Sufferina in Silence

Fluttering Star Order frowned. She hadn't expected to come back here so soon, it had only been barely a dozen or so minutes since she left, if that. Had this matter occurred just a few minutes later, she wouldn't have been able to return at all as she had many things to handle with her status.

At the same time, she was baffled by it all. How, exactly, had things gone awry so soon?

Fluttering Star Order didn't immediately ask her granddaughter any questions and instead looked around. When she saw Alfin's half dead body, her gaze narrowed.

"Riah, did you do this? Didn't I already warn you—?"

"No, grandmother. It wasn't me, that's the problem. It was one of the branch family youths."

Fluttering Star Order's brows furrowed. Her immediate thought was that that was impossible. Even with what she had planned, it would take the entire month to squeeze out the potential of these youths. And, even then, they would have to fight a long and drawn out battle just to match a person like Alfin. The idea that one could defeat Alfin in just a dozen or so minutes made little to no sense.

However, she didn't believe that her granddaughter would lie like this either. Riah knew how important these matters were to her and she wouldn't' mess around unnecessarily.

Seeing her grandmother's confusion, Riah quickly described the events as succinctly as she could. It was only after this that Fluttering Star Order came to grasp the details. Unfortunately, this did nothing to alleviate her state. If what her granddaughter said was true, this would be troublesome.

She agreed with Riah's decision to let the youths go. It would only make things worse to try to detain them or to even go as far as to silence them. But, the weight of everything else would be troublesome.

'There's only one choice, then. This boy will have to bear the weight of his own actions.'

Fluttering Star Order didn't think much of Leonel's victory. Alfin was as average as average got in the Luxnix main family. Plus, she had already noticed something off about Leonel and Noah after they withstood Elder Sparking's aura. As far as she was concerned, it was just a small surprise as well as a shame that Leonel didn't have the ability to control his temper. Obviously, Leonel could have been a great help to her granddaughter.

Luckily, there was still Noah. Hopefully, he would bring her a pleasant surprise as well.

"Where is he? Come out no—"

Just as Fluttering Star Order was about to force Leonel out, a sudden voice called out to her.

"Esteemed elder, please wait!"

Fluttering Star Order's frown only deepened when she realized the one who had interrupted her was actually Kian, one of the branch family youths. In fact, he was from one of the top three branches Leonel had defeated before coming here.

Everything had been happening so quickly that everyone almost forgot that there were still 20 odd youths in various states of injured waiting outside the courtyard. Most had recovered enough to stand, but the neglect they were experiencing was palpable.

"He… He only antagonized the Healing Arm member to help us. An… And … And he attacked him first."

It seemed to sap Kian of all his strength to say these words beneath Fluttering Star Order's gaze.

That said… How could Fluttering Star Order have not already deduced these things?

In her mind, it was likely that Leonel was a bastard child of someone of decent status within the main family. This individual likely broke the rules by giving Leonel a technique he shouldn't have, which led to this result. But now, someone had to pay a price.

Even if the Luxnix family were magnanimous enough to treat the life of a main family member and a branch family member the same, and thus could grant Leonel reprieve since he was attacked first, what could be done about the core technique?

This didn't even mention the fact the Luxnix family would never see it like that, and that was especially so for Fluttering Star Order's enemies.

The life of a branch family member could never match up to a main family member. It was to the point where Alfin wouldn't' even be punished had Leonel died.

Fluttering Star Order shook her head, causing the hearts of the youths to sink. She turned her attention back toward the courtyard, prepared to use her aura to coerce the youths out and make it clear that she had no intention of protecting Leonel, but who could have expected for Leonel to walk out himself?

Fluttering Star Order opened her mouth to speak, but that was when Leonel's gaze swept over her. It wasn't just Leonel, but the little mink atop his head suddenly made her feel greatly uncomfortable. Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

Little Blackstar bared his teeth, feeding off of Leonel's displeasure.

In the end, though, Fluttering Star Order was still a Star Order elder who had experienced far too much life. Not only this, but she was well into the Sixth Dimension and could be considered to be only a few steps from the Seventh as well. Her 'falter' only lasted a split moment of a split moment.

But, by then, shockingly enough, Leonel had already looked away from her. He didn't seem to be looking for her approval, nor did he care what her judgement was.

In that moment, a surge of Snow Force erupted, two magnificent wings appearing to Leonel's back, each one stretching out over ten meters. With a single leap, both Leonel and Noah landed on top of the building, sitting near the edge as though they were waiting for something.

Fluttering Star Order was stunned into silence.

Those wings… Even though they were illusory, they would only appear when one was just a step away from the Speed Branch's Third Awakening. What was going on here?!

Now Fluttering Star Order could understand why an elder would take the risk of giving their bastard child a core technique while breaking so many of the family rules in doing so. But, that still didn't change anything.

Fluttering Star Order's body flickered, her figure appearing above where Leonel and Noah now sat in wait. By the expression on her face, her patience was already wearing thin.

She had endured so much humiliation over the last several decades just so that she could have this chance. She had no intention of allowing a brat who thought too much of himself to ruin it all.

Her pressure descended downward like a tsunami of waves, her gaze as cold as ice.