‘How annoying!’ Mika thought, being taken away on a carriage towards another estate. Amon, Martha, Ami, and Mika, all went to another estate not an hour away. However, Mika had been excited to meet the Grand Patriarch, who had exuded so much strength and power. However, if they were being split up, that only meant it was easier for the world to slaughter the family.

Mika felt a great energy emanating from the estate, not one which was as powerful as the Grand Patriarch, but it was certainly great. ‘Who could that be?’

Amon began to sweat under the gaze of the old man, who was forcing him down with his great pressure while sitting on what amounted to a throne.

‘What?’ Mika thought. His father had appeared to be almost a nobody, especially in comparison to Rogue, but he had some decent fighting ability all things considered. Yet, Mika could never have imagined that his father was the son of a Grand Elder.

“You left all those years ago and only now decided to show your face?” the old man asked, still pressing Amon down on his knees.

Martha, Ami, and Mika were all knelt before the Grand Elder, but it was only Amon who was being crushed under such pressure.

‘He’s definitely greater than Bronze,’ Mika thought, though he had met so few people with confirmed ranks, so he couldn’t surmise the difference between the Grand Elder and the Grand Patriarch.

Once the old man had his fill, he stopped pressing Amon down. ‘How annoying,’ the old man thought. His son had left all those years ago since he hadn’t amounted to much in the main estate, and yet he had dared to return while only being Peak Iron? His eyes flashed across the two children, who didn’t seem special in the slightest, before he waved his hand to dismiss them.

‘Now’s the time for my uncles to bully my father,’ Mika thought, following his father eagerly.

Meanwhile, Rogue had met with the Grand Patriarch, and he too was kneeling under the pressure of the old man.

“Have you had enough messing around?” the Grand Patriarch asked. “You’ve spent how many years there and haven’t grown any stronger? How dare you come back to me like this!”

The pressure pressed heavier against Rogue’s shoulders, who did not make a single sound while the older Grand Patriarch pinned him down. Eventually, the old man let up.

“Stop being so stubborn and return to me,” the Grand Patriarch said.

“I have committed an unforgivable sin and I must atone for it,” Rogue replied.

“You don’t need to mention things of the past,” the Grand Patriarch stated, waving his hand dismissively. “Bring the Black Hand family back. With your talent, you should be able to fight for the position of Patriarch once more.”

“I have not atoned for my sins,” Rogue repeated.

‘Your sins?’ The old man knew that his son was acting this way because of how enraged he had been back then. He had said so many thoughtless things and now his son was fighting back by being this annoying. ‘You weren’t this bad when you were a teenager, brat.’ He sighed, thinking about what he could do to ask for his son to return.

He already knew, deep down in his heart, that his son wouldn’t return. Perhaps those words back then had been too harsh, and though Rogue was acting up, it was no doubt that Rogue truly believed he had betrayed his family.

“You will not even take the title of Patriarch for the Black Hand?” the Grand Patriarch asked.

“I will never take the title in my life,” Rogue assured. “If you will allow my shamelessness, I ask you for assistance, Grand Patriarch. Ami was injured a few months ago, and she has-,”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The Grand Patriarch raised his hand, blasting Rogue with his ki, forcing him out of the main hall of the family, shutting the giant doors once the Head was out. ‘How dare you refuse me, and then ask me for a favour, you damn brat! You won’t even forgive your father and yet you’ll ask me for something for some little brat who isn’t worth my time? I’m an old man now and you dare to work my heart like this?’

Rogue stood onto his feet, fixed his clothes, and turned, leaving his father behind him. Rogue was not even thirty years old and the Head of his own family. He could have been a Head of the main branch, but he had decided to create his own branch many miles away, far enough away from the city that his father’s influence was low.

He had half hoped that his father would have apologised, and perhaps he may have returned, but he expected this to happen. Yet, he hadn’t expected his father not to even allow him to finish asking for help. He sighed, wondering if he should have come back, but even he couldn’t forgive something like that.

