After Wesley left the courtyard, he was In an oddly good mood. In fact, the earlier frustration he felt from not being able to recall what it was he felt last night, as well as the slight regret that he felt from not being able to kill the Kader Family head were all but gone.

Wesley was not an openly abrasive person. There are a lot of people that annoy or anger him, but he would very much rather smile and walk away from an argument than take part in it, however, his relationship with Roman started oddly and progressed oddly.

From that first time Wesley ran into Roman under the three, until now, the amount of words the two exchanged was not even a hundred, yet, Wesley felt like he understood this Roman well.

A young master, who always had everything he ever wanted, and was always praised and put on a pedestal, now realized he was not as great as those around him made him to be. However, he still felt that he was special and above all others, so he flaunted his strength everywhere.  

However, Wesley discovered his greatest insecurity by chance. Why would Wesley care about the feelings of such a person. Furthermore, Wesley discovered that annoying this little brick actually improved his mood tremendously. Who in their right mind would avoid annoying someone like that.

Wesley's mood was so good for the remainder of the day that he even sparred a few times with Eltier without much complaining. This caused Eltier to wonder if perhaps Wesley was about to die. Wesley even went ahead and gave Eltier some pointers on how to improve his swordsmanship, causing Eltier to be even more suspicious of Wesley's behavior.

After the regular class was over and the first years were gone, Wesley and Kellan started their sparring session. This has been their pattern for almost a year, their bodies were long used to the restrictions of the armors causing their clashes to be far more fierce than they were in the past.

As for how they were fighting, If anyone saw them, they would be unable to guess what sword style they practiced. Wesley and Kellan simply clashed without relying on their respective techniques and without evading each other. A pure, straightforward clash.

However, the most prominent feature of their sparring was how underhanded and sly each of them was. The prototype of the proud and honorable swordsman who helps his opponent up when he falls, or hands him his sword when the other is disarmed, was nowhere to be seen. Wesley and Kellan held no such ideas in their minds, they both relied on any conceivable method to gain an advantage.

After almost three hours of sparring, the voice of the second elder reached the ears of both Wesley and Kellan.

"Good. That is enough for today."

"Yes elder." They both replied.  

Wesley and Kellan were both dripping with sweat and their faces showed their fatigue, but their eyes seemed to burn with a fierce light. To them, these sparring sessions were comparable to a life and death struggle, and although they both knew they wouldn’t die, neither of them wanted to be beaten.

The second elder simply stared at these two youths who seemed to be brimming with fighting intent and nodded his head in satisfaction.  

"You two have grown nicely in this last year. It is almost time for the end of year examination. The two of you will naturally fail and attend my class another year. Any complaints?"

Wesley and Kellan looked at each other for a moment and then they turned to the second elder and just stared at him without saying anything. If this choice was given to Wesley a year ago, he would have taken it without a thought, but now, he would choose to stay here without hesitation.

The second elder simply nodded his head in satisfaction. His question was for complaints, and since they didn’t speak, they naturally had no complaints. He spoke once again:

"Good. Now, for the rankings competition. The two of you are not in a second year swordsmanship class, so you're not required to attend."

"Yes Elder."

"Good. You may leave."

"Yes Elder."

Wesley and Kellan immediately left the classroom, then they bid each other farewell and went their own way.  

Wesley immediately left the academy and headed towards his Manor.  

.............................................................................................................................................

That night, Wesley was sitting in his study holding a book while Neal was sitting across from him. Wesley's face was as tranquil as can be, however, Neal's face had a very clear frown as he seemed to be worried about something.

Wesley spoke without even looking up from his book:

"Are you sure about these reports Neal."

"Yes. I received a few different reports from different agents indicating the same things. The Blume family head has indeed gone to the Kader family Manor, and seems intent on staying there."

If the Blume Family head has decided to take cover in the Kader Family Manor, then not only did it become exceedingly difficult to assassinate her, but it also means that they are at least some other party is involved.

Both Wesley and Kellan knew the implications of this. If the four families suspect that someone is out to get them, then they would be on guard. This is not too much of a problem with the Blume Family, however, the Kader Family are not so simple.

"When did she go to the Kader Family Manor."

"Early this Morning."

"Hmm. If she left before she received news of Silus' death, then it is bad news for us. And If she left as a result of the assassination, although things will be harder, it is still safe."

"There is no way she would have heard about the death of the Silus by then. I received an official notice by noon. Assuming she is slightly more influential than I, she must've received it, a little earlier."

"Then it is what we feared. The two remaining heads suspect something."

