Chapter 42: Welcome Home
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The Silvercolt estate was located in the city of Talion, and from there they managed all of the land under their authority.
Being the duke in charge of maintaining the Elantryan-Vispian border, Talion served as the last bastion against a Vispian invasion.
Most of the city was inhabited by knights, soldiers and their respective families.
In order to better serve its purpose, the city was naturally built like a fortress.
The pitch-black walls looked quite intimidating to the group.
It was as if they were entering a demon's castle.
The walls were reinforced to withstand even magic from a 4th circle mage without a single scratch.
Even during the war, Talion was one of the key contributors to their war efforts.
This single fortress managed to repel a Vispian invasion force 10,000 strong.
All without them taking one step into Talion.
This was a widely known tale, and due to it, almost everyone on the continent knew the might of the Silvercolt family.
As the group approached the city gates, they heard a voice yell out above them.
"State your name and purpose."
It was getting a bit too dark, so the guard standing on the ramparts couldn't identify the approaching people.
Hearing this, Rupert shrugged and sighed.
He walked close enough so that the torches on the city wall could illuminate his face.
"Grett, you know who I am. Just open the gate."
"C-C-Commander Rupert? Didn't you say you wouldn't return for a few days? I'm terribly sorry for this!"
Hastily ordering the nearby men to open the gate, he saluted Rupert.
"Welcome back Commander!".
The nearby knights also followed suit.
"Welcome back Commander!"
"Welcome back Commander!"
Rupert had a sly smile, as he reached out his hand at Zenos.
"You louts shouldn't be welcoming me back with such gusto. If anything, this young man here is the one who should get this reception."
Zen awkwardly stepped into the torchlight, letting all those nearby see his face.
"H-Hi?"
The guard's eyes went wide at this new development.
"I-I-IT CAN'T BE!"
"It's the young lord!"
"The young lord has returned safe and sound!"
"Someone quick! Inform the duke!"
While one of the guards left to relay their news to the lord, the nearby knights all fell onto one knee.
"Young master Zenos! Welcome home!" They unanimously shouted.
Zenos nodded his head, while tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
He had suffered for so long, even losing hope that he would ever be able to go back.
Finally… At long last, he was home.
Rupert guided Arvell and Zenos the Duke's manor, while a few of the knights escorted the freed girls to a place where they could rest.
As for the slave traders? They were taken straight to the jail and locked up.
They would be tried in the following days for their crimes.
The group travelled through the city, and Arvell was visibly astounded.
He had assumed the city was nothing more than a glorified fortress, with no one but knights and soldiers living here with their families.
However, the city looked just as lively as Talmek, the Vispian capital.
While it was nightfall, there were still quite a few people drinking, dancing and singing.
However, as the knight order passed by, the nearby people all saluted them.
'Is this some kind of custom here?' Arvell wondered.
'Well, these people almost all have a member of their family in the duke's army. Saluting the captain might just be a trait that they picked up from their loved ones.'
Arvell was confused.
'Why would you salute the captain of a knight order if you aren't even a knight? Even if he's your spouse's boss, it doesn't mean you need to salute him?'
Lykos sighed.
'It's probably just a local custom. I mean, look. The knight order and the army protect their entire country by managing this border. It's probably just their way of showing respect.'
Arvell nodded.
'I see.'
As Arvell quickly noted, the city was quite beautiful.
There were masterfully carved statues of a man whom Arvell presumed to be the duke, as well as statues of the king and queen of Elantrya.
There were even ones of a girl and two young men beside them.
Arvell's heart froze when he saw those.
'Lily…'
He wouldn't forget that face, no matter how many years had passed.
She looked older in this picture than the eight-year-old appearance he remembered her by.
Zenos saw Arvell gaping at the statues, and smirked.
"Are you lovestruck by our princess's beauty? You wouldn't be the first!"
Arvell instantly snapped out of his daze and glared at Zenos.
"You wish."
Ever since Zenos got reunited with the knights of his family, he was slowly becoming more open.
Since he no longer had to constantly fear for his life, he was slowly going back to his old self.
While Arvell was happy for him, he didn't appreciate having a second Lykos around him.
