(Author: Hello all. Wow I did not expect people wanting the ice brood to be female so badly. It won't appear for a while until it regains enough of its sanity and recognizes Elgar as its alpha and master. I did say it would most likely be female unless the story takes it along a different route than I intended. Madam Gregoria realizes she f*cked up and goes to report her failure to the lord of House Dune. Elgar also unwittingly reveals a small piece of background about the Demon King. Note: Magmar is male, but will not have a chance at a romantic future until he gains a human form which is a looooong time from now. As for Void....I haven't decided. That's why it is another reason (which I did not mention earlier) why I named it Void. Evolutions are uncommon but not rare, but suddenly gaining wings, tails, or other extremities are almost impossible. People would believe that he is a descendent of the Demon King even though he underwent an evolution when he entered the Urn of the Demon King. I think that is all the questions people asked? As for Elgar falling in love....I don't think Envy's trials changed that much of his personality. He became friendlier sure, but romantically interested? No. This is the last "break" chapter before I start writing a new development. Enjoy.)

Chapter 22: Repercussions

Madam Gregoria knelt uncomfortably on both of her knees later that day.

Before her, the lord and lady of House Dune sat on their chairs with various other elders of the house and Caroline on her father's left with one of her bodyguards, Geo Valkim, at her side while the others guarded the perimeter outside. They had convened in a meeting to discuss Lady Caroline's fiancé and how he had been dealt with since his first appearance. Geo felt ashamed on reporting what had happened to Lady Caroline, but she had a higher position than his benefactor and he was a knight of House Dune who would put the clan's interests before his own.

Sitting in the center was a pure blood human male in his early thirties. He had jet black hair and sky blue eyes. Blue mana radiated from his body as he was a rank 8 mage and warrior. He had his grip on a bastard sword made of eerie black metal and wore a lavish sand brown robe with golden stripes made from a twin-tail sand tiger magical beast. His name was Caesar Dune and was the lord of House Dune. His wife, Evangeline, had blonde hair and silver eyes. She was a half human and half dragon. She was a daughter of a very powerful dragon tribe in a continent to the north west. They were Caroline's parents and they were not pleased. Both of them seemed to be in their early thirties due to the sheer purity and power of their mana.

"Madam Gregoria, you have failed House Dune," Caesar said coldly. "Explain yourself to the elders about your mistake."

"My lord," Greogoria cried. "Almost two weeks ago, the fiancé of Lady Caroline had arrived. He had the aura of a rank 2 mage of the elementalist class. I had refused him to join the marriage as he was unfit to be Lady Caroline's husband due to his inferior rank, but now he has become a rank 5 mage and rank 4 warrior of the necromancer class! His hair had grown abnormally fast to half of his back and his right eye had turned to jade. There is no way an evolution would break him three ranks! He was hiding his power from me when we met."

"You were a rank 6 mage! A bloody Magus! Are you telling me you were unable to comprehend his true power?" Caesar roared.

"It must have been his genes from a Demon King my lord," Gregoria cried.

"The other members of House Maltos do not have wings. His demonic genes must have been stronger than his human and dragon genes to spread wings," Evangeline said, placing a palm on her husband's hands to calm him. "His dragon blood comes from an Ancient Dragon clan. It is possible that the genes were diluted enough that it distilled the human blood and let the dominant demon blood takeover."

"That is no excuse my love," Caesar said softly. "A fine candidate and one who is barely thirteen but with such power that he even overcame an Ice Brood of the 6th rank slipped out of our grasp. This failure cannot be tolerated. To have the backing of a Demon King is priceless compared to the many influential families in the Mortal Realm. When we ascend to the Immortal Realm and choose the one where the Demon King resides, we would be able to cultivate in peace and under the protection of such an esteemed master. No doubt Elgar's position would be high in the Demon King's eyes as he has demonic wings."

"How does he fare in the academy now?" Caroline asked as she was a rank 4 mage and warrior and was tutored by rank 8 mages and warriors who worked for her father.

"The nobles who attend the Royal Demon Magic class all attend regardless of rank and they have recognized him as the strongest in demon magic due to an ability he revealed that controlled gravity earlier today. It is my belief that he can do more and has learned a unique demon magic from the Demon King's line that no other has learned," Gregoria bowed slightly with her head.

"Not to mention an ability and unique magic from the Ancient Dragon clan," Evangeline muttered. "Two very powerful ancestries supporting a young man of a house that fell from power. The Galintor Kingdom was founded by their ancestor but was usurped by another family which also fell from power to another. We have underestimated that clan. Father-in-law must have seen the potential. I had heard of Lava Tyrant from him but the boy actually became one with it like in the stories and it evolved as well."

"GREGORIA!" Caesar roared, silencing the room as the elders also began whispering. "For your failure, you are hereby sentenced to death. Geo Valkim, take her to the dungeon and execute her. I do not want her blood to stain the floor with her disgrace."

"It was an honor to serve you my lord and ladies," Gregoria cried as she was taken away.

"Madam," Geo whispered faintly as he had her sit on the dungeon floor an hour later in a white garment. "I'm so sorry."

