The silence that had been gripping after the explosion of light was broken by a heavy voice, full of authority and a hint of anger. Duke Elgard stared at his son with heavy breaths.
"Kazien! What is the meaning of this commotion you have caused? You made the entire city of Lazavis think we were under attack!" exclaimed Duke Elgard, his voice booming across the mansion's front yard.
Kazien responded to his father's anger with a flat expression, as if he had just thrown a pebble into a pond, not detonated mana in the sky.
"I knocked on the door multiple times, Father. But no one answered, let alone opened the door for me. I had no choice but to shoot magic into the sky so you would all come out of the house." Kazien answered calmly.
Duke Elgard's face reddened, his jaw tightening, ready to unleash a long tirade about etiquette and procedure. However, before a single word could come out, his gaze was diverted. Behind Kazien's sturdy back stood a woman he knew very well, someone he had missed for years.
The anger on the Duke's face melted instantly, replaced by paralyzing shock. His sharp eyes began to glisten, trembling as he held back a wave of emotion.
"E-Elisa, is... is that you?" asked Duke Elgard, his voice hoarse and barely audible.
Elisa stepped forward slowly, her eyes already wet with tears. She nodded weakly, her lips trembling as she tried to smile.
"Y-Yes... it's me, Brother Elgard. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I only returned home now." Elisa said softly.
Disregarding his status as a Duke or the stares of the servants and guards who were starting to arrive, Elgard ran to close the distance between them. He immediately pulled his sister into a tight embrace, as if afraid that if he let go, Elisa would vanish again like smoke.
"Elisa..." whispered Elgard amidst his stifled sobs. He had missed his sister who had disappeared without a trace for so long. "Thank goodness... thank goodness you are okay. I thought... by the Goddess, I thought I would never see you again."
Duchess Larina, witnessing the scene, also shed tears of emotion, smiling in relief to see her husband finally able to hug his sister again.
However, although moved, Elisa realized they were not alone. There were dozens of strangers standing awkwardly behind them. She patted her brother's back gently.
"Brother, I am also happy to see you. But before we discuss that and reminisce, please take care of the people who came with us first." whispered Elisa, gesturing toward Zeto and her entourage.
Elgard released his embrace, wiping the corners of his eyes quickly, trying to regain his authority. However, before he could speak, a rumbling sound was heard again from above.
Boom!
Everyone immediately looked up. Another mana explosion was heard in the night sky, but this time it wasn't blinding. The light particles didn't disappear but gathered and formed rows of giant letters glowing golden on the canvas of the dark sky.
The writing read: "No need to panic, I was just waking up my family who didn't open the door for me. — Kazien Altavis."
Some townspeople who were already prepared with weapons or their valuables instantly stood agape. Fear turned into sighs of relief, and even small laughs were heard from the distance.
"That boy..." Elgard shook his head, half annoyed, half impressed.
And the panic in the city subsided instantly after everyone read the casual message.
Kazien then signaled to Zeto. The beautiful black-haired woman stepped forward facing Duke Elgard. With a professional demeanor, Zeto bowed respectfully, then explained to him that all members of the Shadow Hand and their families would now work and serve under the banner of the Altavis family after being recruited by Kazien.
Hearing that explanation, Duke Elgard did not feel threatened. Instead, he looked at his son with pride. Recruiting an elite force like this was no easy feat.
"I understand." said Duke Elgard in a loud voice. "The Altavis family always values loyalty and ability. I accept you with pleasure."
Elgard looked around the courtyard, which was starting to get cold.
"Since it is already night, and there are quite a number of you, our mansion is not enough to accommodate you all. I will ask my son to make a special place for you all to rest tonight. We will arrange permanent placement tomorrow morning."
Duke Elgard looked at his son's face meaningfully. "Kazien?"
"Yes, Father, leave it to me!" answered Kazien briefly.
He walked away from the crowd, heading to an empty and spacious side of the courtyard. Kazien raised his hand. A bone-chilling cold suddenly enveloped the area.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Thick walls of ice emerged from the ground, towering high and encircling, blocking the view of everyone who wanted to see what he was working on. The sound of freezing ice cracking sounded terrifying yet amazing.
The assassins and their families looked at each other, dying of curiosity. However, they could do nothing but wait resignedly.
It took only a few minutes before the sound of cracking and shattering was heard.
Crack! Crack! Crash!
The ice wall shattered into pieces, dissolving into fine snow granules that vanished into the air.
When the view became clear again, all eyes widened in confusion. In the place that was empty before, now parked a jet-black carriage with elegant silver carvings. However, it was just one carriage and without horses.
"For the time being, you will sleep in here!" exclaimed Kazien casually while pointing at the carriage. "Go in if you want to rest immediately!"
There was a moment of silence. Zeto looked at the carriage, then at the number of her entourage, which was dozens of people.
"Forgive my presumption, Young Master." said Zeto hesitantly, representing everyone's confusion. "Isn't that just a horseless carriage like usual? How could we all fit inside?"
"Zeto, it's better if you see for yourself and invite your colleagues and their families to enter immediately. Don't judge a book by its cover." cut in Kazien, who then smiled faintly at her.
Although filled with curiosity and skepticism, Zeto did not dare to argue. She approached the carriage, opened the door, and stepped inside.
The next second, Zeto's eyes widened until they almost popped out. Her feet did not step on a narrow carriage floor, but on the marble floor of a spacious room.
The inside of the carriage was none other than a vast mansion complete with many rooms, a warm living room, and a kitchen.
Zeto hurriedly poked her head out of the carriage door, staring at Kazien with a face of disbelief.
"Young Master! What kind of carriage did you create?! It's so huge inside!"
"Just a place to rest. Since it is already night, rest to relieve your fatigue. Tomorrow, I will buy permanent houses for you all in the city." answered Kazien casually.
Kazien then looked at all the assassin members who were still hesitant outside.
"Go in!" he ordered gently but firmly. "There are some of you who are heavily pregnant, right? It's not good for pregnant women to stand too long in the cold air like this."
That small but detailed attention touched the Shadow Hand members. One by one, they began to enter the carriage.
Their reaction was exactly the same as Zeto's. Shrieks of amazement and murmurs of admiration were heard from inside the magic carriage. For those who lived in shadows and violence, magical comfort like this was an unimaginable luxury.
"Rest well, all of you." murmured Kazien before the carriage door closed automatically.
After ensuring all his "guests" were safe, Kazien turned to face his family.
"Let's go inside. The air is getting colder." invited Duke Elgard.
Duchess Larina, Elisa, Kazien, his future spouses, Arken and his siblings nodded. They all stepped into the warm main Altavis mansion.
However, as soon as the mansion door closed behind them, separating them from the outside world, the atmosphere inside the room changed drastically.
There were no more cheers or admiration. A heavy silence hung in the air.
Suddenly, Kazien felt an uncomfortable sensation on the back of his neck. He turned and found that everyone was staring at him.
The stares were not angry stares, nor were they proud stares like before. It was a stare that was hard to interpret, a mixture of astonishment, disbelief, and something else that made the hair on Kazien's neck stand up.
They stared at him without blinking, as if he were an alien creature that had just landed.
Kazien frowned, the smile on his face slowly fading. He looked at himself, checking his clothes, then looked at his family again.
He felt there was nothing strange about him, then looked at his family again. What happened to them?
Kazien wondered even more. his heart starting to beat a little faster in confusion as all those stares were directed at him. Why are they looking at me like that? Did I commit a fatal mistake without realizing it?