While I was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes with Kilpi, another hero family arrived at the mansion without my knowledge.
A tall and muscular man approached Caedros and his family, walking with his beautiful wife and their handsome son. The man wore a white jacket embroidered with gold along the shoulders and cuffs. The high collar was fastened with a brooch. A red sash with golden detail crossed his chest, and a dark cape hung from his right shoulder, held in place by a star-shaped clasp. The jacket appeared too tight across his wide frame, as if originally made for someone even larger, yet it still did not fit him comfortably. He seemed to be around thirty-six years of age.
This man was Alkaiandros Basturandor. His short dark brown hair resembled rich soil, and his dark golden eyes carried a strong intensity. A neat beard framed his chin. As the head of the Basturandor family, he stood among the nobility of the hero bloodlines, just like the Aremflaris and the Destenebres. The Basturandor's bloodline specialised in the terra affinity.
His wife walked beside him with an elegant calm. She wore a dark green off-the-shoulder gown with a fitted bodice. Black lace lay over the fabric, giving depth and contrast. The wide neckline rested just off her shoulders, drawing attention to her collarbones and the upper line of her chest. The bodice shaped and lifted her bust, making it the most striking feature of the gown, before narrowing at the waist. From there, the skirt flared outward, flowing over her hips in long folds that moved with each step. The gown held both dignity and grace. Emerald earrings set in ornate Silron hung from her ears, with a matching pendant resting against her chest. The vivid stones stood out against the deep green of her dress. Her light brown hair was gathered into a low ponytail and tied with a black ribbon. Her blue eyes and refined features gave her a serene, dignified presence, while her attire emphasised her curves, drawing the eye to her bust and waist. She seemed to be around twenty-seven years of age.
This beautiful woman was Helene Basturandor, wife of the head of the Basturandor family.
Their son resembled his father. He had short dark brown hair and dark golden eyes. His build was also far larger than most children his age at the party. Because of this, he wore clothing sized for someone older, which still seemed just right for him.
He was Helion Basturandor, another one of the five protagonists.
"Greetings, Lord Alkaiandros," Caedros said coldly, though he still showed proper respect to the man before him.
"It has been a long time, Caedros. The last time we met was when you reached true adulthood at the age of eighteen," Alkaiandros said. His voice was rough, yet he sounded happy as he recalled the past.
"Yes, Lord Alkaiandros. I remember you and my father would always speak together," Caedros replied. His tone remained cold, but the memories softened his words.
"How is he these days?" Alkaiandros asked with a gentle smile.
"He has become an elder and is living peacefully after passing me the responsibility of leading the Destenebres," Caedros said, still cold in tone.
"Hahahahaha. He is definitely living well, then," Alkaiandros laughed, sounding genuinely pleased.
"I see that you have a son now. Am I right to assume you are retiring as the head of the Basturandor and becoming an elder?" Caedros asked coldly.
"Ever since the goddess's revelation to the entire world, I decided I should have an heir and retire. Is that not what you did as well?" Alkaiandros said, a little embarrassed. His face reddened as he glanced towards his beautiful wife, who was talking with the other two women.
"The same for me," Caedros replied coldly as he recalled what Alkaiandros had said.
Eleven years earlier, after the Great War, one of the Three Goddesses of Echronia, sovereigns of the Divine Throne, delivered a revelation that shook the world. She warned that Evanslyna would face calamities from beyond its borders. Monsters would come. Soldiers and heroes summoned from distant worlds would arrive. Demons, demigods, and the servants of the gods from the cosmos, the angels, would descend from the cosmos beyond the sky. The gods and devils from beyond the cosmos would also come to this world. Even ancient beings still slumbering far beyond the world, as well as those sleeping within Evanslyna, would awaken. All would come seeking the destruction of Evanslyna, leaving a world filled with blood and the corpses of its people.
Hearing the revelation after the Great War, people began to fear the future. If the war had been like hell for them, what would an invasion by beings beyond their imagination be like? What was the point of living if the lives they had fought to regain were only to be destroyed once more?
One year after the first revelation, the goddess spoke again. This time, her words carried hope. She declared that the children born four years before the current present would help overcome the fate of Evanslyna's destruction. The prophecy spread across the world, changing countless lives. Families everywhere decided to have children, hoping their sons or daughters might be among those chosen to shape the future. The population rose quickly, especially with the number of females already being the highest in the world.
Though others were also having doubts about the goddess's revelation, as even if they had children that could save the world, wouldn't it be impossible, as they would be fighting powerful beings from beyond their world?
There was no other revelation that answered their doubts after that.
"Though I may retire as the head, I cannot abandon my responsibility, as I would still train and fight to defend my family. After all, I do trust the goddess's revelation, but I am also worried about the safety of my family," Alkaiandros said firmly as he looked at his wife and son.
