"Armaros is my child. He is my son of my own flesh and blood." Aurelia said to the stunned woman in front of her.
Rhia's mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water due to the words said by the Matriarch. She blinked a few times to calm herself down before she looked at the woman in front of her and observed her features.
The colour of the hair, skin, eyes and facial features. Rhia noticed the similarities between the two of them and she can see that the only difference between the two would be the fact that Armaros is a man. She had seen how the children looked and they looked almost the same as her with their facial structures being slightly different from their mothers and each other.
"He is really your child?" Rhia asked her in a tone of disbelief.
"Yes. He is my child. Now, tell me what you know about him." Aurelia said to her with a serious look.
Rhia gulped at the look that she is being subjected to, but after hearing all of that, and knowing the power that the woman holds, she decided to that telling his mother about his survival would be a good option.
Besides, it wasn't like she knew anything else about him anyways so she doesn't really have much information to give, but the fact that she is his mother caused her to feel a bit more safe about revealing the information.
"Well, he is alive. And before you ask my lady, no I did not see him. I got a letter in my home with his handwriting and he told me to keep his survival a secret." Rhia said to the Matriarch as she furrowed her eyebrows at her, seeing no deceit in her words.
"And why would he wish to keep his survival a secret? What about his tagalong?" Aurelia asked her in a cold tone.
"He didn't say anything about his partner in the letter. Though..." Rhia said before trailing off as she wondered if she should actually tell the Matriarch about it.
"What is it?" Aurelia asked her with narrowed eyes.
"Um, well, I don't know how to say this but. He, uhm, he said that he was attacked." Rhia said hesitantly after a bit.
No sooner had her words left her mouth, the woman felt a shiver travel through her spine as the temperature of the room seemd to have lowered considerably, especially since the Matriarch is now looking at her with a cold eyes that seemed almost inhuman.
"Are you certain that is what he had said?" Aurelia asked the woman with an edge in her tone.
But Rhia knew, just from the tone, and despite how it had been worded by the Matriarch, it wasn't a question, but an order, a demand and she knew almost instinctually that it would be bad for her if she didn't reply truthfully.
"Y-Yes, that is what was written on the letter he had given me. That is why he had asked me to keep his survival a secret." Rhia said as she nodded her head rapidly.
'My gloves feel sticky, the back of my clothes is also stuck to my back and I'm sweating. Even though I feel no great amount of heat around me, the fact that I am being glared at by her is making me sweat so much.' Rhia thought to herself in fear as she licked her lips a bit as she looked at the woman.
Aurelia stayed silent as she quickly processed the info she had just gotten as she thought about what to do after learning about such a thing before she looked at the receptionist.
"You are dismissed. Tell Brunes to come inside quickly and you must never reveal my son's survival, as per his wishes." Aurelia said to the girl as she nodded.
"Of course. I don't plan on revealing that to anyone, even the guild master. I only revealed it because you are his... mother." Rhia said nervously as she hesitated at the end.
Aurelia however caught the way in which the girl had said the word "mother" as she fixed her with a stare.
"Is there a problem with me being his mother? And don't try to come up with excuses." Aurelia said to the girl seriously.
"I-I wouldn't say there is any problems. It's just, I was wondering why a member of the Dawnbringers, your son, is doing in a place like this." Rhia said with some uncertainty.
"That is a matter that is strictly private." Aurelia said to her immediately with narrowed eyes.
"O-Of courses ma'am. I was just curious. I will be leaving now and I won't tell anyone about his survival." Rhia said as she turned and quickly left the room.
Aurelia watched the girl leave the room and close the door as she contemplated what she had heard before the door opened and Brunes walked inside as the man looked nervous, though she can see that he also seemed to be a bit relieved as well.
"I hope you got the information that you wanted Matriarch." Brunes said to her respectfully.
"It was adequate. Keep up the search for Armaros and if you can't find him for two weeks, then you can call it off. And I want you to find out the details regarding the mage who accompanied Armaros." Aurelia said to the man as he nodded.
"Of course Matriarch. As you wish, the guild of this town will do what it can to find your chosen Adventurer and find more about that girl." Brunes said to her as she hummed.
"Make sure that you do so. I will be leaving now, for I still have matters to attend to." Aurelia said as her mana flowed around her.
"Of course, have a safe passage." Brunes said respectfully, wanting to keep it short and simple.
Aurelia didn't say anything and just nodded before she was enveloped in light and the man was blinded by a split second flash before the light disappeared alongside the woman.
Brunes looked at the spot where the Matriarch had previously stood as he felt his legs shake as he fell on the floor as he panted, feeling relief now that the Matriarch had left. Her presence was overbearing, especially since she learned of the status of her chosen Adventurer.
He was glad that nothing drastic happened, but now he has to find out more about that mage that had been with the boy, which is going to be a problem and a half in and of itself. Considering the fact that she had come from outside the town, it will be hard to get more information on her.
