"Excuse me, but are you Lycoris."
A grown man that Lycoris does not know introduce himself. It...
A grown man that Lycoris does not know introduce himself. It...
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The Otome heroine is raised by the final boss (Original)
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Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
"Excuse me, but are you Lycoris."
A grown man that Lycoris does not know introduce himself. It was a day after her mother has died. The landlord has almost chased her out of their room, however, because he does not know what to do with her mother's corpse yet, the landlord left them to find some undertaker.
Not kn0wing where her future will go, one day later, a gentleman arrived at her house. He was wearing the best clothes, with the faint smell of disinfectant. Everything about him was sterile. He looks extremely clean. However, Lycoris knew best, it was men who look good that are the most dangerous.
However, moments later, the man sits down.
"So I arrived too late huh."
There was moment of genuine sadness from the man after arriving at the room. He looks at her mother with a look of sadness, before settling his eyes on her.
"Do you know my mother mister?"
The man nods his head slowly, his hat was taken off his head.
Suddenly, the man gestures some men to come in, and then he takes Lycoris's hand and leads her outside. Lycoris was wary of the act, but she became aware that even if she screams now, there will be no one coming to help her. She does not know him.
Suddenly, while leading her away, the man sits down to face her. His face was sharp and pale, there was hint of coldness in his eyes, however it has slowly settled down after looking at Lycoris.
"I apologize for taking so long to come for you, however, I have only received her letter recently. Lycoris, I am your uncle, your mother's brother."
The revelation comes of strange to Lycoris. Her mother? The poor woman who works as dishwasher in a restaurant having a brother who looks as rich as this person? Hesitantly she wanted to turn back. She has heard about the hobbies of the rich before. Adopting a young prepubescent child? It has happened to her friends befor-
"Lycoris, this may be difficult, but you are my niece." The man continues. "Your mother ran away with a man when she was young. I lost all contacts with her. Later on, due to our family's decline, I have to move away. After that point, I lost all contact with her in earnest."
Hearing that, Lycoris suddenly became angry. Her father? That man who tricked mama. Why would she run away with that man?
However, the man in front of her was still waiting. She looks back to the state of her clothes, she remembers the breakfast that she didn't have.
Hesitantly, she takes his hand. She can only believe that her future will be better, and not worse.
--------------------------------
A few months later.
"LYCORIS!" Her uncle's yell can be heard from downstair.
"Come down this instant young lady. You haven't finished your homework yet."
A few months later, she has moved to the capital city. She goes to the Imperial Academy, the best academy in the kingdom for her education. Her life is great now. One in a while, her uncle Avaris would yell at her because she was too lazy to attend social gathering or that she has skipped a class. However, her life was going great.
She can't wait for what tomorrow would bring.
--------------------------------
At that moment, the uncle in question was puzzling over something. He was reading a report from his subordinate. After reading everything, he puts it down and asks one single question
"Why would anyone even want to assassinate Lycoris?"
"Apparently sir, your daughter has been getting too close with the third prince who is currently going undercover at the academy. Certain parties who are interested in getting their daughters married to the royal family has ordered the hit. The assassin, a butler employed by the Imperial Academy has been dealt with, however, there may be more in the future."
After a beat, Avaris says
"What do you mean Lycoris is getting close to that motherfucker?"
"Ah."
At that moment, Lycoris is completely unaware that she has unearthed her uncle's trauma about the imperial family by doing completely nothing.
This is a story of how Lycoris continues to make her uncle cry in the future
A grown man that Lycoris does not know introduce himself. It was a day after her mother has died. The landlord has almost chased her out of their room, however, because he does not know what to do with her mother's corpse yet, the landlord left them to find some undertaker.
Not kn0wing where her future will go, one day later, a gentleman arrived at her house. He was wearing the best clothes, with the faint smell of disinfectant. Everything about him was sterile. He looks extremely clean. However, Lycoris knew best, it was men who look good that are the most dangerous.
However, moments later, the man sits down.
"So I arrived too late huh."
There was moment of genuine sadness from the man after arriving at the room. He looks at her mother with a look of sadness, before settling his eyes on her.
"Do you know my mother mister?"
The man nods his head slowly, his hat was taken off his head.
Suddenly, the man gestures some men to come in, and then he takes Lycoris's hand and leads her outside. Lycoris was wary of the act, but she became aware that even if she screams now, there will be no one coming to help her. She does not know him.
Suddenly, while leading her away, the man sits down to face her. His face was sharp and pale, there was hint of coldness in his eyes, however it has slowly settled down after looking at Lycoris.
"I apologize for taking so long to come for you, however, I have only received her letter recently. Lycoris, I am your uncle, your mother's brother."
The revelation comes of strange to Lycoris. Her mother? The poor woman who works as dishwasher in a restaurant having a brother who looks as rich as this person? Hesitantly she wanted to turn back. She has heard about the hobbies of the rich before. Adopting a young prepubescent child? It has happened to her friends befor-
"Lycoris, this may be difficult, but you are my niece." The man continues. "Your mother ran away with a man when she was young. I lost all contacts with her. Later on, due to our family's decline, I have to move away. After that point, I lost all contact with her in earnest."
Hearing that, Lycoris suddenly became angry. Her father? That man who tricked mama. Why would she run away with that man?
However, the man in front of her was still waiting. She looks back to the state of her clothes, she remembers the breakfast that she didn't have.
Hesitantly, she takes his hand. She can only believe that her future will be better, and not worse.
--------------------------------
A few months later.
"LYCORIS!" Her uncle's yell can be heard from downstair.
"Come down this instant young lady. You haven't finished your homework yet."
A few months later, she has moved to the capital city. She goes to the Imperial Academy, the best academy in the kingdom for her education. Her life is great now. One in a while, her uncle Avaris would yell at her because she was too lazy to attend social gathering or that she has skipped a class. However, her life was going great.
She can't wait for what tomorrow would bring.
--------------------------------
At that moment, the uncle in question was puzzling over something. He was reading a report from his subordinate. After reading everything, he puts it down and asks one single question
"Why would anyone even want to assassinate Lycoris?"
"Apparently sir, your daughter has been getting too close with the third prince who is currently going undercover at the academy. Certain parties who are interested in getting their daughters married to the royal family has ordered the hit. The assassin, a butler employed by the Imperial Academy has been dealt with, however, there may be more in the future."
After a beat, Avaris says
"What do you mean Lycoris is getting close to that motherfucker?"
"Ah."
At that moment, Lycoris is completely unaware that she has unearthed her uncle's trauma about the imperial family by doing completely nothing.
This is a story of how Lycoris continues to make her uncle cry in the future
Last edited:
Dinner
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Three months have passed since her mother's funeral.
Lycoris has been living in Avaris' mansion in the capital city. It was a house located in a secluded area. The architecture is modern, however, the furniture are ancient. In Avaris' office, there is an antique book case and the head of some kind of animals hanged above the work space as decoration. There is exactly one desk and one armchair. The decoration style is very old.
The rest of the house is decorated in dark color. The carpet is dark red, with the curtain being a muted shade of green. The only exception is Lycoris's bedroom, which has more colors.
After getting comfortable enough around Avaris, Lycoris has asked to decorate the mansion herself. Afterward, she bought some purple curtain and pink carpet to decorate Avaris' office, which earned her a glare from Avaris.
For some reason, that disapproval from Avaris made her very happy. However, what makes her even happier is the knowledge that she truly has a future. She has a house now, a very rich uncle, and she can go to school.
'I just want a happy life.' She decided
'Ah so this is the happiness of money.'
Just a few months ago, she was living in the slum not knowing where to go, now she is living in luxury, with a butler and servants to cater to her needs.
However, Lycoris knows that she should not rely on them too much, she is a grown girl now.
Of course she couldn't be too greedy. Avaris is rich, however, she is still only his sister's daughter, not his. He gave her a tipspend every month and helped her enter the Imperial Academy, however she is aware that the situation depends on Avaris.
"How was your day?" She asks her uncle as he enters the dining room.
She knows that Avaris is the owner of a large merchant company, and that everyday he manages a lot of work in his room. Sometime, she wanted to get closer to her only bloodrelated family left and offered to give him a massage after a day of hard work but Avaris did not want her to touch him.
'Don't touch me. We are not that close.'
She imagines that is what he wanted to say. She is still his obligation, not someone that he knows. However that was 2 months ago. She has become much closer to Avaris now and realizes that uncle Avaris simply hates being touched.
"The price of metals have increased again due to undead appearance near the normal trade route. Trades are currently halted until the crown has mobilized enough fighting force to put them down."
"Oh, that's horrible. The undead again? Even with the spread of the royal bloodline, there has been quite many sightings lately. Will this affect business?"
The world is plagued with the undead. It is said that where the influence of the God of Light grows weak, the influence of the God of Darkness grows stronger. Consequently, the royal family, the descendant of the God of Light holds an absolutely vital role in maintaining civilization. Where the members of the royal family live, there are no undead. That is why the influence of the Kingdom of Lucia is so great, with their royal family member being the only detergent against an undead invasion.
"It's a good thing that we live in the capital city." Lycoris mutters.
However, Avaris heard her speak. Quietly he scoffs.
"No matter where we live, I will never let them hurt you."
"Thank a lot uncle." She jokes half-heartedly, uncle Avaris is only a merchant right? There is no way he can fight against the undead who need the crown to mobilize entire battalion to fight off.
"The price of weapons will likely increase in the next couple of weeks. Metal goods will be rare. However, this is good for us." Avaris says, while Lycoris bites down a steak.
Avaris shoos her way of eating, trying to instill discipline and grace into her, however, she has never eaten steak before this rare period of luxury in her life, there is no way she will be polite. And she knows Avaris will forgive her anyway.
Avaris's only meal is some salad and peas. Lycoris has never seen her uncle eat in front of her. Maybe that's why he is so pale. Lycoris puts some meat on her uncle's dish after thinking about it.
"Oh why so uncle?"
Avaris glances at her briefly before looking away.
"We have some metal in stock. For the next few weeks, we and our associates are the only seller in the city."
"How lucky." Lycoris commented.
Avaris looks at her for a while before finally speaking
"Lycoris, there is something I need to talk with you about. Your friend, Hector Rowley is actually the third prince Hector Lucian in disguise. You should stay away from him in the future."
While chewing on a particularly large piece of meat, Lycoris starts choking on it
Lycoris has been living in Avaris' mansion in the capital city. It was a house located in a secluded area. The architecture is modern, however, the furniture are ancient. In Avaris' office, there is an antique book case and the head of some kind of animals hanged above the work space as decoration. There is exactly one desk and one armchair. The decoration style is very old.
The rest of the house is decorated in dark color. The carpet is dark red, with the curtain being a muted shade of green. The only exception is Lycoris's bedroom, which has more colors.
After getting comfortable enough around Avaris, Lycoris has asked to decorate the mansion herself. Afterward, she bought some purple curtain and pink carpet to decorate Avaris' office, which earned her a glare from Avaris.
For some reason, that disapproval from Avaris made her very happy. However, what makes her even happier is the knowledge that she truly has a future. She has a house now, a very rich uncle, and she can go to school.
'I just want a happy life.' She decided
'Ah so this is the happiness of money.'
Just a few months ago, she was living in the slum not knowing where to go, now she is living in luxury, with a butler and servants to cater to her needs.
However, Lycoris knows that she should not rely on them too much, she is a grown girl now.
Of course she couldn't be too greedy. Avaris is rich, however, she is still only his sister's daughter, not his. He gave her a tipspend every month and helped her enter the Imperial Academy, however she is aware that the situation depends on Avaris.
"How was your day?" She asks her uncle as he enters the dining room.
She knows that Avaris is the owner of a large merchant company, and that everyday he manages a lot of work in his room. Sometime, she wanted to get closer to her only bloodrelated family left and offered to give him a massage after a day of hard work but Avaris did not want her to touch him.
'Don't touch me. We are not that close.'
She imagines that is what he wanted to say. She is still his obligation, not someone that he knows. However that was 2 months ago. She has become much closer to Avaris now and realizes that uncle Avaris simply hates being touched.
"The price of metals have increased again due to undead appearance near the normal trade route. Trades are currently halted until the crown has mobilized enough fighting force to put them down."
"Oh, that's horrible. The undead again? Even with the spread of the royal bloodline, there has been quite many sightings lately. Will this affect business?"
The world is plagued with the undead. It is said that where the influence of the God of Light grows weak, the influence of the God of Darkness grows stronger. Consequently, the royal family, the descendant of the God of Light holds an absolutely vital role in maintaining civilization. Where the members of the royal family live, there are no undead. That is why the influence of the Kingdom of Lucia is so great, with their royal family member being the only detergent against an undead invasion.
"It's a good thing that we live in the capital city." Lycoris mutters.
However, Avaris heard her speak. Quietly he scoffs.
"No matter where we live, I will never let them hurt you."
"Thank a lot uncle." She jokes half-heartedly, uncle Avaris is only a merchant right? There is no way he can fight against the undead who need the crown to mobilize entire battalion to fight off.
"The price of weapons will likely increase in the next couple of weeks. Metal goods will be rare. However, this is good for us." Avaris says, while Lycoris bites down a steak.
Avaris shoos her way of eating, trying to instill discipline and grace into her, however, she has never eaten steak before this rare period of luxury in her life, there is no way she will be polite. And she knows Avaris will forgive her anyway.
Avaris's only meal is some salad and peas. Lycoris has never seen her uncle eat in front of her. Maybe that's why he is so pale. Lycoris puts some meat on her uncle's dish after thinking about it.
"Oh why so uncle?"
Avaris glances at her briefly before looking away.
"We have some metal in stock. For the next few weeks, we and our associates are the only seller in the city."
"How lucky." Lycoris commented.
Avaris looks at her for a while before finally speaking
"Lycoris, there is something I need to talk with you about. Your friend, Hector Rowley is actually the third prince Hector Lucian in disguise. You should stay away from him in the future."
While chewing on a particularly large piece of meat, Lycoris starts choking on it
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
The kingdom of Lucian is a strict hierarchy based society. It was said that a long time ago, the God of Light descended onto the mortal plane and started laying with mortal women.
The descendants of those women are now the royal family of the kingdom of Lucian. So the position of royalty is not only a mortal position but a god given one. Every single blood related members of the royal family is descended from the God of Light and have power beyond the keen of men.
Then come other noble houses. It was said that after laying with mortal women and having children with them, the God of Light wanted servants to serve his children when he is gone. And so, he bestowed his power to a small group of people who swore eternal loyalty to the bloodline of the crown. And that was how all the noble houses currently come to be.
They are the 12 noble houses. Originally, there used to be 13, however, the 13 house has fallen to the march of time and so only 12 are left. Each and every member of the 12 houses holds a mysterious power called magic. With it, they can protect the royal family while beating back the influence of the God of Darkness, which manifested as undead.
Because heir and bloodline is very important to the stability of the kingdom, class hierarchy is taken very seriously.
Two people from different social classes can never be friends, that is the truth of this world.
On the first day of school, Lycoris was smiling like an idiot. Uncle Avaris was with her on the first day of school. However, he was always carrying an umbrella with him. Still, she thought that the umbrella fit the aesthetic of her uncle. The man liked to dress in black with skin as pale as snow. The black umbrella fit his aesthetic just fine.
The first half of the day, uncle Avaris carried the umbrella around, covering for Lycoris. However, when it was noon, when the sun was high, uncle Avaris bowed out and left Lycoris on her own.
"Well, I can't protect you forever. Go and make some friends."
"I will be fine." Lycoris said to him as he walked back to work.
She was not fine. While class orientation was still going on, Lycoris was eating lunch in the campus. Suddenly a few ladies were pointing at her and laughing.
"What's so funny?" Ignoring them, Lycoris carries on, bringing her lunch to another place. However, her path was blocked, by a lady a head taller than her.
This year, Lycoris is 14. The lady is at least 16. However, she was blocking her way.
Suddenly, the lady took out a fan to cover her mouth.
"Oh my where did this 'thing' come from?" At that time, Lycoris didn't know that uncle Avaris was considered a Nouveau Riche, a trader and a merchant. And in this society, where the hierarchy is strict, the nobility class looked down on the merchant class.
