After they left the reward hall, Valdis suddenly asked, "Where are we going from here?"
Isolde turned toward Malrik, but he was gazing at the sky as if he was awaiting something.
Seeing his lack of response, both Valdis and Isolde remained silent and waited. After a moment, Malrik lowered his head, turned to them, and said:
"Well, it looks like our little walk has come to an end. Father wants us to meet him and the elders in the Crimson Hall. It seems like there will be a little surprise waiting for you, Valdis," Malrik suddenly said.
Hearing this, Valdis frowned slightly but said nothing and followed his brother and sister back.
The main House Ebonhart stood at the center of their domain like a silent ruler. Unlike the auxiliary halls or training grounds, the Main House had an older, more commanding presence—its stone darker, its air heavier—as if every wall had absorbed centuries of ambition and bloodshed.
Valdis walked beside Malrik and Isolde through the inner courtyard.
The corridor leading to the Crimson Hall stretched long and narrow, lit by wall-mounted braziers burning with smokeless red flames.
The floor beneath them was black marble, polished to a mirror shine. A crimson runner lined the center of the corridor, embroidered with silver thread forming ancient runic patterns.
Portraits lined the walls.
Not painted.
But carved directly into the stone.
The portraits depicted the Past Patriarchs—war heroes, bloodline prodigies. Their expressions were stern, frozen mid-gaze, with a name and a single achievement inscribed beneath each carving.
Valdis slowed down as he walked.
This was the central hall of House Ebonhart where all major decisions concerning the duchy were made. The hall also stood as a silent symbol of the Ebonharts' power and authority.
At the end of the corridor were the massive doors of the Crimson Hall.
They were enormous—towering slabs of black steel reinforced with vein-like streaks of dark red crystal embedded within the metal. The crystals pulsed faintly, as if carrying a heartbeat.
The doors bore the Ebonhart crest, larger than anywhere else in the house.
Two silent guards stood on either side, fully armored in matte-black plate, helmets lowered. They bowed and quickly stepped aside.
The doors opened inward with a low, resonant groan.
As they stepped inside confidently, they found the Crimson Hall to be vast and circular—heavier and older than the Reward Hall. No skylight crowned this chamber. Instead, the high arched ceiling disappeared into the shadows. Suspended from it was a massive chandelier made from black iron and blood-red crystal, giving the hall a regal appearance.
The floor was a mosaic of dark stone, etched with an enormous formation circle that faintly glowed beneath the surface—an ancient, restrained power humming quietly below.
At the far end sat a massive throne, upon which their father, the Patriarch of House Ebonhart, was seated.
The presence he exuded was fitting for his rank. He wore no crown, yet authority radiated from him like pressure. His black robes lined with crimson thread were subtle, yet deliberate. His expression was unreadable.
Beside him stood their mother, poised and elegant, her gaze softening slightly upon seeing her children.
Seated along the chamber's curve were the Grand Elders. Their auras were contained but oppressive.
Valdis and Isolde felt the room's gravity increase slightly, making breathing more difficult. After a brief walk, they stopped and bowed.
"We greet the patriarch and Grand Elders," they said in unison.
When they didn't hear Malrik's voice, they turned to him, and what they saw stunned them.
Malrik still had his lazy, unbothered expression, as if the intangible pressure radiating from everyone in the room was just a passing breeze. This spoke volumes about his current strength.
This scene would inspire reverence and caution in most, but Malrik was anything but normal.
He neither bowed nor greeted them, and his next words nearly made Valdis' eyes pop out.
"Old man, why summon us at this hour? We were having a little bonding session, and who knows how long it'll be before I get such an opportunity again." his words carried slight irritation in them.
If any other person had said such a thing, they would have been flattened on the spot, but Malrik's father barely glanced in his direction, ignoring him completely.
Elanor, however, did not.
Malrik felt a mountain of pressure slam down on him. His knees buckled and his breathing grew labored.
Isolde saw Malrik's distress and simply sighed.
