The Ancient Genes

Orca Academy, Capital.

An odd silence ensued in the Academy. The air was different than usual. No one seemed to be in the mood to smile.

Everyone was waiting for the decision. Only then would things be able to proceed once and for all. 

"You two didn't have a good night's sleep?" Elly asked as she looked at the dark circles around Lisa and Janet's eyes.

Janet obviously couldn't sleep because of what was happening while Lisa had been having nightmares. It had started the day before, she seemed to be finding herself in this unknown environment with blood and dead remains of animals….it was suffocating….she could remember the noise of a blade hacking when she looked up to the source, that's where she would end up waking....

"Sigh.."

"And what's with you? Haven't you been sighing a bit too much recently…." Elly asked as she looked at Aria beside her.

…

Mage Association, Capital

A silence ensued here as well but for an entirely different reason.

"Leave, " The Former Lord of Walker House spoke as he looked at the Lord of Edwinson House. His eyes already showed that he wasn't letting it go and if needed, he wouldn't hesitate to take drastic measures.

"Are you being serious, Walker? It better not be a joke….'' The Lord of Edwinson House spoke with a serious look. If it was someone from the main family, the Houses would go to all lengths to protect as long as the person's fault wasn't obvious as daylight and his sins weren't so grave.

"Yes, I am…" The old man replied with a serious face as well. For him Lisa mattered the most. He had observed Max until now and to be honest, he wasn't that bad. It was still early to make a decision but now was not the time to be hesitating. Even if Max had some defect in him, he would make sure to straighten the kid.

Besides, the option of cancellation was always present as long as Lisa said yes to it.

The old man truly was one of the kind, he didn't even think for a moment that Max would want to refuse the offer.

"I get it…..but I still need to bring him with me once…" the Lord of Edwinson House said as he looked at the old man.

"Didn't you hear what I said? You still dare to insist after hearing that?" The Former Lord stood strong and things weren't looking good between the two.

The other Lord's were looking towards the Mage King for answers. They couldn't ask the old man after all. If Max was really his son in law, why didn't he say that from the star to begin with? 

The Mage King on the other hand was not any less surprised than them. He too indeed had thought of it, but had concluded that it was too soon to be thinking about Lisa's partner.

But his father had done it. This had put Max on the same level as the son and daughter of the Lord. He too would be considered a noble now. Things had taken a turn now. The severity of his punishment had considerably decreased and the outlook of the other Lords as well.

When both the old men seemed to be on the verge of a fight, the Lord of the Lorenz house finally spoke, "Why don't you two stop it here?"

The Lord of Blackwood House frowned as he looked at the old man with a sweet smile, he was one of the types he was bad with and now it seemed that he was going to spoil the fight that was going to take place.

"Mind that you are in front of the Younger generation, you are not only scaring them but setting a bad example as well…" 

"Just get to the point, Mr. Hero….I haven't got the whole day…." The Lord of Blackwood House said with an annoyed face. This was what he didn't like about him. 

"Well, I will just keep your patience." Lord Lorenz said with a smile before continuing, "With the situation at hand, there is no way for us to give a severe punishment to the kid when things couldn't be determined. As for people who were speaking about Noble privileges, he has it too. So there is no point in bringing that up…...But if it was an accident, I think it is even more of a reason to let the kid go with Lord Edwinson. An apology to his family and loved ones is necessary."

"On the other hand, I still think that he should be held responsible for the carelessness he committed. Even if his opponent wanted to fight to death, it wasn't a battle really needed to be fought. If he could have withdrawn at the right time, things wouldn't have escalated at this level. Even if it is important and a good thing to have a drive to win, it still is nothing in front of a life, I believe…."

Everyone looked at the old man. He was someone everybody respected. Even though the Lorenz House was on the Association's side, the old man was one of a kind. A well known hero and a child lover. The old man had lost his only two sons and even after that, he returned back from retirement and took the position of the Lord and pulled the Lorenz House from breaking apart.

"Why don't we have him work as a servant for the whole of the Academic period as a form of punishment?" The Lord of the Lorenz house further spoke as he looked at everyone.

To everyone it indeed seemed to be a fine punishment now that the situation had turned this way. For them it was indeed something that they couldn't imagine. And if any of the young generation masters were to be made into a servant, they wouldn't be able to endure it for sure and here they were talking about the full term.

Max looked at the old man whose status in his eyes was skyrocketing but these words had slowed that down.

'It's still better than getting expelled….I would have less time at hand though….' Max thought inwardly.

"Then, I would be willing to take him in. My villa is lacking in servants…" the Lord of Tempest House said with a smile.

Max felt a shiver down his spine. There was something definitely wrong with this guy. 

The Former Lord of the Walker House looked at Lord Edwinson before easing his grip on Max's hand. He then turned his head towards the screen and spoke, "Then you better be the one to take him in Lorenz ….I don't trust anyone else….and be careful…"

"If it is fine with everyone, I don't mind…" 

Most of the other Lords on the other hand were more than happy to comply, who would take the son in law of the Walker House as a servant. It would be a source of headache and it was another thing if he held on a death grudge against them for this.

"You know it don't you?" The former Lord of Walker House said with a calm look.

"I know…." The Lord of Edwinson House said as he disappeared with Max. They were talking about Max. If something happened to Max in his possession, even God wouldn't be able to save them.

"What a boring end...and here I thought something interesting would happen. You never fail to destroy my expectation don't you…" the Lord of the Blackwood house said to the Lord Lorenz who looked at him with a calm look.

"The thing you called fun isn't the same for others because it hurts when you get hit and it hurts others when you stop feeling the pain….you better wake up from this dream….when the thing you really wished for occurs, even if you could enjoy it, you will regret It in the end....you haven't seen it….it's terrifying….." 

With that the panel turned black and the Lord of Lorenz House left the meeting. He knew about it, the City of Vienna was once after all the Headquarters of the Lorenz House.

"Is it so….in that case, we have to be even more prepared. Just because it's terrifying, doesn't mean it will never happen… besides we are born warriors…..I believe my thoughts won't change….." The old man of the Blackwood House left while muttering those words.

With all the senior members gone, everyone finally felt a bit at ease.

"Now, will you explain to us Lord Walker what this was all about? I don't believe that anyone of us had enough time to be wasting on your games…" the Lord of Barnes House couldn't hold it back, if this was told from the very beginning, he wouldn't be having a heart attack every ten seconds.

"Well then, I will be taking my leave….I have some urgent matter to attend to…" The Lord of Tempest house spoke as he got up from his seat.  He wasn't supposed to be in the capital in the first place. It was obvious he was here for something else.

The Lord of Tempest House flew out of the Association and looked in the direction of Edwinson House when he received a message in his transmitter.

Even though transmitters were particular for Orena use, it was also used for a guaranteed transmission of the message and to avoid problems of being tracked and listened to.

"The target has entered the Edwinson House, First Master…."

"Bring that kid back to the Family at any cost. I don't care if he is dead or alive…." The Lord of Tempest House replied.

"But won't that create trouble among the Noble Houses?" The hesitated voice came from the other end.

"It doesn't matter, the Lord has made the decision. It's time for the Noble Houses to disappear. They will soon be taken over."