He stopped in his tracks at my use of Eden's name. "I hereby leave the Falkrona ancestral house," I continued, "I renounce the name 'Falkrona' and choose to adopt 'Olphean', my mother's name, as my new identity. Eden shall be my witness."
"I renounce the name 'Falkrona' and choose to adopt 'Olphean', my mother's name, as my new identity. Eden shall be my witness."
I finished in a low tone and lowered my hand.
The room fell silent. My father, Simon, and Elona were all staring at me in shock.
"Headmaster. I'm your student, right?" I asked, turning to the headmaster who was also taken aback by my sudden announcement.
"...yes," he replied hesitantly.
"Then I hope you will protect your students from being attacked by a stranger," I continued, making sure everyone understood my words.
I said that because my father was cleary holding back from slapping me hard enough to send me flying few meters away. I knew he wouldn't hold back this time like when he slapped me after Aurora cancelled the engagement. Was he angry for my sake or because for what he would have to face following my actions? I couldn't tell.
My father clenched his fists, clearly angry with my decision, but I didn't care. I had sworn on Eden, the supreme deity, and that meant severing all ties with the Falkrona Household.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, a whirring sound caught my attention, and a beautiful grey car pulled up in front of the building. My heart sank as I recognized the woman who emerged from the car.
A beautiful grey-haired and grey-eyed woman.
She bore a slight resemblance to my father.
It was obviously my aunt, the very person I didn't want to see right now.
Fuck!
How did she appear this quickly?!
She might have heard what I've done and abandoned everything to come.
"A-Aunt…?" I stammered, feeling nervous and apprehensive about what was to come.
Aunt Belle stormed towards me and slapped me hard. I winced in pain, holding my cheek in shock.
"Ouch!"
"I'm not your aunt anymore, right?" she said coldly.
I turned my face away, feeling embarrassed and frustrated. I wondered if someone had filmed the whole thing and sent it to her.
"Come with me, idiot."
Aunt Belle grabbed my arm and dragged me into her car. Before she started the engine, she turned to my father, her elder brother.
"Brother, I've never liked the way you've handled Edward so far," she spat out, "but I left him to you because 'she' wanted it. But it was a mistake. See how far you've cornered him in your…"
She bit her lips, clearly angry about something.
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I could feel the tension in the air.
I played the game, but since it was the first time I was seeing such a scene, I was confused.
"You are not the only one grieving a loss. It is not a reason to forget the most important thing. Edward is my nephew, and I will be the one taking care of him from here on," Aunt Belle said firmly.
She finished and started the car.
I looked curiously at my father and I was shocked.
What was that expression?
Guilt? Sadness? Frustration?
I didn't understand a freaking thing.
"What the hell is going on?" I muttered under my breath.
I was taken aback by her words. I never expected her to take my side.
"..."
"..."
The silence inside the car was unbearable.
"I'm sorry…"
I don't know why but I felt the need to say that to her.
"..." Aunt Belle didn't answer.
I looked outside through the window, trying to process everything that had happened.
It seemed like there was more to my mother's death than I had originally thought, and it was somehow connected to the way my father treated me.
I couldn't help but wonder what other secrets were being kept from me. Something that was not even talked in the game?
"Edward," Aunt Belle finally spoke up.
"You may not understand it now, but your father has made mistakes in how he's treated you. Your mother loved you, and she would never want to see you suffer like this. She was always overprotective, and when she realized she couldn't stay with you for long... she burst into tears and cried a lot. You know... I have known your mother since my teenage years. You could say she was my best friend."
She laughed as she said that.
"But in more than fifteen years, I have never seen her cry that much than when she knew she couldn't be with you anymore, to see you growing up."
I bit my lips to stop my emotions from overflowing.
I only had good memories of my mother. Knowing I couldn't see her anymore really broke me and was still breaking me.
Since I have two memories, it felt like I lost two times my family.
Strangely, I've never been close to my father, even before. It was like he was avoiding me but still helped and encouraged me before my mother's death. Though I was getting along well with him. In the end, my mother was everything for me.
Aunt Belle continued to drive in silence for a long minute, the only sound being the car's engine and the tires rolling on the pavement. I stared out the window, lost in my thoughts and memories of my mother.
Eventually, Aunt Belle continued, "Your father was the happiest man in the world when you were born. He kept saying that you would become a hero or something like that, but you have to be alive for that."
She gave me a piercing glare through the rearview mirror that made me squirm in my seat. I had never seen her so angry before.
"You have no idea, Edward, you really have no idea what you've done. Your father and mother have had a tough life. It was as if their very existence attracted all of the problems and difficulties. They made enemies in all corners of the world. If one of them put their hand on you, I don't even want to imagine what would happen to you. Two months ago, you disappeared without leaving any traces, but do you know what happened in the kingdom during that time?"
