ALL NOVEL Chapter 31 – What Happens After A Party – Part 2
It was close to 2 AM when the party finally came to a halt. After most of the guests had left, the ones who were too drunk to leave were guided to guest rooms to rest in.
Even though everyone had gone to rest after the party, Heron still had many Guild affairs to manage.
He was shut in his office, with his secretary, Ben, aiding him with all the matters.
The Laxon Mansion exuded an air of grandeur, fitting for the home of the leader of the fifth-ranked Guild in the world.
I found Heron's office on the mansion's first floor and knocked on the last door down the long corridor. The seven-foot-tall door was made of Elven oak, renowned for its revitalising properties. It was said to wash away a person's exhaustion just by staying near it.
‘Wow! He keeps a stamina stimulant in his office! What a workaholic!’
“Enter!” A deep voice called from the inside.
It was finally time for me to leave the Laxon Family and cut off from their accursed destiny.
As I entered the room, the door creaked open and revealed a spacious interior. Heron was seated at his desk, surrounded by towering piles of paper, while his mid-40s secretary was busy sorting through documents on the adjacent desk. The walls were lined with tall cabinets, presumably filled with even more files.
“Sir Ray?” Ben stood up in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Father asked me to come see him after the party.” I explained, turning towards Heron, who was concentrating on the computer.
‘Appraisal!’
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Name: Heron Laxon Rank: SS SS Rank Title: Golden Alchemist Stats:
Abilities:
Skills:
Suitable Class: Mage Mana Compatibility:
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‘An SS Rank, huh? His death will be a loss of human resources!’
“You are here already!” Heron asked me, without looking at me. “What were you going to ask me during the party?”
“I have a request from you. I want to leave the Laxon family.”
“S-sir Ray! What are you suddenly talking about?” Ben was visibly confused about my decision.
Even Heron finally looked up at me upon hearing the unexpected request. “You want to abandon your privileges as a Laxon? Why?”
“I don’t feel like staying in this family any longer.” I replied.
“Fine. Do as you wish!” Heron said after a final thought. “Ben, send him the documents later!”
He went back to review the documents on the screen.
I can only stare at the man in disgust. His son just asked to leave the family, and his only response was to send over the documents.
“Can I ask you a question?”
“What is it?” Heron still gave his full attention to his work.
“Why are you doing this to me-, no, to Ray Laxon?” I asked him the one question that had been dwelling on my mind ever since I saw Ray’s memories.
Heron frowned at the sudden change in my tone of speech. He still replied. “What are you suddenly talking about? Didn’t I already grant your request?”
“Your attitude! You always speak as if you are talking to some stranger. Ray is your son, for God’s sake.”
“You are getting quite expressive all of a sudden! Let me ask you a question, does merely sharing blood make you my son?” Heron was asking the strangest questions with an indifferent voice. “Your mom and I had a political marriage. My deal with her was that we give each other only what we wanted. I never asked for a son, so I never thought Liliana would have one.”
“Are you, by any chance, saying that I am not your son?”
Heron shook his head. “Liliana cares too much about her reputation to give birth to a bastard. Not to mention, you look too much like me. I am just saying, since I never asked for a son from her, I have no obligations to act as your father.”
“Aren’t you just running away from your responsibility? Ray did everything to be acknowledged by you. He even sacrificed so many years to make those potions for you. Yet you threw away all his hard work in the garbage without even sparing it a glance.”
“Why do you keep talking about yourself in third-person? Also, I never asked you to prove yourself. You could have just gone and partied every day, spending away the Laxon fortune, and I would have still been content with it. I just didn't want you to trouble me.”
“I see. I guess you never wanted to be Ray’s father, after all. Since you have no interest in Liliana’s children, I can take Isabella with me, can't I?”
“Isabella? She’s still a minor, you know!” He explained, pondering over the legal matters.
“I will be her guardian, then.”
“Fine. I will send her papers as well. But let’s see how you take her away from your mother. I might not like Liliana very much, but I have stayed with her for the past 35 years. She’s not one to let go of things she obsesses over. In her eyes, your sister is the perfect doll.”
“I will deal with that myself.”
“Then I bid you good luck!” Saying his final thoughts, Heron went back to his work.
I remember reading somewhere, “Hate is better than indifference. Because hating someone means you acknowledge their existence.”
Only now I realised how hurtful those words were.
To Heron, his and Liliana's children were nothing more than uninvited guests in his family, since they were not a part of his deal.
Whatever these guests in his family would do, it was something that his servants had to take care of, so he decided to distance himself from them.
“Goodbye, Sir Heron!”
As I left the office, an unexpected person approached me.
“Hey there, older brother!” Edward greeted me. “What a coincidence! Meeting you outside Father’s office like this.”
In my memories, Ray always cowered in front of his younger brother. But in my eyes, this guy was nothing but a piece of unrecyclable trash. Since we both were similar in height, I instead looked straight into his eyes.
“Coincidence? Didn’t you come running here after hearing I was visiting him?” I countered calmly.
“Oh my, was it that obvious? Well, I suppose I did come here way too soon.” A huge grin burst on Edward’s lips. “Okay, then, tell me! How did you feel when I accompanied Father to the Anniversary Party, instead of you? Huh? Did you go and complain to him about it?”
“I am not pathetic like you, Edward! Why would I need to go and complain to him?" I returned his insults. "You are the one who runs to him begging for things since you feel inferior to me due to my legitimacy.”
“Me? Inferior? To a C+ Rank like you?” Hostile A-Rank Aura started to swirl around us, but I didn’t back down. I released my own Aura.
Unfortunately, my Aura was three sub-ranks below his, and I could quickly feel myself getting oppressed by his aggressiveness. Just when my knees were about to buckle up, the office door opened, and Edward’s Aura disappeared.
Heron stood behind me, as I panted for breath. “Edward, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, Father! I came to meet you.” His hostility was long gone, replaced by a look as if had done something for his father to be proud of.
“Oh, you did? Why don’t you come inside? Ben will get us some tea.”
As Edward passed me, he whispered to me, low enough that Heron wouldn’t hear anything. “Fuck your legitimacy!”
“By the way, Father. Mom was very disappointed, you didn’t escort her to the ball.”
“Is that so? I will have to make it up to her later.” As Heron happily welcomed Edward into his office, I can’t help but look at the two in disgust.
‘Appraisal.’
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Name: Edward Martin Rank: A Status: Demonic Seed Absorption: 79% (7 Weeks and 3 Days Left) Stats:
Abilities:
A sword art that was created to create. With each swing, the user can materialise their mana. Upon mastery, the user will be able to materialise mana into their surroundings and change the terrain temporarily. [Intermediate Level] Skills:
Suitable Class: Swordsman Mana Compatibility:
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‘So that guy already has a Demonic Seed inside! Now there’s nothing that's going to stop him from turning into a fugitive.’
Demons and monsters are creatures of darkness and destruction. Sometimes Heroes believe that they deserve more power than they currently have. Demons attack this weakness and bewitch such Heroes into forming a bond with them, much like what Spirits and Spiritualists have. To finalise the bond, Demons have their Hero counterparts swallow a Demonic Seed.
This Demonic Seed, a highly condensed ball of demonic energy, is slowly absorbed into the body of the Hero and adapts their body to the demonic energy. This process can take anywhere from a few months to an entire year, depending on the compatibility with the Demon. Unfortunately, there is no way to know who has a Demonic Seed inside them, and even when they completely transform into a Fallen, it's hard to recognise them if the person is good at hiding their mana.
“I hope you rot in hell, Edward Martin!” I made a wish before leaving the office.