Wesley already put away his book and had his two hands clasped against each other as he stared at Neal. Perhaps the two remaining heads won't be able to connect the Black Family to the assassinations directly, but at this point anything is possible.  

"I think so as well. I'll prepare the contingency plan."

Wesley thought for a while and then spoke once again:

"You do that. In the meantime, see if you can arrange a small residence for me in the third district. Make sure it is inconspicuous."

"A small residence? Why do you need such a thing?"

"I need something closer to the Kader Manor. It is too cumbersome to travel back and forth from here, all the way to the third."

"I see your point. I'll get it done."

"Good. And make sure it can't be traced back to you."

"I know."

Neal immediately turned around and used his earth merge to leave the study. As Wesley just sat there, he couldn’t help but frown at how complicated things have gotten.

If killing the Kader Family head was an easy matter, he would have done it long ago, however, it was not that easy. According to Neal, the four families each had their own specialty when they served under the Black Family.

The Ranes family were in charge of the military of the city. They managed the guards, and the walls of the city and served as its defenders in case of an emergency. This is the reason why there were so many guards in the Ranes Manor when Wesley went there.

The Wayle family were the bureaucrats. The managed most of the things of the city and kept it running through policies, laws and governance. Although they don't have much tangible power like the Ranes Family, they still had a lot of influence in the city.  

The Blume Family were the historians. They were charged with keeping, analyzing and recording information. They held neither tangible power nor great influence, however, the Black Family were spies, so their information collection was indispensable, making them one of the four families.

As for the Kader Family. They were the jailers; they were charged with detention of captives, interrogation and coercion. They were, to say the least, the dark hand of the Black Family. They, just like the Blume Family, held no power or influence, but they were still feared. They simply just stood there, neither getting involved in politics or seeking power, but they were still feared. They were as ruthless as they are calculating.

Neal was unable to get any information regarding the Kader Family. They hardly ever wander out of their Manor, and they don't get involved in any conflicts. Wesley knew just how thorough and proficient Neal was at information collection, so being unable to find anything important shows just how terrifying they are.

If it were up to Wesley, he would completely avoid such people, since he would most likely have to pay an exorbitant price for their heads, but the die has been cast. It wouldn’t take long before the four families realize the Black Family orchestrated the assassinations, and if they didn’t, then it wouldn’t be long before they still came after the Black Family like before.

Worst case scenario, Wesley would need to charge into the Kader Manor and kill the two heads. If he is not killed in the process, then he'll need to leave the City and take refuge in the Ject Kingdom. Although his father wouldn’t care much if he died, he still won't let others kill him lest he loses too much respect.

And if the worst comes to worst, Neal's contingency plan might do the trick, but at  too high of a price.

...........................................................................................................................................

Currently, in the Kader Family Manor, Arthur and Neya were standing in a circular room with a single entrance. The room had no windows, no furniture and no decorations, aside from a single Firestone embedded in the  center of the roof, there is absolutely nothing else in this room.

Across from and Arthur and Neya, appeared a figure of a man sitting cross legged. However, aside from its general appearance, there was nothing else that implied that this was anything other than a statue. In fact, the figure seemed to be melded to the floor of the room as if it were carved from it.

Arthur and Neya just stood there looking at this sitting statue. Arthur and Neya looked at each other for a second and then Arthur spoke with an exceedingly respectful voice:

"Master Arnua. I apologize for pulling you out of your seclusion."

From Arthur's words, he seemed to be speaking to the statue. The room was deathly silent, which is exactly what one would expect from speaking to an empty room. However, even though he looked ridiculous talking to a statue, Arthur and even Neya behind him had their eyes shining with anticipation.

Suddenly a low rumble resounded throughout the small, circular room. Thousands of cracks and fissures appeared all over the walls of the room and seemed to get more concentrated as they got closer to the statue. Soon enough, the statue was covered in cracks, then the room descended into silence again.

The sudden silence continued for more than a minute, causing a look of suspicion to crawl on Arthur and Neya's faces. They were all told of what to do in this room, but they never had to before. And now that nothing was happening, they both started feeling suspicious.  

Arthur was about to say something, but before he could, the statue suddenly started moving. The statue slowly moved its hands and put them against the floor to probe itself up. Soon enough the statue was standing up straight.

The statue just stood there staring at Arthur and Neya. Now that the statue was standing up, it seemed taller than six feet with broad shoulders and a raised chest. It struck a mighty figure that seemed to contain tremendous power.

After the statue stood up, small chunks of earth started falling from it due to all the cracks on its surface. Soon enough, a gray robed person appeared from within the statue, however, the appearance of this person was far from expected.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

This person was an extremely old man. His body was the exact opposite of the statue; it was emaciated and small, barely reaching six feet, and his shoulders were slightly slumped, giving him the feeling of an extremely fragile elderly.