Actually, the real reason was not that. It was because before the confrontation happened, the third prince of the kingdom, Hector, saw Lycoris and thought to himself
'Heck, that girl is cute.'
And so, he talked (persuaded) some girls from the upper class to create the scene. Then, while every one was looking on, prince Hector appeared like a hero from a fairy tale.
Then, while Lycoris was about to speak up for herself, she saw a dorky boy coming up to her defense and suddenly thought
'Heck, that boy is cute.' And so decided to let that boy be her hero in shining armor.
And that was how the two met for the first time.
"What is your name?" She asked him
"I'm Hector... uh... Rowley. Yeah, Hector Rowley is the name. Pleasure to meet you young lady."
"Damn, I know he was hiding something."
Lycoris says.
"Language, young lady." Uncle Avaris says while rubbing his forehead, knowing the full truth of the event from both his inside men in the palace and Lycoris
The descendants of those women are now the royal family of the kingdom of Lucian. So the position of royalty is not only a mortal position but a god given one. Every single blood related members of the royal family is descended from the God of Light and have power beyond the keen of men.
Then come other noble houses. It was said that after laying with mortal women and having children with them, the God of Light wanted servants to serve his children when he is gone. And so, he bestowed his power to a small group of people who swore eternal loyalty to the bloodline of the crown. And that was how all the noble houses currently come to be.
They are the 12 noble houses. Originally, there used to be 13, however, the 13 house has fallen to the march of time and so only 12 are left. Each and every member of the 12 houses holds a mysterious power called magic. With it, they can protect the royal family while beating back the influence of the God of Darkness, which manifested as undead.
Because heir and bloodline is very important to the stability of the kingdom, class hierarchy is taken very seriously.
Two people from different social classes can never be friends, that is the truth of this world.
On the first day of school, Lycoris was smiling like an idiot. Uncle Avaris was with her on the first day of school. However, he was always carrying an umbrella with him. Still, she thought that the umbrella fit the aesthetic of her uncle. The man liked to dress in black with skin as pale as snow. The black umbrella fit his aesthetic just fine.
The first half of the day, uncle Avaris carried the umbrella around, covering for Lycoris. However, when it was noon, when the sun was high, uncle Avaris bowed out and left Lycoris on her own.
"Well, I can't protect you forever. Go and make some friends."
"I will be fine." Lycoris said to him as he walked back to work.
She was not fine. While class orientation was still going on, Lycoris was eating lunch in the campus. Suddenly a few ladies were pointing at her and laughing.
"What's so funny?" Ignoring them, Lycoris carries on, bringing her lunch to another place. However, her path was blocked, by a lady a head taller than her.
This year, Lycoris is 14. The lady is at least 16. However, she was blocking her way.
Suddenly, the lady took out a fan to cover her mouth.
"Oh my where did this 'thing' come from?" At that time, Lycoris didn't know that uncle Avaris was considered a Nouveau Riche, a trader and a merchant. And in this society, where the hierarchy is strict, the nobility class looked down on the merchant class.
Actually, the real reason was not that. It was because before the confrontation happened, the third prince of the kingdom, Hector, saw Lycoris and thought to himself
'Heck, that girl is cute.'
And so, he talked (persuaded) some girls from the upper class to create the scene. Then, while every one was looking on, prince Hector appeared like a hero from a fairy tale.
Then, while Lycoris was about to speak up for herself, she saw a dorky boy coming up to her defense and suddenly thought
'Heck, that boy is cute.' And so decided to let that boy be her hero in shining armor.
And that was how the two met for the first time.
"What is your name?" She asked him
"I'm Hector... uh... Rowley. Yeah, Hector Rowley is the name. Pleasure to meet you young lady."
"Damn, I know he was hiding something."
Lycoris says.
"Language, young lady." Uncle Avaris says while rubbing his forehead, knowing the full truth of the event from both his inside men in the palace and Lycoris
Last edited:
Gemware
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
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- 864
"I will dump Hector as soon as I see him."
"Okay." Avaris closes his eyes after getting confirmation that his niece was actually dating the third prince of the kingdom. It reminds him of the previous generation too much.
"But why are you here?" Avaris continues.
In the afternoon, Avaris was set to inspect some of the trade company's warehouse. He went alone, however, Lycoris followed him.
"I want to know how our business works so I can inherit it in the future."
"And who said I would let you inherit my business in the future. If anything, you should have married into a nice house by then." Avaris told her.
"But uncle, there are so many nice boys out there, I don't think I can choose. If I could, I think I would adopt all of them."
Avaris closes his eyes after hearing his niece's words.
2 months. Only 2 months and she has already gotten him into a lot of troubles.
The matter with the third prince is recent, however, previously, he has to come to the school to explain why two boys were fighting over Lycoris.
That girl was dangerous despite her age.
"Alright. " He said "But stay close to me and pay attention. The place is quite chaotic."
-------------------------------------
Uncle Avaris's company is called Gemware Pancontinental Trading Company or GPTC for short. It started as a Mining company, however, it was rebranded as a general goods trading company around 8 years ago. Gemware has since bought out many ghetto neighborhood near the outskirt of the capital city to build many large warehouse to store goods from everywhere around the world.
Gemware has connections with many important people around the world and receives regular shipment of goods from almost every corners of the world, with many exotic sought after items. Uncle Avaris was a worldly man, before Gemware was rebranded, he traveled the world to make those connections.
Carrying a white umbrella, Lycoris jumps onto the carriage like a kid in a candy store.
The carriage has the trademark of the company carved on it.
As the carriage starts to move, Lycoris waves goodbye to her retinue of handmaidens.
When she was sent to the imperial academy, Avaris sent a small retinue of maids with her. Lycoris both loves and hates it however. She loves that she is living the high life now, so much different from before. However, she hates it because wherever she goes, one of the maid would go with her. It feels like she was trading her freedom for the high life. At least, she is not like those stuck up person at school.
When she left today, one of the maids tried to follow her to, however, uncle Avaris told them there was no need for it.
"I'm with her today. You don't need to be there, go back to your station."
The pale man wears business attire today. Her uncle wears black coat over a white T-shirt. The color of his clothes accentuates his pale features really well.
While she is on the carriage, Lycoris sticks her head out of the window to feel the wind on her face. The girl giggles as it feels cool. However, the wind makes a mess of her hair.
Today, she is dressed like a man, white T-shirts (with frills), long pants and flat cap. However, since her uncle did not say anything about it, she thought it would be fine. Her uncle is someone she respects a lot. She wants to be like him in the future.
That is why she wanted to inherit Gemware, or at least help with business when she grow up in the future. It was not a joke when she told uncle Avaris about inheriting the family business.
Before now, she did not have a dream because she was worried about her future, however she has a dream now, and that is to be like her own uncle. She wants to have as much power and riches as him.
While she was sticking her head out of the window, suddenly, uncle Avaris pulls her back without any emotions on his face. His hands feel cold to the touch. Immediately after it happened, the carriage shakes violently. Lycoris hangs on to her uncle shoulder for balance before switching to gripping the hand bar.
Uncle Avaris doesn't like being touched.
After a while, the shaking stops and the carriage also stops.
Opening the door, her uncle strides out confidently in his business attire. There seems to have been a problem on the way.
Lycoris copies him and stride out confidently out of the carriage, but because her legs were shorter than an adult man, she trips and almost falls. Emotionlessly, uncle Avaris extends a hand to help her balance herself before resuming his stride.
There was a boy standing in front of the horse carriage. He spreads both of his hand wide to stop the carriage.
'Heck the boy is cute.'
He is older than Lycoris, however he has a baby face. His clothes is neither expensive or cheap. He wears a pair of glasses with a very worn frame. He looks kinda nerdy, Lycoris likes it.
Uncle Avaris glances at him
"Did you try to kill me?"
He asks coldly.
Snapping out of it, Lycoris comes back to reality.
"Ha, as if a man without heart or blood like you would die that easily." The boy says, Lycoris gasps at that level of disrespect directed toward her uncle.
"Let's just call the capital police on him, uncle Avaris!" Lycoris strides out of her uncle back and points at the boy. Suddenly, the boy flinches seeing a small child next to Avaris. He assumes that her messy hair was due to his action, stopping the carriage.
"I admit that doing that was reckless. I apologize for endangering you and your family." The boy says
"However, Avaris Gemware, how dare you."
'Gemware? Is that my family name? No way, uncle Avaris said he changed his name after an incident with our family.'
It seems the boy is someone with grudges against her own uncle.
"The market is fair, is it not?" Suddenly, Avaris says
"You and I both know your recent markets actions are you acting overtly against my family, stop it. How dare you flood the market with cheap metal at this point? You are pushing other businesses' bottom line just because you have more stockpile saved up. But we both know the stockpile can't last forever. If you continue with this hostile business practice, there will be consequences."
8 years ago, Gemware moved to the capital city. Ever since then, it has been continuously expanding with incredibly hostile business practice. Gemware is known to be cheap, in both product and labor. They hire the absolutely lowest of the low, vagrant, homeless and the desperate for their warehouse business. The pay is extremely low, however, it doesn't require any previous experience or even a permanent address. As long as you can move, you can work for Gemware or so it is said.
They frequently flood the market with below market-price product. The government has mostly turned a blind eye to Gemware, however other companies were waiting for Gemware's practice to burn itself out. However, 8 years have passed, and it is still going strong as ever. No one knows where the almost limitless flow of goods come from. Goods constantly come from outside the country through Avaris's 'connections'.
Lately, the company may have moved away from the storefront model. After the disruption in the metal supplies chain, Gemware has gobbled up contracts for weapon production for the government after pushing the local blacksmith guilds out. And like all things else it has gobbled up, it is very unlikely for things to return to normal even after the supplies route returns to normal.
However, Avaris looks at the boy as if he is not impressed.
"I will only say this one, you say that there will be consequences, however, I am telling you, if an incident like this ever happen again, there WILL be consequences for the Gaillot family. I don't care about what alliance you have, an alliance of losers will never amount to anything."
Frustrated, the boy looks like he is about to hit something, however, taking a deep breath, the boy speaks up one last time.
"Very well, from now on, everyone will know that the owner of Gemware is irrational. I hope you are prepared."
The boy walks away. However, he takes one last glance at Lycoris before turning away, his face beet red.
"Aw, he is so cute."
"That little shit." Avaris says after hearing his niece's words.
"Okay." Avaris closes his eyes after getting confirmation that his niece was actually dating the third prince of the kingdom. It reminds him of the previous generation too much.
"But why are you here?" Avaris continues.
In the afternoon, Avaris was set to inspect some of the trade company's warehouse. He went alone, however, Lycoris followed him.
"I want to know how our business works so I can inherit it in the future."
"And who said I would let you inherit my business in the future. If anything, you should have married into a nice house by then." Avaris told her.
"But uncle, there are so many nice boys out there, I don't think I can choose. If I could, I think I would adopt all of them."
Avaris closes his eyes after hearing his niece's words.
2 months. Only 2 months and she has already gotten him into a lot of troubles.
The matter with the third prince is recent, however, previously, he has to come to the school to explain why two boys were fighting over Lycoris.
That girl was dangerous despite her age.
"Alright. " He said "But stay close to me and pay attention. The place is quite chaotic."
-------------------------------------
Uncle Avaris's company is called Gemware Pancontinental Trading Company or GPTC for short. It started as a Mining company, however, it was rebranded as a general goods trading company around 8 years ago. Gemware has since bought out many ghetto neighborhood near the outskirt of the capital city to build many large warehouse to store goods from everywhere around the world.
Gemware has connections with many important people around the world and receives regular shipment of goods from almost every corners of the world, with many exotic sought after items. Uncle Avaris was a worldly man, before Gemware was rebranded, he traveled the world to make those connections.
Carrying a white umbrella, Lycoris jumps onto the carriage like a kid in a candy store.
The carriage has the trademark of the company carved on it.
As the carriage starts to move, Lycoris waves goodbye to her retinue of handmaidens.
When she was sent to the imperial academy, Avaris sent a small retinue of maids with her. Lycoris both loves and hates it however. She loves that she is living the high life now, so much different from before. However, she hates it because wherever she goes, one of the maid would go with her. It feels like she was trading her freedom for the high life. At least, she is not like those stuck up person at school.
When she left today, one of the maids tried to follow her to, however, uncle Avaris told them there was no need for it.
"I'm with her today. You don't need to be there, go back to your station."
The pale man wears business attire today. Her uncle wears black coat over a white T-shirt. The color of his clothes accentuates his pale features really well.
While she is on the carriage, Lycoris sticks her head out of the window to feel the wind on her face. The girl giggles as it feels cool. However, the wind makes a mess of her hair.
Today, she is dressed like a man, white T-shirts (with frills), long pants and flat cap. However, since her uncle did not say anything about it, she thought it would be fine. Her uncle is someone she respects a lot. She wants to be like him in the future.
That is why she wanted to inherit Gemware, or at least help with business when she grow up in the future. It was not a joke when she told uncle Avaris about inheriting the family business.
Before now, she did not have a dream because she was worried about her future, however she has a dream now, and that is to be like her own uncle. She wants to have as much power and riches as him.
While she was sticking her head out of the window, suddenly, uncle Avaris pulls her back without any emotions on his face. His hands feel cold to the touch. Immediately after it happened, the carriage shakes violently. Lycoris hangs on to her uncle shoulder for balance before switching to gripping the hand bar.
Uncle Avaris doesn't like being touched.
After a while, the shaking stops and the carriage also stops.
Opening the door, her uncle strides out confidently in his business attire. There seems to have been a problem on the way.
Lycoris copies him and stride out confidently out of the carriage, but because her legs were shorter than an adult man, she trips and almost falls. Emotionlessly, uncle Avaris extends a hand to help her balance herself before resuming his stride.
There was a boy standing in front of the horse carriage. He spreads both of his hand wide to stop the carriage.
'Heck the boy is cute.'
He is older than Lycoris, however he has a baby face. His clothes is neither expensive or cheap. He wears a pair of glasses with a very worn frame. He looks kinda nerdy, Lycoris likes it.
Uncle Avaris glances at him
"Did you try to kill me?"
He asks coldly.
Snapping out of it, Lycoris comes back to reality.
"Ha, as if a man without heart or blood like you would die that easily." The boy says, Lycoris gasps at that level of disrespect directed toward her uncle.
"Let's just call the capital police on him, uncle Avaris!" Lycoris strides out of her uncle back and points at the boy. Suddenly, the boy flinches seeing a small child next to Avaris. He assumes that her messy hair was due to his action, stopping the carriage.
"I admit that doing that was reckless. I apologize for endangering you and your family." The boy says
"However, Avaris Gemware, how dare you."
'Gemware? Is that my family name? No way, uncle Avaris said he changed his name after an incident with our family.'
It seems the boy is someone with grudges against her own uncle.
"The market is fair, is it not?" Suddenly, Avaris says
"You and I both know your recent markets actions are you acting overtly against my family, stop it. How dare you flood the market with cheap metal at this point? You are pushing other businesses' bottom line just because you have more stockpile saved up. But we both know the stockpile can't last forever. If you continue with this hostile business practice, there will be consequences."
8 years ago, Gemware moved to the capital city. Ever since then, it has been continuously expanding with incredibly hostile business practice. Gemware is known to be cheap, in both product and labor. They hire the absolutely lowest of the low, vagrant, homeless and the desperate for their warehouse business. The pay is extremely low, however, it doesn't require any previous experience or even a permanent address. As long as you can move, you can work for Gemware or so it is said.
They frequently flood the market with below market-price product. The government has mostly turned a blind eye to Gemware, however other companies were waiting for Gemware's practice to burn itself out. However, 8 years have passed, and it is still going strong as ever. No one knows where the almost limitless flow of goods come from. Goods constantly come from outside the country through Avaris's 'connections'.
Lately, the company may have moved away from the storefront model. After the disruption in the metal supplies chain, Gemware has gobbled up contracts for weapon production for the government after pushing the local blacksmith guilds out. And like all things else it has gobbled up, it is very unlikely for things to return to normal even after the supplies route returns to normal.
However, Avaris looks at the boy as if he is not impressed.
"I will only say this one, you say that there will be consequences, however, I am telling you, if an incident like this ever happen again, there WILL be consequences for the Gaillot family. I don't care about what alliance you have, an alliance of losers will never amount to anything."
