TERRIBLE GRANDMOTHER

Leonel walked in with a smile. "What a pleasure. I always love seeing people invite themselves into my home, it's one of the finer things in life."

Issa felt her momentum stiffen, as did her face. It was indeed true that it was unbecoming of existences like them to ignore the rules of etiquette so blatantly, but usually when they did so, no one would dare to say much of anything about it. Leonel, though, clearly didn't have this sort of filter.

Overlord Morales, or rather the very man who had once held the Morales World Spirit shook his head and sighed. In truth, he was the one who had cosigned to Leonel's actions, but he didn't expect things to go this far. It was hard to defend. Even in war, there were bottom-lines that you didn't cross, that you couldn't cross.

On the one hand, Leonel had made the Suiards the slaves of the Morales, along with the Spirituals Religion. On the other, he had massacred the future of the Human Domain. Although the strongest of the elites in the youth no longer attended the Void Palace, just how close had they all been to being there? Leonel's actions were simply unacceptable. Was he trying to make them an enemy of the entire world?

"Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Issa growled. Her temper was just as fiery as any other Morales, but it was especially so now. "You use demons as an excuse to kill Third Nova, your own blood brother! But now you use demons yourself? Even if you didn't use demons, just your actions alone prove what's in your heart. How dare you?!"

"Oh, so it's the moral grandstanding. If that's what it's about, I have all of their Ethereal Glabellas stored, I can revive them whenever I want. Is it really the same when I have the ability to bring them all back? At worst, they'll just be a little traumatized.

"As for the demons, so what? I used that as an excuse to get you all off my back. I think you know best the real reason why I've kept Third Nova hidden, and now I'm too bored to keep it a secret, would you like to investigate the matter?"

Issa froze. This kind of attitude... The problem wasn't what Leonel was saying, but rather that he was the one saying it. It showed disregard, it showed a sincere lack of respect for them, and most importantly, it showed that even if they turned on him right this moment, he would care because he could simply subdue them all.

At that moment, it was another Overlord who spoke. She was significantly younger than the old man, but this was something that Leonel already expected. The World Spirit could only be used to extend the life of one Overlord at a time, and that had to mean that if the others were sitting here just fine, their age was clearly much less of a factor.

Even so, she was still an older woman that looked to be in her fifties. She had buzzcut hair that made her look somewhat like a monk, and this was only exemplified by the thick prayer beads that hung from her neck and the even thicker rope around her waist.

Leonel smiled toward her even before she finished pronouncing her first words, and it made her shudder. Even so, she was an elite and regained her composure immediately.

"None of us here are your enemies, Seventh Nova."

"When did I say that you were?" Leonel asked. "As I see it, our relationship could go one of two ways. I could treat you all like the grandmas and grandpas I want you to be, or I can treat you like the elders of a power I need to wrest control from. Which path we take will be up to you."

The old woman looked at Leonel deeply. "Your words exude a confidence that doesn't match your age."

"I'm sure you've met my father before; I guess it just runs in the family," Leonel replied.

"Indeed. But neither you nor your father understood our sacrifices. Neither did your grandfather before him. Are you insistent on following their path as well?"

"I won't be following my father's path, but only because I would like to help the Morales family to rise up with me. If, though, I have to fight and pull for every inch from you all, I would prefer to not.

"I'm sure you understand that the only tie I have to the Morales family is my father, and I guess my uncle. Other ties, I don't care much about, and it's becoming very tiresome to have to coddle your feelings especially after I've already accomplished so much.

"I've said it once before and I'll say it again. I don't like to explain myself, and I certainly don't like to repeatedly explain myself, so it could be said that you guys are getting very special treatment.

"I am infallible within Morales territory. If they attack this place, they die. It's really that simple.

"The Constellation families have fallen. The Suiard family has fallen. The Spiritual Religion has fallen. The Void Palace has fallen. Shield Cross Stars has been crippled. Is this still not enough?"

Silence fell.

"Even so, I think it's good that you all are here because it saves me the effort of having to go out and look for you all. In the past, I was a bit cautious with exactly how to proceed given that there's clearly a hidden faction within my Morales family, but now I'm much more confident.

"How about I give you all a chance to step out on your own?"

The old man seemed to have aged considerably when Leonel said these words. Was he still too young? Had he been too confident in him?

"Ah, how interesting." Leonel's eyes suddenly lit up. "So, you, you, you..."Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

Leonel pointed out over a dozen individuals instantly, and every time he did, especially from the third one on, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"So, tell me. What did my terrible grandmother promise you all?"