The person's face was filled with creases and wrinkles and seemed to have only skin and bone as his jaw and cheekbones could clearly be seen. His hair was also extremely white and seemed on the verge on entirely falling off.

The person just looked at Arthur and Neya with a sharp gaze that seemed to be enough to shatter their minds causing both of them to back away slightly. Suddenly, the figure spoke with a soft yet croaky voice:

"Brats. How dare you awaken me. Where is Maximus."

Arthur and Neya were both frightened beyond words by this figure. They both knew who this person was and his importance to their families, but neither of them could actually believe that he was actually standing in front of them.  

The gray robed person simply stared at the pair with an unwavering gaze, then he spoke again:

"Speak. Before I send you to your eternal sleep."

The elder's words caused Arthur and Neya to snap out of their stupor and they immediately fell on their knees. Neya simply looked down while Arthur looked at the elder and spoke with a shaky voice:

"Master Arnua. I am Arthur Kader, the current head of the Kader family. Maximus was my grandfather and he's dead."

Arnua's gaze shook slightly as he heard Arthur's words, but it immediately turned calm again. He looked at Arthur and spoke:

"Dead huh? That old bastard always clamied to be immortal. Now it seems he really wasn’t. Haha."

Arnua's laugh resounded throughout the whole room. If one listened to his laughter closely they would notice a hint of sarcasm and sadness in it, but neither Arthur nor Neya currently had the focus to notice such a minor detail.

After laughing for a short while, Arnua stopped laughing and spoke once again:

"I assume you brats know what it means to wake me up. I promised that old Maximus that I'll help his beloved four families once in case of an emergency. So, Blackreach City better be burning from all four sides."

Arthur and Neya both let a sigh of relief. They were both told by their parents to come to this room and ask for help if the four families were ever in grave danger. This was one of the four families' safeguards, and neither Arthur or Neya were willing to waste it.

However, after news of Silus' death reached them, they both came to the same conclusion: there is a third party involved in these assassination, and that whoever is behind these assassinations was intent on destroying the four families.

After coming to this conclusion, Arthur and Neya mistakenly believed that one of the four kingdoms were making a ploy to take Blackreach City, meaning that their families were in imminent danger. This is why Arthur decided to awaken Arnua.

Arthur spoke again with a shaky voice:

"Master Arnua. Our Four Families are being targeted by one of the four kingdoms. Two family heads have already been assassinated."

Arnua's face remained unchanged as he listened to Arthur. After Arthur was finished speaking, he spoke again:

"I see. Well, I don't really care if everyone of your four families is killed.,,,,"

Fear and dread immediately crept on the faces of both Arthur and Neya. They were counting on this elder to help them pass this crisis, but he seemed to not want to. Seeing the looks of the duo's faces, Arnua continued speaking:

"But, I have promised Maximus, so I'll help."

The faces of the duo lit up immediately as they spoke in unison:

"Thank You Master Arnua."

"Remember Brats. I will only help you not die, I will not face against the Kingdoms."

"We appreciate your kindness."

Arthur and Neya were not dumb. They knew that this elder was a life saving card, but they could never use to directly fight against the Four Kingdoms. Each of the kingdoms had their own hidden experts, and these experts were more loyal to them than this elder was to the four families.

.....................................................................................................................................

It has been two months since the death of the Ranes and Wayle family heads. For a few weeks, the entire city was abuzz about the events concerning the death of the two heads and how the two families were currently engaged in a vicious conflict.

The fact that the two new family heads avoided making any statements, as well the other two families also keeping quiet and virtually disappearing, almost confirmed the rumors the were going around. It truly seemed that the four families were engaged in a war.

Rumors were just rumors, and very few people had any idea what was happening. The two new heads of the Ranes and Wayle families were barely adults who had no idea what to do in a situation where they are suddenly put in a position of power.

As for the Blume and Kader families, no one had any idea why they suddenly decided to go quiet. Everyone simply assumed that they were remaining neutral in the conflict between the other two families.  

However, because neither of the four families made any public announcements or moves to clarify their positions or reasons, there were multiple rumors going all over the city. Everyone knew of the rumors, and whether they believed it or not, there was simply no way to know what was true and what was not.  

However, in Blackreach City, there were two people who not only knew the reasons behind the actions of the four families, but could be said to have orchestrated it.

In a small, one floor house in the third district, Wesley was currently sitting on a chair while looking at the wall in a daze. Wesley was simply waiting, but while he was waiting, he was reviewing everything he learnt about mana in his mind.