Frustrated, the boy looks like he is about to hit something, however, taking a deep breath, the boy speaks up one last time.
"Very well, from now on, everyone will know that the owner of Gemware is irrational. I hope you are prepared."
The boy walks away. However, he takes one last glance at Lycoris before turning away, his face beet red.
"Aw, he is so cute."
"That little shit." Avaris says after hearing his niece's words.
Last edited:
Stir
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
"His words are mostly hypocrisy speaking." Avaris speaks while justifying his actions to no one. Lycoris listens attentively to understand the world of the adults.
"Before we are here, his family were, before his family, another were. It is all the same cycle with the old being replaced by the new. Before I came here, most of the warehouse district were land owned by the Gaillot family. They ran a housing exploitation model for the old neighborhood that was given to them by the king, with a high profit margin. They ran the legitimate land owners out of this land before. Now, I came and chase them out and they come to complain to me that it is unfair."
Avaris can only shake his head.
Then, after his explanation, he turns toward his niece.
"Lycoris, that guy is not good."
"Yep." Lycoris can only smile and nod to her uncle's annoyance.
------------------------------------------------
In the warehouses, goods were contained in small boxes and pallets. It is four story high with a series of ramps leading to the upper floor.
The gateway was large, large enough for multiple cart to go in and out.
Every now and then, pairs of listless eyes would glance up at Lycoris before going back to their work.
Lycoris could only smile strainedly due to the soulless look of the workers. The people move around with lethargy, with soulless eyes as if uncaring of anything else. They don't have any passion, love for the work or anything else.
They are like a cog in a giant machine, and the machine is the warehouse.
Even the warehouse manager has that lifeless look to him.
"Our fiscal yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda..."
Lycoris almost falls asleep before her uncle taps her shoulder.
"If you don't want to be here, you can go out and play."
"No, I want to be here!" Lycoris insists. She wants to become a successful businesswoman like uncle Avaris in the future. If so, she has to endure this. She has to stay here and hear all of it...
"Now now, you don't have to grow up that fast. In time, everything will be your. But before that, there is nothing wrong with enjoying your youth."
Uncle Avaris has a contemplative look while saying that as if he was reminiscing about his own past.
"Tell you what, I will tell you all about it when we go home okay? We can make it a kind of homework. You will have multiple days to read over the quarterly report, and then you can report back to me what you understand."
Rubbing her eyes, Lycoris realizes that she has been crying a little out of indignation at first, but she has since stopped crying.
"Alright. Promise?"
"Promise. Now, go. But don't go too far you hear? I will be done in a few minutes."
------------------------------------
"She is gone." Both men in the room drop their pretend after the precious niece of the human Avaris has left the room. The air of the room becomes chilled, with the smell of disinfectant overwhelming everything else.
"How is the condition of the bodies?"
"250,000 bodies have been put into dormancy, with 2000 hiding under great Lucia itself. The sewer of the kingdom of Lucia may be large, but even we can't hide that kind of number forever. Are you sure you want to do this sir?"
"I am sure. That day will come, however, it will come on my own term and not before."
"May I ask when will that be sir."
"Perhaps after Lycoris has grown up, settled down with a family, and then took her last breath. Then, I, as a human won't have any regrets left."
"Very well sir."
"Keep an eye on her will you?"
"Very well sir."
Underneath the great capital of Lucia, something wicked stirs.
"Before we are here, his family were, before his family, another were. It is all the same cycle with the old being replaced by the new. Before I came here, most of the warehouse district were land owned by the Gaillot family. They ran a housing exploitation model for the old neighborhood that was given to them by the king, with a high profit margin. They ran the legitimate land owners out of this land before. Now, I came and chase them out and they come to complain to me that it is unfair."
Avaris can only shake his head.
Then, after his explanation, he turns toward his niece.
"Lycoris, that guy is not good."
"Yep." Lycoris can only smile and nod to her uncle's annoyance.
------------------------------------------------
In the warehouses, goods were contained in small boxes and pallets. It is four story high with a series of ramps leading to the upper floor.
The gateway was large, large enough for multiple cart to go in and out.
Every now and then, pairs of listless eyes would glance up at Lycoris before going back to their work.
Lycoris could only smile strainedly due to the soulless look of the workers. The people move around with lethargy, with soulless eyes as if uncaring of anything else. They don't have any passion, love for the work or anything else.
They are like a cog in a giant machine, and the machine is the warehouse.
Even the warehouse manager has that lifeless look to him.
"Our fiscal yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda..."
Lycoris almost falls asleep before her uncle taps her shoulder.
"If you don't want to be here, you can go out and play."
"No, I want to be here!" Lycoris insists. She wants to become a successful businesswoman like uncle Avaris in the future. If so, she has to endure this. She has to stay here and hear all of it...
"Now now, you don't have to grow up that fast. In time, everything will be your. But before that, there is nothing wrong with enjoying your youth."
Uncle Avaris has a contemplative look while saying that as if he was reminiscing about his own past.
"Tell you what, I will tell you all about it when we go home okay? We can make it a kind of homework. You will have multiple days to read over the quarterly report, and then you can report back to me what you understand."
Rubbing her eyes, Lycoris realizes that she has been crying a little out of indignation at first, but she has since stopped crying.
"Alright. Promise?"
"Promise. Now, go. But don't go too far you hear? I will be done in a few minutes."
------------------------------------
"She is gone." Both men in the room drop their pretend after the precious niece of the human Avaris has left the room. The air of the room becomes chilled, with the smell of disinfectant overwhelming everything else.
"How is the condition of the bodies?"
"250,000 bodies have been put into dormancy, with 2000 hiding under great Lucia itself. The sewer of the kingdom of Lucia may be large, but even we can't hide that kind of number forever. Are you sure you want to do this sir?"
"I am sure. That day will come, however, it will come on my own term and not before."
"May I ask when will that be sir."
"Perhaps after Lycoris has grown up, settled down with a family, and then took her last breath. Then, I, as a human won't have any regrets left."
"Very well sir."
"Keep an eye on her will you?"
"Very well sir."
Underneath the great capital of Lucia, something wicked stirs.
Osphens
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Lycoris went around the company town to look at the workers. On the far part of the capital city, slowly the poor neighborhood is experiencing a transformation. No more rundown house but rows and rows of standardized employee housing.
Wherever she goes, the people look at her, seeing that she is not one of the company workers, however, the guards around her dissuade them of thinking anything.
Lycoris smiles strainedly at the soullessness of the people around her. It is as if they have no ambition, no aspiration for a better life. Then, the girl slaps herself and smiles.
She was once like that too, how can she blame them?
When you are down on your luck, it's hard to get back up without a helping hand, isn't that why she is where she is now? It is because of her good background that she can get back up from a life of poverty. So she doesn't begrudge them. She can only think of her poor mother, who was once like that too.
Her mother Lily worked as a dishwasher in one of the worst part of town. She raises Lycoris up to where she is now. However, Lycoris feels conflicted about her mother. Her uncle told her that her mother ran away from home to elope with the man she loves.
Is love that good for you? When thinking about love, Lycoris finds it hard to decide whether she will sacrifice her everything for love like that.
A few weeks ago, she thought she was in love with Hector. Their love was almost out of control. However, is it really love?
Lycoris doesn't know.
The only thing she knows is that Hector was dashing. That other boy too.
There are so many cute boy in this world, Lycoris can't choose. If she could, she would have them all!
------------------------------------------
Today is apparently bring your children to work day.
Avaris brought her to the warehouse and the part of town belonging to the company to let her see the work.
Lycoris sees one of the guard bringing a young child with him.
When she says guard, she doesn't mean that they are her company's guard, they are the city guards. Because of the scale of Gemware's operation, as well as there being many miniature 'Gemware's street', sometime the city guards would patrol these street.
The capital police is supposedly one of the most well-armed force and elite force in the world, ensuring the protection of his majesty the king.
The captain of the knight turn 34 this year. He belongs to one of the original 12 noble houses obviously.
As a knight in charge of guarding the capital, he has the ability of 'Commandership'.
That is to say, every soldiers who listen to his command and obey his order become stronger than normal human.
It is one of the stronger ability manifested by nobility in recent history. Before, the power of the God of Light was a privilege that only the nobility has. However, with the birth of Nikolas Osphens, all of that changes.
The nobility curses him, disdains him, however, Nikolas never puts any of them in mind. Slowly he rose in the rank, replacing the previous captain of the knight order from the house of Farnyer, gaining honor for his house. With it, he is known as Nikolas the Amazing. Every boys who want to be a soldier wants to work under Nikolas to experience that amazing power being under Nikolas.
Nikolas is in charge of protecting the capital city with his elite trained squad, each of whom can match or even exceed a pure blooded noble.
If Lycoris thinks of a knight in shining armor, it has to be him. However, there is no way she is going to have the chance to meet the Grand Knight Nikolas.
Suddenly, the guard with the child bows and parts way.
Everyone on the side give way to someone. A man with small stature runs in first and announces loudly
"We greet the Grand Knight of the kingdom, sir Nikolas Osphens!"
"Wait. Really?" Lycoris says in disbelief.
Hurriedly, she bows her head as the Imperial Academy has drilled into her head, when you met someone with more stature than you, you have to show your respect, or they will never let you go.
A read headed man with curly hair and a great smile walks in with decorated armor.
Behind him is a long flashy red cape trailing him.
And behind that is a small young boy, hiding behind the cape.
Today is really bring your children to work day.
'But heck, that small boy is cute.'
------------------------------------------
"It's alright everyone, please stand up. I don't want to disturb you." The Grand Knight says, addressing the kneeling workers and Lycoris.
However, immediately after fulfilling their duties, the workers just stand up, with their soulless eyes and listless movement go back to their work, as if not caring that the Grand Knight is near them.
Some of the knights frown slightly, however Nikolas Osphens raises a hand to stop him.
"Today we are going to meet with Avaris Gemware, remember. As someone from a lower position (in negotiation), we have to stay on our best behaviors."
"But sir-"
Sir Osphens raises his hand again and shakes his head. Meanwhile, the small child hugging his legs keep on shaking.
The boy has a face like his father, with red curly hair and a handsome manly face. He is at least 12, however, he acts like a scaredy cat.
As they were going up to uncle Avaris's office, Lycoris was in the way.
She tries to make herself scarce and give way to the knights
"Beside, there is something I want to confirm toda-"
The older knight suddenly sees Lycoris standing in the corner and smile.
The Grand Knight bows his head jokingly and smiles good naturely.
"Greeting young lady. What are you doing here?"
"I- uh- I belong here."
"You work here?"
The knight keeps on smiling, unfazed.
"No, no. My- uh- my uncle owns the place."
"Oh, so your uncle is the warehouse manager huh? It's good of him to bring his children to work. Today too, I bring my child to see my work, but as you see, he is nervous. I need to talk with someone now, can you keep him company my lady."
The knight's smiling was contagious. Slowly, Lycoris feels her cheeks lifting.
"Yeah, I will. You can leave him to me."
Lycoris gives him her best smile, her energetic nature returning.
'Remember, today you are the boss. You are dressed like the boss. You have to be able to deal with thing like this in the future. Like talking to the Grand Knight. Or spending some alone time with a cute boy.' Lycoris tells herself.
The knight looks relieved. Gingerly, the man whispers something into his son's ear. The knight's son starts looking as if he is about to cry any minutes.
So, Lycoris did the only thing she could. She goes to his side and tugs on his sleeves.
"Come on, let go and let your father work. Don't be a crybaby."
Some knight acts scandalous at Lycoris's frank words, however Nikolas Osphens just laughs
"Ha ha, it seems I left my son in capable hand. Look Percival, if you don't learn yourself, one day someone is going to teach it to you, like this lady. Go along now."
Sir Nikolas turns away, confident in leaving Percival in Lycoris's hand.
"And ah-uh-" Lycoris says
"Yes?" Sir Osphens turns back and regards Lycoris goodnaturedly.
"My uncle is not the warehouse owner. My uncle is Avaris Gemware! And this company will be mine in the future." She declares confidently
Suddenly, sir Nikolas Osphens drops all of his smile. He scrutinizes Lycoris before smiling again, however, it was a bit forced this time.
"Ah yes, yes you are."
Wherever she goes, the people look at her, seeing that she is not one of the company workers, however, the guards around her dissuade them of thinking anything.
Lycoris smiles strainedly at the soullessness of the people around her. It is as if they have no ambition, no aspiration for a better life. Then, the girl slaps herself and smiles.
She was once like that too, how can she blame them?
When you are down on your luck, it's hard to get back up without a helping hand, isn't that why she is where she is now? It is because of her good background that she can get back up from a life of poverty. So she doesn't begrudge them. She can only think of her poor mother, who was once like that too.
Her mother Lily worked as a dishwasher in one of the worst part of town. She raises Lycoris up to where she is now. However, Lycoris feels conflicted about her mother. Her uncle told her that her mother ran away from home to elope with the man she loves.
Is love that good for you? When thinking about love, Lycoris finds it hard to decide whether she will sacrifice her everything for love like that.
A few weeks ago, she thought she was in love with Hector. Their love was almost out of control. However, is it really love?
Lycoris doesn't know.
The only thing she knows is that Hector was dashing. That other boy too.
There are so many cute boy in this world, Lycoris can't choose. If she could, she would have them all!
------------------------------------------
Today is apparently bring your children to work day.
Avaris brought her to the warehouse and the part of town belonging to the company to let her see the work.
Lycoris sees one of the guard bringing a young child with him.
When she says guard, she doesn't mean that they are her company's guard, they are the city guards. Because of the scale of Gemware's operation, as well as there being many miniature 'Gemware's street', sometime the city guards would patrol these street.
The capital police is supposedly one of the most well-armed force and elite force in the world, ensuring the protection of his majesty the king.
The captain of the knight turn 34 this year. He belongs to one of the original 12 noble houses obviously.
As a knight in charge of guarding the capital, he has the ability of 'Commandership'.
That is to say, every soldiers who listen to his command and obey his order become stronger than normal human.
It is one of the stronger ability manifested by nobility in recent history. Before, the power of the God of Light was a privilege that only the nobility has. However, with the birth of Nikolas Osphens, all of that changes.
The nobility curses him, disdains him, however, Nikolas never puts any of them in mind. Slowly he rose in the rank, replacing the previous captain of the knight order from the house of Farnyer, gaining honor for his house. With it, he is known as Nikolas the Amazing. Every boys who want to be a soldier wants to work under Nikolas to experience that amazing power being under Nikolas.
Nikolas is in charge of protecting the capital city with his elite trained squad, each of whom can match or even exceed a pure blooded noble.
If Lycoris thinks of a knight in shining armor, it has to be him. However, there is no way she is going to have the chance to meet the Grand Knight Nikolas.
Suddenly, the guard with the child bows and parts way.
Everyone on the side give way to someone. A man with small stature runs in first and announces loudly
"We greet the Grand Knight of the kingdom, sir Nikolas Osphens!"
"Wait. Really?" Lycoris says in disbelief.
Hurriedly, she bows her head as the Imperial Academy has drilled into her head, when you met someone with more stature than you, you have to show your respect, or they will never let you go.
A read headed man with curly hair and a great smile walks in with decorated armor.
Behind him is a long flashy red cape trailing him.
And behind that is a small young boy, hiding behind the cape.
Today is really bring your children to work day.
'But heck, that small boy is cute.'
------------------------------------------
"It's alright everyone, please stand up. I don't want to disturb you." The Grand Knight says, addressing the kneeling workers and Lycoris.
However, immediately after fulfilling their duties, the workers just stand up, with their soulless eyes and listless movement go back to their work, as if not caring that the Grand Knight is near them.
Some of the knights frown slightly, however Nikolas Osphens raises a hand to stop him.
"Today we are going to meet with Avaris Gemware, remember. As someone from a lower position (in negotiation), we have to stay on our best behaviors."
"But sir-"
Sir Osphens raises his hand again and shakes his head. Meanwhile, the small child hugging his legs keep on shaking.
The boy has a face like his father, with red curly hair and a handsome manly face. He is at least 12, however, he acts like a scaredy cat.
As they were going up to uncle Avaris's office, Lycoris was in the way.
She tries to make herself scarce and give way to the knights
"Beside, there is something I want to confirm toda-"
The older knight suddenly sees Lycoris standing in the corner and smile.
