaelira: "Have there been any replies to our invitations?"
Vairon: "Yes. They all agreed to appear. Only the Sylph race rejected, citing their king's waning health."
Meilan: "Their king is truly ill? How? The Sylph race is one of the enigmatic spirit races, born of heaven and earth. They live for thousands of years even without cultivating. How did he get sick?"
Vairon: "I'm not sure. They've been very withdrawn in recent years. Their village is all but locked down. No news has come from them."
Meilan: "That is truly worrying…"
As Meilan's brows furrowed, Kaelira's suddenly jumped. Her expression darkened.
"Wait. By everyone accepting… do you also mean the Karth and Arcanis Clans?"
Vairon's back was facing them, hiding his expression. But the subtle clenching of his fists gave away his inner turmoil.
"...Yes. Sylas and… Lunara. Both of them will be here personally."