But all things considered, since nothing had been destroyed, he could consider it a win at the very least. The last thing he needed was for the ire of a Matriarch of one of the hero clans. That would not be good for him or anyone associated with him.
He wiped the sweat on his forehead using a handkerchief as he dabbed at his face, the anxiousness and fear making him sweat a lot as he let out a tired sigh.
"Well, time to work and get the information she asked for." Brunes muttered to himself as he stood up and corrected his clothes.
'Still, it truly shows the gulf between someone like me and a hero descendant like her. It's foolish to even try to compare our power.' Brunes thought to himself as he used a bit of magic to freshen his clothes.
"Now then, what was the name of the girl again?" Brunes muttered to himself as he went to his desk to find her information.
As the guild master started on his new task, Aurelia had used her magic to appear in the mountainous area in her Clan's territory. She stood in place as the information she got from Rhia replayed in her mind as she looked down.
She remembered how Rhia had told her that her son had been attacked and she couldn't help but wonder how it could be possible.
'My son was ambushed?' Aurelia thought to herself in a tone of disbelief.
From the way that she had seen him fight at the village, he is quite capable in battle in comparison to many fighters.
If he had to go into hiding after he was attacked, despite having the power to fight and kill demons at his age, the one who ambushed him had to have been a powerful warrior or mage. And considering the fact that she can't feel her son like before, she was leaning towards the latter.
There are only a few who would actually dare to ambush him. Those who have great power would surely be able to recognise his connection to her. Even if he had been exiled from the clan and had his existence hidden from the masses, his hair, eyes, skin and his own divine power nestled inside him would've gave way for others to know his lineage.
Even the strongest warriors in the kingdom would hesitate to ambush him, as doing so would be detrimental to them. The God of Light was also the one who's blessings she and her family have obtained, so they also run the risk of having the Church after them as well.
It is a very risky thing to do, but there would be beings who would have no troubles in doing that. She had ruled out demons since she would feel them immediately and she had been keeping a close eyes to the happenings in the world.
The strongest warriors of the empire wouldn't try something like that to avoid the negative attention from the clans. The Royal family wouldn't dare do anything like this either, and since that's the case.
"The other hero descendants." Aurelia said as she growled.
There were no others in the empire who would have the audacity to do something like this. Ambushing a member of the hero clans is something that would be very punishable, and they are the only ones in the empire who has the standing to try something like that.
But she also knows that none of the hero clans would try something like this, not if they were sensible enough to know that targetting a fellow hero descendant would be frowned upon and would negatively affect the clan.
And that is not something that the other clans would want, lest they lose the respect that they have from the other clans.
"No self respecting hero descendant would try something like that. It's too risky for their clans, so the older ones wouldn't try it, lest they face scrutiny from me and the other clans. This action is something that is foolish to do, so it would be from... a child." Aurelia said as her anger simmered as she kept a calm tone and face.
'Who dares to attack him?' Aurelia thought to herself as she clenched her fists as the metal gauntlets creaked from the force as she grit her teeth.
Her mana was leaking from the anger she is feeling as her cape bellowed as her eyes shone with power as she is surrounded by her mana which shined gold as she grit her teeth.
She was feeling great anger at learning about the fact that her son was ambushed. The fact that he was now in hiding also grated with her nerves and stroked her anger. It was further compounded by the fact that it was a child from the hero descendants who would've done such a thing, that was the most logical conclusion that she has come up with.
She had no idea why she felt such care for her son, but she only knew about this feeling after he had left and now the fact that he was attacked and is now in hiding only made her anger worsen.
Her chest was flaring with anger as she heaved in place, not due to a lack of air but due to all the anger that she is feeling. She wanted to find the one responsible for the ambush on her son and rip them apart with her own hands so that he would know that he made a terrible mistake.
She has no experience with these kinds of emotions since she had never felt these before, but it didn't matter to her now. She wanted her son to be safe. She didn't want him to be away from her, to be in the outside where he could be ambushed.
She wanted him beside her, giving her the warmth and care that she had been feeling since he was born. She didn't know from where and why these emotions and feelings are appearing, but she knows that she cares about her son and wants him back.
'I need to find him.' Aurelia thought to herself as she let out a breath and calmed herself down, though her mana was still around her.
She raised her right hand and the lance appeared in her hand. A pristine divine weapon passed down from their progenitor and one of the two sacred weapons and relics of the clan.
She held the lance in her hand as she used it's power alongside her own to increase the range in which she is able to sense life, something which she had used to know here Armaros would be, his divine blood is not something that can be overlooked.
And so she broadened her senses to feel her son's presence. She felt the life of the land, the mana in the air, the animals and birds that lived. The servants in the mansion, her children and the other members in her family as she used the lance to increase the range as she tried desperately to find any semblance of her son.
She felt the town that was nearest to the mansion, the people living in it as her senses went and reached a radius large enough to even cover the town of Xerxia, she went even further as she tried to find her son.