The Grand Knight bows his head jokingly and smiles good naturely.
"Greeting young lady. What are you doing here?"
"I- uh- I belong here."
"You work here?"
The knight keeps on smiling, unfazed.
"No, no. My- uh- my uncle owns the place."
"Oh, so your uncle is the warehouse manager huh? It's good of him to bring his children to work. Today too, I bring my child to see my work, but as you see, he is nervous. I need to talk with someone now, can you keep him company my lady."
The knight's smiling was contagious. Slowly, Lycoris feels her cheeks lifting.
"Yeah, I will. You can leave him to me."
Lycoris gives him her best smile, her energetic nature returning.
'Remember, today you are the boss. You are dressed like the boss. You have to be able to deal with thing like this in the future. Like talking to the Grand Knight. Or spending some alone time with a cute boy.' Lycoris tells herself.
The knight looks relieved. Gingerly, the man whispers something into his son's ear. The knight's son starts looking as if he is about to cry any minutes.
So, Lycoris did the only thing she could. She goes to his side and tugs on his sleeves.
"Come on, let go and let your father work. Don't be a crybaby."
Some knight acts scandalous at Lycoris's frank words, however Nikolas Osphens just laughs
"Ha ha, it seems I left my son in capable hand. Look Percival, if you don't learn yourself, one day someone is going to teach it to you, like this lady. Go along now."
Sir Nikolas turns away, confident in leaving Percival in Lycoris's hand.
"And ah-uh-" Lycoris says
"Yes?" Sir Osphens turns back and regards Lycoris goodnaturedly.
"My uncle is not the warehouse owner. My uncle is Avaris Gemware! And this company will be mine in the future." She declares confidently
Suddenly, sir Nikolas Osphens drops all of his smile. He scrutinizes Lycoris before smiling again, however, it was a bit forced this time.
"Ah yes, yes you are."
Zackarix
Hera's Divorce Lawyer
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2015
- Messages
- 2,822
Knowing?
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Yeah, I don't know how that happened. I was probably in a L337 mood
Fitoor
Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2019
- Messages
- 330
Did you mean.. deterrent?
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Yeah
Anyway sorry about the lack of update lately but I am trying to finish my other story first big arc
Lipstick
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Avaris pops open a wine bottle to welcome the Grand Knight of the kingdom.
For some reasons, no matter how many time Nikolas has met the master of Gemware, he is not used to the other man's gaze. For everyone else, they look up at Nikolas with reverence or fear, however, not Avaris Gemware, definitely not Avaris Gemware.
Avaris has only looked at Nikolas seriously one, ever since that time, Nikolas has never seen the true master of Gemware's honest gaze again. It is as if Avaris Gemware does not have him in his eyes.
Very well, very well. How arrogant you are.
The experience is all too novel for Nikolas. It was expected that he would grew tired with it the second or third times, however, Nikolas has never crossed that line.
There is a strange relationship between the Grand Knight and the strange entrepeneur.
However, there was one thing that is clear, Avaris Gemware disliked the nobility.
"Did you know, in some region, when a house gave birth to a daughter, their father would brought home the best wine that he could and bury the bottle underground.
On the girl's wedding day, the father would dig it up and in celebration of the marriage, share the wine with the groom to be.
It is said that the wine on that day would be the most delicious wine.
I have drunk many wine aged over 29 years. It was made with the process to make that kind of delicious wine, however, the wine never taste good to my tongue."
Avaris Gemware pours a glass for the Grand Knight. Nikolas knows that he was referenced to his supposedly 'daughter' just down stair. Cracking a joke, the Grand Knight asks
"Why 29? For your daughter's wedding day, I expect that the extinguished master of Gemware will bring out something ridiculous like wine aged over 100 years. After all, your most favorite phrase is that everything can be bought with money."
Avaris Gemware for his part looks into the reddish liquid with a distance gaze.
"I like the number 29. Maybe next years, I will buy a 30 yeas old bottle. However, now that you are here, let get down to business.
The metal."
The two men understand eachother's line of thought.
"Yes, the metal." Nikolas cracks a smile.
"Mister Gemware, are you aware that driving up price during a time of crisis to the kingdom can be considered a treasonous actions."
"I am aware that you wanted to buy it from me however, you didn't want to enter into a proper contract dictated by two sides and so went for some middleman merchants who tried to pressure Gemware into releasing the stock into the market in the name of fair competition. So fit to say, isn't it your fault Grand Knight?"
Very well, very well.
Nikolas dislikes Avaris Gemware just as Avaris dislikes the noble class.
"Beside" The master of Gemware downs another glass uncharacteristically. In all occasion that he met him, Nikolas has never seen Avaris Gemware drinking.
It has gotten to the point that the rumors that Avaris Gemware has no wine or blood running in his vein has become a running joke.
"In the end, the contract was signed and you agree to my term. It is a good deal, is it not."
"Yes, today, I am here to finalize the details." The knight cracks a smile. In front of Avaris Gemware, he has always felt a pressure. It is the strange feeling brought about by the fact that the other party never has him in his eyes.
However, Nikolas knows that if he wanted he could crack Avaris Gemware's head like an egg. There is a reason the mass can never win against nobility no matter how many rebellion happened in the past. No matter how much Avaris wax and wane about his dislike of nobility, it only takes one bad day, and one disgruntled noble to come in and kill him. The state has the monopoly of force, especially with Nikolas's ability manifestation.
However, Avaris Gemware never has Nikolas in his eyes.
There is a game that he is playing and yet nobody knows what it is.
"Sir Grand Knight, do you know why I get away with the things that I do?"
Pausing for a moment, the Grand Knight glances at the master trader
"You have a large circle of friends I'm sure." 'How many have you bribed?'
The two's stand off gradually become cold. It does not help that Avaris's office is naturally cold. Perhaps he already enjoyed the cold when he was born.
Suddenly while that was happening, Nikolas hears the scream of children. One male and one female.
Hurriedly, he rushes out because the scream was of his own son. However when he arrives, an unexpected scene awaits him.
The knights stand around, looking uncomfortable as there was many lipstick mark on Nikolas's own son, Percival Osphen. Percival Osphen was holding his face in a defensive gesture while on the other side, a girl was standing still as if caught in the lamp light. In her hand is a lipstick and her lips were red.
"S-she kisses me."
"Come on don't be a cry baby. If it is not on the lips, it doesn't count as a kiss."
At this time, Avaris Gemware exits his office, seeing the scene, his face scrunches up as if in pain.
The two rivaling fathers do not know what to do
For some reasons, no matter how many time Nikolas has met the master of Gemware, he is not used to the other man's gaze. For everyone else, they look up at Nikolas with reverence or fear, however, not Avaris Gemware, definitely not Avaris Gemware.
Avaris has only looked at Nikolas seriously one, ever since that time, Nikolas has never seen the true master of Gemware's honest gaze again. It is as if Avaris Gemware does not have him in his eyes.
Very well, very well. How arrogant you are.
The experience is all too novel for Nikolas. It was expected that he would grew tired with it the second or third times, however, Nikolas has never crossed that line.
There is a strange relationship between the Grand Knight and the strange entrepeneur.
However, there was one thing that is clear, Avaris Gemware disliked the nobility.
"Did you know, in some region, when a house gave birth to a daughter, their father would brought home the best wine that he could and bury the bottle underground.
On the girl's wedding day, the father would dig it up and in celebration of the marriage, share the wine with the groom to be.
It is said that the wine on that day would be the most delicious wine.
I have drunk many wine aged over 29 years. It was made with the process to make that kind of delicious wine, however, the wine never taste good to my tongue."
Avaris Gemware pours a glass for the Grand Knight. Nikolas knows that he was referenced to his supposedly 'daughter' just down stair. Cracking a joke, the Grand Knight asks
"Why 29? For your daughter's wedding day, I expect that the extinguished master of Gemware will bring out something ridiculous like wine aged over 100 years. After all, your most favorite phrase is that everything can be bought with money."
Avaris Gemware for his part looks into the reddish liquid with a distance gaze.
"I like the number 29. Maybe next years, I will buy a 30 yeas old bottle. However, now that you are here, let get down to business.
The metal."
The two men understand eachother's line of thought.
"Yes, the metal." Nikolas cracks a smile.
"Mister Gemware, are you aware that driving up price during a time of crisis to the kingdom can be considered a treasonous actions."
"I am aware that you wanted to buy it from me however, you didn't want to enter into a proper contract dictated by two sides and so went for some middleman merchants who tried to pressure Gemware into releasing the stock into the market in the name of fair competition. So fit to say, isn't it your fault Grand Knight?"
Very well, very well.
Nikolas dislikes Avaris Gemware just as Avaris dislikes the noble class.
"Beside" The master of Gemware downs another glass uncharacteristically. In all occasion that he met him, Nikolas has never seen Avaris Gemware drinking.
It has gotten to the point that the rumors that Avaris Gemware has no wine or blood running in his vein has become a running joke.
"In the end, the contract was signed and you agree to my term. It is a good deal, is it not."
"Yes, today, I am here to finalize the details." The knight cracks a smile. In front of Avaris Gemware, he has always felt a pressure. It is the strange feeling brought about by the fact that the other party never has him in his eyes.
However, Nikolas knows that if he wanted he could crack Avaris Gemware's head like an egg. There is a reason the mass can never win against nobility no matter how many rebellion happened in the past. No matter how much Avaris wax and wane about his dislike of nobility, it only takes one bad day, and one disgruntled noble to come in and kill him. The state has the monopoly of force, especially with Nikolas's ability manifestation.
However, Avaris Gemware never has Nikolas in his eyes.
There is a game that he is playing and yet nobody knows what it is.
"Sir Grand Knight, do you know why I get away with the things that I do?"
Pausing for a moment, the Grand Knight glances at the master trader
"You have a large circle of friends I'm sure." 'How many have you bribed?'
The two's stand off gradually become cold. It does not help that Avaris's office is naturally cold. Perhaps he already enjoyed the cold when he was born.
Suddenly while that was happening, Nikolas hears the scream of children. One male and one female.
Hurriedly, he rushes out because the scream was of his own son. However when he arrives, an unexpected scene awaits him.
The knights stand around, looking uncomfortable as there was many lipstick mark on Nikolas's own son, Percival Osphen. Percival Osphen was holding his face in a defensive gesture while on the other side, a girl was standing still as if caught in the lamp light. In her hand is a lipstick and her lips were red.
"S-she kisses me."
"Come on don't be a cry baby. If it is not on the lips, it doesn't count as a kiss."
At this time, Avaris Gemware exits his office, seeing the scene, his face scrunches up as if in pain.
The two rivaling fathers do not know what to do
Last edited:
Childhood's End
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Uncle Avaris was annoyed on the whole trip back home.
"He must have seduced you. Don't worry about this, the Osphens will pay for this. If they want to get to you, they will have to get through me first."
"Uncle, I already told you it is not that."
Uncle, how did you even come to that conclusion?
Lycoris feels blessed that her uncle will stick up for her, however, she also feels a bit embarrassed. Percival was just too cute so she teased him a little, however, it did get a little too far.
Finally, after a long day, the two ride back home in a carriage side by side.
Suddenly, while they were traveling, Avaris finally said something different.
"I wonder if I am a bit selfish, I didn't want you to go away while you are still so young."
The man says while looking out of the window. Lycoris knows that he is currently thinking about her late mother. Avaris does not talk about her mother while she was young. Lycoris's mother as Avaris knows it instead of Lycoris's mother as Lycoris knows it.
Lycoris's recollection of her mother always painted a tired, withered woman. She got worse over the years as her health deteriorated. And yet, there is a home that she couldn't return to. This comes from her running away from home when she was born due to love, is love really that great?
Using the opportunity, she talks about her mother.
"Did I remind you of my mother?" Avaris was completely offguard due to that one question.
This is cheating and Lycoris feels bad about it, however, she needs to ask.
"What parts of me remind you of my mother?" She asks with a smile while feeling bad deep inside.
Avaris was completely taken back and so he didn't manage to divert the subject like he usually does.
"She... Lily... everything about you look like Lily when she was young. From your hair that look like our mother to your face. However, Lily was taller when she was your age."
"When she was 14 years old, she ran away from home with an older man right? At my age right uncle Avaris?"
Lycoris continues, her voice sweet, however, her guilt gnaws at her.
Avaris is still out of it, however, he instinctively comes to her mother's defense.
"It's not like that, Lily was a sweet girl. However, she was too bookish and naive. It was partly my fault. I shouldn't have introduced her to such friend...
I know what you are thinking Lycoris, however your mother is not at fault. She was young, naive and impressionable. She didn't know better she..."
Unconsciously, the carriage they are riding on creaks. Lycoris saw Avaris gripping his own thigh, and quickly grabs his hand.
"It's alright uncle. It's my mother's decision, it's not your fault."
Suddenly, while sitting, Avaris looks straight at Lycoris.
"It is though. You don't know about any of it Lycoris."
Avaris, having regained his composure, looks at Lycoris sadly before staying silent for the rest of the trip.
Lycoris knows that she will never be able to gain anything from him from the rest of this trip. However, she has determined to do something.
Lycoris doesn't want to marry young and leave her only family behind.
And so the wheel continues rolling.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's break up." It's sad but it's something that has to be done.
Immediately after returning to school, Lycoris decides to break up with the third prince of the kingdom, Hector Lucian, now Hector Rowley.
The third prince looks at her sadly, with disbelief and some betrayed look.
"Why? Tell me why? Did you have another man? Is it Alex-"
"It's not that you are not good enough your highness-" Lycoris decides to drop the truth "It's that I don't want a man who would lie to me. Now, good day." Lycoris holds her dress and bows respectfully, as a person from a lower position to a person from a higher position. It is probably the most proper bow from this lady, it also signifies the end of their relationship.
"Wait Lycoris. I can explain." The third prince tries to grab the Lycoris from behind, however, a cold presence causes him to stay rooted in place.
At that moment, Hector Lucian saw a very surreal sight, a maid, a simple maid was giving him side glance. That single glance was filled with disdain. It is extremely disrespectful and he can have her executed, however fear keeps him from doing anything. As quickly as it appears, the moment passes and the maid bows and leaves with Lycoris.
Only when she has passed proper that Hector looks down at his paralyzed hand. Just what exactly happened?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you break up with him?" When she comes home, uncle Avaris asks
"Yes."
"Good job. I know it's hard for you, take a rest." For some reason, uncle Avaris dislikes the royal family and the noble, more the royal family than the noble houses. For what reasons, Lycoris can only guess. However, with the fact that supposedly her entire family apparently crumbled in the past and her mother thought that she could never go home again gives Lycoris a very big clue.
She is a big girl now, she has to deal with matter on her own even if Avaris never tells her anything.
Smiling, Lycoris walks upstairs back to her room.
However, when she was walking, the entire wooden stairs crumble in front of Avaris's horror filled eyes. Lycoris remembers the last thing she saw was her uncle's horrified expression and a strange voice.
"Avaris Gemware, today is the day you die."
With worries about her only living family left, Lycoris drifts into unconsciousness.
"He must have seduced you. Don't worry about this, the Osphens will pay for this. If they want to get to you, they will have to get through me first."
"Uncle, I already told you it is not that."
Uncle, how did you even come to that conclusion?
Lycoris feels blessed that her uncle will stick up for her, however, she also feels a bit embarrassed. Percival was just too cute so she teased him a little, however, it did get a little too far.
Finally, after a long day, the two ride back home in a carriage side by side.
Suddenly, while they were traveling, Avaris finally said something different.
"I wonder if I am a bit selfish, I didn't want you to go away while you are still so young."
The man says while looking out of the window. Lycoris knows that he is currently thinking about her late mother. Avaris does not talk about her mother while she was young. Lycoris's mother as Avaris knows it instead of Lycoris's mother as Lycoris knows it.
Lycoris's recollection of her mother always painted a tired, withered woman. She got worse over the years as her health deteriorated. And yet, there is a home that she couldn't return to. This comes from her running away from home when she was born due to love, is love really that great?
Using the opportunity, she talks about her mother.
"Did I remind you of my mother?" Avaris was completely offguard due to that one question.
This is cheating and Lycoris feels bad about it, however, she needs to ask.
