Chapter 88: Mannel Lavan

Chris blinked in surprise. "Adopted?"

Both girls nodded.

"Yes. We don’t really remember much about our lives before that," Astra explained. "We only have some faint memories of an orphanage."

Stella nodded as well. "Our father took us in and raised us together. He’s always been very kind to us!"

"He’s the only man we’ve ever trusted that much," Stella added.

Chris looked at them for a moment before nodding. "I see. So you don’t know anything about your biological parents?"

The twins shook their heads.

"No, not really," Astra replied. "We were too young to remember anything."

Chris nodded, understanding their situation.

"Well, it’s good that you had a loving father. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have someone who cares for them."

The twins nodded.

However, Stella’s expression suddenly changed.

"Actually... there is something that has been bothering us lately."

Chris looked at her. "What is it?"

Stella hesitated before answering.

"It’s about our father. His recent actions have been making us angry, and we’ve been arguing with him quite often."

Aelia tilted her head slightly. "Is something wrong between you?"

The twins exchanged glances before Astra spoke.

"Our father has always been warmhearted. At least, that’s how he’s been for as long as we can remember. But recently, he’s been acting strangely."

Stella nodded.

"I accidentally overheard some of his conversations with people from the government. It seems that he’s trying to make the war with Dunestia start sooner than expected."

Chris’s expression remained calm, but he paid closer attention.

Aelia frowned. "Why would he want to do that?"

Astra shook her head.

"We don’t know. But that’s not all. He’s also been ordering some of his subordinates to do things we don’t agree with."

"What kind of things?" Aelia asked.

Stella sighed. "He’s been increasing the number of soldiers in the army. Apparently, some officials have even started forcing young men to join the military against their will."

Astra clenched her fists.

"We argued with him about it several times, but he always says the same thing. He claims that it’s not his decision and that the higher-ups are the ones giving those orders."

Chris narrowed his eyes slightly. He found the situation rather strange.

If the twins’ father was truly as kind as they described, then why had he suddenly started acting this way?

And why was he so eager to push the country toward war?

He didn’t voice his thoughts, however. There was no point in making assumptions without knowing more.

Chris suddenly looked in front with a strange expression, something suddenly appeared in the sky ahead.

*SKREEEEEECH!*

The driver slammed on the brakes.

The car came to a sudden halt, making everyone lean forward slightly.

Chris noticed five enormous bird beasts descending from the sky.

They landed directly on the road, blocking their path.

Several soldiers jumped down from their backs one after another, quickly forming a line in front of the vehicle.

The driver was trembling again. "W-What now...?"

Before anyone could answer, a burly middle-aged man jumped down from one of the birds.

The moment the twins saw him, their eyes widened.

"FATHER!"

Both girls immediately opened the car doors and rushed toward him.

The man smiled warmly and spread his arms, embracing them as soon as they reached him.

"My daughters!"

He hugged them tightly, his expression filled with relief.

"I was so worried! It’s good that you’re fine. It’s so good to see you again!"

Astra and Stella hugged him back, smiling happily.

Chris watched the scene for a moment before turning toward the driver.

He took out a pouch filled with gold coins and handed it to the stunned old man.

"Here. Thank you for bringing us this far."

The driver looked at the pouch before hurriedly shaking his head. "N-no, that’s not necessary!"

Chris smiled. "Take it. You’ve had quite a frightening journey."

The old man hesitated before accepting it with both hands.

Chris then opened the door and stepped outside with Aelia. They approached the others but stopped a short distance away, allowing the twins to enjoy their reunion.

After a moment, Astra finally turned toward them. "Father! These two are our new friends, Aelia and Chris. They saved us! We have to reward them!"

Stella nodded repeatedly. "Yes! They helped us so much!"

The burly man turned toward Chris and Aelia.

His eyes immediately settled on them, and he raised his eyebrows slightly before stepping closer.

"Is that so?"

He approached Chris and extended his hand with a warm smile.

"I am very grateful for saving my daughters. I will make sure to reward you handsomely! It’s a pleasure to meet you. By the way, I’m Mannel Lavan."

Chris didn’t immediately respond. He simply stood there, looking at the man’s extended hand without saying a word.

Mannel’s smile remained, although a slight hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Aelia glanced at Chris before looking at Mannel. The twins also seemed confused, wondering why Chris was suddenly acting so strangely.

"Is... something wrong, young man?" Mannel asked.

Chris finally smiled and extended his hand, shaking Mannel’s. "The pleasure is all mine. You can call me Chris."

Mannel nodded. "Of course, Chris!"

He then turned toward Aelia and extended his hand as well.

"And you must be Aelia. Thank you for helping my daughters. I’m truly grateful."

Aelia politely shook his hand. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Lavan."

Mannel smiled before looking at the group.

"Please, come with us to our estate. A warm meal is waiting for us, and I’m sure you need a good rest after such a long journey. Your rewards will be waiting for you tomorrow."

The twins immediately cheered. "Yay! We’re finally going home!"

Mannel laughed warmly before turning toward one of the enormous birds. "Come on, everyone. Let’s go!"

The soldiers quickly moved aside as the group approached the beasts.

One by one, they climbed onto their backs.

Chris glanced at Aelia before helping her get seated. He then climbed onto the same bird, while the twins sat beside their father.