It was near evening as Mika lay against the side of the carriage, staring out to the land beyond as they returned back to the eastern guest estate. ‘Why would you do this to me? How can my father’s brothers all be such sweet guys? If they’re this nice and you don’t kill my family, then this is just bullying. Is it because I haven’t decided to conquer this world that you’ll bully me like this?’

“It’s so good to see our brothers and sisters so healthy,” Martha said. “Little Jay is so sweet.”

“Cousin Jay is so nice!” Ami declared, holding the small pill in the box which he had gifted her.

“Yes,” Mika said, a single tear falling down his cheek, “so nice.”

Once they returned back to the eastern guest estate, Mika waited. His heart was still so empty, realising that this world was not the world he had expected. The world he had expected was a harsher world, one in which he would struggle to survive. ‘Is it because they’ll actually betray me? If that’s the case, why did she get up to fight the wolf again? How many times will I be betrayed? Isn’t it getting old? Is that why you won’t have them betray me? Okay, but if they aren’t going to betray me, then why not send some beasts to us while we were on the road? How come Rogue is still alive? Is it because you’ll send something on the way back?’

Mika could feel it, deep within his heart. The emptiness of expectations, the emptiness of false hope. He knew what it really meant, but he refused to believe it. For once, he decided against understanding what was happening, hoping that this family of his would die before he turned five, before it happened.

Mika sat down, sighing sadly as he ate his porridge, noting the steps of the children of the main estate as they appeared. Once more it was the arrogant young master from before, but this time he had brought his cousins, the younger arrogant young masters and ladies from the main Black Fist family.

“Why don’t you kneel before me,” the oldest arrogant young master said. He was ten years old, and held a wicked grin on his face.

‘Finally, someone actually wicked,’ Mika thought, though he could feel the emptiness still. Even though he was excited, he was certain it was just because he was forcing himself to be excited to watch the scene.

“I don’t want to,” Ami replied, simply. She stared up at the taller arrogant young master, who hadn’t expected her to refuse.

“Do you not know the rules of the main family estate?”

“No,” Ami replied, simply again. “We’re new here.”

“Then allow me to teach you.” The young master smirked wide. “You should kneel when you see the young masters and ladies of the main family estate, since we hold the names of Black Fist. It’s to show you that there’s a difference between you and I.”

“That’s not a rule,” Ami stated.

“You said you did not know the rules, so I’m here to teach you.”

“Yeah, but that rule is too stupid to be a rule of the main family,” Ami stated, using the logic which had been taught to her by her teacher.

“Did you just call me stupid?” the young master huffed.

“No, I said that rule is too stupid to be a part of the main family estate, but if you’re going to tell me that it’s a rule, then I’ll have to tell Head Rogue about the rule,” Ami said.

“How dare you talk back to me!” the arrogant young master slapped Ami.

‘That’s more like it!’ Mika thought, but he felt his heart ache.

Ami took the slap, wincing slightly, before she stood straighter. “To resort to violence when you lack the words, it’s what scholars call uncivilised.”

“Uncivilised? The only fool who is uncivilised is that cripple who can’t even hold a spoon properly.” The arrogant young master’s gaze fell to Mika.

Mika’s heart eased. ‘Yes, that’s more like it.’

“Take that back!” Ami shouted, clenching her fists, her face flushing red.

“Will you make me?”

Ami shouted, before charging forward, surprising the arrogant young master for a moment. The guards glanced between one another, certain they couldn’t just let the kid hit their arrogant young master, but at the same time, they were only children, and if they stepped in, it would have been much worse for them.

The arrogant young master stepped aside, aiming a fist towards the back of Ami’s head, but she ducked, hoisting herself up by her hands, before aiming a kick down towards the young master’s head, only for him to leap up over her. That was as sophisticated as their fight became, as soon, the arrogant young master pulled the girl into a head lock.