After dropping that bombshell of a statent, no one said anything for several monts. My parents and Grandmother Sky looked at like I was crazy. Not that I blad them. In their shoes, I'd feel the sa way.
"I know how it sounds, but it's true," I said, breaking the silence. "Right now the invasion is in its early stages, so things aren't too bad. However, it won't be long before things get much, much worse. The demons seek to destroy our world."
Father held out a hand to stop .
"Gabriel, I want to believe you," he said in a strained voice. "However, your words are too fantastical. The Infernal Lands haven't invaded Lumina in thousands of years, not since the Long Night ended."
Mother frowned.
"How do you know about this?" she asked, her voice full of doubt.
I chose my next words with care.
"There is a certain group of people who have knowledge of the future," I said. "They saw the end of our world. This group was chosen by the gods to prevent this." I gestured to myself. "I'm not one of those people. However, due to my unique circumstances, I got involved with them."
My parents took a mont before responding.
"Is Kaylee one of these people?" Father asked in a quiet voice. "She's been different ever since the Incident."
"She's like you," Mother said, sounding subdued. "She's still Kaylee, but also different. There were monts when I interacted with her where I didn't recognize her. I brushed it off, but my doubts kept piling up."
I hesitated, before I sighed and nodded.
"Yes," I said. "Kaylee is Lord Tempest's chosen champion."
My parents' expression faltered at that.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Mother asked in a hurt tone. "Either of you?"
"Do you still not trust us?" Father asked. "I know we failed you before, but we're trying our best to make it up to you."
Guilt stabbed in the heart. My parents neglected during my childhood, leading to suffer a great deal. However, that wasn't entirely their fault. Besides, I decided to forgive them even before I found out about Aleah Jeffers' involvent.
"It's not that," I said, shaking my head. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but Kaylee refused. Since it involved her secret, I respected her wishes on the matter."
"But why would she keep sothing like this secret from us?" Mother asked. "We could've helped her more if we had known the truth from the beginning."
I took a mont before answering.
"I don't know about everything Kaylee saw," I said. "However, I know the experience scarred her. She witnessed the fall of House Sturm." I gestured to my parents. "Rember the traitors we told you about?"
Father nodded with a sharp look in his eyes.
"Those traitors attacked House Sturm from within while the demons attacked from without," I said. "Kaylee was the only survivor."
My parents stared at in shock. However, before they could say or do anything, the waiters entered the private room with our food. They placed it on the table and asked us if we wanted anything else. We declined and they all left.
The food slled delicious, and likely tasted even better. Despite this, no one picked up their utensils to eat. Everyone had lost their appetite. However, the interlude gave my parents a chance to recover so of their composure.
As for Grandmother Sky, she wore an impassive expression on her face. I found it near impossible to read her.
"So, this is what you've been up to," Father said. "You and your companions have been going around, fighting demons and trying to prevent this invasion. By yourselves."
"Among other things, yes," I said. "We know that we can't be everywhere and do everything at once. That's why we've also been trying to make changes to Luminian society. Take Kaylee, for example. She's been forging connections and building up her influence while attending the Solarian Imperial Academy."
Mother frowned at .
"Is this why you've been helping with Clan Sturm?" she asked.
I nodded.
"That's part of it, yes," I said. "It's also why I want to try and abolish the Accords. From what I know, the division between the Houses and the Clans was one the key factors that led to Lumina's fall." I glanced at Grandmother Sky. "A bunch of transmigrators from First Murim also arrived and stirred up trouble among the Clans, making things worse overall."
Grandmother Sky snorted.
"Of course they did," she said. "Do you know who these transmigrators are? Or will be, I should say. Perhaps I know a few of them."
I shook my head.
"Your goals are admirable," Father said. "However, you can only go so far by yourselves."
"Weeeeell," I said, stretching out the word. "We're not by ourselves. Not anymore." I gestured in the general direction of Mt. Sol. "The grand priests and a select few others within the Church of the Sun also know the truth. Well, at least so of it. They've agreed to support us. Resources, manpower, etc. We're essentially forming our own organization to fight the demons." I gestured to my parents. "That's why I asked for your help. We need a base, a stronghold, of our own."
