Frances walked to the front, putting his hand on Zack’s shoulder. With a meaningful smile, he said, “Little boy, now do you realise what I told you was right? If you still do not believe it, you can go to the forests in the east. You’d find out the result of your doings. And while you’re at it…” His voice took a turn for the dark, “Leave for once and never enter my village again. You devil scum.”

“Frances Damaskions.” William’s voice cracked out through gritted teeth.

“What?” Frances snapped back in annoyance. “Did I say anything wrong? Was this brat not the reason for what happened? Did his mother not die? Or… Did you forget to tell him?”

From the back, a villager walked forward, grabbing onto Zack’s shoulder while shouting, “If you had enough, leave already! We don’t want to die by your hands. Just leave and let us all be!”

Following his shout, a pebble flew towards the boy. Following the precedent, villagers began throwing pebbles as they all sang the same tone.

However, before the pebble could reach, a barrier of wind shielded the boy.

Frances’s expression distorted as he yelled, “You! Using magic in my village is prohibited! Just what do yo-you… you think…”

However, his yell fell to eeks as his whole body shivered as soon as his gaze met that of Aria’s. A scene of his throat being gouged out played in his mind as his breath got stuck in his throat.

‘She… will she really kill me?’ was the only thought that flashed through his mind. However, an instant later, an indignant anger flooded his head as he hollered internally, ‘This woman! Just what does she want? I asked her out for a night. And she… She rejected me? She dared reject me. How dare she reject me? She is just a meagre woman. And for whom? This broken doll of a husband? What does she think she is?! I’m the son of a great battalion commander! And a tier-5 magician to boot, damn it! She dared threaten me with her glare? ME? Women flock all over me. But who does she think she is? And what does this bastard think he can do when father comes back? Hmph! If I don’t drive this brat out, I’m not worthy of the title of the chief!‘

“You woman! What are you glaring at?” Frances yelled as his saliva flew all over the place.

Aria’s freezing voice filled the air, “Frances, I’m saying it again. Don’t ruin your father’s name. Although he is a good man, don’t think that’ll be enough to stop me if I really want to do something.”

“What did you say, you bitch?” Frances’s rage boiled over as he screamed. “You? Kill me? Then this whole village? Like that day? You all are in this together, no? I bet even your two—”

“Frances, enough.” William cut him off. “Don’t make my pity for Daniel and Old Man Damaskions go to waste. Only if you were half as good as your brother. What a shame. You inherited your father’s bloodline and became a mage but… Tch! What a waste. Only if Daniel could become a magician, no?”

“Y—” Frances wanted to speak but barely managed to stop himself, making a weird sound in the process. His back faced the villagers, saving them the scene of his expression becoming unsightly, as if forced to eat crap.

‘Damn, this buffoon, maybe he actually… No wonder. Old Man Damaskions, I kinda understand why you didn’t leave him in the capital. But why send this moron here of all the fucking places in the whole goddamn realm?!’ William chuckled inwardly.

The temperature around Frances rose sharply as he snapped back to reality.

‘Shit! What have I done! T-this woman made me do it! Yeah! It’s not my fault. It’s their fault. But… damn it! All or nothing!’

Pulling harshly on the kid’s shoulder, he shouted, “Haven’t you had enough already? Can’t you see? Just leave! And if possible, die somewhere out there so you never come back! Hmph!”

The boy turned his head towards the man he trusted as he gave him a weak smile.

“Still smiling?” Frances’s face distorted as he pushed the boy harshly. “Do you have no shame?”

The boy staggered a few steps, barely managing to stand straight. The smile he always carried left his face whereas a peculiar glint shone through his eye which Frances couldn’t see. However, William saw it clearly.

William’s heart shook as an image of a man he missed dearly overlapped with the child in front of him. He returned the smile as he let out a sigh filled with complex emotions — regret, happiness, pain, loneliness, hope, yearning, excitement, guilt, astonishment, helplessness, and melancholy.

William sighed while thinking, ‘He really is your child. Although being distinct, he does take a lot after the both of you. Guess apples don’t fall far from the trees. But… Well, there’s no helping it. They do say, you reap what you sow. This is my sin to bear. I have wronged you my brother. All I can do now is ask for forgiveness. Sigh… I wonder what if I had told him the truth from the start… Maybe Aria was right after all. I should listen to her more.’

The boy turned his head towards the Chief of the Village, meeting his gaze.

Frances convulsed. He felt a chill running down his spine. The hollowness seeping through the kid’s lone black pupil made his heart skip a beat. A vague sense of unease chilled his furious heart.

The boy opened his mouth as he uttered, “You. Your name was Frances Damaskions, right?”

Frances took a gulp before saying, “Yeah it is! So what, you brat?”

His face expressionless, the boy said, “I will remember it.”

His hollow gaze passed over each of the villagers present, causing them to feel a sense of unease.

“You all. Remember, you all will regret what you did today. One day, I’ll make it so you all beg me to return. I will make it that way. Just you all wait,” the boy spoke, his voice piercing everyone’s heart like a needle. A few villagers' heads drooped low in shame while some closed their eyes to think upon their actions. However, the boy paid them no heed as he continued, “And if it doesn’t happen, I’ll make it happen.”

He turned his head away from the crowd before looking towards the east. Closing his eye, he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding in.

Looking at him about to leave, William couldn’t help but say, “Z-Zack, now will you come—”

“No. I meant everyone when I said that.” The boy didn’t spare the man a single glance as he began walking forward. William bit the tip of his tongue while listening to the boy’s lingering words, “And that includes you as well.”