Caedros also looked at what Alkaiandros was looking at and could understand Alkaiandros's feeling. Though Alkaiandros married his wife, who is way younger than him, Alkaiandros is a man of loyalty and a responsible adult, which Caedros respects as his model, as to him, Alkaiandros is like an uncle to him.
Caedros also looked at his wife, Thalindra, who was talking to Helene. Then he also looked at Cesline, who was trying to chat, though Helene responded to her. Thalindra glared at Cesline as she talked to Helene. Then he looked at his son and daughter, who were talking to Alkaiandros' son, who seemed bigger than his own children. Then he thought of the child he had abandoned because he was talentless and weak.
"I would like to know how you are living right now," Alkaiandros asked gently.
Caedros responded to his question, and both of them chatted, talking about the old times when Caedros was little and the current life he is living. Though he left out parts about his abandoned son, as it is not his concern regarding the child he abandoned.
"Your husband is quite a loyal man," Thalindra said with a pretentious smile.
"Yes, he is quite loyal, and he is even very sweet. He may have looked rough outside, but during our night, he was as shy as a child," Helene said with joy as she talked about her husband.
"Your husband is very caring," Cesline said calmly, but she was quite jealous.
"He is very caring, even at night, he is very gentle, though it would be appreciated if he were quite rough like his outside," Helene said with a smile.
"That's nice..." Cesline said weakly.
The three women chatted, but Helene was the one who led the conversation, as she talked a lot, especially about her sex life with her husband.
Meanwhile, the children were having their conversation.
"Hello, Young Miss Lyraena and Young Master Lysander, I am Helion, Helion Basturandor! Let's get along well!" Helion shouts, showing how excited he is as he flexes his muscles.
"Pleasure... meeting you... Young Master Helion... Let's get along well..." Lyraena said awkwardly, as she did not understand the boy in front of her.
"Pleasure meeting you, Young Master Helion. I hope we will also get along well," Lysander said coldly, still imitating his father.
Then the three of them continued their own conversation. Helion was very talkative, just like his mother. This made the two siblings of the same age more reserved, as they only responded with a few words while Helion led the conversation, talking proudly about his muscles and his goals. Lysander and Lyraena, who listened to his boasting, eventually shared their goals as well. Lyraena talked about marrying someone she loved in the future and what they would do together, subtly glancing at her brother. Lysander also talked about his goals of following in his father's footsteps.
After a while, Alkaiandros finished talking with Caedros and guided his family toward their guest room.
"Alright, I will see you later at the party," Alkaiandros said with a gentle smile.
"Same here too," Caedros said coldly, but he paid his respect as Alkaiandros left.
"It was a pleasure talking to you two ladies. May we meet again!" Helene said cheerfully as she followed her husband.
"Same here..." Thalindra said weakly, as she was tired.
"Yes, I hope we can chat again later," Cesline said happily with a gentle smile.
"It was nice chatting with you two. I hope we can chat again later, too," Helion said happily as he waved goodbye to his two new friends.
"Sure," Lysander said coldly, continuing to imitate his father.
"Sure..." Lyraena said weakly.
'I hope not,' Lyraena thought to herself.
As the Basturandor family walked down the hall, there were Elara and her mother, Cassandra, walking together as well.
Helion, who saw Elara, felt his heart beating as he gazed at her beauty. His face turned red as he blushed. He stared at Elara.
Helene, who saw her son's reaction to the child in front of him, smiled and said to him.
"Why don't you go talk to her, Helion?" Helene suggested calmly, cheering her son.
"Al-Alright!" Helion spoke loudly, but he stuttered as he was shy.
'How sweet, he is just like his father,' Helene thought to herself.
Helion worked up his courage and walked towards Elara. Elara, who sensed someone approaching, turned her head to Helion. Cassandra also looked at the child who was coming towards her daughter.
"Go-Good Gre- I mean greetings, I am Hell-ion. I mean, I am Helion, Helion Bastar- I mean Helion Basturandor," Helion introduced himself, stuttering a lot as he spoke to Elara.
"Greetings, Helion Basturandor. I am Elara, Elara Aremflaris," Elara introduced herself calmly, lifting her dress slightly and lowering her head in a noble greeting.
"Elara Aremflaris... Elara Aremflaris... Elara Aremflaris..." Helion mumbled to himself, repeating her name, trying to remember it for his entire life.
"Are you alright?" Elara asked calmly, concerned.
"Huh? Ah, yes, you are alright, I mean I am right, I mean I am alright!" Helion said loudly, stuttering too much.
"I see... Do you need anything?" Elara said calmly, unsure why the boy in front of her had approached.
"I-a..." Helion said nervously.
