"An official gathering will be hosted regarding the Clan Head Succession War very soon."
Zacharia added to his declaration.
As Zacharia declared the war, Lain studied the Elders. He searched for a flicker of emotion — anything suspicious.
Lain sighed.
'They are hiding very well — it's unfortunate, but it'll be easier for them to hide now. But I need this internal war to happen so the people can be motivated to grow stronger for what's to come.
'The best choice now is to look from outside the box.'
People being interested in a Succession War didn't mean they betrayed the clan.
It wasn't considered a defiling idea; after all, the Solmere family—the current main family—was the second to rise to that title after overthrowing the previous one.
The main reason why the main family was special was because the blood that flows through them could make accessing the artifact through the ritual easier.
But if the heir meant to carry out the ritual is unworthy, a replacement could occur.
While the ritual would be more difficult for a replacement without the main family's blood, their chances of success weren't zero.
And if the replacement succeeds in forming a bond with the Artifact, they'll get the unique blood that makes them as the main family, while the previous family loses the uniqueness.
Choosing who was supposed to do the ritual was a big and carefully made decision because if they failed, the ritual could only be redone 5 years later.
Since the creation of this world two centuries ago, a clan leader has never died before putting down his status, so no one knows what will happen to the bond with the Nalmere Artifact.
Most secrets—even exactly what the artifact is—are known only by the Clan Leaders.
And there have only been five in history: four died, and the last—the third clan Leader—vanished long ago, after passing down his title to the Solmeres.
Lain's father was the first to die before relinquishing his bond with the artifact. And in a situation like this, their direct access to the artifact was cut.
Because of his sudden death, the Artifact has been inaccessible for 10 years now, dwindling the Clan's power.
But after loads of research, it's been estimated that a ritual will be able to be carried out again in 2 years.
With the situation at the Edge getting worse due to beasts becoming stronger and the high chances of being attacked by foreign organizations, the Clan needed to be careful with the Heir matter.
If the next Ritual fails, it won't just weaken the Clan — it will shatter it.
Lain, previously seen as unfit to hold the ritual, eventually showed promise after years.
People who have been biding their time to suggest a new heir of their choosing suddenly saw this as a threat and that sparked the flames of conflicts within the clan.
At this moment, though, the conflict has become official.
Zacharia nodded in satisfaction.
"Lain Solmere, you will leave the Clan before the next dawn."
"Alright."
Sparing Lain a short nod, Zacharia concluded the hearing.
"This has come to an end."
Lain stood up, bowed to the hall and walked out first.
As he did, he felt the weight of the clan issues release from his back a bit.
Although the next few days might be hectic, it was still going to be less pressuring than the past one and a half days.
'I'll head back to the building and I'll finish packing my things. Then, I'll leave as soon as possible.'
For the reason why Lain didn't want to stay long, it was because of…
"Lain," A gentle familiar voice sounded from behind Lain in the hallway.
Turning around, he saw Cira and Liana.
'It's because of them.'
Lain smiled warmly as he saw them.
"Mother…" Looking directly at Liana, he added, "Liana… it's been a while."
"Mhm," Liana nodded softly. She pursed her lips before saying, "Will you come back?"
Lain chuckled, then crouched and waved for his sister to come to him.
Liana hesitated for a moment, but after Cira nudged her forward, she slowly met Lain.
Bringing his pinky forward, he said, "I'll definitely come back. Do you remember my promise to you?"
Liana nodded. She couldn't forget his promise, it was probably the oldest memory she had.
This promise was her foundation…her motivation…and in the novel, it was her life.
"Like I said, I'll protect you."
Liana's eyes glistened before she brought her pinky forward, interlocking it with Lain's.
"You… remember… brother," She stammered as she stared at him.
Then she hugged him…and Liana cried aloud.
Although this wasn't how she wanted it to go, finally, she could rely on her brother's shoulder…she could cry without worry. She could act weak again…
'...between the three of them—Lain, his mother and her—Liana went through the most.'
Watching with mixed feelings, Cira felt like the crack in their small family had now been mended.
- - -
After facing his family after the Hearing, Lain decided that he was going to damn it and stay till dawn.
He had tried to just give a simple greeting to his mother before leaving because he didn't know how to handle relationships properly, especially this kind.
However, that didn't work so he just submitted.
There were pros to this too.
He could rest a bit before setting out, write out Magic notes, receive his shortsword from his mother, and eat a meal with his family.
His first time ever doing something like this.
In his past life, after leaving his mother for an orphanage, he was still distant from people and that affected him in later years.
It was harder to fit in eventually, so he mostly stood alone or around some old people.
So being in this situation was heartwarming…and it only burned his desire to grow stronger.
'I…almost ran and missed out on this… Indeed, if you have power, you can change things.'
This was the reason why Lain liked this world better than the last despite its dangers, he could attain power more easily here.
During dinner, Lain asked his sister to tell him how her training went, how the edge was and how beasts were.
Not only to form a bond with her, but also to obtain actual information beyond the original's memory and the novel's content.
He also had a chat with his mother as she told him various ways to take care of himself.
After dinner, Lain excused himself and returned to his room.
There, Kaida, his aunty, was waiting for him.
"Captain, to what do I owe your presence?" Lain said as he approached a slight smile forming. "Your farewell?"
"That will be for tomorrow," She commented and changed the topic. "I brought something for you."
Extending her hand, she gave Lain two small boxes made of a sturdy paper-like material.
Lain raised a brow as he opened the first box.
Sitting within it was a small orb that seemed to contain a burning yellow star.
Lain's eyes widened as he saw it.
"A skill!"