Re-Awakening: Evolving My Shadow Limitlessly With A System-Chapter 21: Realm Of Sword Saint, Meeting The Provisional House Head
Chapter 21: Realm Of Sword Saint, Meeting The Provisional House Head
Adrian didn’t respond.
He simply stared at her.
That silence lingered longer than it should have.
Under his gaze, her composure cracked.
Her chin faltered. She looked away, if only for a breath.
The middle-aged man standing beside them sighed and stepped forward.
His patchy beard and tired eyes made him seem older than he was.
His uniform bore the House crest, but there was nothing ceremonial about the way he moved.
His name was Elias Daelthorn, third born of the House Head.
"Why are you here, Adrian? You’re not allowed to come back home."
Lucas and Melissa both turned toward Elias, confused.
Melissa tilted her head slightly. Lucas furrowed his brows. Neither said anything, but their expressions said enough.
Adrian ignored their confusion. His eyes never left Elias.
"Brother," Adrian said in a chilling voice. "I’m here to meet father."
The words felt like ice water thrown into a silent room.
Lucas took a half-step back. Melissa blinked, her posture tightening as her thoughts scrambled to catch up.
Brother?
Elias Daelthorn, their distant uncle, was the third born of House head.
If this man—this stranger who had just maimed several guards—was calling him brother, then he was a child of the House Head.
And yet... neither of them had ever heard of him.
"Adrian, you know you can’t—"
"My son," Adrian interrupted, "was attacked by a supernatural on his first birthday."
His simple words were suffocating. Just being under his gaze left them feeling nervous.
"And it wasn’t random. It was done by someone from this house."
Elias’ expression darkened.
Adrian’s dull, grey eyes never wavered.
"You either let me meet Father and tell me who it was, so I can kill him."
He took one small step forward.
"Or I’ll kill anyone I come across until I end up killing the person who harmed my son."
There was no threat in his tone. Just truth.
Lucas couldn’t hold back anymore.
"How dare you talk like that?!"
His anger snapped through the air, but Elias raised a hand before Lucas could move.
"Enough," he said firmly.
Elias kept his eyes on Adrian. His thoughts were clearly racing, but his expression didn’t change much. After a pause, he spoke again.
"Father isn’t at home. He’s in Wageah. Only the provisional house head is here."
"Then I’ll meet her."
Elias gave a short sigh. "Fine."
He turned to the butler standing nearby—the one Adrian had threatened earlier. The man hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, but there was sweat beading on his temple.
"Take him to the guest room. I’ll talk to the provisional head," Elias instructed.
"But Lord Elias—"
"Just do what I say."
The butler hesitated, then glanced at Elias’ expression, and he bowed stiffly. "Yes, Lord Elias."
He turned and led Adrian toward the mansion. The front doors opened, and Adrian disappeared into the corridor without a word.
The silence hung thick until Lucas finally shouted again.
"He attacked our guards! He threatened Sir Byron! Whoever he is—why did you let him trample over our dignity like that?! He just walks in and demands a meeting? Even leaders of other Clans request appointments months in advance!"
Elias didn’t respond right away.
Instead, he turned to the girl.
"What did you think of Adrian, Melissa?"
Melissa hesitated. Her sharp demeanor returned, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
"He... is a normal human. But he could’ve killed both me and Lucas easily if he wanted to."
"Good observation. Lucas, you should learn from your sister."
Lucas turned toward him sharply, but Elias raised his hand again before he could speak.
"You may have awakened the Hollow Eyes, but your judgment is still too clouded by pride."
Lucas clenched his fists but remained silent.
Elias looked away and gave a short command.
"Get those guards’ arms reattached. And every guard who failed to reach the perimeter before Adrian arrived at the mansion doors will be punished."
"Yes, sir."
The reply came from the shadows.
Several figures emerged. They were Elias’ hidden guards, and their presence had been concealed until now.
They bowed and vanished as quickly as they’d appeared, moving to carry out his orders.
Elias looked at the two younger ones again.
"Come with me."
They followed him as he turned and walked into the mansion. The halls were quiet, echoing with their footsteps.
"Who was he, Uncle?" Melissa finally asked. "He seems strong. But why haven’t we heard of him."
"Adrian... is a name that is a taboo here. It’s normal you haven’t heard of him."
He glanced at Lucas, who still looked tense.
"Lucas."
"What?" Lucas muttered.
"That man was your uncle too. And before he became a cripple, he was... strong."
That drew a double take from both Lucas and Melissa.
Elias wasn’t just any member of the House.
He was Peak Rank 3, an elite among the elite.
Coupled with his Hollow Eyes, and House Daelthorn’s swordsmanship, only a few were his match.
Adrian was stronger than him?
"How strong?" Melissa asked quietly.