Cassandra, who was listening, recalled what the boy said.
"Basturandor? The hero family, Basturandor?" Cassandra asked coldly.
Alkaiandros, who was listening to what Elara said as well as what Cassandra said, answered.
"Yes, we are the Basturandor's family. Pleasure meeting the Aremflaris' family. I am guessing Aiden is pursuing other ladies since he is not here. Also, if I recall, I heard the Aremflaris' family had a young boy around my son's age as well," Alkaiandros said calmly.
"I greet Lord Alkaiandros. It has been a while. Regarding your question, it is all correct," Cassandra said coldly as she lifted her dress slightly and lowered her head in a noble greeting.
"I see. It must be hard on you," Helene said gently, feeling pity for Cassandra.
"It is merely nothing," Cassandra said coldly.
"By the way, how are the Aremflaris' family doing? I am curious," Alkaiandros asked calmly.
"It is nothing much, just Aiden getting more young or beautiful lovers," Cassandra said coldly, her tone even colder as she spoke.
"I see. Well, we will get going then. Come, Helion, say goodbye," Alkaiandros said calmly as he guided his family to their guest room.
"I-a..." Helion said weakly. He did not want to leave just yet.
Helene noticed and smiled before gently nudging her husband's arm. Alkaiandros looked at her calmly.
"I think it is better to let Helion stay with them," Helene said with a gentle smile.
Alkaiandros glanced at his son, immediately understanding the situation, and smiled.
"I believe you are right. Is it alright if my son stays with you until we meet again at the party?" Alkaiandros asked calmly.
Cassandra listened and glanced at Helion, whose face was still bright red because of her daughter. She understood at once. She turned to Elara.
"Sweetie, is it alright if this boy joins us for our walk?" Cassandra asked calmly.
Elara did not understand the reason but looked at Helion, who was blushing hard. She thought for a moment. Helion nervously feared that she might reject him.
"Alright," Elara answered gently with a small smile.
Her response made Helion's heart beat rapidly. He felt as if he had been accepted. His parents smiled too, relieved that Helion did not get rejected.
"Thank you, Lady Elara. Helion, make sure you do not cause trouble," Alkaiandros said gently.
"I will not, Dad," Helion replied, embarrassed, thinking his father was overreacting.
"Alright. We will be off. See you later at the party," Alkaiandros said calmly as he and Helene headed to their guest room.
After they left, the three of them continued walking around the mansion. They soon noticed a massive cake being pushed by chefs and servants on several large trays.
It was a towering nine-layer milk chocolate cake, beautifully decorated with strawberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries around each tier and at the base.
"Wooow! It is so massive!" Helion shouted in amazement.
"It is really massive!" Elara said with the same excitement.
"Maybe for your birthday next year, we can have the chef at our mansion prepare something like that," Cassandra said coldly but with a warm smile.
"That would be wonderful," Elara replied happily.
Cassandra smiled at her daughter's reaction, already noting it for the future. Helion then spoke up shyly.
"Then, on your birthday, I will be there too."
Elara smiled.
"Then I will look forward to it," she said gently.
The moment he saw her smile, Helion felt his heart beat loudly. Everything around him felt like a dream.
"Yes!" he cheered, thrilled.
While the conversation continued warmly, the chefs and servants pushing the massive cake had worries of their own.
"Petro, are you sure this is safe?" one chef asked nervously, glancing at the cake.
"It will be fine. Chef Seraphina said the trays are strong enough," Petro replied proudly, not worried at all.
"But one of the wheels is shaking badly," the chef insisted, even more anxious.
"It will be fine. Instead of whining, trust Chef Seraphina's judgement and do your job," Petro snapped, annoyed by the complaints.
'But it was your judgement, not Chef Seraphina's judgement,' the worried chef thought silently.
"Ooh! Look at that armour!" Helion shouted excitedly as he rushed towards the knight's armour displayed in the hall.
"Lord Basturandor, be careful. If anything happens to you, your parents will demand answers," Cassandra said coldly, though there was clear worry in her voice. She quickly walked after him.
Elara watched calmly as Helion darted towards the armour and her mother hurried behind him. A small smile formed on her face as she walked after them at a slower pace. She knew that if anything happened, an explanation to the Basturandor family would be required.
At that moment, one of the trays carrying the cake lost a wheel. With a loud clatter, the tray dropped on one side. The entire cake began to tilt and collapse, and by unfortunate chance, it was falling toward Elara.
The chefs and servants panicked instantly.
"Young Lady, watch out!" one of the chefs shouted desperately.
Elara turned at the cry. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw the towering cake toppling toward her.
Cassandra and Helion both heard the warning and turned. Their hearts dropped when they saw the massive cake about to crush Elara.
"Elara!" Cassandra cried, her voice filled with fear.