Father nodded with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"That would explain why you were oddly specific when it ca to your request," he said. "You'll need a stronghold large enough to accommodate your people, but mobile enough to take you wherever you need to go."
"Exactly," I said, nodding.
Mother poked at her food with a troubled expression on her face.
"My babies are all grown up," she said. "They're out slaying demons and saving the world without telling their mother."
My lips twitched as I resisted the urge to chuckle.
"Are… Are you pouting?" I asked.
Mother huffed.
"No," she said in a surly tone.
I gave her a skeptical look.
"Alright, yes," Mother said, rolling her eyes. "I am pouting. I'm hurt that my children kept such a big secret from . I'm also disappointed that you left out of the fun. If you had told , I would've gone demon hunting with you."
Okay, I could understand the first part of her statent. However, that second part caught off guard. Where was the elegant and dignified House matron from my mories? The more I interacted with her, the more I realized just how much of a tomboy my mother really was.
"I an, who would look after Clan Sturm if you went off gallivanting across the Solarian Empire?" I asked.
Mother gestured to Grandmother Sky.
"Grandfather and Grandmother offered to help with Clan Sturm," she said.
I blinked at her, before looking at Grandmother Sky.
"I thought you preferred your privacy," I said. "At least, that was the impression I got."
Grandmother Sky shrugged.
"I do," she said. "However, part of the reason I went into seclusion was because none of my descendants were suitable to inherit the Mist Sword style." She wore a long-suffering expression on her face. "For several reasons." She gestured to . "At least until you ca along. Not only that, but you started teaching it to others as well."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Do you have a problem with that?" I asked, a challenge in my voice.
"Yes," Grandmother Sky said. "Not because you taught the Mist Sword style to others, but because you were irresponsible about it. If I hadn't stepped in, who knows what would've happened to those poor souls?"
I flinched. She made a fair point, at least when it ca to Harvey, Evelynn, and Everard. Instead of staying to teach them, I taught them the basics and gave them so manuals before running off to Eastwatch.
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"Thank you, Grandmother Sky," I said in a much more humble tone.
She made a dismissive gesture.
"It's the duty of the senior generation to advise and guide the junior generation," she said.
A part of wanted to point out that I had more life experience than my appearance suggested. However, even if I combined the years I spent as both Brandon Norwood and Gabriel Sturm, that still wouldn't compare to how long my great grandmother had lived. And that wasn't even considering her life before she transmigrated to Lumina.
"Even so, Harvey and the twins are important to ," I said. "Thank you for looking after them."
Grandmother Sky snorted.
"I wonder if you'll have the sa attitude once I'm done with you," she said.
I blinked at her in confusion.
"What do you an?" I asked.
Grandmother Sky looked at as if I were an idiot.
"Do you think I accompanied your parents here to go sightseeing?" she asked in a sardonic tone. "Your skill in the Mist Sword style is good, but has room for improvent. As both your bloodline ancestor and martial ancestor, it falls on to educate you." She smirked at . "Or are you satisfied with your current mastery?"
I shook my head.
"No, of course not," I said, trying and failing to contain my excitent. "I would be honored to receive your tutelage."
I had already planned on learning from Grandmother Sky, since she created the Mist Sword style alongside Teacher. Learning from her would help increase my mastery in martial arts. I already reached the Supre level, but there was always a taller mountain. Teacher was living proof of that.
As for Grandmother Sky, I didn't know what level she was at. However, when it ca to overall experience, she surpassed . Besides, she helped create the Mist Sword style. I wasn't arrogant enough to believe that I knew more about it than her.
"Hmm, you're more polite than I expected," Grandmother Sky said, raising an eyebrow at . "Given the way you call my sister a 'shrew', I expected more belligerence from you."
I shrugged.
"You're nicer than Teacher," I said. "Though if you wish, I can call you a hag."
Grandmother Sky narrowed her eyes at .
"Gabriel," Mother admonished. "Don't insult Grandmother, even as a joke. She is your elder and deserves respect."
I gave her a wounded look.
