Eunid followed his father and uncle into the room, his mind focused and ready. Behind him, Alfred cast a bitter frown at the commanders, who quickly looked away in guilt.
They were wise enough to understand the dynamics at play and the simring tension between Alfred and Eunid.
The room was filled with the mixed scents of incense and dicinal herbs, a constant reminder of his father’s frail health. Heavy curtains were drawn, casting the room in a dim light that emphasized the solemnity of the space.
It was a large room, commanding and imposing, reflecting the stature of its occupant. One side of the room featured a seating area with a round table, surrounded by high-backed chairs.
Another side housed a personal desk cluttered with scrolls and books, evidence of ongoing business and political matters. The room even had a small kitchen tucked into a corner, making it a self-sufficient mini-apartnt.
The walls were adorned with portraits of Past Family Heroes, the family insignia—bold, intricate designs that spoke of their long history and unyielding strength. Each portrait seed to stare down at them, adding to the weight of the room’s atmosphere.
Eunid’s father moved to the bed, his movents slow and labored. He sat down heavily, his body racked by a fit of coughing that left dark stains of blood on the side of his robes.
His once-strong fra now seed frail, the toll of illness evident in every breath he took. Seeing his father in this state really broke Eunid’s heart, after all, this was once a man with muscles as robust as that of his uncle if not more, but a wound in the midst of battle, after he managed to escape an encirclent had resulted into his illness.
The clerics said that it would have actually be prevented if dical attention had been given to it early enough. However, the Patriarch, Mulligan Beeston of the Diligence family had stayed on that mountain area in the middle of his enemies on all sides for two weeks, just to ensure that every single one of his n had left the engagent alive.
The fact that he even ca back was in on its own a miracle.
That battle was recorded as one of the most significant battles in the family’s history. Even though Mulligan was now too sick to take on the battlefields, he was still greatly respected by his army and even those of the other Virtue families.
And Like them, Eunid respected his father even more.
Both Alfred and Eunid remained standing, the seriousness of the situation hanging in the air like a thick fog. The patriarch’s condition was a constant reminder of the delicate balance of power within the family. Alfred’s eyes darted between his brother and nephew, his jaw clenched in frustration, while Eunid stood calmly, his expression unreadable.
The patriarch raised a trembling hand, signaling for silence as he struggled to regain his composure. "We have much to discuss," he said, his voice weak but determined. "The state of our family, the war, and the future leadership."
Eunid by right of succession was the heir to the Family’s sit as Patriach. He was very talented for his age when it ca to political matters and matters that concern the benefit of the family, and could even hold strategic etings on war, and co out with the best result.
This was sothing he had proven on many occasions, and as such, Mulligan had entrusted him with most of the family administrative affairs, even allowing his son make decisions regarding strategic etings on his behalf.
However, Eunid lacked a profound Talent for cultivation, and good part of his cultivation had been pushed along with cultivation resources. Now, that was not a bad thing. After all, he was already a bronze rank cultivator.
But those his age, of the sa generation as him who also had access to profound cultivation resources were already Silver ranked cultivators, making him the weakest of the lot.
While as a result of the existence of the Holy church and the guidance of the Seer, it was not so much a big deal, it was actually a concern, as power was the ruling factor in this world.
And right now, the Diligence family had a lot on their plate, not having a strong leader to stand for them was going to be a bad blow. There was also the fact that Eunid was too kind.
As such, he did not have the heart to take decision on matters that could result in true blood shed, whether it ant sacrificing personal forces or killing those that opposed him so that he could win respect.
It was for this reason that Mulligan had assigned his butler Old fang to teach his son. Unfortunately, barely any improvent had been made.
On the other hand, his brother, Alfred was another case altogether. Alfred in his younger years had not taken his cultivation seriously. Even though he had good cultivation talent, he had spent his ti enjoying brothels, fine wine and gambling.
At one ti, many had even co to question whether he was even a mber of the Virtues family at all. After all, mbers of the Virtues families were exempted from suffering from the sin of the middle realms.
What mbers of the virtues family went through in the middle realm, was duty to the virtue. Of Course, such value differed from person to person. But it also beca more rigid as one grew in power.
Now, his brother was rely in the Silver ranks. He was not even in the upper half of it. anwhile, all others of his generation had managed to climb into the Gold ranks.
Alfred had missed the ti of his life when his cultivation had been the best to be molded into sothing of value, and now, he appeared more to be a struggling middle aged man.
Also, Alfred had not Administrative talent at all. His ability to manage the family’s affairs was not bad at best. But what he lacked in other fields, he made up for with his decisiveness in making decisions.