I looked at Aunt Belle, confused. "What are you talking about? What do you mean?"
They might have looked out for me, that's all, I thought.
"A few months ago, you went missing, and your father went insane with worry. Everyone was looking for you. The King's personal army and all the Houses were searching for you. You are not the simple son of a duke. You are more than that. Every day, people are protecting nobles, but you are on the short list of the must-protected ones, on the same level as the Royal Prince or Princess."
"Wh-What?"
I couldn't hold back my surprise at her words. I had no idea that I was considered so important.
Okay, I was the son of a Duke, but why was I thought to be as important as Aurora and Alfred?
And if there were so many people at my search, they could have found me.
Or maybe they were too scared to even entire the premises of the cursed temple?
"I really can't wrap my head around your thinking, Edward. How could you even consider giving away the best protection our family has to someone you barely know for just a month? The only explanation I can think of is that you're...in...uhm...lo-"
"No way!"
I cut her off mid-sentence with a loud scream.
[<Pfff-!>]
Cleenah burst into laughter at my outburst.
"I-It's not like that! It's just that you've heard about Jayden's legacy, right?"
I quickly corrected her misunderstanding before it could spiral into something worse.
"His legacy? I know it's unique and powerful, but is that really a good enough reason?"
"Well, uhm..."
I hesitated, unsure whether to tell her that Jayden was the main protagonist of a story and a hero who would save the world with his harem in which was included Elona.
Realizing that Aunt Belle might beat me up if I told her, I tried to come up with a different explanation.
"That's...it's just that I think he could be useful in our family's business. He has some skills and knowledge that could help us."
Aunt Belle wasn't convinced at all. I mean I was the last person who would care about family's business—but she let the matter drop for now.
"What you have done must have already reached your grandfather and your other uncles and aunts," she said with a sigh.
I winced at the thought of their reactions to my decision.
My father was the head of Falkrona House in Celesta Kingdom, but my grandpa ruled the whole House from the swanky Falkrona Palace outside the Kingdom. They were a bunch of stuck-up snobs who thought they were better than my father and Aunt Belle just because they chose to live in the Celesta Kingdom.
And let's not forget about my cousins. Those freaks of nature made me look like a puny weakling. The last time I saw them, it was four years ago, they made fun of me and used me to mock my parents along their parents! Yeah! My other uncles and aunts were also in the party!
"Ugh, don't remind me of those jerks," I grumbled to Aunt Belle.
She nodded in agreement. "Your grandfather and his other children have always been like that. They look down on us just because we chose to live in the Kingdom."
"They are just third-rate villains acting almighty, "I scoffed.
"Third-rates villain? My father is that low in your esteem?"
Aunt Belle giggled at my words.
"Had he ever done anything grandfatherly for me or Elona?"
"You have a point."
The last thing I remember about him was that cold look of disappointment he gave me four years ago.
Was that old man gathering an army?!
Treat us like your grandchildren, shitty old man!
My grandfather never showed any affection towards me, not even during my genius phase before my mother passed away. I could never understand why he was like that. My father and Aunt Belle also had a strained relationship with them and something had happened, but I didn't know what it was.
"I don't care about them. I don't even consider them as my family," I said.
"You are as cocky as your mother."
Aunt Belle smiled.
"But what about us? You swore on Eden stupidly, but do you think I'll leave you on your own?" she asked.
"Forget that…I do consider you part of my family, Aunt Belle. I just needed to get rid of my blessing and protect someone," I replied.
I gave away my blessing to Jayden to protect him, but the main reason was because I felt like the blessing of my family's legacy was... slowing down my growth for some reason. So I was even more certain of my decision.
As for why I publicly announced my renunciation of the powerful name of the Falkrona, it was a gamble of my own, a dangerous one, but I couldn't remain still after knowing that someone else reincarnated in the game world. It was also intended to provoke Ante-Eden.
Right now, they are probably confirming that I am the perfect target to become a powerful pawn. What I wanted was a three-way fight. Ante-Eden wanted me alive, while the guy who reincarnated probably didn't care about me, I mean, I was a Main Antagonist. Instead of fighting each of them alone, it was better to fight them together. It might not work, but that's why it was a gamble. I'm pretty sure the guy who sent me that letter didn't expect my words there.
In the best scenario, those two would fight each other and one of them would die.
[<You are too optimist.>]
'And you are too pessimist!'
Putting these thoughts aside, I spoke.
"Where are we going, Aunt?"
"Do some shopping since you are taking me for a walking bank."
I averted my face.