"What parts of me remind you of my mother?" She asks with a smile while feeling bad deep inside.
Avaris was completely taken back and so he didn't manage to divert the subject like he usually does.
"She... Lily... everything about you look like Lily when she was young. From your hair that look like our mother to your face. However, Lily was taller when she was your age."
"When she was 14 years old, she ran away from home with an older man right? At my age right uncle Avaris?"
Lycoris continues, her voice sweet, however, her guilt gnaws at her.
Avaris is still out of it, however, he instinctively comes to her mother's defense.
"It's not like that, Lily was a sweet girl. However, she was too bookish and naive. It was partly my fault. I shouldn't have introduced her to such friend...
I know what you are thinking Lycoris, however your mother is not at fault. She was young, naive and impressionable. She didn't know better she..."
Unconsciously, the carriage they are riding on creaks. Lycoris saw Avaris gripping his own thigh, and quickly grabs his hand.
"It's alright uncle. It's my mother's decision, it's not your fault."
Suddenly, while sitting, Avaris looks straight at Lycoris.
"It is though. You don't know about any of it Lycoris."
Avaris, having regained his composure, looks at Lycoris sadly before staying silent for the rest of the trip.
Lycoris knows that she will never be able to gain anything from him from the rest of this trip. However, she has determined to do something.
Lycoris doesn't want to marry young and leave her only family behind.
And so the wheel continues rolling.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Let's break up." It's sad but it's something that has to be done.
Immediately after returning to school, Lycoris decides to break up with the third prince of the kingdom, Hector Lucian, now Hector Rowley.
The third prince looks at her sadly, with disbelief and some betrayed look.
"Why? Tell me why? Did you have another man? Is it Alex-"
"It's not that you are not good enough your highness-" Lycoris decides to drop the truth "It's that I don't want a man who would lie to me. Now, good day." Lycoris holds her dress and bows respectfully, as a person from a lower position to a person from a higher position. It is probably the most proper bow from this lady, it also signifies the end of their relationship.
"Wait Lycoris. I can explain." The third prince tries to grab the Lycoris from behind, however, a cold presence causes him to stay rooted in place.
At that moment, Hector Lucian saw a very surreal sight, a maid, a simple maid was giving him side glance. That single glance was filled with disdain. It is extremely disrespectful and he can have her executed, however fear keeps him from doing anything. As quickly as it appears, the moment passes and the maid bows and leaves with Lycoris.
Only when she has passed proper that Hector looks down at his paralyzed hand. Just what exactly happened?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you break up with him?" When she comes home, uncle Avaris asks
"Yes."
"Good job. I know it's hard for you, take a rest." For some reason, uncle Avaris dislikes the royal family and the noble, more the royal family than the noble houses. For what reasons, Lycoris can only guess. However, with the fact that supposedly her entire family apparently crumbled in the past and her mother thought that she could never go home again gives Lycoris a very big clue.
She is a big girl now, she has to deal with matter on her own even if Avaris never tells her anything.
Smiling, Lycoris walks upstairs back to her room.
However, when she was walking, the entire wooden stairs crumble in front of Avaris's horror filled eyes. Lycoris remembers the last thing she saw was her uncle's horrified expression and a strange voice.
"Avaris Gemware, today is the day you die."
With worries about her only living family left, Lycoris drifts into unconsciousness.
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Oh no
She will accidentally kill her uncle that way lol
amimai
Please believe me, I got here purely by accident!
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2018
- Messages
- 69
Clearly it's light magic, it's healed her uncle!
ignore the ominous black lightning and skull shaped smoke effect
'Aya'
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Avaris Gemware is a very sad man. So sad, that he can only have someone else feels his sadness for him.
In a clean room, two people are exchanging some words, a man and a woman. The woman was crying intensely looking at a girl sleeping on her bed, the man was stoic as always.
After a while, the woman stops crying.
"Why didn't you summon me back sooner? This is 'our' niece we are talking about."
"We still need you in the eastern sea to help with the clean up."
The woman slaps the man.
"And yet, you can't protect her without me like this."
"I protected her from the pain of the world, how was I supposed to know the world of human is so dirty."
"You should know. 'We' should know."
"The important thing is that you are here."
"...The assailant this time, which house was they from?"
"A bastard from the branch family of Collfield, of course they refuse any associations with the assailant. An official investigation is underway."
"Do you need 'my' help?"
"You can't control your emotions." The man states simply.
"...And, what about that assailant. What happened to him? I would never forgive you if you let him survive."
"That is the problem. The official investigation will find out soon after they collect the remain.
Lycoris has awakened her abilities. It is the same abilities of our family."
"Oh thank god. I don't think you can live with yourself if the ability that awaken inside Lycoris is a light-aspected ability related to the royal family. And she killed that assailant then?"
"...I don't think she is aware. It is better if she is unaware. The price of a life is too heavy for her to bare. She is only 15 years old.
...When the assailant came, he went in unexpectedly.
His ability is related to wood, allowing him to pass through the wooden part of the mansion undetected, then, he attacked us with wooden shrapnel.
However, after he failed to do anything to me whatsoever, he detected that something was wrong and grabbed Lycoris as insurance."
"Damn... I will murder every newborn of that family."
"However, the shock seems too much for Lycoris. She awakened our family special ability and crushed his entire head like a grape. Before that, her clumsy struggle bisect him at the waist too. I put her to sleep."
"...Can't we shut down the investigation with bribery?"
"Can't. That bastard Percival is investigating this case personally. He wanted to get down to the root of the problem and find out which noble family orders the attack. Normally this is good, however, this time, it is bad for us, because it would expose little Lyco's ability... and then... her... lineage...."
"Do you need me to kill 'Percival' then?"
"Not yet. He is still useful to us. His sense of fairness and justice can be used to bring down families that we don't like. However, this time, it is probably time for you to reveal yourself, 'Aya'."
"Of course, because after all, Avaris Lightbringer is already a dead man. He can't interfere even in his niece's defense."
The woman left the room with a snide remark.
---------------------------------------------
In a clean room, two people are exchanging some words, a man and a woman. The woman was crying intensely looking at a girl sleeping on her bed, the man was stoic as always.
After a while, the woman stops crying.
"Why didn't you summon me back sooner? This is 'our' niece we are talking about."
"We still need you in the eastern sea to help with the clean up."
The woman slaps the man.
"And yet, you can't protect her without me like this."
"I protected her from the pain of the world, how was I supposed to know the world of human is so dirty."
"You should know. 'We' should know."
"The important thing is that you are here."
"...The assailant this time, which house was they from?"
"A bastard from the branch family of Collfield, of course they refuse any associations with the assailant. An official investigation is underway."
"Do you need 'my' help?"
"You can't control your emotions." The man states simply.
"...And, what about that assailant. What happened to him? I would never forgive you if you let him survive."
"That is the problem. The official investigation will find out soon after they collect the remain.
Lycoris has awakened her abilities. It is the same abilities of our family."
"Oh thank god. I don't think you can live with yourself if the ability that awaken inside Lycoris is a light-aspected ability related to the royal family. And she killed that assailant then?"
"...I don't think she is aware. It is better if she is unaware. The price of a life is too heavy for her to bare. She is only 15 years old.
...When the assailant came, he went in unexpectedly.
His ability is related to wood, allowing him to pass through the wooden part of the mansion undetected, then, he attacked us with wooden shrapnel.
However, after he failed to do anything to me whatsoever, he detected that something was wrong and grabbed Lycoris as insurance."
"Damn... I will murder every newborn of that family."
"However, the shock seems too much for Lycoris. She awakened our family special ability and crushed his entire head like a grape. Before that, her clumsy struggle bisect him at the waist too. I put her to sleep."
"...Can't we shut down the investigation with bribery?"
"Can't. That bastard Percival is investigating this case personally. He wanted to get down to the root of the problem and find out which noble family orders the attack. Normally this is good, however, this time, it is bad for us, because it would expose little Lyco's ability... and then... her... lineage...."
"Do you need me to kill 'Percival' then?"
"Not yet. He is still useful to us. His sense of fairness and justice can be used to bring down families that we don't like. However, this time, it is probably time for you to reveal yourself, 'Aya'."
"Of course, because after all, Avaris Lightbringer is already a dead man. He can't interfere even in his niece's defense."
The woman left the room with a snide remark.
---------------------------------------------
Family's secret
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
Lycoris was falling. She was falling into an abyss of endless light. Light from every crevice. Light from beneath her eyelid. Light everywhere. Her entire body feels hot, as if it were filled with light. It feels like bursting. There is an unknown strength inside her waiting to burst out.
Her muscles feel extremely uncomfortable. It is itching for release. Finally, she lets it all out.
...And punch what was in front of her.
"Are you awake princess?"
A cheery voice welcome her after Lycoris has awaken. It was a female voice, which was rare, because she expected her father figure, her uncle Avaris to be there when she woke up. She doesn't know to be disappointed, or to feel normal. For sometime, she struggles to call him dad. She wanted to call him dad. But the bridge hasn't been breached.
Suddenly, a red-headed women appears in her vision. The woman leans over the bed looking at her with the most delighted expression ever as if she knows her. There was genuine happiness. There was something familiar about her.
Suddenly, Lycoris stops everything.
She finds it hard to breathe.
Because in front of her, it is a very familiar face. It is a face that she has seen hundreds of time before.
"M-mom? Are you really here?"
Lycoris finds it hard to breathe because the face that appears in front of her was that of her deceased mother.
Suddenly, Lycoris starts to cry while hugging the woman. For her this was as if the woman that she loved and thought to be dead has come back to life. She cries her heart out not noticing that in deed the woman was not her mother.
Her mother, Lily was a frail woman who didn't have enough to eat ever since she gave birth to Lycoris. Aya on the other hand was an amazon of a woman. From her powerful arms to legs, everyone would know that she is well trained. Lily's hair was blond, Aya's was red. The only thing that is alike is the face. However, Aya chose to let Lycoris cry.
"There, there. It's okay. Now that I'm here, nobody will be able to do anything."
After crying, Lycoris was able to compose herself enough to realize her situation.
"Wait mom! Where is uncle Avaris? He was with me. We were attacked by that man with blessing. I'm worried about him mom!"
Suddenly, the woman smiles.
"If you are asking about that useless man, he is over there."
Only now that she has said it that Lycoris recognizes a second shocking thing.
Uncle Avaris was on the ground with a bleeding nose. He has been lying there unconscious ever since Lycoris started crying.
Lycoris realized that her dream punching was not actually a dream at all. She realized that she just punched her uncle.
"Uncle Avaris! Mom! Why did you leave him like that?"
Suddenly, the illusion drops, and Lycoris finally realizes that the woman next to her was not her mom at all. However caught up in the situation, she still chose to believe that her mother has come back to life.
The woman shrugs in a very unwomanly way, shattering the illusion that she was her mother one more and says
"Eh, he will be fine. He has had worse when he was young. Also, I know you miss your mother a lot, but I'm not her. I'm Aya Lightbringer. I'm your aunt, Lycoris!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a whirlwind of emotions as Lycoris tries to wake uncle Avaris, while that woman, her aunt, Aya Lightbringer sits on the side and laughs at uncle Avaris state while Lycoris keeps fuzzing over him.
"Sssh... Uncle Avaris. I didn't know it was you! Help me aunt Aya. Why is he bruised this bad?"
She found it weird that her hastily thrown attack has an effect like that on a grown adult man. In her confusion, it was her own uncle Avaris who explained it to her.
"...Don't worry about me Lycoris. Aya is right."
The pale man finally stands up properly. Slowly, the bruised part of his face heal up, though it may just be her being mistaken, but it seems it is not as bad as it were before.
There was more colors in it. Even uncle Avaris being bruised is a surprise. To her, uncle Avaris is an unassailable fortress. For some reasons, she feels as if uncle Avaris will never bleed or cry. It is just a feeling that she has, remembering the other rude boy's words, a man without blood or tears. Shaking her head, she dismisses it. It must be her imagination that the color is returning to her pale uncle.
Staring at her face, suddenly uncle Avaris smiles and says
"You must have a lot of questions. Your body is undergoing a lot of change right now that you don't understand, that's why I brought Aya back. She is from a foreign country. And yes, she is our family Lycoris."
"Wait wait wait! Uncle, you aren't talking about puberty are you? I know all about it already."
In fact, school didn't teach anything about it at all. It was something she learns from her mother, very bitterly, she may ask, as if it was coming from personal experience.
...It probably was.
"...No. Who taught you about that?" Uncle Avaris asks sharply.
"It was... It was my mom." Uncle Avaris quiets down after that.
"....No, it is not puberty Lycoris. The changes I talked about is greater than that.
Do you feel strength over flowing your body Lycoris? As if it was bursting out. It feels extremely uncomfortable, like an itch that you have to work out."
Lycoris nods.
Slowly, uncle Avaris takes out a pocket watch from his inner pocket. It is one of the product that only Gemware produces, and is considered a luxury item, some call it the mechanical time-teller, some calls it the pocket watch. There has never been anything like it in the kingdom before Gemware produces it. Now, it is a hotly purchased item for the rich and powerful. There has been many attempt to unveil the production process however, uncle Avaris mostly imported the finished product from his factory oversea so the attempts were useless.
"This is one of our newest product, made from an adamantium alloy, it is even harder than some of the materials used to make the Grand Knight's armor, and is lighter."
Lycoris looks at it with a confused gaze as if asking why he is taking out something like that now. Slowly, her uncle hands the watch to her. With both of her hand, she caught it in her hand. The moment she did however, when her hand wrapped over the adamantium alloy watch, the entire metal construction explodes in her hand, its components fly away at high speed.
The entire watch crumbles in her hand. Its metal bend and warped.
"U-uncle Avaris?!!!"
All the while, Aya has the biggest grin on her face
Her muscles feel extremely uncomfortable. It is itching for release. Finally, she lets it all out.
...And punch what was in front of her.
"Are you awake princess?"
A cheery voice welcome her after Lycoris has awaken. It was a female voice, which was rare, because she expected her father figure, her uncle Avaris to be there when she woke up. She doesn't know to be disappointed, or to feel normal. For sometime, she struggles to call him dad. She wanted to call him dad. But the bridge hasn't been breached.
Suddenly, a red-headed women appears in her vision. The woman leans over the bed looking at her with the most delighted expression ever as if she knows her. There was genuine happiness. There was something familiar about her.
Suddenly, Lycoris stops everything.
She finds it hard to breathe.
Because in front of her, it is a very familiar face. It is a face that she has seen hundreds of time before.
"M-mom? Are you really here?"
Lycoris finds it hard to breathe because the face that appears in front of her was that of her deceased mother.
Suddenly, Lycoris starts to cry while hugging the woman. For her this was as if the woman that she loved and thought to be dead has come back to life. She cries her heart out not noticing that in deed the woman was not her mother.
Her mother, Lily was a frail woman who didn't have enough to eat ever since she gave birth to Lycoris. Aya on the other hand was an amazon of a woman. From her powerful arms to legs, everyone would know that she is well trained. Lily's hair was blond, Aya's was red. The only thing that is alike is the face. However, Aya chose to let Lycoris cry.
"There, there. It's okay. Now that I'm here, nobody will be able to do anything."
After crying, Lycoris was able to compose herself enough to realize her situation.
"Wait mom! Where is uncle Avaris? He was with me. We were attacked by that man with blessing. I'm worried about him mom!"
Suddenly, the woman smiles.
"If you are asking about that useless man, he is over there."
Only now that she has said it that Lycoris recognizes a second shocking thing.
Uncle Avaris was on the ground with a bleeding nose. He has been lying there unconscious ever since Lycoris started crying.
Lycoris realized that her dream punching was not actually a dream at all. She realized that she just punched her uncle.
"Uncle Avaris! Mom! Why did you leave him like that?"
Suddenly, the illusion drops, and Lycoris finally realizes that the woman next to her was not her mom at all. However caught up in the situation, she still chose to believe that her mother has come back to life.
The woman shrugs in a very unwomanly way, shattering the illusion that she was her mother one more and says
"Eh, he will be fine. He has had worse when he was young. Also, I know you miss your mother a lot, but I'm not her. I'm Aya Lightbringer. I'm your aunt, Lycoris!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a whirlwind of emotions as Lycoris tries to wake uncle Avaris, while that woman, her aunt, Aya Lightbringer sits on the side and laughs at uncle Avaris state while Lycoris keeps fuzzing over him.