'One Lykos is already more than I can handle' Arvell sighed.
'You do realize I can read your thoughts right? Even if you can't hear my inner thoughts, I can still hear yours. Whether or not I actually want to." Lykos huffed.
Ignoring a pouty Lykos, Arvell decided to clear up Zenos's misunderstandings.
Better sooner than later.
"While she is indeed beautiful, she and I live in different worlds. Also, I am not 'lovestruck', I was just wondering why there was a statue of the royal family here."
Zenos looked at Arvell with a wry smile and a gaze that said "I don't believe you!"
Arvell felt veins bulge in his forehead, but he just sighed.
"Believe what you want."
The group continued on through the streets until they saw another gate.
Zenos turned towards Arvell and bowed dramatically.
"Welcome to my humble abode."
Arvell followed Rupert and Uriel along with Zenos, as the two entered the gates of a large manor.
From up-close, they could marvel at the sight of the imposing manner.
It would have looked quite intimidating to an average person, but for Arvell who used to be a prince, this was nothing to get excited over.
"Welcome back young master Zenos!"
The instant they walked in, they were greeted by almost 50 maids and butlers bowing their heads.
However, Zenos didn't care about that.
He was too busy fixated on the person looking down at him from the top of the staircase.
The man's eyes were baggy, showing his lack of sleep for at least a few weeks.
He looked at Zenos, rubbing his eyes a few times to make sure he was seeing properly.
The maids and butlers quickly left the scene, after all, they didn't want to interrupt their intimate moment.
A woman and a teenage girl walked up to him and joined him.
However, after one look at Zenos, the two of them burst into tears.
The woman and the girl started racing down the stairs and hugged Zenos tearfully.
"Zen, my precious son… Thank the heavens you are ok!" The woman cried.
"Zen… I'm so sorry, I was unable to keep you safe. I failed you as a big sister."
Finally seeing his family again broke the last semblance of self-restraint Zenos had. The tears he managed to contain earlier started flooding out.
"Mother! Big sis Angela! I missed you all so much!"
Seeing this, the only person left standing on the staircase also rushed down and joined the three for a group hug.
"My son, is it… is it really you?"
Zenos's mother slapped her husband on the back of his head.
"What kind of father can't even recognize his own son! You need glasses!"
Seeing this, Zenos broke into a laugh.
"It's been so long that I'd almost forgotten. Mother really has you on the ropes father!"
The slight scowl on Zenos's mother's face broke, replacing it was a childish smile.
"Of course! Otherwise how could I make sure he doesn't do any philandering behind my back?"
Angela looked at the two and pouted.
"Mother! Zen just came home, and you already are quarrelling with Father!"
Hearing his daughter stand up for him, the duke nodded his head.
"My daughter is correct!"
However, this just earned him another slap on the back of his head.
"Don't go hiding behind our daughter now!"
Arvell watched this play out with an amused smile.
'It seems like Zen's father can give you a run for your money, eh Lykos?'
Lykos scoffed.
'I am far more shameless than him!'
Arvell rolled his eyes.
'The very fact that you argue for being more shameless speaks volumes.'
While the two were going at it, Zenos remembered that they weren't alone.
He looked at his family and then back at Arvell.
Seeing Arvell's amused smile, he felt a flush of embarrassment.
While his family was normally like this, they wouldn't act the same in front of guests.
However, they finally saw their missing son after so long.
After bearing those heavy feelings for so long, they finally cut loose.
Not even noticing that they were in the presence of a guest.
After all, their son finally came back after going missing for weeks.
*Ahem*
Zenos lightly coughed, getting everyone's attention.
"I'd like to introduce someone to you all."
Zenos walked over and put his arm around Arvell's neck.
Angela's eyes went wide when she saw Arvell.
She had seen her fair share of handsome men, but they paled in comparison to Arvell.
His beauty was in a league of it's own.
"This is Arvell. He's the main reason why I managed to come back safely."
Zenos's words confused everyone there but Rupert and Uriel.
After all, they had already found out about this when they questioned the two earlier.
"He saved you? Not the knight order?" Zen's father questioned.
