My Soul card is a Reaper-Chapter 1037: Dreams of the Past: A father’s talk

The servants straightened slightly, and Rael saw a few older faces who still seemed uncomfortable with his presence as they always had been, though they kept their expressions controlled out of respect.

Aurelius then stepped back and looked at them again, this time letting out an affectionate smile of a father. "Looks like you are doing well..."

As he glanced to the side, a servant approached immediately with a silver tray, and Aurelius took two goblets of diluted wine, handing one to Rael and one to Eon as a part of tradition. "Drink," he ordered.

Rael lifted the goblet. "To House Garcia," he said quietly, and Eon echoed him at once, his voice steady.

"To House Garcia."

Aurelius raised his own goblet slightly, his gaze firm. "To those who return."

As they completed the drink, the doors of the estate opened wide, and Aurelius gestured them forward, leading them inside as servants moved smoothly to remove their travel cloaks and replace them with fresh ones embroidered with the Garcia emblem.

The grand hall swallowed them in polished marble, towering ceilings, and the scent of candle wax mixed with expensive incense.

Rael's footsteps echoed across the floor as they passed through, and his eyes flicked instinctively to the surroundings, see if anything had changed. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Eon leaned closer and muttered, almost under her breath, "Nothing has changed since we left. Not even a single portrait on the walls."

Rael's mouth curved faintly. "Obviously. These nobles don't like changes."

Aurelius heard them anyway, and the corner of his mouth twitched, not quite a smile but enough to show he wasn't displeased. Meanwhile, Artaigne stayed silent, following them in a bit of nervousness.

This is going to be her in-laws' house. Soon, this will be her home. Her cheeks warmed when she thought of marriage.

\\*

Rael barely had time to settle into his room before a knock came at his door, and when he opened it, a maid bowed deeply, her eyes lowered in respect. "Master Azrael," she said softly, "His Grace requests your presence in the study."

Rael's stomach tightened immediately because he didn't have any good memories of the study room. Whenever he was summoned to the study room, it was always scolding… and lecturing…

Back then, he was a child. It's different now.

When he stepped into the hallway, he found Eon already there, and the two of them exchanged a glance that carried silent understanding.

"You too?" Rael asked.

Eon nodded. "That goes without saying, bro. We are not two people, after all."

Rael couldn't help but chuckle at his sister's words. "That's true."

They walked together, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet as they approached the heavy doors carved with the Garcia crest, and two knights standing guard stepped aside immediately, opening the doors without a word.

Inside, Aurelius sat behind the desk, a folder open before him and a sealed letter with royal wax placed neatly at the side. He didn't look up immediately, and his voice came out calm, heavy with authority.

"Come in."

Rael and Eon entered and stood before him, and only after a moment did Aurelius lift his gaze, his eyes sharp as if he could see through them. "Sit," he ordered, and they couldn't help but look at each other in surprise. Their Father never told them to sit. He always just lectured them while keeping them standing. Nevertheless, they obeyed, taking the chairs.

For a long moment, Aurelius said nothing, and then, after letting out a long sigh, Aurelius leaned back slightly and spoke in a tone that almost sounded ordinary.

"How was your journey?"

Eon blinked, surprised by the simplicity of the question, while Rael answered first in his usual blunt manner. "Long."

Aurelius nodded once.

After a pause, he folded his hands atop the desk and asked, "How is the academy life?"

Rael replied calmly, "It is good. After the incident three years ago, the Academy closed its doors for everyone, and ever since then, we have been either learning or doing hunting missions in the wilderness."

Eon added with a smile, "Yes. To sum it up, that is how the past three years have been."

Aurelius then asked, "What about your strength?"

Rael answered calmly. "It has improved."

Aurelius' eyes narrowed slightly, unimpressed by vague words. "Saying Improved is not enough. Speak clearly."

Rael wanted to say you are a demigod. You already know that we are in Rank-6. But in the end, he swallowed down those words and said, "Rank-6 and my undead army has crossed over 100. Have 14 Rank-7 undead Spirit Beasts, 89 Rank-6 undead beasts, and 724 lower rank beasts at the moment. I could now control the death vision but not achieved complete mastery."

Aurelius didn't say anything but simply nodded and then shifted his gaze to Eon. "And you?"

Eon answered without hesitation, as if he had prepared the report in his head long before stepping into this room. "Same as Brother. Rank-6 and my mastery over time manipulation has improved a lot."

Aurelius nodded, and the approval in that single motion was clearer than praise. "Good."

Then he asked something unexpected, his voice quieter but still firm. "Are you eating properly?"

Rael blinked, caught off guard, and before he could answer, Aurelius continued. "Don't just focus on spending all the time on fighting and training. You would think that with soul energy, you won't get hungry. But food is essential as it makes your bones and muscles stronger and helps you grow more. You should eat more meat, especially you… Azrael..."

Rael nodded immediately. "Understood."

After a brief silence, Aurelius' fingers then tapped once against the desk before he picked up the sealed letter and turned it once between his fingers. "It's a letter from the palace. I believe you can guess the contents of the letter."

Rael's chest tightened for a second. "Yes."

Aurelius' tone remained even as he asked. "Then, are you prepared, or do you need more time?"

Rael stared back at him and nodded, "No need to delay, Father."

Aurelius studied him for a long moment and then nodded with a smile. "Alright."

Then, after a brief pause again, he waved his hand lightly, dismissing them with the same authority he used to dismiss entire councils. "You may leave. Rest. Tomorrow will be busy."

\\*\\*\\*

The hallway outside was dim and silent, lit by wall lamps whose flames flickered gently; Rael and Eon were walking together, discussing what just happened...

But their discussion didn't last long when they spotted a figure standing at the far end of the corridor, near a pillar. Someone stood with his back against the wall as if he had been waiting long enough to become part of the stone itself.

Raphael Garcia.

Their eldest twin... the true heir of House Garcia.

Eon slowed beside Rael, and Rael noticed the slight stiffening in his posture.

Raphael lifted his gaze toward them, calm and unreadable, and pushed off the wall slowly, his movements smooth as if he had practiced them for years. "Brother," he said, and his voice was controlled, polished, almost too perfect, like every emotion had been filtered out before the words were allowed to leave his mouth.

Rael's throat tightened, but he forced himself to answer evenly. "Raphael."

Eon put up a smile, although it was more forced than a genuine one she used to display years ago. "Eldest Brother, it has been a long time."

Raphael's eyes flicked toward her, and his reply came without warmth or hostility, simply acknowledgment. "Eon."

Then Raphael's gaze returned to Rael, and for a moment, the corridor felt narrower as this strange pressure was emitted by the older triplet.

"You've improved," Raphael then said, and the way he spoke made it sound like an evaluation rather than a compliment.

Rael narrowed his eyes. "So have you."

Raphael's smile deepened slightly, "but our ranks aren't the same. While you are stuck at Rank-6, I have already reached the bottleneck of Rank-7."

Rael's frown deepened as he said, "A difference in one rank is nothing, Raphael. I defeated you before. Even if you break through to Rank-8, I can defeat you."

Raphael calmly shrugged in indifference, "Unfortunately, I'm no longer interested in proving myself that I'm still better than you. Our paths are different, Brother. So, there is no need for rivalry. Whether you can defeat me or not is of no concern to me. If you want me to agree that you are stronger than me, I will accept that too."

Eon's eyes widened slightly at the words, but she stayed silent as she grabbed Rael. She was aware that if she said anything, it wouldn't reduce this fire; instead, it might only add fuel to the fire.