"Ah! Ahh!" Elara could not move. She was frozen in panic and could only scream.
Cassandra tried to summon flames in her hand to stop the cake, but she knew she would not make it in time.
Just as the cake was about to crash down on Elara, a boy tackled her away, pushing both of them out of the falling cake's path.
Elara had closed her eyes when she was tackled by the boy. When she opened them again, she saw a boy with black hair and golden eyes.
'Lysander?' Elara thought as she stared at his features.
Her thought vanished once she looked more closely. The colours of his hair and eyes were much paler than Lysander's, and his face lacked the same handsome charm she saw earlier. Then she remembered he was the room service boy who helped unpack their luggage and tidy the mess they made in the guest room.
The boy was Ragnar. His clothing was different from before, and now he wore a rather feminine chef's outfit with an embarrassing message on the apron.
"Are you okay?" I asked calmly, my face indifferent as I looked at her.
"Ye-yes," Elara replied weakly, stuttering as her heart beat faster for reasons she did not understand.
"Elara! Are you alright!" Cassandra rushed over in panic. Her voice sounded cold, yet her worry was clear as she examined her daughter.
"I am alright," Elara answered calmly.
"Oh, good, I was worried," Cassandra said coldly, but she hugged her daughter tightly like any protective mother would.
"Are you alright, Lady Elara?" Helion asked softly, concern in his eyes.
"I am alright. Thank you for worrying," Elara replied gently with a small smile.
Helion's expression brightened with relief. Elara then turned her attention back to the boy who had saved her. He was staring at the fallen cake with a cold expression.
"Er-" Elara began, wanting to thank him, but someone interrupted.
"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!" Petro shouted in panic as he stared at the destroyed cake.
"One of the tray's wheels fell off," a chef said nervously. He did not know what else to say.
The commotion drew Chef Seraphina out of the kitchen. She paused in shock as she took in the scene.
"What happened?" Seraphina asked quietly, trying to understand the situation.
"Chef Seraphina, the thing is-" the same chef who warned Petro about the wheel tried to explain, but another voice interrupted him.
"What is going on?" Caedros demanded coldly as he approached. The Destenebres family followed close behind, wanting answers.
"Well, the thing is-" Petro stuttered, attempting to speak, but was cut off again.
"Papa, is that my cake? Does that mean I will not have my cake for my birthday?" Lyraena asked weakly. Tears began to form in her eyes as she stared at the ruined cake.
Caedros immediately pulled his daughter into a tight hug and whispered soft comforts before turning his cold glare on the staff.
"Who is in charge of this?" Caedros asked, his voice sharp.
Silence fell among the chefs and servants. They all knew who was responsible but did not want to expose him, even though they disliked him. Petro felt fear grip him. If he confessed, he knew he would lose his job and be cast out. Yet he could not deny his own fault.
"Is nobody going to tell me?" Caedros said, his voice turning even colder.
Petro finally accepted that he must admit his mistake. He began to raise his hand, but before he could speak, Seraphina stepped forward and raised her hand first.
"It was me, My Lord," Seraphina said firmly, meeting Caedros' eyes without hesitation.
Every chef and servant stared in shock. They knew she was not to blame.
Petro opened his mouth to speak and defend her, but Caedros spoke first.
"Since this mess was made, you will make a new cake. I do not care how. If you do not finish before the party begins, you are fired. Do you understand?" Caedros ordered coldly.
"I understand," Seraphina replied without wavering.
"Good. Now go," Caedros said before leaving with his family, holding his daughter, Lyraena, tightly in his arms.
My mother noticed me and tried to come towards me, but she was stopped by Caedros' stern gaze. She looked at me with worry, yet I signalled for her not to be concerned. I smiled and gave a small nod, telling her to focus on her role. She understood and followed my father, although a sad expression remained on her face.
Everyone watched them depart. Afterwards, the chefs and servants rushed to Seraphina, trying to plan what to do. Petro remained silent, drowning in guilt.
I continued staring at the fallen cake.
"Wow, that was unexpected," Wraith said in an indifferent tone within my mind.
Yeah. I stepped out for a break because my arm was sore from washing dishes, only to witness this disaster.
"That chef actually took the blame, even though it was the other chef's fault," Pride said, impressed.
"By the way, nice work saving the little girl from the cake. You were like a hero. It is so unlike you," Lust said playfully.
My body moved against my own will. I did not even want to get involved.
"Even if you are separated from your body, you are still affected by her 'Order'?" Pride asked calmly.
Well, it is chained to my soul. I did not expect that even this small fragment of my soul would still be restricted by it.
While I was having my mental conversation with the devils, Seraphina had already reached a decision.
"For now, we will make a new cake," Seraphina said after thinking carefully.