For this, he was an incredible war general. He was not shy to tear flesh and see blood to ensure that what needed to be done was done.
Alfred had even earned himself the nickna, the Teeth of Diligence. His ruthlessness to the enemies of the family was one that even kept other families at bay, many of them avoiding confrontations with him.
He was such a man.
Mulligan’s wary eyes looked at this two people. He could not help but sigh in his heart. If only, one’s talent existed in the other and vice versa, then making a decision would not be hard at all.
Or maybe if Eunid was a bit older, and had more experience about life that could shape him, then at least that much would have been good.
But wishes will only be wishes. And for now, all he could do was use his own waning strength to buy as much ti as possible for growth to occur.
After all, he alone knew how ruthless his brother was.
Eunid nodded, stepped forward slightly. "Yes, Father. We are ready to hear your guidance."
Alfred’s eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue, his frustration simring beneath the surface. He knew this conversation would be pivotal, and he couldn’t afford to lose any more ground to his nephew.
The patriarch took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing. "Alfred, report on the war front. Eunid, pay close attention. The future of our family depends on how we navigate these turbulent tis."
As Alfred began his report, the room’s heavy atmosphere grew even more intense. The patriarch’s coughing punctuated the conversation, a constant reminder of the urgency and gravity of their situation.
Eunid on the other hand, listened intently, every detail etched into his mind, knowing that his actions in the coming days would shape the destiny of their family.
"On the mountain boundaries with the Zodiac family of Snake that we share a bounder with, sothing profound has happened. In recent years, we have only ever had battles with the family over land and the resources of the mountain range, including its rich mines and the Spiritual herbs of heaven Grade that hide in the mountain range.
All the while, the right for who owns the land had switched from person to person, depending on who can deal the most damage to the other. And while we have had it in our hands for so ti now, in recent years, since the injury that resulted in the patriarch’s illness ca about, we have not fared well on that end.
Nevertheless, my scouts had taken note of a most recent developnt. For so reasons unknown at the ti, the Snake familiy had withdrawn a significant amount of their army stationed there.
As such, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and press on.
The Battle was not a fierce one. In fact, it was almost as if they had been in much of a hurry to leave. And just when we had decided to settle and make the chain of mines our own, it happened."
Mulligan frowned, "what happened?"
"An ambush. It ca in the dead of night. At first, we had the assumption that the forces of the Snake family had co back for their revenge, but we quickly discovered how wrong we were, these was not the snake family. They had wriggling bodies, so with an eye on their sickly red skin figures." As Alfred talked, disgust etched itself on his face, in mory of what the enemies looked like.
The powers they used were strange, much like the kind the Magicians used during the last gas. But they were even more weird. Our n that fell at their hands all had very terrible and painful deaths. I still hear their horrid screams when I close my eyes." Alfred sighed.
"We were fortunate enough to rally the rest of our armies and fight back, and that was when we found them. Blood Rune circles. I think you might want to see this."
Alfred dropped a device on the table, a round orb and it ca to life. This orb brought up an holographic image depicting a cave. It was a recording of the walls.
On seeing them, Mulligan sat upright, his tired eyes becoming brighter as he looked closer at the Cave. His hands, shaky, took the device, and using his spiritual energy, he rotated the image.
Eunid saw the look his father’s eyes. "Father... what is it? what are those Rune dripping in blood."
Mulligan sighed as he turned off the device. And then he turned to Alfred. "how many of such caves with rune circles such as these did you see?"
"Ummm!" Alfred massaged his rough beards a bit, "I think about fifteen of them. After a while, I had stopped counting."
Once more, Mulligan had his eyes wide Open.
Once more, Eunid, not sure of what was happening could not help but ask. "Father! what are those rune circles?"
"These are called Blood rune circles. They are generally forbidden, both within the lands of the holy church and the Zodiac families. However, they have mysteriously appeared within our borders.
There is only one place that evil such as this is not prohibited, and that is within the Nether realm."
"Demons!?"
"It could be!"
"But we are not at war with them. And although the Holy church is not kin on their existence in our lands, we do not prejudice against their specie. After all, we ford close ties with them after the war with the Elves." Eunid stated.
"That is true, my son. But our ties with Demons are as fragile and tight as that with the zodiac families. Also they are a kind that are birth from the forbidden absorption of Devil energy. I would have dismissed these Rune symbols as nothing.
But unfortunately, I can’t. After all, these are rune symbols signifying the TURNING!"
(Author’s note: Do you guys like your chapters this long, or shorter.)
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