She felt the life in the places that she managed to get her senses to encompass, and yet she didn't feel her son. No divine blood, no divine essence, no divine blood, not a shred of divine power could be felt by her.
It was as if he didn't even exist, and she knew that she should've felt something, with how much her senses had expanded, she should have been able to sense her son's presence and yet she is not able to do so.
Which should've been impossible, she should've felt something that would point to her son but she couldn't feel anything remotely close to his. She remembered how his divine power suddenly seemed to just vanish, she couldn't feel the divine energy that flowed through him.
At that time she didn't think much of it, as she thought that it was because he was out of her range. But after knowing about the attack, she came to a conclusion as to why she was unable to feel him, right after he was attacked and his signature suddenly vanished from her senses.
"They, they did something to his divine power. What did they do to my son." Aurelia said as her anger rose.
The divine power could be said to be the very identification of being a member of the clan and a hero descendant. It is an intrinsic part of their very being, and now someone tampered with the power that her son held and now she is unable to locate him.
Her breathing increased as she drew and expelled air as her mana flared around her, her eyes opened as they glowed as her energy created winds from her as she bared her teeth in anger.
Due to the fact that their divine powers were tied to their very soul, the only way she would not be able to feel he son, would be if they tampered with his very soul itself, and that caused her anger to rise into even greater heights.
The thought that her son's very soul had been violated by someone, the thought that his safety was threatened to the point where he had hide himself from others. She couldn't imagine what this person had done to Armaros to cause him to be that way.
She didn't understand the overwhelming emotions that she is feeling right now, but what she does know is that she is angry at the one who had caused her son to be like this, and that she will make them PAY for what they did to him.
She huffed as her breath went in and out of her mouth in short bursts as great winds were generated with her in the epicenter due to her power as she felt a voice wanting to get out of her body, one of absolute fury.
And so she decided to let it out, all her anger and frustration boiled and rose from her chest as she threw her head back and her mana flared with divine might.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Aurelia roared in fury as her divine power flared and the place shook in response to it.
The winds which had picked up due to her presence rose in power and became gales that shook the place and despite it being a mountainous area, the place shook from her powers. The ground cracked from under her as winds rushed over the large landmass, breaking sand and stone from its place and taking it with them.
Her power was felt by her daughters and the elders and others in the area who were used to the feeling of the powers of the divine. The overbearing power of the Matriarch caused them to shiver as many felt their knees go weak from the power she exuded.
Not to mention the winds that managed to reach the area of mansion despite it being weakened, and they also felt tremors as well. Animals and birds ran in fear from the noise, pressure and the change in atmosphere. The roar of the Matriarch was like the wrathful bellow of a goddess of war. The servants fell from the feel of her presence and the roar just caused them to lose the power in their legs and fall down.
Many of the knights were also propping themselves up using their weapons as they felt the fury and pressure of their Matriarch as they held their ground as best they could, with only a few of them being able to stand straight while the rest were on their knees.
Claudia and Arianne managed to stay standing, though their legs were shaking as they were in their respective rooms. Solana, Fleur and Valeria were on the floor from the noise and presence as they were shivering in place, never having felt or heard their mother like this before
The elders became distressed at this uncharacteristic action of the Matriarch as they felt nervous and their knees buckle as they were on their knees and used their arms and own mana to prevent themselves from falling on the floor.
The other hero descendants were also able to feel the Matriarch as they stopped whatever they were doing and paused from the feeling that they got. The guy who had taken Armaros' power also frozen in place when he managed to feel the power of the Matriarch as he felt a shiver travel through his spine.
Various figures inside and outside of the human empire also felt the raging mana and power of the Dawnbringer Matriarch as many wondered as to the reason why this person was making such a wave that they were able to feel it from their place.
Armaros was also one of those people who was able to feel it. Despite being stripped of his divine power, he was still very familiar with the energy of his clan, as it was a very intrinsic part of his being and so he is able to feel it as well. He leaned on the wall in the small room he has for himself as he wondered as to why one of his family would cause such a surge of power as he does not possess the answer and could only ponder on it.
Aurelia kept on roaring as her fury was passed through it, her anger being channeled as the sky changed and clouds gathered due to the force in which she had changed the winds, her divine power leaking and damaging the land around her.
But she didn't care about it. What she wanted to do was fine the one responsible for attacking her son and to teach them what happens when they cross her. This was the roar of the mother of the son she had exiled, a mother who had only started to realise her feelings, a mother who had just now started to experience emotions that were foreign to her.
And now she will make them pay for what they did to him, and if anyone tried to get in her way, then she will show them why she is the Matriarch of the Dawnbringers and was known as the Lady of Terror amongst her enemies.
'I vow on my name as Aurelia Dawnbringer! I will make you wish that demons had slaughtered you! Because I will not let you die in peace!' Aurelia vowed in her mind as her energy increased and the sky darkened in response to the gales she created as lightning fell around her, showing a scene of divine power to all who are able to see.
A/N: How was the chapter? please tell your thoughts in the comments.