Zen nodded his head.
"Yes father, he was the one who rescued me from my kidnappers."
The duke's face turned grim.
"Follow me to the study."
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The Silvercolt estate was located in the city of Talion, and from there they managed all of the land under their authority.
Being the duke in charge of maintaining the Elantryan-Vispian border, Talion served as the last bastion against a Vispian invasion.
Most of the city was inhabited by knights, soldiers and their respective families.
In order to better serve its purpose, the city was naturally built like a fortress.
The pitch-black walls looked quite intimidating to the group.
It was as if they were entering a demon's castle.
The walls were reinforced to withstand even magic from a 4th circle mage without a single scratch.
Even during the war, Talion was one of the key contributors to their war efforts.
This single fortress managed to repel a Vispian invasion force 10,000 strong.
All without them taking one step into Talion.
This was a widely known tale, and due to it, almost everyone on the continent knew the might of the Silvercolt family.
As the group approached the city gates, they heard a voice yell out above them.
"State your name and purpose."
It was getting a bit too dark, so the guard standing on the ramparts couldn't identify the approaching people.
Hearing this, Rupert shrugged and sighed.
He walked close enough so that the torches on the city wall could illuminate his face.
"Grett, you know who I am. Just open the gate."
"C-C-Commander Rupert? Didn't you say you wouldn't return for a few days? I'm terribly sorry for this!"
Hastily ordering the nearby men to open the gate, he saluted Rupert.
"Welcome back Commander!".
The nearby knights also followed suit.
"Welcome back Commander!"
"Welcome back Commander!"
Rupert had a sly smile, as he reached out his hand at Zenos.
"You louts shouldn't be welcoming me back with such gusto. If anything, this young man here is the one who should get this reception."
Zen awkwardly stepped into the torchlight, letting all those nearby see his face.
"H-Hi?"
The guard's eyes went wide at this new development.
"I-I-IT CAN'T BE!"
"It's the young lord!"
"The young lord has returned safe and sound!"
"Someone quick! Inform the duke!"
While one of the guards left to relay their news to the lord, the nearby knights all fell onto one knee.
"Young master Zenos! Welcome home!" They unanimously shouted.
Zenos nodded his head, while tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
He had suffered for so long, even losing hope that he would ever be able to go back.
Finally… At long last, he was home.
Rupert guided Arvell and Zenos the Duke's manor, while a few of the knights escorted the freed girls to a place where they could rest.
As for the slave traders? They were taken straight to the jail and locked up.
They would be tried in the following days for their crimes.
The group travelled through the city, and Arvell was visibly astounded.
He had assumed the city was nothing more than a glorified fortress, with no one but knights and soldiers living here with their families.
However, the city looked just as lively as Talmek, the Vispian capital.
While it was nightfall, there were still quite a few people drinking, dancing and singing.
However, as the knight order passed by, the nearby people all saluted them.
'Is this some kind of custom here?' Arvell wondered.
'Well, these people almost all have a member of their family in the duke's army. Saluting the captain might just be a trait that they picked up from their loved ones.'
Arvell was confused.
'Why would you salute the captain of a knight order if you aren't even a knight? Even if he's your spouse's boss, it doesn't mean you need to salute him?'
Lykos sighed.
'It's probably just a local custom. I mean, look. The knight order and the army protect their entire country by managing this border. It's probably just their way of showing respect.'
Arvell nodded.
'I see.'
As Arvell quickly noted, the city was quite beautiful.
There were masterfully carved statues of a man whom Arvell presumed to be the duke, as well as statues of the king and queen of Elantrya.
There were even ones of a girl and two young men beside them.
Arvell's heart froze when he saw those.
'Lily…'
He wouldn't forget that face, no matter how many years had passed.
She looked older in this picture than the eight-year-old appearance he remembered her by.
Zenos saw Arvell gaping at the statues, and smirked.
"Are you lovestruck by our princess's beauty? You wouldn't be the first!"
Arvell instantly snapped out of his daze and glared at Zenos.
"You wish."
Ever since Zenos got reunited with the knights of his family, he was slowly becoming more open.
