Chapter 8

Indeed, Norland was always enveloped by the fires of war. The human race occupied less than half of the continent and was constantly at war with the other races for land and survival itself. However, humans did not war like the demons; the latter did fight against the other races, yes, but they also fought ceaselessly amongst themselves. The neverending battles on the continent affected the depths of the oceans, and even many other planes.

With such chaos in the lands, it honestly wouldn't have been difficult for the Archerons to have a duke or grand duke of their own in a couple of generations. They just had to use their resources wisely, establishing a complete government with the law and economy and distributing their profits amongst their rather ranks At least half of the current dukes of the Alliance came about through these methods, something that made the royalty of the other kingdoms act like the Alliance was a bunch of parvenus and country bumpkins, the royal family being the worst of them all.

However, the Alliance's royal family had inconceivable might, so it had still garnered the respect of the old, esteemed families.

The rise of the Archerons was inferior to none, but their shirt history left them without as much wealth and power as the other families. Another problem was that they were simply too crazy to garner

any respect.

The current leader of the Archerons, Marquess Galore, was a prime example. He was a mere grade 3 warrior fifteen years ago, but he improved quickly with time. Just defeated the Silvermoon Palace of the Evernight Forest, shocking the entire Alliance. Many had stepped foot in the forest before him, but none were daring or skilled enough to succeed at the task with fifty rune knights and a thousand men.

Galore was already a Marquess at 33 years of age, having moved into Black Castle and taken control of Azan which was the territory of the Archeron leader. His experience was described like legends as they spread mouth to mouth, and they were still being written down in books. The truth was, however, that his influence only extended to Black Castle and the lands he'd usurped. The other members of his family almost always turned a blind eye to his commands, and he was merely a titular leader who'd have been disregarded completely if it not for Black Castle.

Some historians who'd studied the Archeron family tree had concluded that there was one reason for the Archerons not having a grand duke in their ranks: there was a rebellious streak in their bloodline. No Archeron would be subordinate to another, even if the other was their father.

The study wasn't detailed, nor were the historians extremely knowledgeable or reputable. The cold, hard truth was that they wished for sponsorship from the Archerons, or they'd end up on the streets. Those with capacity wouldn't have delved into research on an uncharted family, to begin with, and these people would ultimately die as plagued beggars on the streets.

Rumour had it that the leader of the family had flipped through their research for only a few seconds once it was sent to him, ordering all its members to stop supporting the historians. It was the first time the rebellious Archerons had followed through with an order. There was only one reason for this. Even if the report was filled with utter nonsense, illogical statements, and baseless accusations, their conclusion was the absolute truth.

Kate Valley village was a mere 3,000 miles from Azan, a journey less than half a month. Mordred had filled Ralf in on his family history during the trip, along with some information about the customs and the distribution of power on the mainland. By the time they'd arrived in Azan, Ralf knew a little more about his family.

Family. It was a fairly new term to the boy who couldn't even grasp the concept of a father in the past. However, it was very important to the mighty knight and held a broader meaning than most. It was not just the direct and distant bloodline relatives, also included the various noblemen and knights under the various members. The bloodline linked every member of the clan, but it also transcended that. Different bloodlines possessed different abilities, and their combinations would often result in new powers. Some were stronger than others, and many died chasing after them. Thus, royal marriage held a completely different meaning in Norland. It wasn't just political but also intended to produce stronger, more powerful descendants.

As Ralf stood before the entrance of the castle, he should already have had a deep understanding of his roots, the Archerons. However, he found himself more confused than ever, the information Mordred had given him like tiny puzzle pieces that he could not put together.

Ralf didn't understand what Galore meant until half an hour later. Still, it would take him a few more years to understand the deeper significance behind this truly profound experience.

He'd been on a high-backed chair in the meeting, as stiff as a statue. His gaze had been tilted up a little, fixed on a mural above the door.

The meeting had taken place in a small drawing-room in the inner part of the castle, located in a different wing from the dining hall that was meant only for the family to use. The grand, lavish decorations here greatly contrasted the rest of the castle, warm and bright with light from illumination spells making it as bright as day inside. The numerous candles in the gorgeous holders added a perfect warmth to the room aside from the lighting as well.

Ralf's siblings were seated on couches to either side of him, two younger brothers and six sisters of various ages. He'd never imagined that he had so many half-siblings; when his cousins were added on, this number would probably grow.

His brothers were seated on his left, and his sisters on his right. He was right in the center, bearing their scorching looks as they watched him attentively, like a rare demon just waiting to be dissected. Unlike the statue that was him, his siblings were much more unbridled and arrogant.