Charles and Nora walked through the corridors of the Storm Clan, now dressed in clean but still slightly damp tunics from the rain and the incident in Nora's room.

The air in the hallway was cool, carrying a faint scent of wood and burnt wax from the torches lighting the path.

Charles held the black sword in his hand, feeling its weight.

Nora, beside him, walked with quick steps, trying to keep pace, though her face still bore traces of the unease left by their encounter with Kain.

Neither spoke much, as if the tense atmosphere from the room still lingered.

When they reached Lira's door, Charles paused, noticing no light seeped from beneath it.

Nora raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"What time does your half-sister usually sleep…?" she asked, her tone curious.

Charles shrugged, scratching the back of his neck.

"No idea," he said casually. "Lira's always busy with something, but…"

Without waiting for a reply, Charles stepped forward and knocked hard on the door, mimicking Kain's brusque style from when he'd barged into Nora's room.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

The sound echoed through the corridor, and Nora couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth.

"What?" Charles said, turning to her with a grin. "Find that funny?"

"It's just—you did it exactly like Kain!" Nora said, still laughing. "So dramatic!"

Charles smirked, but there was no answer from the other side of the door.

He frowned, waiting a moment, then, without overthinking it, turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Nora's jaw dropped, clearly shocked by his boldness.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, her tone a mix of disbelief and amusement. "You're really just barging in without an invite? What if she's asleep?"

Charles shrugged, stepping inside.

"If she's asleep, we wake her," he said nonchalantly. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Lira's room was pitch-black, but even in the dimness, Nora could tell how orderly it was.

The walls were lined with shelves packed with neatly aligned books and scrolls.

In one corner stood a small kitchen, a polished wooden table, and a pair of pans hanging on the wall.

Everything was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight, a stark contrast to the chaos of Nora's room.

Charles, used to Lira's obsessive tidiness, barely noticed, but Nora stared, impressed.

"Wow…" Nora said, her tone full of admiration.

Charles chuckled, heading toward the desk.

At the desk, Lira was slumped over a pile of papers, her head resting on her arms, her black hair splayed like a curtain.

A faint snore escaped her lips, and Charles couldn't help but smile.

He always found her like this, buried in work, even late at night.

Not for the first time, he wondered what she was reviewing so obsessively.

What kind of documents were so important they kept her up this late?

Before he could get closer, Lira stirred, letting out a long, deep yawn. She lifted her head slowly, blinking with half-closed eyes.

When she saw Charles, her expression shifted instantly to irritation, and she raised a fist as if ready to swat him.

"Rian!" she exclaimed, her tone more exasperated than angry. "What the hell are you doing here at this hour?"

Then she noticed Nora behind him, barely visible in the dark, and frowned.

"And who's she? Why are you two barging into my room without knocking?"

Charles rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"I did knock!" he said with mock indignation. "As usual, you didn't hear. Just like last time."

Lira sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Whatever," she said, glancing at Nora. "You, turn on the light, please."

Nora nodded quickly, fumbling for the switch on the wall.

When the light flicked on, the room lit up fully, revealing its perfection even more.

The furniture was simple but elegant, with carved wood details adding a touch of sophistication.

The floor was spotless, and even the dishes in the kitchen gleamed.

Nora let out a low whistle, clearly impressed.

"This is… wow," she said, looking around. "Your room's like a palace compared to mine."

Lira raised an eyebrow but didn't acknowledge the compliment.

Instead, her gaze locked onto Charles, then drifted to the black sword in his hand.

Her eyes narrowed, and she nodded toward the weapon.

"Where'd you get that?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "What's that sword?"

Charles gestured casually at Nora.

"She's giving it to me," he said, flashing a carefree smile.

Nora blinked, caught off guard by the comment, but then remembered she'd suggested the lie to cover their tracks with Kain.

She laughed nervously, playing along.

"Yeah, that's right," she said, nodding. "It's… a gift."

Lira stared at her, clearly puzzled.

In her mind, the pieces didn't add up.

The sword in Rian's hands didn't look like an ordinary weapon. Its deep, glossy black color, the strange shimmer of the blade, and the way it seemed almost… alive made it stand out.

Lira knew a weapon like that wouldn't go unnoticed in the clan, especially if someone like Nora, a Master, had owned it.

But she'd never heard of such a sword.

Where had Nora gotten it?

And more importantly, why was she giving it to Rian?

"A gift…?" Lira said, her tone more incredulous than accusing. "You're giving that sword to him? Seriously?"

Charles nodded, sticking to the lie.

"Yup," he said. "And I thought you could help me register it as mine. Nora said you'd know how."

Lira sighed, resting her elbows on the desk and massaging her temples.

In her mind, thoughts swirled.

She knew registering a weapon in the clan was a simple process, but after her conversation with Selena, she'd decided to keep some distance from Rian.

The suspicions about him were growing, and this sword only complicated things.

"Fine," Lira said at last, her tone resigned. "I'll help you register it. But, Rian, in return, stay out of stupid trouble. Got it?"

Charles frowned, irked by the comment.

"Trouble finds me," he said, sounding more defensive than intended. "I don't start it."

Lira fixed him with a stare, her expression unconvinced.

"Then learn to dodge it," she said firmly. "Or find a way to settle it without fighting. Because right now, your other half-siblings are starting to distrust you. That change in your attitude lately… it's not going unnoticed."

Charles blinked, caught off guard.

His other half-siblings?

The word echoed in his head, and suddenly, a wave of doubts hit him.

How many half-siblings did he have, exactly?

He knew about Kain and Lira, but were there more?

And if they were half-siblings, not full siblings, that meant Kraus, his father, had multiple wives.

How many?

Who was his mother, and why was she never mentioned?

The questions piled up, and Charles felt his head spin.

"What do you mean, 'my other half-siblings'?" he said, his tone a mix of confusion and curiosity. "How many are there? And why are they all half-siblings, not full siblings?"

Lira raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the question.

"You seriously forgot…?" she said, her tone almost incredulous. "Dad has… several wives. It's not a secret. But it's not something you ask about carelessly, Rian. And about your mother…"

Lira paused, as if weighing whether to continue.

"It's not my place to say. Ask Kraus when you see him tomorrow."

Charles frowned, frustrated by the vague answer. Before he could press further, Nora stepped in, her tone soft but firm.

"Sorry," she said, looking at Lira. "Should I leave?"

Lira sighed, her expression softening.

"No, it's fine," she said. "I'm just trying to keep this idiot out of trouble."

She nodded toward Charles, and Nora laughed, easing the tension a bit.

But in Charles's mind, another doubt was forming.

It wasn't just about his family but how the clan worked overall.

The Coles were an important family, sure, but what about the other clan members?

He recalled the village he'd visited earlier, full of babies and women.

How did families function here?

Before he could sort his thoughts, the sword's voice rang in his mind, its tone mocking.

"Ha!" it said. "This place is a fascinating mess, isn't it? If you want to know more about how this clan ticks, I can help, human."

Charles frowned, responding mentally.

'And how could you do that?' he thought, curious. 'What do you know that I don't?'

The sword let out a low chuckle.

"Obviously I know stuff!" it said, almost smug. "Why not ask your system? That gizmo inside you must have some useful info, right? After all, I'm linked to you now. I can lend a hand… or a blade, rather."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.