"Rank 5," Elias replied without looking back.
Lucas stopped walking for a moment. Melissa’s eyes widened.
The hallway fell silent again.
"R-Rank 5? That means..."
"Yes. He had once reached the realm of Sword Saint."
They resumed walking, hurriedly following Elias to demand answers.
"This why no one could lay a hand on him," Elias continued. "Even now—crippled, aura broken—his experience lets him read their movements, predict the next ten attacks, and strike at blind points without even needing to release aura."
Melissa nodded slowly.
Lucas stayed quiet.
The title of Sword Saint wasn’t just a measure of power.
It was a realm very few ever reached.
In the history of House Daelthorn, less than five people had reached that level.
For Adrian to have attained it meant that, at one point, he had been the most likely candidate to inherit the entire House.
"Then why did he fall?" Melissa asked.
Elias didn’t answer.
They reached a large wooden door near the heart of the mansion. Elias raised his hand and knocked once.
A voice from inside answered. "Enter."
He opened the door.
The pressure hit them the moment they stepped inside.
It wasn’t like being crushed. It was more like standing in front of something that saw you as prey.
Even Elias stiffened slightly.
At the far end of the room stood a woman.
She was tall, elegant, and had a terrifying presence.
She looked no older than her early twenties, but her eyes held decades of experience. She was beautiful, but it was a cold beauty, sharpened like a blade.
Her Hollow Eyes stared at them, and both Melissa and Lucas flinched as an unseen force pressed down on their shoulders.
She was Liora Daelthorn, the firstborn of the House Head, and the current provisional head while her father was in Wageah.
Elias winced under her pressure. He bowed slightly.
"Provisional House Head... it’s not the children’s fault that the guards were late. There’s no need to punish them."
"They are warriors of House Daelthorn. In their presence, an intruder reached our gates and disarmed twenty-four Rank 1 guards."
She stepped forward.
"They are equally at fault."
Both siblings winced.
Melissa clenched her jaw, trying not to look away. Lucas, despite his pride, had to brace himself to stand straight as his knees trembled slightly.
Elias looked at them both, then back at Liora.
"They’re young. Please forgive them, this time. I will accept punishment in their place."
"Uncle—"
"Stay silent," he told them.
Liora looked at the three of them with a cold gaze.
She turned her back to them and walked toward the tall windows.
Her cape—crafted from lionhide and engraved with golden patterns—fluttered behind her like a trailing shadow.
Without turning, she said, "Search everything regarding the incident that made Adrian come here. All records related to the supernatural attack on Adrian’s son. Every report, every hidden detail, every internal correspondence. I need all of it. If even a single page is missing, Elias, you will be held responsible."
Her words were calm, but the chill behind them was unmistakable.
Elias bowed once more. "Understood."
"Take the children with you."
He didn’t protest.
Instead, he gave a small signal with his hand.
Melissa and Lucas followed him silently, still trying to shake off the oppressive air that Liora had left behind in the room.
Once they were gone, Liora stood still for a moment.
Then she exhaled and turned, walking toward the eastern wing of the mansion.
The lionhide cape trailed behind her again, almost like a flag of war.
She reached the guest meeting room within minutes.
The guards outside the door stepped aside without a word. They opened the door and she walked in without knocking.
Adrian was already there.
He was seated on the long couch with his elbows resting on his knees.
His katana leaned against the wooden table beside him.
He didn’t stand up to greet her. He didn’t speak either.
His Hollow Eyes followed her.
Liora took the chair opposite him, folding her arms as she settled in.
The silence that followed was heavy, and chilling.
Finally, after a minute, Liora sighed.
"You come back after all these years, and the first thing you do is create a mess. You could’ve sent a message, and contacted me quietly. But no, you had to cut through the outer guards and walk through the gates like a madman."
Adrian remained silent.
Liora tapped her fingers on the armrest once.
"Do you know what kind of trouble I’ll have to deal with now? If I send you back unharmed, the others will say I’ve grown weak. But it’s not like I want to detain my brother."
Still, no response.
"I’ve already sent Elias to look into your son’s incident. You know how competent he is. If there’s a lead, he’ll find it. So, you can stop sitting there like a statue."
Adrian’s eyes didn’t move. His expression didn’t change. The katana remained untouched, and his silence lingered.
Liora’s brow twitched.
Without warning, she slammed her hand into the table. The impact cracked the surface, sending a sharp sound bouncing off the walls.
"You never contacted me for years, and ignored my messages," she snapped, "and now that you’ve come back, you don’t even greet your sister? What makes you think I’ll help you find the culprit when you’re acting like this?"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then Adrian finally moved.
He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
The dull grey in his eyes began to fade.
His shoulders eased, and the line of tension in his jaw softened.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l
