Chapter 45: Resolve

With a bright smile, Axerion awaited a hug, maybe a kiss on the cheek from his beloved wife especially since they hadn’t seen each other in months.

What met his face, however, was Neral’s left foot when she delivered a flawless flying kick.

Axerion was launched against the kitchen sink, his body thrashing the metal cooking wares that caused an abnormally loud noise in the middle of the night.

“I’ll take that gratefully too, I guess,” he muttered while massaging his sharp jaws. He was lucky it didn’t get deformed and damage his regal looks.

“Are you trying to kill us by heart attack?!” Neral screamed at his face.

“By the gods, Rio… We thought the demon king himself had entered the mansion…”

Axerion pushed himself off the floor, chuckling.

“Sorry! I was on my way to Callex but I figured I’d stop by to grab some food. I was hungry,” he stated with a pitiful frown.

“I was planning on surprising you though. Shame you blew my cover,” he added, dusting off his coat.

Neral put her hands on her waist.

“Since when did you get home?”

Axerion smirked.

“Since now.”

Neral hit his head.

“Ouch—! It’s the truth! I came from Tianmin straight to South Olcour!” he mumbled, clutching his head.

His wife stared at him in disbelief.

“In one night?” she asked.

“Yep,” Axerion replied.

He then flexed the nonexistent bulge on his biceps and added:

“In thirteen seconds, actually. As soon as I received the letter from my buddy, Vedis Venilon, I came rushing to his aid! Not before I eat a homemade cupcake though.”

Both Zarria and Neral were dumbfounded. How could they believe someone saying they had crossed the great sea and travelled through eleven nations in thirteen seconds?

Simple. If it was said by Axerion Theocheirós.

Neral massaged her temples and then sighed.

“You haven’t eaten dinner?”

Axerion nodded innocently.

“I was so busy that I didn’t find the time…”

With that, Neral donned an apron and began cooking for him.

Zarria sat with her father at the circle table in the side while waiting. He seemed to notice the lifelessness in her eyes so he asked:

“Is something wrong, dear?”

Without hesitation, Zarria answered.

“Uncle Raymond.”

Since the manor was designed like a compound villa, all five families got to have their own houses. Axerion and his family lived in the mansion while his brothers and sisters lived in the compound. Only during work days were his siblings able to use the offices and facilities in the manor.

So, Zarria could tell everything to her father without anyone else hearing.

And she did.

She spent the next hour telling Axerion everything he had to know until the clock struck two in the morning.

After hearing all that his daughter had to say, Axerion whistled.

“That older brother of mine… tsk tsk tsk. Always have been the black sheep in the family.”

Zarria clenched her fist.

“He’s the traitor, father. As the clan head, you can banish him right now!”

Axerion nodded.

“Yes, I can. But what about your friend, Rose? Until we have a cure for her and all the other victims of the cursed food, Raymond is untouchable.”

Zarria’s shoulders dropped.

Axerion reached for her hand on the table, clasped it tightly and then spoke.

“Your brother believes you can handle this, Zarria. And I do, too.”

She raised her gaze at her father’s genuine, encouraging smile.

“I would help you, but the demons in the Callex Region is a far greater threat for now. So, Dhein and I will leave it to you and your mother.”

The girl frowned.

“But it’s too hard, father…” she mumbled, her eyes watering.

“It’s too scary.”

Axerion got up, went around the table and then gave his daughter a hug. After kissing the top of her head, he spoke.

“The gods are on your side, Zarria.”

He then stood up straight, his crimson eyes glowing suddenly. He smiled.

“You have absolutely nothing to fear.”

The three of them chatted for a bit while Axerion was eating the meal Neral had prepared for him. He gave them suggestions on how to study the curse, as well as referrals to books they could use.

He also told them how dire the situation was in the Callex Region. If they fail this operation, it might cost them the life of Light Clan’s scion. That would be a huge loss to the empire’s power.

That was why after the meal, Axerion needed to leave immediately.

“Please take care of yourself and don’t skip meals like that,” Neral reminded as Axerion was reaching for double doors.

“Yes, dear,” he answered and then pulled the doors open, letting the cold midnight breeze sweep inside.

“Welp, I gotta go now.”

He turned to Zarria.

“We believe in you. Prove to your asshole uncle that you’re not someone he could push around like that.”

Axerion stepped backwards further into the darkness.

“You’re my daughter after all.”

Saying that, the leader of the Divinity Clan vanished without a trace.

***

< THE NEXT MORNING >

Zarria was standing by the entrance of the new village. So far, she hadn’t seen Raymond make any strange moves.

A little bit later, she would go to the school next and then when she gets back home, she would continue her research.

With Neral on her side and Dhein and Axerion’s faith, she found the strength to carry on.

An hour had passed, and she was about to leave. She was starting to walk away when a familiar voice called her name.

She turned back. It was Eunice.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

With a gloomy tone, the red-haired girl replied.

“It’s Rose. She doesn’t want to go to school…”

Zarria smiled. She was anticipating this.

“Take me to her.”

Soon, she was standing at Rose’s front door. She and Eunice were currently living together.

Eunice opened the door and led Zarria inside.

There, she saw Rose lying on the bed.

She walked up to her and then sat on the floor by her bedside. This gesture made the blonde girl sit up and look at her.

“What is happening, Lady Zarria, Rose?” Eunice asked, confused.

Zarria looked at her and then calmly said:

“Rose lied about not eating the cursed food.”

The red-haired girl’s eyes opened wide, her mouth was left agape.

“W—What..??”

“But don’t be afraid,” Zarria continued.

She then pulled out a small jar from her bag. The item inside it made the two girls gasp.

“T—That’s…” Rose stammered.

Zarria raised the cursed food. She broke it in half and put the other half back inside the jar. She showed the piece in her hand and then…

She ate it.

Rose grabbed her by the shoulders.

“LADY ZARRIA! Why would you do that?!”

Zarria touched her hand, smiling calmly. And then with a flame of confidence in her eyes, she declared.

“No need to fear.”

Rose stared at her with disbelieving, widened eyes. But behind that, a sliver of hope appeared.

It was a message saying she wasn’t alone in this, and a testament of Zarria’s resolve to lift the curse.

Zarria continued.

“I will find a cure. No matter what, I will save you.”

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