"What? Teacher and I expressed our affection for each other through insults. I thought that since Grandmother Sky is Teacher's twin, she might be the sa." I paused. "Wait, I don't think I've told you about that yet."
Mother stared at in astonishnt.
"Your teacher is Grandmother's twin?!" She looked at Grandmother Sky. "Did you know about this?"
Grandmother Sky sighed.
"Yes, Claire," she said. "I suspected it when I first heard that Gabriel knew the Mist Sword style, since my sister and I created it together. I confird it when I t with Gabriel in Eastwatch."
Mother slumped back in a daze, a shocked expression on her face. Father took her hand and murmured so soothing words.
"Speaking of Teacher," I said to Grandmother Sky. "There are a few things I need to tell you." I glanced at my parents. "In private. Shall we take a walk together after dinner?"
Grandmother Sky studied for several monts with an unreadable expression on her face, before nodding.
A mont later, Mother snapped out of her daze, startling Father.
"That's it!" She pointed a finger at . "I'm joining you on your next adventure. I'm tired of hearing about things secondhand. I want to experience them myself!"
Father looked surprised at first, before his expression morphed into sothing equal parts exasperation and fondness.
"Very well, my dear," he said. "You have my full support."
"Don't try to talk out of it, Bryce," Mother said, acting as if she hadn't heard him. "I've spent the past twenty years as a proper House lady. However, at heart, I'm a martial artist. I yearn to travel and see the wide world again. To go on adventures, fighting monsters and demons."
Father looked like he was holding in laughter.
"I have no objections to this at all," he said.
"Yes, yes," Mother said. "I know I have many duties and responsibilities as Lady Sturm. However, sotis they feel so suffocating. If I don't go on at least one more adventure, I feel like I might go crazy."
Father nodded.
"We can say that you're going on a sabbatical or a restorative retreat," he said. "Your grandparents are helping out with Clan Sturm. If we hire an assistant or two, we can cover the rest of your duties while you're gone."
Their conversation continued along the sa vein, with Mother acting as if Father was objecting to her idea even though he was offering his full support. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I felt embarrassed just watching them act out their little play.
I looked at Grandmother Sky and gestured to the door. She looked thoughtful for a mont and nodded. I caught Father's eyes. He gave a brief nod before focusing on Mother once more.
Grandmother Sky and I stood up and left the private room. The food on the table remained uneaten.
It was still early in the evening when Grandmother Sky and I left the restaurant, so there were still plenty of people out and about. Most of them looked like travelers and pilgrims here to visit the Grand Temple of the Sun. As usual, many of them got into theological debates.
Well, most of them weren't actual theological debates. Rather, they were more like argunts about which god was better. That's what it boiled down to in the end.
Grandmother Sky and I wandered around Templeton with no particular destination in mind. Since we skipped dinner earlier, we decided to grab so street food. To my joy, we found a stall selling at skewers. I picked a few beef ones, while Grandmother Sky went for lamb.
The two of us enjoyed our al in silence. Neither of us were in a hurry. While we had important matters to discuss, none of them were urgent. I enjoyed the peace and quiet. That was sothing I noticed about Grandmother Sky.
While she and Teacher were twins, the two of them had different personalities. Teacher was sharp and prickly, while Grandmother Sky was cold and quiet. However, both were warm and affectionate on the inside. It just took effort to bring that out of them. A lot of effort.
I knew this because if that weren't the case, Grandmother Sky wouldn't have bothered to help in Eastwatch.
When we finished eating, we discarded our skewers and headed outside of town. Neither of us said a word. We just both started drifting in that direction. Templeton wasn't a walled town, so leaving was rather easy.
The landscape around Mt. Sol was a mix of grassy plains and forested hills. A cool breeze swept through, bringing with it the scents of autumn. The sky above remained clear, allowing us to view the cosmos in all their glory.
After a while, Grandmother Sky and I walked far enough that Templeton beca a glowing dot in the distance. Behind it lood Mt. Sol. By so unspoken agreent, Grandmother Sky and I both stopped walking. We stood in the middle of a adow filled with wildflowers.