Since he no longer had to constantly fear for his life, he was slowly going back to his old self.
While Arvell was happy for him, he didn't appreciate having a second Lykos around him.
'One Lykos is already more than I can handle' Arvell sighed.
'You do realize I can read your thoughts right? Even if you can't hear my inner thoughts, I can still hear yours. Whether or not I actually want to." Lykos huffed.
Ignoring a pouty Lykos, Arvell decided to clear up Zenos's misunderstandings.
Better sooner than later.
"While she is indeed beautiful, she and I live in different worlds. Also, I am not 'lovestruck', I was just wondering why there was a statue of the royal family here."
Zenos looked at Arvell with a wry smile and a gaze that said "I don't believe you!"
Arvell felt veins bulge in his forehead, but he just sighed.
"Believe what you want."
The group continued on through the streets until they saw another gate.
Zenos turned towards Arvell and bowed dramatically.
"Welcome to my humble abode."
Arvell followed Rupert and Uriel along with Zenos, as the two entered the gates of a large manor.
From up-close, they could marvel at the sight of the imposing manner.
It would have looked quite intimidating to an average person, but for Arvell who used to be a prince, this was nothing to get excited over.
"Welcome back young master Zenos!"
The instant they walked in, they were greeted by almost 50 maids and butlers bowing their heads.
However, Zenos didn't care about that.
He was too busy fixated on the person looking down at him from the top of the staircase.
The man's eyes were baggy, showing his lack of sleep for at least a few weeks.
He looked at Zenos, rubbing his eyes a few times to make sure he was seeing properly.
The maids and butlers quickly left the scene, after all, they didn't want to interrupt their intimate moment.
A woman and a teenage girl walked up to him and joined him.
However, after one look at Zenos, the two of them burst into tears.
The woman and the girl started racing down the stairs and hugged Zenos tearfully.
"Zen, my precious son… Thank the heavens you are ok!" The woman cried.
"Zen… I'm so sorry, I was unable to keep you safe. I failed you as a big sister."
Finally seeing his family again broke the last semblance of self-restraint Zenos had. The tears he managed to contain earlier started flooding out.
"Mother! Big sis Angela! I missed you all so much!"
Seeing this, the only person left standing on the staircase also rushed down and joined the three for a group hug.
"My son, is it… is it really you?"
Zenos's mother slapped her husband on the back of his head.
"What kind of father can't even recognize his own son! You need glasses!"
Seeing this, Zenos broke into a laugh.
"It's been so long that I'd almost forgotten. Mother really has you on the ropes father!"
The slight scowl on Zenos's mother's face broke, replacing it was a childish smile.
"Of course! Otherwise how could I make sure he doesn't do any philandering behind my back?"
Angela looked at the two and pouted.
"Mother! Zen just came home, and you already are quarrelling with Father!"
Hearing his daughter stand up for him, the duke nodded his head.
"My daughter is correct!"
However, this just earned him another slap on the back of his head.
"Don't go hiding behind our daughter now!"
Arvell watched this play out with an amused smile.
'It seems like Zen's father can give you a run for your money, eh Lykos?'
Lykos scoffed.
'I am far more shameless than him!'
Arvell rolled his eyes.
'The very fact that you argue for being more shameless speaks volumes.'
While the two were going at it, Zenos remembered that they weren't alone.
He looked at his family and then back at Arvell.
Seeing Arvell's amused smile, he felt a flush of embarrassment.
While his family was normally like this, they wouldn't act the same in front of guests.
However, they finally saw their missing son after so long.
After bearing those heavy feelings for so long, they finally cut loose.
Not even noticing that they were in the presence of a guest.
After all, their son finally came back after going missing for weeks.
*Ahem*
Zenos lightly coughed, getting everyone's attention.
"I'd like to introduce someone to you all."
Zenos walked over and put his arm around Arvell's neck.
Angela's eyes went wide when she saw Arvell.
She had seen her fair share of handsome men, but they paled in comparison to Arvell.
His beauty was in a league of it's own.
"This is Arvell. He's the main reason why I managed to come back safely."
