Chapter 11: Returns Beyond Imagination!
The system’s words hung in the dark air, glowing faint gold against the night.
[Reward Generated:]
[Mythical Bloodline Evolution Crystal]
[Legendary Talent Awakening Crystal]
Lucien’s breathing stopped.
"..."
"...Mythical?"
Eighteen years.
Eighteen years of nothing, of waiting, of being called the family’s greatest disappointment.
And now this.
His hand twitched toward the inventory, some primal instinct screaming ’use it, use it now, USE IT NOW—’
Then he caught himself against instantly using both crystals.
’Wait,’
’The girl’s are still standing right here.’
’If I suddenly awaken a Mythical bloodline and a Legendary Talent right in front of them randomly on the spot, how exactly do I explain that?’
’ "Oh, this? Just eighteen years of dormant nothing, finally deciding to show up at a very convenient moment, no reason at all"?’ He sarcasticly thought to himself.
He forced his hand back down, while fighting the urge to take the crystals out of the system inventory and use them instantly, afraid they might disappear on him.
’Can’t use them right now, I’ll check them later. When I’m alone.’
The crystals stayed locked in the inventory, glowing faintly in a place only he could see, waiting.
---
Aurelia had already moved past him, crouching near the shattered window frame, eyes scanning the ground with the focus of someone who’d done this a hundred times before.
Footprints, a faint bloodstain. She traced the assassin’s likely path with her gaze, methodical and unhurried.
Then she stopped spotting something on the ground ahead.
Aurelia crouched down, picking something off the grass near the shattered window — her fingers closed around something small in the grass — a half-cracked black ring, its metal warped from impact.
She turned it over in her fingers, frowning.
"This," she said slowly,
"should belong to that assassin. Looks like he dropped it during the fall." She said handing it to Lucien.
Lucien took it, studying the fractured emblem.
’Half a crest, it’s not enough to know whose it is but it’s enough to start looking.’ He thought before handing it back to her to inspect.
She turned it over slowly.
Her expression didn’t change. But her hand went very still.
"..."
"This," she said quietly, "likely belongs to House Astrax, which means the assassin is also,"
Lucien’s stomach dropped. "You recognize it?"
She nodded once. "It’s my clan’s crest. It might be cracked, but I wouldn’t mistake it."
"We’re lucky they were a low ranking assassin otherwise," she didn’t need to complete her sentence for them tonget the idea.
’Her own family. Sent someone after her. While she’s still recovering from what they already did to her, and after being politically sold off then kicked out.’
Something cold settled behind Lucien’s ribs.
---
They headed back inside the estate, and nobody made any pretense of going back to sleep.
Aurelia sat stiffly on the couch, the broken ring resting in her palm like something venomous.
"I’m sorry," she said finally.
Lucien blinked. "For what?"
"..."
"You were attacked and injured," she said. "Because of me."
"You didn’t stab me," Lucien said. "Some coward with a dagger did. Entirely different person."
"If I weren’t here—"
"If you weren’t here," Lucien cut in, "I wouldn’t have anyone worth taking a knife for. Not exactly a trade I’d want to make."
Aurelia said nothing for a long moment.
Then, quietly said "You would’ve done the same for either of them too."
"Obviously," Lucien said. "I’m just such a loving husband. Got the whole ’protect my wives’ thing down after one night."
Something in her shoulders loosened.
Somewhere behind his eyes, Lucien heard the system chime again, her bond ticking upward again, small but steady progress.
---
’Alright. Let’s think about this properly.’
’I’ve been married for a day. My family disowned me the same day. And within twenty-four hours, someone’s already trying to kill one of my wives.’
’This wasn’t random, as the ring belongs to someone from House Astrax, someone who wanted her dead before she had the chance to fully heal.’
’Which means whoever did this likely already knows the recovery is happening however slow. Which means they could be watching. Which means we’re not safe here just because the walls are still standing.’
’Or they are trying to permanently get rid of her, so she doesn’t pose a threat to them even after they crippled her, because of all that Astrax Clan heir nonsense. This being more likely but I can’t entirely get rid of them knowing she has started healing.’
He looked up at all three of them.
"We’re weak," he said plainly. "Let’s stop pretending otherwise. We don’t exactly know who ordered this yet. But they’ll try again."
Nobody argued.
"So starting today," Lucien continued, "we all train, not just me or Aurelia but all four of us."
A faint chime rippled through his mind.
[Ding!!]
[Bonds increased]
[Aurelia Astrax — Bond (Partner) 13% → 15%]
[Seraphina Lilith — Bond (Partner) 9% → 11%]
[Evelisse Noctis — Bond (Partner) 9% → 12%]
Lucien’s brow lifted slightly at all of their bonds increasing, with Aurelia’s increasing a second time all the way to 15%.
’Huh, increased again. Guess I’m just that good of a husband huh, but it’s not like I’m complaining either.’
Evelisse raised her hand slowly and meekly , like she wasn’t sure she was allowed to. Completely opposite to how she usually is.
Lucien blinked. "...Yes?"
"Can I learn the sword?" she asked, voice quieter than usual.
Everyone turned to look at her. Her cheeks colored, but she didn’t look away this time.
"I don’t want to hide anymore," she said.
"Behind having no talent and no bloodline. I’m tired of it."
Something in Lucien’s chest tightened, warm and fierce.
"Yeah," he said. "You’ll learn."
Seraphina spoke next, gentler. "I can help everyone recover," she said. "I was trained in herbs and healing before my blood... complicated things, I still remember most of it. And I can use the resources from Evelisse’s dowry for practice "
"Then you’re our healer and alchemist," Lucien said.
Aurelia gripped her sword, knuckles pale. "I’ll teach," she said.
"Combat, at least. My strength may be useless but my years of knowledge on combat isn’t."
"Then you’re our instructor," Lucien said.
"Looks like we’ve got a whole household now. Not just four disgraces hiding in a broken estate."
For the first time since the wedding, something like real purpose settled over the room.
---
Much later, once the house had finally gone still and every door had quietly clicked shut for the night, Lucien slipped into an empty room and locked it behind him.
He exhaled slowly.
’Finally.’
He reached into the inventory and pulled both crystals free.
The room filled with soft light — one crimson, pulsing like a slow heartbeat, one gold, humming faintly with something that felt almost alive.
He stared at them for a long moment, turning them slowly in his hands.
’Eighteen years,’ he thought. ’Eighteen years of nothing. Of nobody expecting anything from me. Of being the family’s answer to "what could’ve gone wrong."’
He set the crystals down in front of him and sat back, a slow breath escaping him.
"...Let’s see," he murmured, quiet in the dark.
"What eighteen years of waiting was actually worth."
***************
[A/N: Loving the story so far?
🚀 WEEKLY POWER STONE GOALS 🚀
Want a weekend mass release? If we hit these vote targets by Friday, bonus Chapters drop on Saturday!
🌟 50 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter
🔥 100 Power Stones = +2 Bonus Chapters
⚡ 200 Power Stones = +3 Bonus Chapters
Also comment if you want an auxiliary Chapter for the Cultivation, Techniques, Item ranks etc.]