SYSTEM ASCENSION

The masses: ”Eeeehhhhh?!”

”Thank you, patriarch.” The maid stepped back.

The patriarch stepped into the centre of the courtyard and looked down at his kneeling children.

”I have heard three different versions of what happened.”

The eldest son immediately raised his head. ”Father, that madman attacked us!”

”I did,” Elias said.

Everyone looked at him as he took a bite of the pastry.

The first one yelled. ”See?! He admits it!”

The man was fuming internally.

”After this punishment, we’ll have a long talk on how someone the same age as you broke your’s and your siblings hand, and you couldn’t react.”

The children flinched.

The patriarch’s gaze shifted toward Elias. ”May I ask your opinion, sir?”

The hall erupted into whispered shock. The patriarch, who was the absolute head of the biggest family in Torzi empire, was answering to the small boy. They had somehow expected the patriarch to twist the rules with Zeal, but never with the boy.

”I was disgusted. That’s all.” Elias simply said.

The eldest noble scoffed. ”He got angry because of those brats! They are our siblings. It was a family matter.”

Elias tilted his head.

”You held Dan in the air and threw him.”

One of the wives stepped forward.

”There is still no excuse for violence! Even if they spoke harshly, an outsider has no right to discipline members of the Dashad family.”

”Did I ask you to speak?!” The patriarch snapped.

She flinched and tripped over her own shoes.

The man huffed.

”I apologize.”

”Your family is a disappointment.”

”We have failed you.”

Elias yawned. ”Leave their punishment to the one they insulted.”

”Father!” The children gasped.

He stepped closer to his kneeling children.

”You embarrassed this household, mistreated your younger siblings, and then expected protection because the one who corrected you was an outsider.”

The eldest child’s face twisted.

”Corrected us? He broke our hands!”

”And yet,” the patriarch said, ”you are fortunate.”

The matriarch stepped forward, assuming her role for the first time in a while.

”I hereby cut off their expenses for the next full year,”

”What?!”

”You’ll live as commoners and would not attend the academy until I permit,”

The first child sprang up.

”Don’t push your luck —”

One second he was yelling and the second moment, his broken hand was now laying before him. Detached.

”Huh?”

The matriarch’s personal guard stood beside her, dressed in black and tucking his sword away. He wasn’t there before, but somehow he arrived.

The wives scrambled off to hide, while the patriarch couldn’t hide the grin on his face.

This was the woman he married.

The first child clutched his bleeding hand and broke into a muffled cry.

She scoffed. ”You have gotten rusty,” she told her guard. ”You should have cut off the second hand, not the broken one. Then, he’d have felt it more. How to be useless.”

”I apologize.” The man bowed.

The rest of the children hurried back, crying their eyes out.

She turned to her children, and stretched out her hand. The two little children stood up and ran into her arms.

After a brief hug, she smiled.

”Do you want to go with sir Elias?”

The children gasped. ”Go? To Salvador empire?”

”I think it’d be fun.” She smiled.

They exchanged looks, eyes sparkling immediately.

”Yes!”

She hugged them again.

With that out of the way, Elias glanced at Zeal.

”Yeah I know. Time to leave.”

The patriarch turned around.

”You’re leaving?”

”Yes.”

He glanced at Elias and back at Zeal then sighed.

”Then, safe journey.”

___

The air in Salvador empire felt different after just two weeks of absence. They had taken the train to Salvador station like every other normal person before the league Automobile came to pick them up.

Soon, they arrived at sound league headquarters.

”Finally back!” Zeal stretched. ”I’ve missed eating Rowen’s food.”

Elias walked behind Zeal with Cyya and Dan, while Remy and Owen followed afterwards. On a normal note, Remy and Owen were supposed to stay behind to continue managing the branch in Torzi, but Rowen had called another numbered meeting.

The place however was more tensed up than usual, and that got Remy squinting her brow.

The inner door finally slid open revealing all the rest of the numbers. They all turned around and bowed.

”Welcome back, league mas—”

Zeal grinned.

”Hi.”

Of course they had noticed. He was at least Elias’s age.

”What the hell?!” Rowen stood up. ”What happened?!”

”I’m aging backwards.” Zeal walked in and clapped. ”Let’s get this over with.”

”Wait, seriously?!” Rowen watched his twin walk past him, looking like they had a ten year age gap.

”This is not fair! You’re supposed to age with me! We’re twins for a reason!”

With Rowen whining, everyone laughed.

Hearing children’s voices, Rowen turned around. ”Zeal? Did you adopt children?”

”No thank you,” Zeal raised a finger. ”I’ll use my nuts when I need one, unlike some people.”

Everyone held their muffled laughter.

”Wha...?!” Rowen was still fuming when Elias walked past him.

”They are your temporary children. Cyya and Dan. Keep them well.”

”What?!”

”You already have fifteen. Shouldn’t be that hard.” Remy snorted following behind.

”But...”

”Keep up the good work lad.” Owen tapped his shoulder.

”Is anyone listening to me?!”

They all proceeded to the meeting room. As soon as the door opened, Zeal spoke and entered.

”League master, Zeal.” The device chimed in approval and the rest released a breath.

Their league master had really shrunk in size. Somehow that terrified them more. He was at the age where he taught them a life changing experience.

”Number one, Rowen.” Rowen walked inside.

”Number two, Owen.” The man followed.

”Number three, Gwen.”

”Number four, Casy.”

”Number five, Remy.”

”Number six, Elias.”

”Number seven, Tale.”

”Number eight, Claude.”

”Number nine, Tiana.”

”Number ten, Sai.”

The numbers settled around the table and for a moment nobody said a word. Zeal didn’t say anything either.

Elias’ eyes became unusually drawn to two people in the room. The extremely short Tiana and number eight. He could tell that the people were staring at him through the hood.

”Then,” Zeal leaned over the table. ”Why call a meeting? Brother?”

You could tell that sitting here after a trip annoyed him.

Rowen ignored his tantrum. Instead, he snapped his finger and a projection appeared before them.

It showed a town on the downside of Salvador called Osan. It was commonly called the Salvador raw market because most nature made foods were brought from there.

”This is Osan.” Sai muttered.

”Yes,” Rowen confirmed. ”We had a case there a week ago. Me and number nine went to confirm it.”

Concentration settled in his eyes.

”The Black-eyed are moving.”