Zenos's words confused everyone there but Rupert and Uriel.
After all, they had already found out about this when they questioned the two earlier.
"He saved you? Not the knight order?" Zen's father questioned.
Zen nodded his head.
"Yes father, he was the one who rescued me from my kidnappers."
The duke's face turned grim.
"Follow me to the study."
The Silvercolt estate was located in the city of Talion, and from there they managed all of the land under their authority.Being the duke in charge of maintaining the Elantryan-Vispian border, Talion served as the last bastion against a Vispian invasion.Most of the city was inhabited by knights, soldiers and their respective families.In order to better serve its purpose, the city was naturally built like a fortress.The pitch-black walls looked quite intimidating to the group.It was as if they were entering a demon's castle.The walls were reinforced to withstand even magic from a 4th circle mage without a single scratch.Even during the war, Talion was one of the key contributors to their war efforts.This single fortress managed to repel a Vispian invasion force 10,000 strong.All without them taking one step into Talion.This was a widely known tale, and due to it, almost everyone on the continent knew the might of the Silvercolt family.As the group approached the city gates, they heard a voice yell out above them."State your name and purpose."It was getting a bit too dark, so the guard standing on the ramparts couldn't identify the approaching people.Hearing this, Rupert shrugged and sighed.He walked close enough so that the torches on the city wall could illuminate his face."Grett, you know who I am. Just open the gate.""C-C-Commander Rupert? Didn't you say you wouldn't return for a few days? I'm terribly sorry for this!"Hastily ordering the nearby men to open the gate, he saluted Rupert."Welcome back Commander!".The nearby knights also followed suit."Welcome back Commander!""Welcome back Commander!"Rupert had a sly smile, as he reached out his hand at Zenos."You louts shouldn't be welcoming me back with such gusto. If anything, this young man here is the one who should get this reception."Zen awkwardly stepped into the torchlight, letting all those nearby see his face."H-Hi?"The guard's eyes went wide at this new development."I-I-IT CAN'T BE!""It's the young lord!""The young lord has returned safe and sound!""Someone quick! Inform the duke!"While one of the guards left to relay their news to the lord, the nearby knights all fell onto one knee."Young master Zenos! Welcome home!" They unanimously shouted.Zenos nodded his head, while tears threatened to spill from his eyes.He had suffered for so long, even losing hope that he would ever be able to go back.Finally At long last, he was home.Rupert guided Arvell and Zenos the Duke's manor, while a few of the knights escorted the freed girls to a place where they could rest.As for the slave traders? They were taken straight to the jail and locked up.They would be tried in the following days for their crimes.The group travelled through the city, and Arvell was visibly astounded.He had assumed the city was nothing more than a glorified fortress, with no one but knights and soldiers living here with their families.However, the city looked just as lively as Talmek, the Vispian capital.While it was nightfall, there were still quite a few people drinking, dancing and singing.However, as the knight order passed by, the nearby people all saluted them.'Is this some kind of custom here?' Arvell wondered.'Well, these people almost all have a member of their family in the duke's army. Saluting the captain might just be a trait that they picked up from their loved ones.'Arvell was confused.'Why would you salute the captain of a knight order if you aren't even a knight? Even if he's your spouse's boss, it doesn't mean you need to salute him?'Lykos sighed.'It's probably just a local custom. I mean, look. The knight order and the army protect their entire country by managing this border. It's probably just their way of showing respect.'Arvell nodded.'I see.'As Arvell quickly noted, the city was quite beautiful.There were masterfully carved statues of a man whom Arvell presumed to be the duke, as well as statues of the king and queen of Elantrya.There were even ones of a girl and two young men beside them.Arvell's heart froze when he saw those.'Lily'He wouldn't forget that face, no matter how many years had passed.She looked older in this picture than the eight-year-old appearance he remembered her by.Zenos saw Arvell gaping at the statues, and smirked."Are you lovestruck by our princess's beauty? You wouldn't be the first!"Arvell instantly snapped out of his daze and glared at Zenos."You wish."Ever since Zenos got reunited with the knights of his family, he was