This was a common occurrence in House Ebonhart.
Seeing this, Grand Elder Arkan burst into laughter.
"You never cease to surprise me, Malrik," he said.
"At this point, I'm convinced you love getting beat up by your mother," added Grand Elder Mircalla.
Draven finally turned toward Malrik and said, "Stop your shenanigans; the ancestors will be here soon."
At that moment, the space in the center of the hall distorted, and three shadowy figures appeared.
The second ancestor looked around and said, "You're all here."
"Well, we definitely can't miss this. You rarely give out the weapons you create, and suddenly you declare you're gifting one to our family's newest monster. So, of course, we'll be curious," said Grand Elder Arkan.
The second ancestor shrugged; it wasn't his fault that most of them didn't meet his standards. He wanted his creations to be wielded by those who could fully utilize their potential.
Draven's spear was a prime example. He had given it to him because of his talent, and astonishingly, he resonated completely with the spear, unleashing devastating power together.
As for Eleanor's twin swords, he didn't give them to her personally, contrary to what some believed.
She had been practicing in Draven's training ground when she suddenly gained insight into sword law. Her breakthrough seemed to resonate with the swords, which left his forge on their own and found her.
He initially wanted to retrieve his swords silently, but they outright ignored him.
He couldn't complain, having set a rule that if someone could make a weapon follow them willingly, he would gift it to them.
So, he could only watch one of his prized creations in someone else's hands.
When Draven saw the swords and realized what might have happened, he froze in shock and quickly asked her how she got them. After her explanation, Draven, understanding the significance, burst into loud laughter.
At that moment, Eleanor was unsure what to do. Although she felt a deep connection and immense power from the swords, she was aware she was in the Ebonhart House, full of powerful individuals who could vaporize her instantly.
When she shared her worries with Draven, he told her not to worry and that she could keep the swords, calling them a gift from the second ancestor.
News of how she got the swords spread, causing the upper echelons of House Ebonhart to see her differently—they knew how hard her feat was.
Since then, those swords have accompanied her, helping her carve out her place among the strong of her generation.
"Well, second, we're waiting. We want to see what weapon you'll give Valdis," said the third ancestor.
Everyone concurred with what she said as even they were anticipating what would be given to him.
The second ancestor sighed and said, "Always impatient. This is why none of you can resonate with my work."
He shook his head and sighed again. This made the faces of as many as had begged him for a weapon darken.
He had always refused anyone who asked him for a weapon. The only alternative was to ask him to craft one for you, but that was even harder than just begging for one, because the materials he would require you have before he would craft one are nearly impossible to find.
So, you would be better off begging him for a weapon than finding everything on that list.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, the second ancestor cleared his throat.
He turned to Valdis and said in a serious tone, his earlier playful tone gone, "The weapon I'm about to give you is my life's greatest work. The only reason I'm giving it to you is because your awakening resonated with it—and your physique evaluation stirred it."
He paused, then looked directly at Valdis and continued, "If not for these two reasons and your incredible talent, I wouldn't give this creation to anyone. It would have vanished with me."
Everyone froze. Though the second ancestor seldom gave out his creations—usually top-tier weapons—he had never called anything his "life's greatest work."
Even his most powerful creation, The Crimson Eclipse, didn't receive such acknowledgment.
This was a rare honor. They were all captivated.
"Wait, don't you need to know what weapon he uses before you decide on a gift?" asked the first ancestor.
The second ancestor, without turning, replied, "Regardless of what weapon he uses, this one will meet any requirements he has."
Everyone was confused.
In Eldoria, it's well known that if a weapon doesn't suit a person's fighting style, no matter its power, it will only hinder them.
That's why most prefer to use a single type of weapon and stick with it.
Noticing their reactions, especially Valdis', he flipped his hand, and a medium-sized box appeared out of thin air. It radiated no aura and was plain and unadorned.
He carefully placed the box down, opened it, and everyone scrambled to see inside, stunned by what they saw.