Free Web NovelChapter 53: Want Answers
The entire arena fell silent.
The people who had come only to watch the final stage of the coming-of-age ceremony were all important figures within the clan. After hearing all of that, every one of them was shocked.
If everything was truly as described...
The woman finally shifted her gaze away, though her expression remained grave.
"Grand Elder," the Clan Leader’s cold voice echoed through the arena.
"All entrances and exits of the clan are to be sealed. No one is authorized to leave until further notice. Immediately seal the Jade Cores of every Elder in the clan and, together with Gangrel, take them all to the underground prison under maximum alert. Anyone who resists, you are authorized to use the Central Inscription. I will personally investigate you afterward as well. Once I am certain you have no connection to this matter, everyone, without exception, will be thoroughly investigated."
The Clan Leader’s voice struck the hearts of several people present like a divine hammer.
After that, she turned toward Priam.
"You and those two brats, come with me immediately."
Priam barely had time to nod before the space around him began to distort.
This was a method of spatial transportation commonly used by Mages.
However, only the highest-level Mages of the divine planes could directly manipulate space themselves.
Priam had previously heard from Flora that the entire central clan had been built above a powerful underground Central Inscription capable of moving space.
Those with high authority within the clan could use it in many ways.
Now, with the Clan Leader’s authorization, even if all the culprits unleashed every bit of power they had and fled in different directions, the moment the Central Inscription was activated, they would be captured before they could even dream of leaving the clan.
Because of that...
No one could even think about escaping anymore.
...
When the space around Priam stabilized, he found himself standing in a garden filled with exotic flowers of countless colors.
He glanced to the side and saw Shione and Lumiere wearing nervous expressions.
This wasn’t the first time he had noticed it. Whenever their mother was mentioned, they reacted in a similar way.
But after remembering Lumiere’s words in the arena when the Clan Leader appeared, Priam was beginning to understand this family a little better.
"Who would’ve thought that brat Boey’s son would turn out to be someone so exceptional..."
The woman’s serious voice drew Priam’s attention.
When he turned around, he saw her staring directly at him, a difficult-to-describe emotion appearing in her eyes.
It was almost as if she felt guilty about something.
Priam took a deep breath before speaking without hesitation.
"Sorry for the lack of manners, but... is my father alive?"
She nodded gently, and her gaze became distant.
"The Leader knows where he is?"
Priam asked directly, clenching his fists.
His mother was getting worse with each passing day because of the lack of news. She had been waiting for him for years.
Before coming to the clan, Priam had promised he would find out what happened to him.
"That answer involves the greatest secret of our clan," she said slowly. "This generation’s coming-of-age ceremony is special, but few people know that it isn’t because my three children are participating. The greatest geniuses of the clan will be involved in it, so you’ll learn the truth soon enough."
Priam took a deep breath, deep in thought.
Ever since arriving at this clan, he had noticed several strange inconsistencies.
This should have been nothing more than the strongest clan on the planet, while the other clans on the same planet were fairly mediocre in comparison.
Even his mother’s race, which lived in the forest without powerful techniques or abundant resources, could compete with the Mages from those other planetary clans in terms of strength.
But the Ylisse Clan was completely different.
Everything within the clan was much, much greater than it should have been.
If it were a clan with millions of members that ruled over other planets or something similar, it might have made sense.
But only forty-three youths turning fifteen over a span of five years?
That pointed to something very strange.
The Clan Leader saw the doubts in Priam’s eyes.
She was certain this young man was far more mature and observant than someone his age should be.
"My name is Orlaith. You can call me by my name instead of being so formal." She paused and sighed, her expression complicated. "I brought you here... because I want to thank you for saving my children. Thank you very much."
Her gaze shifted toward Shione and Lumiere, and guilt appeared on her face.
"I... failed to take care of you."
Shione immediately responded.
"No! Mother only... after Father’s death, she was deeply affected."
"We don’t blame you. We know Mom suffered greatly because of his death," Lumiere added emotionally.
Orlaith shook her head.
But for the moment, she said nothing.
She certainly already had her suspicions about Gangrel, but she didn’t want to reveal the truth to those two before she was absolutely certain.
She wasn’t foolish, and she knew her son had possibly done something terrible and become someone terrible... the pain she felt as she became more certain of that was complex and indescribable. Her last hope was that, after investigating everything, Gangrel had at least not participated directly; that way, his life might be spared.
Priam snorted, understanding the situation better. Her husband... had really died. How? No one outside knew about it, so it must have happened under secret circumstances.
After that happened, it seemed Orlaith withdrew from the world in grief, to the point that she even stopped seeing her children. She likely only fulfilled her duties as clan leader in the coldest and quickest way possible.
As a consequence of that, her three children ended up being raised by the clan Elders. All three of them were somewhat distorted and disconnected from reality.
Gangrel was likely corrupted by the greed of certain Elders and convinced to do whatever it took to become the clan’s sole heir. Since the two younger siblings were genuinely talented, they chose the eldest and weaker one because he would be easier to control in the future. frёeωebɳovel.com
"Priam, is there something you want? I need to reward you. But it won’t have anything to do with your first place. You’ll receive those merits later," Orlaith said lightly.
Hearing those words, Priam took a deep breath.
"I want an answer from the clan." His tone was extremely serious, with clearly restrained anger.
The leader’s eyes changed. "What do you mean?"
"Simple..."
Priam spoke slowly, explaining his mother’s situation ever since his father disappeared, as well as the terrible circumstances they were left in after the clan decided to stop sending them resources.
Calling it complex and terrible would be an understatement.
To preserve the dignity of Priam’s father, who had been the leader of that branch in the city, his mother had to risk her life hunting powerful beasts, all to earn enough money to keep the branch barely functioning.
She was a strong woman who kept everything together with her own hands, but there had been absolutely no reason for any of that to happen.
When he finished, Priam saw a flash of anger in the clan leader’s eyes.
Shione and Lumiere, standing beside him, were stunned after hearing all of that. So Priam had really been judged by the clan’s soldiers and labeled as trash? How was that even possible?
"This is very serious." The clan leader’s voice turned heavy.
"I will investigate this properly. The only thing I can tell you right now is that something like this should never have happened. Even though her marriage with that brat Boey was not approved, after she gave birth to a child, she officially became a member of the clan and could not have been treated this way. Rest assured, I will find the one responsible. I will also compensate your family for all of this."