"Sssh... Uncle Avaris. I didn't know it was you! Help me aunt Aya. Why is he bruised this bad?"
She found it weird that her hastily thrown attack has an effect like that on a grown adult man. In her confusion, it was her own uncle Avaris who explained it to her.
"...Don't worry about me Lycoris. Aya is right."
The pale man finally stands up properly. Slowly, the bruised part of his face heal up, though it may just be her being mistaken, but it seems it is not as bad as it were before.
There was more colors in it. Even uncle Avaris being bruised is a surprise. To her, uncle Avaris is an unassailable fortress. For some reasons, she feels as if uncle Avaris will never bleed or cry. It is just a feeling that she has, remembering the other rude boy's words, a man without blood or tears. Shaking her head, she dismisses it. It must be her imagination that the color is returning to her pale uncle.
Staring at her face, suddenly uncle Avaris smiles and says
"You must have a lot of questions. Your body is undergoing a lot of change right now that you don't understand, that's why I brought Aya back. She is from a foreign country. And yes, she is our family Lycoris."
"Wait wait wait! Uncle, you aren't talking about puberty are you? I know all about it already."
In fact, school didn't teach anything about it at all. It was something she learns from her mother, very bitterly, she may ask, as if it was coming from personal experience.
...It probably was.
"...No. Who taught you about that?" Uncle Avaris asks sharply.
"It was... It was my mom." Uncle Avaris quiets down after that.
"....No, it is not puberty Lycoris. The changes I talked about is greater than that.
Do you feel strength over flowing your body Lycoris? As if it was bursting out. It feels extremely uncomfortable, like an itch that you have to work out."
Lycoris nods.
Slowly, uncle Avaris takes out a pocket watch from his inner pocket. It is one of the product that only Gemware produces, and is considered a luxury item, some call it the mechanical time-teller, some calls it the pocket watch. There has never been anything like it in the kingdom before Gemware produces it. Now, it is a hotly purchased item for the rich and powerful. There has been many attempt to unveil the production process however, uncle Avaris mostly imported the finished product from his factory oversea so the attempts were useless.
"This is one of our newest product, made from an adamantium alloy, it is even harder than some of the materials used to make the Grand Knight's armor, and is lighter."
Lycoris looks at it with a confused gaze as if asking why he is taking out something like that now. Slowly, her uncle hands the watch to her. With both of her hand, she caught it in her hand. The moment she did however, when her hand wrapped over the adamantium alloy watch, the entire metal construction explodes in her hand, its components fly away at high speed.
The entire watch crumbles in her hand. Its metal bend and warped.
"U-uncle Avaris?!!!"
All the while, Aya has the biggest grin on her face
Last edited:
Timeline of event
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
32 years before the current story: The previous king desire Avaris's mother and raped her. The relation between the royal family and the Starbringer family become difficult.
31 years before the current story: Lycoris's mother, Lily was born.
29 years before the current story: Lily was taken to the palace for a blood test to determine if she was of royal blood. She wasn't. The relation between the royal family and the Starbringer family worsens.
Avaris and Lily's mother died on the same day
26 years before the current story: Lily turned 5. The king refused to send any assistance to the Starbringer family's land located near the border that was constantly assaulted by the undead.
Avaris took his troop to ransack nearby settlement to feed his family and people.
Avaris was captured by the then crown prince and was toured across the Starbringer land and then the capital city for his crime. All the nobility condemn Avaris and the Starbringer family's despicable act.
Avaris was taken as political prisoner in the capital city
21 years before the current story: most of the female students attending the then Imperial Academy got pregnant after a multi day orgy organized by the crown prince, the so called biggest scandal in the history of the imperial family. Knowing that it would worsen his family's already shaky political standing, Avaris Starbringer refused to join and experience his first heartbreak as his first love join the party and got pregnant.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the first time
19 years before the current story: Lily turned 12 and entered the capital city to study. The crown prince introduced her to one of his male sex friends who told him they were romantically attracted to Lily. Believing that love transcend age, he introduces them.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the second time.
Avaris Starbringer attacked the crown prince and friend worsening his family's position.
Lily Starbringer grew disillusioned with her brother's seemingly violent outburst.
Trying to change his mind by winning his sister first, the crown prince started ordering his people to sneak mature subject novel into Lily Starbringer's room secretly.
17 years before the current story: Lily Starbringer ran away from home with the crown prince's male sex friend who he introduced and played matchmaker for.
The Starbringer family lost all of their standing due to a mistaken charge of Lily Starbringer leaking important military intel and running away with the kingdom's enemy.
The entire family with the exception of Avaris Starbringer was punished by marching for three hundred miles in the middle of winter. The family perished.
With the dissolution of the Starbringer family, the possible marriage alliance between the Alsest family and the Starbringer family become annulled.
After many years, the youngest daughter of the Alsest family married the current crown prince as revenge against Avaris Starbringer, her former lover and marriage candidate.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the third time.
16 years before the current story: The Alsest family's youngest daughter became pregnant. The previous king died, the crown prince become king and pardoned all crime of the Starbringer family.
The current king committed adultery with Count Damerion's wife while the count is on expedition against the undead.
Count Damerion found out and attempted to take the king's life. Count Damerion failed and signed a contract with the Dark God.
The Dark God made his first appearance after 1000 years, empowering the count, turning him into an Undead Lord.
The Undead took the capital city of Lucia, all hope seems lost.
Knight Avaris Starbringer went on a suicide mission to rescue the imprisoned queen Emira Alsest who is pregnant with the king's child.
It is unknown what happened that day, however, Avaris miraculously returned, bringing with him the queen who gave birth before her death.
Dying, Avaris Starbringer refused to die in front of the king and refused to let the king mourn his death, wander off to die outside of his sight.
And that is the history that we are addressing. Because the hr code ate my post, I'm just going to post some extra informational post here relevant to the upcoming chapter.
31 years before the current story: Lycoris's mother, Lily was born.
29 years before the current story: Lily was taken to the palace for a blood test to determine if she was of royal blood. She wasn't. The relation between the royal family and the Starbringer family worsens.
Avaris and Lily's mother died on the same day
26 years before the current story: Lily turned 5. The king refused to send any assistance to the Starbringer family's land located near the border that was constantly assaulted by the undead.
Avaris took his troop to ransack nearby settlement to feed his family and people.
Avaris was captured by the then crown prince and was toured across the Starbringer land and then the capital city for his crime. All the nobility condemn Avaris and the Starbringer family's despicable act.
Avaris was taken as political prisoner in the capital city
21 years before the current story: most of the female students attending the then Imperial Academy got pregnant after a multi day orgy organized by the crown prince, the so called biggest scandal in the history of the imperial family. Knowing that it would worsen his family's already shaky political standing, Avaris Starbringer refused to join and experience his first heartbreak as his first love join the party and got pregnant.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the first time
19 years before the current story: Lily turned 12 and entered the capital city to study. The crown prince introduced her to one of his male sex friends who told him they were romantically attracted to Lily. Believing that love transcend age, he introduces them.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the second time.
Avaris Starbringer attacked the crown prince and friend worsening his family's position.
Lily Starbringer grew disillusioned with her brother's seemingly violent outburst.
Trying to change his mind by winning his sister first, the crown prince started ordering his people to sneak mature subject novel into Lily Starbringer's room secretly.
17 years before the current story: Lily Starbringer ran away from home with the crown prince's male sex friend who he introduced and played matchmaker for.
The Starbringer family lost all of their standing due to a mistaken charge of Lily Starbringer leaking important military intel and running away with the kingdom's enemy.
The entire family with the exception of Avaris Starbringer was punished by marching for three hundred miles in the middle of winter. The family perished.
With the dissolution of the Starbringer family, the possible marriage alliance between the Alsest family and the Starbringer family become annulled.
After many years, the youngest daughter of the Alsest family married the current crown prince as revenge against Avaris Starbringer, her former lover and marriage candidate.
Relationship between Avaris and the crown prince worsen for the third time.
16 years before the current story: The Alsest family's youngest daughter became pregnant. The previous king died, the crown prince become king and pardoned all crime of the Starbringer family.
The current king committed adultery with Count Damerion's wife while the count is on expedition against the undead.
Count Damerion found out and attempted to take the king's life. Count Damerion failed and signed a contract with the Dark God.
The Dark God made his first appearance after 1000 years, empowering the count, turning him into an Undead Lord.
The Undead took the capital city of Lucia, all hope seems lost.
Knight Avaris Starbringer went on a suicide mission to rescue the imprisoned queen Emira Alsest who is pregnant with the king's child.
It is unknown what happened that day, however, Avaris miraculously returned, bringing with him the queen who gave birth before her death.
Dying, Avaris Starbringer refused to die in front of the king and refused to let the king mourn his death, wander off to die outside of his sight.
And that is the history that we are addressing. Because the hr code ate my post, I'm just going to post some extra informational post here relevant to the upcoming chapter.
Pyranthrax
Confused, uncertain and slightly bamboozled
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2020
- Messages
- 98
I'm surprised there hasn't been a revolution against the royal family by the nobles yet because the current and previous kings seem like assholes
Zackarix
Hera's Divorce Lawyer
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2015
- Messages
- 2,822
I have email alerts and got a chapter there that doesn't appear to be eaten. Would you like me to send it to you?
D4rk0w1
LuRK3r-07
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2015
- Messages
- 902
Holy shit! How much political capital did the Royal family burned and how much of it left? I'm surprised that haven't suffered a coup or worse. That orgy alone fucked up and muddied the dynastic succession of various noble family. Hell, I'm very surprised there haven't a civil war or foreign invasion from the instability the Royals antics have cause.
Emotions
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
"We used to be a noble family Lycoris. Our family name is Starbringer. And now, you are the sole inheritor of the family legacy."
"But uncle Avaris, aren't you and aunt Aya here?"
However, at that moment she feels that she has made a mistake. There was an air of melancholy as uncle Avaris stares at her. He stares at her for a long time with a sorrow that she can't tell. However, afterward, he falsely lifts his face and pats her head with a plastic smile.
"You are right Lycoris. I will be here with you forever."
Lycoris shivers at the words. Even though those words were supposed to be reassuring, all she could feel was coldness. She feels the opposite of those words' meaning.
Seeing her frightened state and feeling awkward, not knowing what to do, Avaris and Aya leave her to her recuperation just like that.
"Our family's name is Starbringer."
Lycoris mutters as she reads a book.
It is a history book. It is the latest edition for education institution in the entire kingdom.
However, it was already out of date.
Next to Lycoris are newspaper and document relating to the disaster 16 years ago, 2 years before Lycoris was born.
The reason the history book is out of date is simple. The history book never tells of recent events... or events that the kingdom doesn't want to be made common knowledge.
There was a heaviness in which uncle Avaris talks about their family, and so Lycoris used her private time to do some research on her own without disturbing her father figure. Uncle Avaris was having discussion with aunt Aya.
Aunt Aya. It feels weird suddenly having an aunt in her life. But Lycoris feels warm. Another family member. It is as if her world has grown brighter.
And so Lycoris did research on the Starbringer family on her own. She knows that this is very important. Perhaps the most important thing in her life. Uncle Avaris has to change his last name to Gemware instead of Starbringer. The heaviness in uncle Avaris and aunt Aya's voice when they talk about it. The obfuscation in the newspaper. What happened to her mother's birth family?
Because of the air around the family, Lycoris also feels a heaviness in her heart.
That is why she has to work hard! She works even harder than when she was studying.
The Starbringer family... The Starbringer family...
It was supposedly a noble family that disappeared 16 years ago.
Their blessing was lost to the wind.
Not even a single heir of their blood and more importantly, divine blessing survive.
After the last member of the family perished, they were post-humorously considered the greatest heroes the kingdom has ever seen. A lot of their feats were released by the public. The public praised them, the royal family post-humorously awarded the last member of the Starbringer family with the Hero of the Kingdom award.
And his name was...
Avaris Starbringer.
The last member of the Starbringer family.
Died fighting the undead and rescuing the queen and the princess.
Hero of the Kingdom.
Avaris savagely bites into "Aya" exposed shoulder. His teeth rip through her white flesh with animalistic fury. Her blood sustains him, feeding him, tormenting him.
Consumption. He is devouring everything that makes "Aya" Aya slowly.
There was a jolt as Avaris Gemware feels blood flowing through his body for the first time since 16 years ago.
The colors return to his skin. However, his body was wracked with phantom pain.
As "something" that does not feel anything, not even joy, pleasure, hunger, pain, suddenly regaining feeling within him is torture.
His dark soul rips itself apart and then re-arranges itself again and again, something crawl inside his blood vein, the blood is his, yet it is not his. How can it be his after abandoning it for more than 16 years? His body rejects the foreign intrusion.
However, Avaris wills it. For the first time in 16 years, there was something that he can strive forward.
And for it, he needs...
Pain, hunger, pleasure, joy, happiness...
"We should stop for the day, I heard Lycoris's cry for you."
Growling animalistically, "Aya" got dressed, her wound visibly healing in the dark room.
"I don't know if I can face her."
"Getting cold feet now?"
"I don't know if I can face her with these new found emotions."
"They are your emotions Avaris. I don't want to keep them anymore. That is the price, your price, your punishment.
When your wish is completed, there won't be an Aya anymore, there would only be one. The foolish Avaris. The emotional Avaris.
You wish for this.
You want this.
We want this.
We want you to be there for her. To be her uncle."
Suddenly, there was fear in his eyes. Avaris saw "Aya" for what she is and feels frightened. He pushed her away, leaving to attend to his niece.
Truly, Lycoris was the only reason for his continued existence.
"U-uncle Avaris!"
"I'm here. I'm here Lycoris."
At this moment, Avaris was hugging Lycoris. The man who keeps everything at arm length, even his niece before, was hugging Lycoris currently. He wanted her to feel the warmth, so he did this.
He wanted her to feel the warmth of a family and so he did this, and it is torturing him.
Avaris looks down at the document she was reading and closes his eyes knowing that this day was always going to come.
The history of Lucia:
Starbringer
"They say... they say that you were dead uncle Avaris!" Suddenly, the little girl in his arms started to cry, unlike how she was normally. Suddenly Avaris realized that she was only 14 years old despite how mature she acted. She is still a little girl under his protection.
She was as young as her mother when Avaris couldn't protect her.
Just as when he couldn't protect his mother.
"I am still alive now, ain't I?"
Slowly, patting her back, Avaris lulls his daughter figure to sleep. However, suddenly, he feels an extreme pain from his left eyes.
Tears. It was tears. The first drop of tear in the last 16 years.
"But uncle Avaris, aren't you and aunt Aya here?"
However, at that moment she feels that she has made a mistake. There was an air of melancholy as uncle Avaris stares at her. He stares at her for a long time with a sorrow that she can't tell. However, afterward, he falsely lifts his face and pats her head with a plastic smile.
"You are right Lycoris. I will be here with you forever."
Lycoris shivers at the words. Even though those words were supposed to be reassuring, all she could feel was coldness. She feels the opposite of those words' meaning.
Seeing her frightened state and feeling awkward, not knowing what to do, Avaris and Aya leave her to her recuperation just like that.
"Our family's name is Starbringer."
Lycoris mutters as she reads a book.
It is a history book. It is the latest edition for education institution in the entire kingdom.
However, it was already out of date.
Next to Lycoris are newspaper and document relating to the disaster 16 years ago, 2 years before Lycoris was born.
The reason the history book is out of date is simple. The history book never tells of recent events... or events that the kingdom doesn't want to be made common knowledge.
There was a heaviness in which uncle Avaris talks about their family, and so Lycoris used her private time to do some research on her own without disturbing her father figure. Uncle Avaris was having discussion with aunt Aya.
Aunt Aya. It feels weird suddenly having an aunt in her life. But Lycoris feels warm. Another family member. It is as if her world has grown brighter.
And so Lycoris did research on the Starbringer family on her own. She knows that this is very important. Perhaps the most important thing in her life. Uncle Avaris has to change his last name to Gemware instead of Starbringer. The heaviness in uncle Avaris and aunt Aya's voice when they talk about it. The obfuscation in the newspaper. What happened to her mother's birth family?
