Chapter 4237: Wild Rumors (Part 2)

***

The revealing of Raldarak’s six streaks and the confirmation of Lith’s bloodline potential sent the entire Garlen into an uproar. Aran, Leria, and even Rena’s triplets received countless invitations from noble and magical households all across the continent.

Tista was spared from the envelopes’ onslaught only thanks to her relationship with Bodya. The problem was that it made him a target.

The members of the Niddhog bloodline cleared him of every charge pending over his head and promised to make him the next patriarch, if he returned into their fold with his lovely bride.

"Tell them to go fuck themselves." Vothal the Nidhogg, Bodya’s grandfather, advised him. "I get our brethren is shameless and opportunistic, any Awakened bloodline is no different, but this is too much.

"They can’t expect you to magically forget everything that happened and play their stupid game with an even stupider smile on your face. Make them stew for a long time before giving them the finger. I want to see them squirm."

"Thanks, Grandpa." Bodya sighed in relief, feeling the inner conflict between loyalty towards his family and his common sense sort itself out. "What do you think I should do about the Hydras’ offer to become a Divine Beast?"

"Take it, but with a grain of salt." The older Nidhogg replied. "Right now, there isn’t really a treatment. Only that guy, Ajatar, succeeded, and until he discloses his procedure, the Hydras’ offer is just hot air.

"Even when the Sapphire Dragon shares his research with the rest of the Lesser Divine Beasts, if he does it at all, it will still take you a lot of work to adapt Ajatar’s technique to your unique physiology. You can’t trust the members of our bloodline.

"They would love nothing more than making an ’unfortunate mistake’ that would make your life depend on them and put you in an eternal debt of gratitude towards them. Since Ajatar is a friend of Verhen, ask for his help. He’s your best shot."

"Sounds like a plan." Bodya half smiled and half frowned.

"You can’t fool me, child. You didn’t come all the way to Reghia to ask me something you already knew the answer to. A call would have been more than enough for that. What’s the real issue?"

"Tista." Bodya sighed.

"Did she cheat on you?" Vothal’s tone turned into a low rumble. "Does she lord her Divine Beast status or her countless suitors over you?"

"I’m glad you worry for me, Grandpa, but rest assured. If any of that were to happen, I would have come here to tell you that I dumped her. That kind of decision is not hard to make if you have a shred of spine and self-respect." Bodya snorted.

"Then what did she do that troubles you so much?" The older Niddhog leaned back on his chair, sighing in relief.

"More like what she didn’t do." Bodya replied, rushing to clarify. "Not that, Grandpa. There is no issue in our intimate life, and even if there were, I wouldn’t discuss it with you. I mean that there’s something she’s not telling me.

"Many things, actually. I’m confident she keeps a significant part of her life hidden from me."

"How can you be so sure?" Vothal steepled his fingers.

"Tista often disappears for hours, always with someone of her family, mind you, and when she returns, she refuses to tell me where they went and what they did." Bodya replied. "At first, I thought she just went to Lith’s lab, but too many things feel off.

"Whole conversations stop when I enter a room, the entire family moves around the Garlen continent as if it’s their backyard, and they do plenty of trips somewhere I can’t follow.

"They do a good job hiding it, but I’ve lived with them for a while now, and I can tell when Tista lies to me. Even worse, whatever her secret is, many of her friends know about it. It’s me she doesn’t trust."

"Well, this has an easy solution, child." Vothal said. "Just tell her what you just told me. Make no demands, just let her know that the existence of this secret makes you uneasy. At that point, listen to her reply and make up your mind.

"Just remember that no reply is also a reply. It means that she respects you enough not to lie to you, but she doesn’t value you enough to tell you the truth either."

"Thanks, Grandpa." Bodya exhaled as a huge burden had been lifted from his back. "What about our family? If I broke up with Tista, you would also be exiled again."

"As I said, they can go fuck themselves." Vothal snorted. "Why do you think I never returned to our ancestral land? I don’t trust our brethren, and I won’t put myself into their hands.

"If they want to use me as a bargaining chip with you, they’ll have to make an enemy out of the entire Beast Empire. I’m a respected elder here in Reghia, and the Emperor Beasts of Jiera hope to establish a good relationship with Verhen through me.

"They won’t let the Nidhogg clan take me without a bloody war."

***

Over two weeks had passed from the Royal Gala for Elysia’s birthday, yet the situation in the Royal Court only became more heated by the day. All those who had been denied an invitation demanded to verify the reports about Raldarak with their own eyes.

Those who had attended the gala kept spreading a mix of truth and lies to deceive their political opponents and slow down the development of their agenda.

There were wild rumors in the Royal Court about Elysia using tier five magic already and Raldarak being able to wield Ragnarök with the skill of a sword master.

They would have been dismissed as blatant lies if not for Manohar the Second performing absurd feats for a two-year-old in front of plenty of witnesses. Shargein helping the baby boy in his experiments only made things worse.

After all, Elysia and Raldarak were human hybrids like Manohar and carried the same blood as Shargein.

"Don’t stare at those idiots, Shargein." The baby boy said with perfect pronunciation. "Mom says it’s rude. Apparently, some grown-ups are both stupid and thin-skinned."

"Okay." The fact that they were playing chess, and nobody could follow their moves, only made their conversation more surreal.

"I don’t like asking you to do this, Magus Verhen, but there is no other choice." King Meron sighed. "Rest assured, no noble can bother you if you refuse my request, yet the unrest will keep growing until I can no longer contain it.

"Sooner or later, Lutia will be invaded by nobles coming there in the hope of meeting you or Raldarak by ’chance’. Not to mention the countless invitations and requests to visit your home you’ll receive."

"Sadly, it’s already too late for that." Lith showed the unopened mail he used to fuel his fireplace. "I have nothing against bringing Ral to the Royal Court, but you’ve seen what happened here.

"If Elysia gets upset again, someone might get hurt. Or worse."

"That’s why I’m thinking of arranging a much quicker and simpler event." Meron replied.

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