"I'll keep your sword," Liora said. "But it'll remain bound to you. You can take it back when the House Head returns. He will deal with Frank and the elder who helped him try to kill you."
Adrian nodded slowly.
Liora suddenly kicked Elias under the table.
He winced and shot her a look, but she gestured for him to start the plan she had mentioned earlier.
Elias realized he really should've left while he had the chance.
But his curiosity had made him follow her here, and now he was paying for it.
"Adrian, you should start living with us," Elias said.
Adrian and Liora both turned to him.
"Now that Frank is dead, the elder who supported him won't sit quietly," Elias continued. "They'll come up with another plan to attack you. You don't have any guards outside. So come back home. Stay with us. We'll protect you."
Adrian frowned.
"You know I'm exiled. I'm not allowed—"
"You don't have to worry about that," Liora said firmly. "I'll handle the elders. Let them bark. I'll shut them up."
Adrian was quiet for a while, thinking about what she said.
"Even if you do that… this place is dangerous," he said finally.
"It is," Elias admitted. "But it's still safer than being out there. The estate is the center of everything. The elders won't risk showing their true colors here. If they act rashly, Father will hear of it.
"Out in the human world, you're exposed. You have no guards, no protection. The elders can strike you down and hide it easily."
Adrian thought about it, then shook his head.
"The Daelthorn estate isn't safe either," he said. "In some ways, it's worse. The elders have too much power here. Even if they can't touch me, they might go after my son or my wife."
Elias opened his mouth to speak, but Adrian cut him off.
"That's not all. If I come here, my son will end up becoming an Exorcist. I don't want that."
He looked tired. His voice was calm but carried the weight of years.
"Exorcists have to keep engaging with Cursed Spirits to suppress them. We have to protect civilians. That's our duty. But that duty never ends."
He stared down at his hands, his expression hollow.
"Every day, we fight. Every night, we fight again. And what does it lead to? Nothing. We can't even kill most of the Cursed Spirits. The best we can do is keep them at bay, protect civilians, and erase memories so the Cursed Spirits don't grow stronger."
His voice cracked.
The silence that followed was heavy.
The war between Cursed Spirits and Exorcists had gone on for thousands of years.
And not once had Exorcists gained an upper hand.
"The world of Exorcists is hell. It's a nightmare that never ends. I don't want my son to live in it. If he stays ignorant, at least he can be happy. He can grow up in peace, not knowing about the hell we live in," he said softly.
Liora looked at him quietly.
Her brother, once called the Sword Dragon, now looked like a man who had been broken by his own past.
To this day, no one truly knew what kind of Cursed Spirit Adrian had faced.
The only thing recorded was that he had run away during battle, leading to the deaths of many Exorcists.
That was why he had been exiled and marked for execution.
Liora never believed it.
There was no way her brother would run while others died.
But Adrian had never spoken about what really happened.
"Alright," she said finally.
Adrian looked up.
"You can stay in the normal world. I'll send one of my guards to protect your family from the shadows."
Adrian nodded once. "Thank you."
He stood up to leave.
"Give Yorohan to her," Elias reminded him.
Adrian looked down at the katana in his hand.
The black metal reflected the faint light in the chamber.
That blade had followed him through countless battles. Through honor and disgrace. Through exile and blood.
Giving it up, even temporarily, felt like giving up a part of himself.
He looked at Liora and Elias.
They weren't enemies.
Even now, they were risking their positions to help him.
He nodded slowly and held the katana out.
Liora accepted the sword carefully with both hands, treating it with the respect it deserved.
She placed it behind her and gave him a small nod.
"I'll keep it safe," she said.
She didn't want to take it, but she had to.
Without it, she'd have no justification for letting Adrian go after what happened today.
"And take this," she added.
She reached into her coat and pulled out a small black box and a glass vial filled with pale green liquid.
Adrian froze.
His hands trembled slightly when he took them.
He recognized both.
The black box was small, but its value was immense. Inside was a single pill, something refined by the Daelthorn family for generations.
"Feed that pill to your son when he turns three. Depending on his talent, he should awaken the Hollow Eyes between the age of seven and ten," Liora said.
Adrian stared at the box, speechless.
That pill was sacred to their bloodline. Only descendants who earned enough merit were granted one.
"And the potion will help your son recover. Give it to him when you get home. When he wakes up tomorrow, he'll be fine."
Adrian swallowed hard.
"Liora… I…"
"I don't need thanks," she said, cutting him off. "I just need you to answer my messages next time, brat."
He gave a faint smile. It was tired, but genuine.
"Alright."
He turned and left the room.
Once the door closed behind him, Liora's expression hardened.
"Make sure to hide news about Frank's death. And find out who protected Adrian's son. We need to reward whoever it was."
Elias didn't move right away. He looked at her, frowning.
"Why did you let Adrian stay in the human world?" he asked. "That's foolish."
"He said it himself. He wants to keep his son away from the world of Exorcists," she replied.
Elias sighed.
"Ignorance isn't bliss. It's a curse. Instead of hiding his son, he should train him to defend himself."
"I know," Liora said softly.
She looked toward the door Adrian had just walked through.
Her expression was unreadable.
"Still," she murmured, "he deserves that small piece of peace he's trying to protect."
Elias didn't respond. He only gave her a long look before turning to leave.
…
??? POV
The figure sat in a dim room, the faint candlelight barely reaching their face.
"I don't care if the provisional head is protecting him," the figure said.
No one around the table replied. The silence stretched, thick and heavy.
The figure leaned back slightly, fingers tapping against the wooden armrest. "Adrian Daelthorn has lived long enough. He should've died the day he was exiled."
One of the people seated nearby hesitated. "But if we act now, the provisional head might—"
"Let her try," the figure interrupted, voice cold and certain. "She can't protect him forever. Not from me."
The room fell quiet again. The candle flickered weakly, its flame bending under the faint draft.
"Yorohan, a treasure like that," the figure said after a pause, "belongs to us. Not to a disgrace like him."
The figure stood up, the cloak brushing softly against the floor.
"If we want the Yorohan, Adrian Daelthorn must die. That's the only way."
No one spoke.
"Prepare everything," the figure ordered as they walked toward the door. "We'll move when the time comes."
The door shut quietly, leaving the others in complete silence.