Because of the air around the family, Lycoris also feels a heaviness in her heart.
That is why she has to work hard! She works even harder than when she was studying.
The Starbringer family... The Starbringer family...
It was supposedly a noble family that disappeared 16 years ago.
Their blessing was lost to the wind.
Not even a single heir of their blood and more importantly, divine blessing survive.
After the last member of the family perished, they were post-humorously considered the greatest heroes the kingdom has ever seen. A lot of their feats were released by the public. The public praised them, the royal family post-humorously awarded the last member of the Starbringer family with the Hero of the Kingdom award.
And his name was...
Avaris Starbringer.
The last member of the Starbringer family.
Died fighting the undead and rescuing the queen and the princess.
Hero of the Kingdom.
Avaris savagely bites into "Aya" exposed shoulder. His teeth rip through her white flesh with animalistic fury. Her blood sustains him, feeding him, tormenting him.
Consumption. He is devouring everything that makes "Aya" Aya slowly.
There was a jolt as Avaris Gemware feels blood flowing through his body for the first time since 16 years ago.
The colors return to his skin. However, his body was wracked with phantom pain.
As "something" that does not feel anything, not even joy, pleasure, hunger, pain, suddenly regaining feeling within him is torture.
His dark soul rips itself apart and then re-arranges itself again and again, something crawl inside his blood vein, the blood is his, yet it is not his. How can it be his after abandoning it for more than 16 years? His body rejects the foreign intrusion.
However, Avaris wills it. For the first time in 16 years, there was something that he can strive forward.
And for it, he needs...
Pain, hunger, pleasure, joy, happiness...
"We should stop for the day, I heard Lycoris's cry for you."
Growling animalistically, "Aya" got dressed, her wound visibly healing in the dark room.
"I don't know if I can face her."
"Getting cold feet now?"
"I don't know if I can face her with these new found emotions."
"They are your emotions Avaris. I don't want to keep them anymore. That is the price, your price, your punishment.
When your wish is completed, there won't be an Aya anymore, there would only be one. The foolish Avaris. The emotional Avaris.
You wish for this.
You want this.
We want this.
We want you to be there for her. To be her uncle."
Suddenly, there was fear in his eyes. Avaris saw "Aya" for what she is and feels frightened. He pushed her away, leaving to attend to his niece.
Truly, Lycoris was the only reason for his continued existence.
"U-uncle Avaris!"
"I'm here. I'm here Lycoris."
At this moment, Avaris was hugging Lycoris. The man who keeps everything at arm length, even his niece before, was hugging Lycoris currently. He wanted her to feel the warmth, so he did this.
He wanted her to feel the warmth of a family and so he did this, and it is torturing him.
Avaris looks down at the document she was reading and closes his eyes knowing that this day was always going to come.
The history of Lucia:
Starbringer
"They say... they say that you were dead uncle Avaris!" Suddenly, the little girl in his arms started to cry, unlike how she was normally. Suddenly Avaris realized that she was only 14 years old despite how mature she acted. She is still a little girl under his protection.
She was as young as her mother when Avaris couldn't protect her.
Just as when he couldn't protect his mother.
"I am still alive now, ain't I?"
Slowly, patting her back, Avaris lulls his daughter figure to sleep. However, suddenly, he feels an extreme pain from his left eyes.
Tears. It was tears. The first drop of tear in the last 16 years.
History
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
"A long time ago Lycoris, our family used to be a noble family, however right now we are not."
Lycoris listens carefully because she wanted to know, she wanted to know why her mother was afraid of going home or why uncle Avaris has abandoned his last name. Mommy never wanted to return home even when things got really bad. Mother Lily always acted scared when Lycoris asked her, as if uncle Avaris would kill her if she returns. Other time she would react as if there was nothing to return to even though uncle Lycoris and aunt Aya is there. Uncle Avaris is cold but he will never kill mother Lily, but somehow it seems there was a lot more than Lycoris has ever known. It is more complicated then the day she struggles to survive on the street, when things were more simple, surviving is the goal.
Uncle Avaris looks at Lycoris but then he glances away, Lycoris feels like he has something to hide from her.
"Our family's territory is now with in the territory of the Dead."
Uncle Avaris took a napkin and a pencil in Lycoris's room and started drawing a map of the territory.
"It used to be on the border of the kingdom of Lucian before it was claimed by the undead. It is a harsh land, however, it was livable until the wrath of the previous king."
Uncle Avaris coughs slightly mentioning it. However, Lycoris can feel the tremble from his lap. His entire body was shaking.
"The previous king stopped sending reinforcement for our family land and slowly it was reclaimed by the miasma of the death. Without the interference of the royal bloodline's light power, our family land slowly become claimed by the dead. However, it was just an act of intimidation by the previous king. The royal family didn't want to lose the borderland to the dead, however their job was to keep us down.
I don't know why they hate us so much. I would prefer if it was a logical reason such as the power of our blessing threatening the power of the royal family to a petty reason, however in the end it doesn't matter anymore."
Uncle Avaris's voice loses more life the more he talks
"When your mother was your age, due to my failure as a brother, she hangs around with a bad crowd and ran away from home."
Uncle Avaris stops drawing the map, his hands were shaking.
"...Anyway, afterward, our family finally starts going down hill. At that time, I was a political hostage within the capital city, so I survived the previous king's purge."
"Why? Why would he do that to us? Why would he kill an entire family?"
"To be honest, even I don't know Lycoris. Sometime, people are just horrible."
Biting back her tears, Lycoris didn't notice that her uncle Avaris was looking away as if he was hiding something from her.
Using another napkin, Avaris wipes away Lycoris's tears.
Lycoris knows about the sanitized version of history from the history book and censored document. The entire Starbringer family, gone. Avaris Starbringer, died in battle. History didn't elaborate further about his family, with Lycoris now the only heir of the family, it is important for her to know exactly the entire truth from the family's perspective. It is not a truth that was written, it is a truth passed from an uncle to his niece, like a bedtime story. He didn't want her to act on it, he only wanted her to know and gained some peace.
However, it is just not fine for Lycoris to be exposed to the entire history. Avaris didn't have the heart to tell Lycoris why even on her dying breath, Lily didn't want to return home even though her life has become a living hell.
It was too late to stop it and Avaris found Lycoris too late.
"I want to know uncle. Please tell me. I want to know why my mother never returns even after her family was destroyed. I want to know why in her dream, she would whisper sorry to everyone in the house. I know that you are hiding it from me. I can handle it. Just tell me."
Avaris's expression morphed into shocked silence as Lycoris keeps on being defiant.
"I just wanted to know why until her dying breath, that secret haunts her..."
"...The crime the family was accused of was leaking important military secret. At that time, every members of the family was accounted for... except for Lily. The royal family accused Lily of running away with national secret. However at that time, Lily was not present. There used to be a time when such an accusation could be thrown out in court, however, it was the king himself who accused us. And Lily was not there to refute the accusation. They used Lily as an excuse to harm the entire family, every servants and branch family too."
Lycoris starts sobbing and Avaris thought about stopping for the day, letting her digest everything. But still, the girl holds on to him.
"I'm fine! Please don't go away uncle Avaris. I can handle it. Just tell me everything. How did people think you die?"
"...I become a former shell of myself just waiting for death as time marches on. It was the darkest moment of my life. Even as I continues to work as a political prisoner inside the capital city, my only hope was Lyon."
"The current king?"
"Yes. I believe that he would be a good king, I believe that he would be our family's resurrection. I only lived to await the moment Lyon ascend the throne and restore the innocence of our family.
However, in the second years of his reign, Lyon betrayed all of my expectations."
"What did he do uncle?"
Avaris flips the napkin over and starts drawing another map. It is the map of another territory.
"There are certain lines that you don't cross. The Damerion is another territory near the border of the kingdom. At that time, the Starbringer's family land has almost fallen to the undead. As a nearby territory, the Damerion was prepared for a long war to reclaim the land for the living.
...I think Lyon did that as a favor for me.
However, I made a mistake. I trusted Lyon to not repeat the mistake of the past.
While count Damerion was on the battlefield, king Lyon was fooling around with the count's wife.
Hearing rumors, the count returns home to find out the exact scene the rumors depicted, the king fooling around with his wife. Due to the thick miasma he has been exposed to in the battlefield, count Damerion heard the voice of the God of Darkness. He signed a contract with the devil and gained enough power for revenge. That leads to the rise of the undead lord and the calamity 16 years ago."
"Where were you during all of this?"
"Coincidentally, I was in the count's army, on the frontline. I wanted to reclaim our ancestral land so I enlisted after Lyon set me free. When I return, it was too late. The Undead lord carves a bloody path straight toward the capital city of Lucian with his army of risen.
The king's queen was captured. I risked my life for her, however, even though I got her back, I still failed as the queen died of trauma afterward. "
"But why?
the royal family did so many bad things to us. Why would you even return to risk your life and "die" for them? I don't understand, was it loyalty to the king?"
"It was because I love her Lycoris."
"Her?"
"The queen. Emeria."
Lycoris becomes quiet. She didn't even ask why the one he loves is the queen.
"I love her. However, I have many duty as the sole survivor of the Starbringer family. She gradually grew bored of me, angry. She married Lyon as revenge against me because I never answer her love. However I still love her."
"Afterward, I wander away. The people thought I have died due to my inuries, but I survived. I drifted from place to place, even the land in the foreign shore and started Gemware, changing my last name."
"Uncle Avaris, the kingdom of Lucian has so many painful memories for you, why would you return when you already have Gemware?"
"For you and your mother Lycoris. I wanted to find both you. All of Gemware was created for your sake. I just wanted you to be happy.
And that is the true history of our family Lycoris. Now that that damn assassin has exposed your abilities, this is what you need to know to face the future going forward."
Lycoris listens carefully because she wanted to know, she wanted to know why her mother was afraid of going home or why uncle Avaris has abandoned his last name. Mommy never wanted to return home even when things got really bad. Mother Lily always acted scared when Lycoris asked her, as if uncle Avaris would kill her if she returns. Other time she would react as if there was nothing to return to even though uncle Lycoris and aunt Aya is there. Uncle Avaris is cold but he will never kill mother Lily, but somehow it seems there was a lot more than Lycoris has ever known. It is more complicated then the day she struggles to survive on the street, when things were more simple, surviving is the goal.
Uncle Avaris looks at Lycoris but then he glances away, Lycoris feels like he has something to hide from her.
"Our family's territory is now with in the territory of the Dead."
Uncle Avaris took a napkin and a pencil in Lycoris's room and started drawing a map of the territory.
"It used to be on the border of the kingdom of Lucian before it was claimed by the undead. It is a harsh land, however, it was livable until the wrath of the previous king."
Uncle Avaris coughs slightly mentioning it. However, Lycoris can feel the tremble from his lap. His entire body was shaking.
"The previous king stopped sending reinforcement for our family land and slowly it was reclaimed by the miasma of the death. Without the interference of the royal bloodline's light power, our family land slowly become claimed by the dead. However, it was just an act of intimidation by the previous king. The royal family didn't want to lose the borderland to the dead, however their job was to keep us down.
I don't know why they hate us so much. I would prefer if it was a logical reason such as the power of our blessing threatening the power of the royal family to a petty reason, however in the end it doesn't matter anymore."
Uncle Avaris's voice loses more life the more he talks
"When your mother was your age, due to my failure as a brother, she hangs around with a bad crowd and ran away from home."
Uncle Avaris stops drawing the map, his hands were shaking.
"...Anyway, afterward, our family finally starts going down hill. At that time, I was a political hostage within the capital city, so I survived the previous king's purge."
"Why? Why would he do that to us? Why would he kill an entire family?"
"To be honest, even I don't know Lycoris. Sometime, people are just horrible."
Biting back her tears, Lycoris didn't notice that her uncle Avaris was looking away as if he was hiding something from her.
Using another napkin, Avaris wipes away Lycoris's tears.
Lycoris knows about the sanitized version of history from the history book and censored document. The entire Starbringer family, gone. Avaris Starbringer, died in battle. History didn't elaborate further about his family, with Lycoris now the only heir of the family, it is important for her to know exactly the entire truth from the family's perspective. It is not a truth that was written, it is a truth passed from an uncle to his niece, like a bedtime story. He didn't want her to act on it, he only wanted her to know and gained some peace.
However, it is just not fine for Lycoris to be exposed to the entire history. Avaris didn't have the heart to tell Lycoris why even on her dying breath, Lily didn't want to return home even though her life has become a living hell.
It was too late to stop it and Avaris found Lycoris too late.
"I want to know uncle. Please tell me. I want to know why my mother never returns even after her family was destroyed. I want to know why in her dream, she would whisper sorry to everyone in the house. I know that you are hiding it from me. I can handle it. Just tell me."
Avaris's expression morphed into shocked silence as Lycoris keeps on being defiant.
"I just wanted to know why until her dying breath, that secret haunts her..."
"...The crime the family was accused of was leaking important military secret. At that time, every members of the family was accounted for... except for Lily. The royal family accused Lily of running away with national secret. However at that time, Lily was not present. There used to be a time when such an accusation could be thrown out in court, however, it was the king himself who accused us. And Lily was not there to refute the accusation. They used Lily as an excuse to harm the entire family, every servants and branch family too."
Lycoris starts sobbing and Avaris thought about stopping for the day, letting her digest everything. But still, the girl holds on to him.
"I'm fine! Please don't go away uncle Avaris. I can handle it. Just tell me everything. How did people think you die?"
"...I become a former shell of myself just waiting for death as time marches on. It was the darkest moment of my life. Even as I continues to work as a political prisoner inside the capital city, my only hope was Lyon."
"The current king?"
"Yes. I believe that he would be a good king, I believe that he would be our family's resurrection. I only lived to await the moment Lyon ascend the throne and restore the innocence of our family.
However, in the second years of his reign, Lyon betrayed all of my expectations."
"What did he do uncle?"
Avaris flips the napkin over and starts drawing another map. It is the map of another territory.
"There are certain lines that you don't cross. The Damerion is another territory near the border of the kingdom. At that time, the Starbringer's family land has almost fallen to the undead. As a nearby territory, the Damerion was prepared for a long war to reclaim the land for the living.
...I think Lyon did that as a favor for me.
However, I made a mistake. I trusted Lyon to not repeat the mistake of the past.
While count Damerion was on the battlefield, king Lyon was fooling around with the count's wife.
Hearing rumors, the count returns home to find out the exact scene the rumors depicted, the king fooling around with his wife. Due to the thick miasma he has been exposed to in the battlefield, count Damerion heard the voice of the God of Darkness. He signed a contract with the devil and gained enough power for revenge. That leads to the rise of the undead lord and the calamity 16 years ago."
"Where were you during all of this?"
"Coincidentally, I was in the count's army, on the frontline. I wanted to reclaim our ancestral land so I enlisted after Lyon set me free. When I return, it was too late. The Undead lord carves a bloody path straight toward the capital city of Lucian with his army of risen.
The king's queen was captured. I risked my life for her, however, even though I got her back, I still failed as the queen died of trauma afterward. "
"But why?
the royal family did so many bad things to us. Why would you even return to risk your life and "die" for them? I don't understand, was it loyalty to the king?"
"It was because I love her Lycoris."
"Her?"
"The queen. Emeria."
Lycoris becomes quiet. She didn't even ask why the one he loves is the queen.
"I love her. However, I have many duty as the sole survivor of the Starbringer family. She gradually grew bored of me, angry. She married Lyon as revenge against me because I never answer her love. However I still love her."
"Afterward, I wander away. The people thought I have died due to my inuries, but I survived. I drifted from place to place, even the land in the foreign shore and started Gemware, changing my last name."
"Uncle Avaris, the kingdom of Lucian has so many painful memories for you, why would you return when you already have Gemware?"
"For you and your mother Lycoris. I wanted to find both you. All of Gemware was created for your sake. I just wanted you to be happy.
And that is the true history of our family Lycoris. Now that that damn assassin has exposed your abilities, this is what you need to know to face the future going forward."
Last edited:
Body Enhancement
Naqu2o
I trust you know where the happy button is?
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2021
- Messages
- 864
The portion that was left of the assassin sent after the Gemware told of a very grisly tale. A supernatural tales. His body was completely ripped in half with brute force.