Wesley's mind has already been conditioned to think about mana at all times. Every time Wesley has nothing particular to think about or to divert his attention, his mind would naturally turn to analyzing mana.

Wesley was neither a researcher or an old mage who spent decades researching mana, however, he did read a lot about mana over the last year, and his understanding of it could be said to rival that of any so called specialist.

While Wesley was just sitting and thinking, a small knock came from the front door of the house immediately capturing his attention. Wesley looked at the door for a second and then spoke in an uncharacteristically deep voice:

"Come In."

The small door was pushed open and a thin, dark robed person with a veil covering their face walked in. Wesley, himself had his face hidden, but he simply wore a hood that covered his face in darkness, he was far less conspicuous than this person.

Wesley frowned slightly at this person's appearance. The best way to remain hidden is to not attract attention, but this person is simply attention grabbing. Wesley just put the issue to the back of his mind and spoke:

"Report."

The figure bowed slightly and then spoke in a soft, deep voice:

"I just returned from the Manor. None of my operatives were able to verify what is happening inside. The entire Manor has been sealed and no one has gone in or out for the last month and a half."

Wesley frowned slightly. There is no way the two family heads were not aware of their involvement. However, they must still realize that they are not necessarily safe inside their Manor because the Ranes head was killed in his home.

Wesley felt like they had something up their sleeve, but he simply couldn’t imagine what. He looked at the person who was looking at him intently and spoke:

"You may leave. Pull back your operatives and await further orders."

The dark veiled person looked at Wesley and then spoke:

"What are you planning to do?"

Wesley's gaze suddenly got sharp as he looked at the person. However, his face was hidden in the shadow of his hood so the man didn’t see anything. Wesley spoke:

"That is none of your concern. Leave."

The person seemed somewhat hesitant to leave. He once again opened his mouth to try and say something, but suddenly a figure emerged from the ground behind him and before he could even turn around, his neck has already been slashed.

Wesley didn’t move an inch or even flinch. He simply stared at the newcomer with an apathetic gaze and then he spoke:

"Your operatives are being compromised. Am afraid it won't be long before the Kader Family head sees a glimpse of the visage of your network."

The new arrival simply bent over and used the robe of the dead operative to wipe the blood of his dagger. Then he simply stepped over the dead body and walked to the seat opposite of where Wesley was seated.

After sitting down, the person spoke in a soft, whisper like voice:

"They were expendable. I had them under surveillance, so I was aware of their turning. They served their purpose, and now we know that the Kader family are actually working in the shadows as well. Am afraid we can't afford to wait any longer."

Wesley immediately replied with a frown and a head shake:

"However, since they seem the Kader Family is vaguely aware of us, it is now exponentially harder to kill them."

"Indeed. They must have some plan. What should we do, we can't wait too long lest they have enough time to connect the dots, and you can't just run in, and they don't seem to be coming out."

Wesley was immediately silenced. Should he wait and see if an opportunity presents itself, knowing that the longer he waits, the closer his plans get to being seen through. Or, should he just run in and hope that whatever trap the Kader family has prepared is not too bad.

Wesley's choices were between a slow and inevitable death, since the moment the four families discover his and the Black Family's involvement, they would most definitely attack with prejudice. Or, a quick but possibly fatal incursion that may or may not succeed.

Thinking of it this way, Wesley immediately made up his mind. He looked at Neal and spoke:

"I'll go probe the Kader Manor tonight. I won't go in too far, just enough to see what they have hidden. If there is nothing then they'll die, if there is a trap, I'll do my best to escape."

Wesley's choice was simple. If the Kader family was given enough time to connect the dots, then not only him, but the Black Family would be caught in the aftermath. The second choice, not only gave him an opportunity to do what he wanted, it also distanced the Black Family from the entire thing.

Neal seemed to understand what Wesley was thinking. His eyes seemed to soften slightly and his face showed a clear frown. Wesley was essentially running head first into a trap for his Family. He looked at Wesley and spoke with his usual voice, with a hint of sadness present in it:

"I understand. I'll go make some preparations. Good luck."

"Good. Say hello to the kids for me. Haha."

Neither Wesley nor Neal were dumb. They both realized that the Kader Family most likely had something up their sleeve, but neither of them could afford to wait any longer. This might very well be the last time they meet.

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Hey guys.

I have to admit, this chapter was incredibly hard for me to write. As an author, you often feel the urge to make things really easy for your MC by making him OP and giving him awesome luck, i imagine it is like how parents always want the best for their children.

So you can imagine how hard it is to have your MC[child] marching towards danger while you just stand there. It is even more so horrible when you're the one writing the scenarios. FML

Enjoy