A moment later, the enormous birds spread their wings. With several powerful flaps, they rose into the sky and began flying toward the capital.

Chris remained quiet, occasionally glancing at Mannel. The man was laughing and chatting happily with his daughters, just like any ordinary father welcoming his children home.

However, Chris’s earlier silence hadn’t been without reason. There was something about that man that he wanted to understand better.

For now, he decided to wait. After all, they were heading straight to his home.

Aelia glanced at Chris as they flew toward the capital. "Is something wrong?" she quietly asked.

Chris turned toward her and smiled. "Don’t worry about it. Just leave it to me."

Aelia studied his expression for a moment before nodding. "All right. I’ll trust you."

Chris smiled and turned his attention forward again.

The journey continued without any further interruptions.

...

Two hours later, inside the Lavan estate, Chris was sitting in a large dining room, enjoying a meal with Aelia.

Across from them sat Mannel, with Astra and Stella beside him.

The dining table was filled with various dishes, and the servants had made sure that everyone had everything they needed.

Mannel occasionally glanced at Chris before finally deciding to start a conversation. "So, Chris, may I ask where you’re from?"

Chris calmly took another bite before answering. "I’m from somewhere far away. I’ve been traveling for quite some time."

Mannel raised his eyebrows. "Traveling? What do you do for a living?"

"I’m just a wanderer. I travel around the world and visit different places."

Mannel looked somewhat surprised by his answer.

"A wanderer? That’s quite an unusual way to live. Don’t you have a place you can call home?"

Chris shook his head. "Not really."

Mannel turned toward Aelia. "And what about you, Lady Aelia? Are you also traveling?"

Aelia smiled politely. "Yes. I’m traveling with him."

Chris nodded before adding, "Me and my girlfriend have been traveling the world for a long time. We don’t belong anywhere for now."

Aelia froze for a moment. She slowly turned toward Chris, her cheeks becoming slightly red.

It was the first time he had openly referred to her as his girlfriend.

A small, happy smile appeared on her face, and she lowered her head slightly as she continued eating.

Mannel, on the other hand, showed an awkward expression before smiling. "I see. You two must have visited many interesting places during your travels."

"Quite a few," Chris replied.

Mannel continued asking questions, but Chris didn’t reveal anything particularly interesting. He gave simple answers about his travels and avoided mentioning anything that could reveal his background or abilities.

Eventually, Mannel seemed to realize that he wouldn’t get much more information out of him.

The conversation continued for a while longer before everyone finished their meals.

Mannel put down his utensils and smiled.

"I hope you enjoyed the meal. You must be tired after everything that happened today."

Chris nodded. "It was delicious. Thank you for your hospitality."

Mannel waved his hand. "There’s no need to thank me. You saved my daughters, so this is the least I can do."

He then turned toward the servants standing nearby. "Please show our guests to their rooms. Make sure they have everything they need."

"Yes, my lord." The servants bowed before approaching Chris and Aelia.

"This way, please."

Chris and Aelia stood up and followed them out of the dining room.

After walking through several corridors, they finally arrived at a spacious guest room. The servants opened the door and stepped aside.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, just let us know."

Chris nodded.

"Thank you."

The servants bowed once more before leaving.

As soon as the door closed, Aelia walked toward the bed and jumped onto it. Chris followed her, lying beside her before leaning back.

Aelia immediately moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest.

Chris gently placed one hand on her back.

Over the past year, he had gradually gotten used to sleeping in proper beds again. Aelia had never allowed him to sleep on the floor, no matter how many times he insisted that he was more comfortable that way.

At first, he had found it somewhat troublesome, but he had eventually grown accustomed to it. He still preferred sleeping on a hard surface, though.

Aelia slowly drew circles on his chest with her finger while looking up at him with a loving smile.

"You really don’t want to tell me anything so I wouldn’t worry, right?"

Chris chuckled and shook his head. "I knew you would notice."

Aelia nodded. "That man is definitely strange. He didn’t even ask us how we managed to save his daughters or where they had been taken. Instead, he asked us all sorts of questions about ourselves."

Chris nodded. "Exactly. I found that strange as well."

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "As expected of my girl."

Aelia’s cheeks immediately turned red. She lowered her head against his chest again, trying to hide her smile.

After a moment, she looked up at him. "So, what should we do now?"

Chris shrugged. "Nothing for now. Let’s just wait."

Aelia nodded. "All right."

She settled against him again, and the two remained like that for some time, enjoying the quiet atmosphere.

Eventually, they both closed their eyes to rest.

About two hours later...

Chris suddenly heard the door to their room opening quietly.

’As expected...’

He didn’t make any sudden movements and continued lying in the same position.

Aelia was still resting beside him, her head against his chest.

Chris could hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching the bed.

They were slow and careful, as if whoever was approaching didn’t want to wake them.

The footsteps eventually stopped right beside him.

Chris remained silent.

For a brief moment, everything was completely still.

Then, in the next instant, his instincts kicked in.

His eyes opened slightly as he felt something approaching his neck.

Without hesitation, he quickly enveloped his hand in dragon scales and extended it toward the incoming attack.

*CLANG!*

His fingers closed around the blade just before it could reach his neck.