To do that to a human body, snapping flesh, spine and all require a force unheard of in normal situation, the fact that it was done on the spot was ever more bewildering.
This attract the attention of the greatest knight, Nikolas Osphens, who has always been particularly critical of the Gemware trading company and its consequences.
It has always been suspected that Avaris Gemware has a disowned noble on his payroll. For a man of such wealth and power, it would be hard not to protect himself with such measure. However, the particular details of this death leads to a lot of suspect.
The fact that this death was caused by extreme strength points to a very thorny issue that no one wants to address.
Avaris Gemware sharing his namesake with the posthumous hero, Avaris Starbringer.
In fact, this brought the most contention between Gemware and Nikolas Osphens. To many people, Avaris Starbringer was someone a lot of people looks up to. However, there come Avaris Gemware with his ruthless way.
It is an open secret that in recent years, the king is not well. In his advanced age, the king's mental state has deteriorated. He has started to believe that Avaris Starbringer, his friend was still alive.
However, everyone knows, that day, when the disaster 16 years ago happened, the injuries that the hero suffer was not survivable. In deed, it was said that Avaris Starbringer was tortured and then fatally stabbed through the lungs, he was wandering out to die.
However, due to the king's deteriorated mental state, when Avaris Gemware rose to prominent, king Lyon has started to believe that it is his friend Avaris Starbringer who has returned even though it was improbable. That is the reason why the kingdom has made a lot of concession to the Gemware trading company. King Lyon believes that he is his friend and that is why he is repaying him for all he has done.
The king has completely lost his mind. Even though a lot of the nobility and his family members try to bring him to reason and there was many attempts to let the king see Avaris Gemware for himself, to realize that he was not the hero of that year, however, the King and predictably Gemware have refused it when the opportunity arrives.
The king was acting paranoid. He was afraid that if he meets Gemware and the truth was revealed that his friend did not survive, his heart would break. And predictably, Gemware also refuses to meet the king, citing bullshit reason such as being busy.
This leads to a lot of discontent from the businessmen and nobility, including Nikolas.
Nikolas and the people see this as Gemware abusing the king's mental state to benefit his company and receive unfair advantage and it is the one thing that has always loomed over the relationship between Gemware and Nikolas.
Truthfully, the only one who would know if Gemware was indeed the hero of that year or not would be king Lyon, the sole survivor of the massacre.
In that year undead disaster, the undead rampage cuts a bloody road through the kingdom.
The capital city had completely fallen, taken by the undead. It was believed that this city would be turned into an undead breeding ground completely like the outside world. All of the population of the capital city perished.
The year of nightmare, it is said.
It was only by a miracle that Avaris Starbringer somehow brought down the undead lord and brought back the kidnapped queen that the undead can finally be quelled.
All the force from adjacent regions were called back to reinforce the capital city. Second generation nobility was now responsible for their family. The capital was finally retaken thank to the light of the royal family. After that event, they built a giant memorial for all the fallen wishing for their souls to pass on and not linger as undead anymore.
Because of that, in truth, all of the original noble family has perished, the one who inhabit the capital city now were all branch family brought back in, including Nikolas Osphens.
And none of them would know what Avaris Starbringer looks like considering that the illfated member of the Starbringer family lives his whole life behind the wall of the capital city of Lucian.
And yet, the wounds left behind on the assailant told a very vivid tales. He was ripped apart by brute strength.
Nikolas becomes even angrier. Just what is the meaning of this. There is only one blessing that match this pattern.
"Alright Lycoris, from today, I will be in charge of your education and get that monstrous strength under control. Now Avaris will be staying over there in his useless zone watching us, but it is also for his sake as well. Remember, our family's blessing is Body Enhancement. It is very simple but also very devastating, capable of widespread destruction if you lose control."
Lycoris glances at her da- uncle who waves back. He is sitting twenty feet away bathing in the sunlight. This is very rare, if she could she would commission a painting.
This is the first time she has seen her uncle in the sunlight. He has always avoided the sun to the point that she thought his pale skin would burn in the sunlight. And today, he is here. She likes it. He has become more lively and that is a good thing in her eyes. More healthy!
Still, she has question.
"Why isn't uncle Avaris joining us? Doesn't he have the same blessing as us?"
From what aunt Aya told her, their family's blessing is Body Enhancement. It was the most simple divine blessing of all the noble family, however, it was also one of the strongest, second only to the Royal Family's blessing of light itself.
It was probably also one of the reason that leads to her family's... fall out with the royal family. She still doesn't know how she would feel about it.
She doesn't know if she should be angry. Both uncle Avaris and aunt Aya seem to have come to term with it. However, she now remembers something that make sense in retrospect. The way uncle Avaris reacts to the third prince of the kingdom for example...
She doesn't know if she wanted revenge. Logically she should, however the way uncle Avaris and aunt Aya react make her want to follow their example. It is because they are the only family she has in this world.
And so, it leads to the family bonding exercise of today.
Body Enhancement enhances the body, giving the user super strength and durability.
However, unlike many other divine blessing that has similar abilities but also has a secondary and tertiary ability, her family blessing only has one single use, and that is to increase her strength to monstrous level.
As aunt Aya explains it, because the other similar blessings have more prominent secondary and tertiary ability, it becomes diluted providing for all the abilities. Body Enhancement on the other hand has only one usage. It leads to it being a lot stronger on average. There would be no one stronger than her in physical strength in the world right at this moment.
And while it doesn't have versatility, there aren't a lot answers to her family's blessing in this world.
It was supposed to be an extremely useful weapon in combating the undead. However, the previous king has almost wiped out this blessing.
And now, only her, uncle Avaris and aunt Aya are left.
And uncle Avaris is not participating.
Aunt Aya's eyes become more mischievous when she heard Lycoris mentions Avaris.
"Your uncle Avaris was a naughty boy. He is not well right now due to what he has done."
"Wait, uncle is not well?!" Lycoris's eyes widen, however, aunt Aya's voice only becomes more teasing
"Don't worry kiddo. With me around he will be better than ever soon. However, he really can't join us right now. Just give him time."
With a hesitant nod, Lycoris follows aunt Aya as she takes her to the middle of the expansive yard in her family estate.
"In the Starbringer family, originally there was no need to restrain your strength because the people you would interact with are your family members who are just like you. And if someone go out of control, the other family members can restraint them.
However, when a certain someone went to live in the capital city, he has to learn how to adjust so as not to worsen his family's situation when an accident inevitably happens and he is blamed. This is what he did."
"This is what you did uncle Avaris?" Lycoris hollers at her uncle while staring at the glasses aunt Aya has brought out.
"This is what he did."
"But wait, why would you know about this so clearly? I thought that year only uncle Avaris went, did he tell you about it?"
"Ha! You rascal. You and your question."
A smirk suddenly appears on her face.
"Of course I would know about it. There is nothing he can hide from me. You can say I have always been with him from the moment he was born." There was something with the statement that Lycoris cannot put her hands on. So occupied with her thought that Lycoris didn't realize the flash of darkness inside uncle Avaris's eyes looking at aunt Aya who glances at him and then laughs.
She laughs at the most inappropriate of time, as if the only thing she knows is laugh. Avaris hates her but he needs her at the same time. He needs her.
The exercise is simple.
Lycoris was ordered to hold on to the glasses with out breaking it.
Some glasses were filled with water while others are left empty. Some were tempered, some were not. They started with the tempered one and slowly work their way through the softer glasses.
"This is a very dull exercise by a dull boy by the way."
Aunt Aya voices her thought half way through.
"Man, I wish something fun would happen right now."
As if her voice was the signal, the moment she stops talking there was a giant explosion in the distance.
A giant tree bursts into existence in the distance. Its was hundred of meters tall and its shadow momentarily cover the wall next to the compound.
There seems to be a dispute at the gate and someone has broken into the yard.
Someone with wood based power...
"I will get that." With a smile on her face, aunt Aya ruffles Lycoris's hair before disappearing in a gust of wind right in front of her eyes. The only thing Lycoris saw was a dash of red before she disappears.
Lycoris looks down and discovers a deep imprint in the ground, realizing what happened.
Lycoris was a smart girl. She instantly recognizes usage for Body Enhancement and the super strength that it gave her and her family member.
Aunt Aya just "jumped".
To do that to a human body, snapping flesh, spine and all require a force unheard of in normal situation, the fact that it was done on the spot was ever more bewildering.
This attract the attention of the greatest knight, Nikolas Osphens, who has always been particularly critical of the Gemware trading company and its consequences.
It has always been suspected that Avaris Gemware has a disowned noble on his payroll. For a man of such wealth and power, it would be hard not to protect himself with such measure. However, the particular details of this death leads to a lot of suspect.
The fact that this death was caused by extreme strength points to a very thorny issue that no one wants to address.
Avaris Gemware sharing his namesake with the posthumous hero, Avaris Starbringer.
In fact, this brought the most contention between Gemware and Nikolas Osphens. To many people, Avaris Starbringer was someone a lot of people looks up to. However, there come Avaris Gemware with his ruthless way.
It is an open secret that in recent years, the king is not well. In his advanced age, the king's mental state has deteriorated. He has started to believe that Avaris Starbringer, his friend was still alive.
However, everyone knows, that day, when the disaster 16 years ago happened, the injuries that the hero suffer was not survivable. In deed, it was said that Avaris Starbringer was tortured and then fatally stabbed through the lungs, he was wandering out to die.
However, due to the king's deteriorated mental state, when Avaris Gemware rose to prominent, king Lyon has started to believe that it is his friend Avaris Starbringer who has returned even though it was improbable. That is the reason why the kingdom has made a lot of concession to the Gemware trading company. King Lyon believes that he is his friend and that is why he is repaying him for all he has done.
The king has completely lost his mind. Even though a lot of the nobility and his family members try to bring him to reason and there was many attempts to let the king see Avaris Gemware for himself, to realize that he was not the hero of that year, however, the King and predictably Gemware have refused it when the opportunity arrives.
The king was acting paranoid. He was afraid that if he meets Gemware and the truth was revealed that his friend did not survive, his heart would break. And predictably, Gemware also refuses to meet the king, citing bullshit reason such as being busy.
This leads to a lot of discontent from the businessmen and nobility, including Nikolas.
Nikolas and the people see this as Gemware abusing the king's mental state to benefit his company and receive unfair advantage and it is the one thing that has always loomed over the relationship between Gemware and Nikolas.
Truthfully, the only one who would know if Gemware was indeed the hero of that year or not would be king Lyon, the sole survivor of the massacre.
In that year undead disaster, the undead rampage cuts a bloody road through the kingdom.
The capital city had completely fallen, taken by the undead. It was believed that this city would be turned into an undead breeding ground completely like the outside world. All of the population of the capital city perished.
The year of nightmare, it is said.
It was only by a miracle that Avaris Starbringer somehow brought down the undead lord and brought back the kidnapped queen that the undead can finally be quelled.
All the force from adjacent regions were called back to reinforce the capital city. Second generation nobility was now responsible for their family. The capital was finally retaken thank to the light of the royal family. After that event, they built a giant memorial for all the fallen wishing for their souls to pass on and not linger as undead anymore.
Because of that, in truth, all of the original noble family has perished, the one who inhabit the capital city now were all branch family brought back in, including Nikolas Osphens.
And none of them would know what Avaris Starbringer looks like considering that the illfated member of the Starbringer family lives his whole life behind the wall of the capital city of Lucian.
And yet, the wounds left behind on the assailant told a very vivid tales. He was ripped apart by brute strength.
Nikolas becomes even angrier. Just what is the meaning of this. There is only one blessing that match this pattern.
"Alright Lycoris, from today, I will be in charge of your education and get that monstrous strength under control. Now Avaris will be staying over there in his useless zone watching us, but it is also for his sake as well. Remember, our family's blessing is Body Enhancement. It is very simple but also very devastating, capable of widespread destruction if you lose control."
Lycoris glances at her da- uncle who waves back. He is sitting twenty feet away bathing in the sunlight. This is very rare, if she could she would commission a painting.
This is the first time she has seen her uncle in the sunlight. He has always avoided the sun to the point that she thought his pale skin would burn in the sunlight. And today, he is here. She likes it. He has become more lively and that is a good thing in her eyes. More healthy!
Still, she has question.
"Why isn't uncle Avaris joining us? Doesn't he have the same blessing as us?"
From what aunt Aya told her, their family's blessing is Body Enhancement. It was the most simple divine blessing of all the noble family, however, it was also one of the strongest, second only to the Royal Family's blessing of light itself.
It was probably also one of the reason that leads to her family's... fall out with the royal family. She still doesn't know how she would feel about it.
She doesn't know if she should be angry. Both uncle Avaris and aunt Aya seem to have come to term with it. However, she now remembers something that make sense in retrospect. The way uncle Avaris reacts to the third prince of the kingdom for example...
She doesn't know if she wanted revenge. Logically she should, however the way uncle Avaris and aunt Aya react make her want to follow their example. It is because they are the only family she has in this world.
And so, it leads to the family bonding exercise of today.
Body Enhancement enhances the body, giving the user super strength and durability.
However, unlike many other divine blessing that has similar abilities but also has a secondary and tertiary ability, her family blessing only has one single use, and that is to increase her strength to monstrous level.
As aunt Aya explains it, because the other similar blessings have more prominent secondary and tertiary ability, it becomes diluted providing for all the abilities. Body Enhancement on the other hand has only one usage. It leads to it being a lot stronger on average. There would be no one stronger than her in physical strength in the world right at this moment.
And while it doesn't have versatility, there aren't a lot answers to her family's blessing in this world.
It was supposed to be an extremely useful weapon in combating the undead. However, the previous king has almost wiped out this blessing.
And now, only her, uncle Avaris and aunt Aya are left.
And uncle Avaris is not participating.
Aunt Aya's eyes become more mischievous when she heard Lycoris mentions Avaris.
"Your uncle Avaris was a naughty boy. He is not well right now due to what he has done."
"Wait, uncle is not well?!" Lycoris's eyes widen, however, aunt Aya's voice only becomes more teasing
"Don't worry kiddo. With me around he will be better than ever soon. However, he really can't join us right now. Just give him time."
With a hesitant nod, Lycoris follows aunt Aya as she takes her to the middle of the expansive yard in her family estate.
"In the Starbringer family, originally there was no need to restrain your strength because the people you would interact with are your family members who are just like you. And if someone go out of control, the other family members can restraint them.
However, when a certain someone went to live in the capital city, he has to learn how to adjust so as not to worsen his family's situation when an accident inevitably happens and he is blamed. This is what he did."
"This is what you did uncle Avaris?" Lycoris hollers at her uncle while staring at the glasses aunt Aya has brought out.
"This is what he did."
"But wait, why would you know about this so clearly? I thought that year only uncle Avaris went, did he tell you about it?"
"Ha! You rascal. You and your question."
A smirk suddenly appears on her face.
"Of course I would know about it. There is nothing he can hide from me. You can say I have always been with him from the moment he was born." There was something with the statement that Lycoris cannot put her hands on. So occupied with her thought that Lycoris didn't realize the flash of darkness inside uncle Avaris's eyes looking at aunt Aya who glances at him and then laughs.
She laughs at the most inappropriate of time, as if the only thing she knows is laugh. Avaris hates her but he needs her at the same time. He needs her.
The exercise is simple.
Lycoris was ordered to hold on to the glasses with out breaking it.
Some glasses were filled with water while others are left empty. Some were tempered, some were not. They started with the tempered one and slowly work their way through the softer glasses.
"This is a very dull exercise by a dull boy by the way."
Aunt Aya voices her thought half way through.
"Man, I wish something fun would happen right now."
As if her voice was the signal, the moment she stops talking there was a giant explosion in the distance.
A giant tree bursts into existence in the distance. Its was hundred of meters tall and its shadow momentarily cover the wall next to the compound.
There seems to be a dispute at the gate and someone has broken into the yard.
Someone with wood based power...
"I will get that." With a smile on her face, aunt Aya ruffles Lycoris's hair before disappearing in a gust of wind right in front of her eyes. The only thing Lycoris saw was a dash of red before she disappears.
Lycoris looks down and discovers a deep imprint in the ground, realizing what happened.
Lycoris was a smart girl. She instantly recognizes usage for Body Enhancement and the super strength that it gave her and her family member.
Aunt Aya just "jumped".
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