"This should be far enough," she said. "What did you wish to discuss?"
"It's about Teacher," I said.
Grandmother Sky gave a mirthless smile.
"How is my sister, by the way?" she asked. "How is Rain?"
I blinked at her in surprise.
"Wait, Teacher's na is 'Rain?'"
Grandmother Sky raised an eyebrow at .
"You didn't know?"
I shook my head.
"Teacher never talked much about herself," I said. "At least, not until I saw her a little while ago."
Grandmother Sky frowned.
"What do you an?"
I gave her a brief rundown of how I transmigrated back to Earth and t with Teacher again. I also told her about Teacher's plan to co here to Lumina.
"While there, she told the story of what happened to you," I said.
"Oh, she told you that her insane husband murdered ?"
I nodded.
"Yes. Teacher left him after that and went looking for you."
Grandmother Sky let out a bitter laugh.
"Of course." She shook her head. "That idiot only listens to after I die."
I took a mont before responding.
"You're still angry with her, aren't you?"
Grandmother Sky snorted.
"Of course I am," she said. "I told Rain that marrying Blood Demon was a bad idea. I told her what kind of man he was. Yet, she refused to listen to . She was too infatuated with his appearance to care. Despite that, I kept trying. And what was the result? My death."
Grandmother Sky sighed and shook her head.
"Not that I'm much better," she said. "Half the reason why I married your great grandfather was because of his looks."
My lips twitched as I held in a chuckle.
"Well, since I look like him, does that make your favorite descendant?" I asked in a joking tone.
"Yes," Grandmother Sky said without any hesitation. "That, and because you're a worthy inheritor of the Mist Sword style."
Her sincerity made my cheeks heat up. I coughed to cover up my embarrassnt.
"Thank you," I said.
"Don't let those words go to your head," Grandmother Sky said. "While I admit that you have so skill, you also have plenty of room for improvent. I intend to spend so ti with you, honing your skills. If I had my way, I'd bring you back to my ho and make you train in seclusion for at least another decade." She paused. "However, I doubt you'd agree to that."
I shook my head.
"I can't afford to spend a decade in training," I said. "Not with the enemy breaching the gates, so to speak."
Grandmother Sky nodded.
"As expected," she said. "In that case, we'll have to make due." She scrutinized . "We need to do sothing about your cultivation. Second Star is too weak."
"Don't worry. I have sothing for that." I pulled the spirit core out of my inventory ring. "This will give a big boost."
Grandmother Sky stared at the spirit core in astonishnt, before she chuckled.
"The younger generation continues to amaze ," she said. "Maybe there is hope for our family after all."
I put the spirit core away.
"Speaking of family," I said. "There is sothing else I need to tell you."
Grandmother Sky gave a quizzical look.
"Blood Demon is here on Lumina," I said.
The air around us grew thick with killing intent.
"Excuse ?" Grandmother Sky said, her voice filled with barely restrained fury.
"I t him at Icefall City," I said. "He ca here looking for Teacher."
One mont, Grandmother Sky was standing a few feet away. The next, she stood right in front of . She moved so fast that I blinked and missed it.
"Tell everything," Grandmother Sky said, her voice hard and unyielding. "Leave nothing out."
Well, that was sothing she had in common with Teacher.
I told Grandmother Sky about my encounter with Blood Demon, and how he spared because I was her student. I also told her about my theory that he couldn't leave Lumina for so reason. I even said that I believed this applied to everyone. However, she didn't seem to care about that part.
When I finished speaking, Grandmother Sky started laughing with a crazed expression on her face. It frightened enough that I took a step back.
"Finally," she said, speaking to herself. "I can have my revenge. I'll flay that pretty face of yours, Blood Demon, and mount it on my wall as a trophy. Maybe I'll give it to my dear sister when she arrives. Yes, I think I'll do that."
I stared at Grandmother Sky and realized that maybe, just maybe, Teacher was the saner of the two. I resisted the urge to sigh. It looked like my days were about to beco even more interesting.
With that, I stood there for so ti while my great grandmother cackled like a maniacal villainess plotting her revenge.
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