"I am to blame Geo my boy. Remember this day. Never fail House Dune or underestimate someone with that boy's personality. I learned this lesson with my life. Do not repeat this mistake with the consequence of your own," she whispered and bowed her head forward after a brief pause. "For the House."

"For the House," Geo murmured and cut off her head.

"What now father?" Caroline asked after a pale faced Geo returned to report the deed.

"I must use my connections with the headmaster of the academy to have you attend it. I heard one of the three heroes who appeared in the Hero Circle attends the Blood Rain Academy while another who arrived late in the city would be transferring to Tyrannical Dragon Academy where Elgar attends as Blood Rain Academy is beneath connections. I know not which of the academies the third of the three known heroes attends as the royal family has kept that particular hero in secrecy," Caesar answered. "You will get to know both of the boys in Tyrannical Dragon Academy. Know them, not fall in love with both of them. Pick the one who would bring the most favor for our house if you cannot find yourself to love either of them. This is your duty as my heir. Do not fail me or you shall be exiled like your elder sister. Do not fail the House."

"For the House," Caroline nodded and left the room.

"She is young. She does not understand what you are asking. She is too innocent," Evangeline muttered.

"And who is to blame for that?" Caesar sighed. "Either way, both of the boys are also young. They will not understand feelings and it will have a tighter hold on them as they mature and realize what they feel. Do not worry. I will not exile this daughter. You cannot bear another child. How is our newborn son?"

"Grey is well but he cannot walk as we have feared," Evangeline said, a tear falling down her face. "He is unfit to be the heir apparent. The heir must be strong and must have the strength to defeat those who challenge him or her. Business eventually draws blood. A cripple as the head will make us appear weak. The fate of the House lays with Caroline. As for Grey, he is being prepared for his exile as we speak."

"All of this pain. The loss of our son and first daughter. The life of one of our greatest servants," Caesar wept and wiped his eyes as the moment of weakness passed and steeled his heart once more. "For the House. All that we do is for the House. One day, we will not need the connections of the elders. Until then.....for the House."

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"How goes the Ice Brood? Is it still rampaging in the Chasm of Chaos?" Argolin asked.

"Yes. Who knows how many decades ago it had lost its sanity. Still, to be so strong despite being an Omega in its society, it is certain that its background is not ordinary," Elgar sighed. "For now, my lich have been training as their minions have been leading the Ice Brood and manipulating it to clear out the more dangerous parts of the chasm. I should have a new shipment of corpses and spirit cores shortly."

"Sweet. You know, this week was rather easy except for that battle in the arena. The meat of that lion magical beast was delicious. You guys sure know how to cook your meat and skin the fur off," Ulgor said as he sharpened the spearhead mounted on the bottom of his staff. "Makes me wonder what kind of ruins they found. Anyway, have you heard the rumors? It said that Lady Caroline of House Dune and one of the three known heroes are transferring to the academy. A rumor spread the last of the three known heroes is also attending one of the five academies. That means at least four of the five heroes of the prophecy have settled in Ilgar."

"It won't start anytime soon," Elgar said as he shook his head. "The martyr has to die in some manner to start the War of Days. None of us have enough of a global influence to start the War of Days with our death."

"I heard you broke the ribs of one of the demon nobles today," Argolin muttered. "His country is not under siege by Her followers yet so it shouldn't matter much."

"In the demonic society and dragon society, the masses follow the strongest branch," Elgar said as he stroked Void's head as he fed it a rank 4 spirit core. "The boy thought I was one of the masses. He had to be taught his place. If you are kind to me, I return that kindness. If you wrong me, I return it a hundredfold. I remembered what it was like to trust and make friends during my trials, but I have not gotten soft."

"What'd you learn in the Royal Demon Magic class?" Ulgor asked as he put his staff away.

"Nothing knew. Just basic introductory into the essence of mana like any other mage class for the first day. Next week should be when we start learning something important. Hopefully our mage teachers return. I also want to know about the ruin. More particularly, where it is located."

"You wish to venture into the ruins?" Argolin asked. "I'll ask my father. He's good friends with the royal family here. If the teachers don't tell us, we'll know it anyway."

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"7th Elder! A Vessel has been contacted by Her! A potential Vessel has been found," a black robed youth cried as he barged into a giant cave. In the cave was the 7th Elder, who covertly hid a portrait into his spatial ring as the youth burst in.

"What is her name and where is she headed?" he asked.

"Her name is Evangeline and the wife of Caesar of House Dune She currently lives in the main house in Ilgar in the Batralga Empire," the youth cried. "The daughter also has potential but not enough to be of use according to the message from Her."

"I will deal with Lady Dune myself. Leave me!" the 7th Elder said coldly and the youth felt a shiver down his spine and ran out quickly.

"According to Edward Maltos, the father of my grandson, the daughter of House Dune should be his fiancé. Even if the boy wanted it, I cannot allow this marriage. I will kill the mother first. Later, when the daughter is deemed worthy, I will send my subordinates to capture her while I covertly kill them and the girl with the members of my clan," the 7th Elder said. "Yes. That is what will happen. She will pay for desiring my beloved Isabelle and assassinating her. I will not let Her deal anymore pain to my family. Never again. Never....again."

Chapter 21: The Aftermath Main Page