slowly becoming more open.Since he no longer had to constantly fear for his life, he was slowly going back to his old self.While Arvell was happy for him, he didn't appreciate having a second Lykos around him.'One Lykos is already more than I can handle' Arvell sighed.'You do realize I can read your thoughts right? Even if you can't hear my inner thoughts, I can still hear yours. Whether or not I actually want to." Lykos huffed.Ignoring a pouty Lykos, Arvell decided to clear up Zenos's misunderstandings.Better sooner than later."While she is indeed beautiful, she and I live in different worlds. Also, I am not 'lovestruck', I was just wondering why there was a statue of the royal family here."Zenos looked at Arvell with a wry smile and a gaze that said "I don't believe you!"Arvell felt veins bulge in his forehead, but he just sighed."Believe what you want."The group continued on through the streets until they saw another gate.Zenos turned towards Arvell and bowed dramatically."Welcome to my humble abode."Arvell followed Rupert and Uriel along with Zenos, as the two entered the gates of a large manor.From up-close, they could marvel at the sight of the imposing manner.It would have looked quite intimidating to an average person, but for Arvell who used to be a prince, this was nothing to get excited over."Welcome back young master Zenos!"The instant they walked in, they were greeted by almost 50 maids and butlers bowing their heads.However, Zenos didn't care about that.He was too busy fixated on the person looking down at him from the top of the staircase.The man's eyes were baggy, showing his lack of sleep for at least a few weeks.He looked at Zenos, rubbing his eyes a few times to make sure he was seeing properly.The maids and butlers quickly left the scene, after all, they didn't want to interrupt their intimate moment.A woman and a teenage girl walked up to him and joined him.However, after one look at Zenos, the two of them burst into tears.The woman and the girl started racing down the stairs and hugged Zenos tearfully."Zen, my precious son Thank the heavens you are ok!" The woman cried."Zen I'm so sorry, I was unable to keep you safe. I failed you as a big sister."Finally seeing his family again broke the last semblance of self-restraint Zenos had. The tears he managed to contain earlier started flooding out."Mother! Big sis Angela! I missed you all so much!"Seeing this, the only person left standing on the staircase also rushed down and joined the three for a group hug."My son, is it is it really you?"Zenos's mother slapped her husband on the back of his head."What kind of father can't even recognize his own son! You need glasses!"Seeing this, Zenos broke into a laugh."It's been so long that I'd almost forgotten. Mother really has you on the ropes father!"The slight scowl on Zenos's mother's face broke, replacing it was a childish smile."Of course! Otherwise how could I make sure he doesn't do any philandering behind my back?"Angela looked at the two and pouted."Mother! Zen just came home, and you already are quarrelling with Father!"Hearing his daughter stand up for him, the duke nodded his head."My daughter is correct!"However, this just earned him another slap on the back of his head."Don't go hiding behind our daughter now!"Arvell watched this play out with an amused smile.'It seems like Zen's father can give you a run for your money, eh Lykos?'Lykos scoffed.'I am far more shameless than him!'Arvell rolled his eyes.'The very fact that you argue for being more shameless speaks volumes.'While the two were going at it, Zenos remembered that they weren't alone.He looked at his family and then back at Arvell.Seeing Arvell's amused smile, he felt a flush of embarrassment.While his family was normally like this, they wouldn't act the same in front of guests.However, they finally saw their missing son after so long.After bearing those heavy feelings for so long, they finally cut loose.Not even noticing that they were in the presence of a guest.After all, their son finally came back after going missing for weeks.*Ahem*Zenos lightly coughed, getting everyone's attention."I'd like to introduce someone to you all."Zenos walked over and put his arm around Arvell's neck.Angela's eyes went wide when she saw Arvell.She had seen her fair share of handsome men, but they paled in comparison to Arvell.His beauty was in a league of it's own."This is Arvell. He's the main reason why I managed to come back safely."Zenos's words confused everyone there but Rupert and Uriel.After all, they had already found out about this when they questioned the two earlier."He saved you? Not the knight order?" Zen's father questioned.Zen nodded his head."Yes father, he was the one who rescued me from my kidnappers."The duke's face turned grim."Follow me to the study."
