"Fragmenta"

Slap—!

A sound of something echoed throughout the confines of the luxurious dining hall, heard by Patriarch of Ariad, Mistress of the Branch House, Wilhelm Od Akad, and the several maids on duty for cleaning the long mottled table.

Icaria's left hand instinctively reached for her left cheek, caressing the pangs of numbing agony as her expression was in absolute puzzlement. No, it was not just her but everyone who witnessed the unbelievable spectacle.

More than five seconds had passed, and it seemed as though Icaria only started to process what had just happened, causing her to glare daggers at the concubine's son who had just committed something irreversible.

"Y–YOU BASTARD!"

At that moment, being blinded by Zero's daring action, as though the Patriarch's presence was nonexistent, Icaria lunged toward the concubine's son. A flickering white halo materialized on her head as it serenely hovered, drawing out a portion of racial power flowing through her blood and soul as an Angel-borne individual.

However, before Icaria could muster the strength to do any harm, something immaterial pushed her down, greatly incapacitating her movements. It was then followed by the Patriarch's cold voice, "The temporary protection for the 'banished' has been in effect after the judgment."

Temporary protection for the banished member of the family; something that was not only exclusive for the Ariad Household but for every noble of the Endaira Empire.

Under the absolute order that spanned generations, this kind of protection was granted to everyone after the effective banishment, granting the 'former' noble an ample amount of time of 'one month' to plan and settle to wherever the 'banished one' decided. Simply put, anyone within the Ariad Household would not be able to lay a hand to Zero Ariad without bearing unknown consequences.

This temporary protection also invalidated any preemptive action such as espionage against the banished, with the purpose of waiting for the protection duration to end, allowing the one harboring a grudge to strike at any given moment.

"A–Aladan! W–what are you doing!?" Icaria grumbled, resisting the immaterial force as one of her knees settled on the vibrating ground.

"Icaria, what more do you want to do? You know very well that Zero's action was justified based on what you've done behind my back.

"Without proper qualifications to evoke the tradition of the Ariad Household, but instead ordering a proxy under your name to eliminate who you abhor was an act of disgrace against the ancient ancestors of the Ariad. It is not something I would tolerate and must never be tolerated!"

The several maids that were caught up in the scene fainted, unable to handle the coagulation of Mana that continued to vibrate the surrounding air, causing every fragile tableware and kitchenware to either bounce on the ground or crack into chunks of marble and glass.

"B–but Zero's not yet–!"

During the conversation between Aladan and Zero Ariad in regards to the 'conditions' of banishment, the 'judgment' has yet to be given. Yet, the former made it sound like it's already been in effect to justify what the latter did.

Before Icaria finished, Aladan interjected with his imposing voice, delivering the final blow:

"From this moment onwards, in the Name of the Great Labyrinth; in the eyes of the Seven Deities; and in the honor of the ancient ancestors of Ariad, Zero has been declared banished from the Ariad Household because of a filial sin of laying a hand to the Matriarch of the Household!"

As Aladan ended the declaration of banishment, he released his first wife from movement restriction. Casting his gaze at his unfazed son, who donned instead an indifferent yet subtly warm expression, Aladan nodded in his direction.

"Zero, your wishes have been fulfilled, and the conditions that involve the Ariad Household will be granted."

After that, Alandan's brown eyes landed on the butler, who stood by one of the dining hall's doors the whole time. But this time, the latter was helping the unconscious maids settle in a comfortable position, not to look like several thrown away neglected broken dolls on the ground.

"Wilhelm, clean the mess in this hall. Compensate for the maids that turned into collateral. Give them three days of rest and provide each of them fifty Labyrin Coins."

Wilhelm nodded as the Patriarch continued, this time addressing his second wife, "...and Elizabeth, our son has matured into a fine young man. Too bad, he isn't competitive unlike the other four. But considering you have no desire to establish yourself within the household, that's something admirable in its own right."

Regaining her strength, Icaria settled on one of the refined high-back chairs, breathing heavily. Harboring several thoughts after hearing the ambiguous praise from the Patriarch, she was reminded of why she was on the wrong side of things — Axan Duel.

Axal Duel — a long-standing tradition of the Ariad Household spanning generations; a duel, upon meeting certain requirements, that could grant the 'legal' right to overtake one's status within the Ariad Family. Yet, what Icaria did by ordering the two Guardians was against this tradition, deserving a consequence based on the will of the Patriarch.

A moment or two later, without speaking to the Patriarch, Icaria left the dining hall with heavy strides, donning a heavy expression in silence. Seeing her fading figure, Aladan, not as a Marquis or General but as a father, spoke to his second wife and fifth child:

"I will mete out an appropriate punishment for her transgressions." Pausing for a second, he continued, "And son... I am sure you know that she'll get revenge on you after the one–month temporary protection ends, especially since you're now a banished member of the family. It means you're not protected anymore by the tradition of Axan Duel, allowing her to hunt you down anytime she desires."

There was this inkling of curiosity in Aladan's mind in regard to Zero Ariad's actions. But for some reason, it was the latter's demeanor of indifference with a subtle warmth that led the former to inwardly judge that Zero was on the right track of things.

To begin with, Aladan wondered about the staggering contradiction between the conditions of his son; that he would protect everyone in this house, and that he would admit in the Labyrinthos Academia.

'How would he protect this home if he's in the Capital of the Empire during that time?' Aladan refrained from voicing his thoughts, a feeling of exhilaration bubbling up within.

'Show me what you have got, my son!'

"Aladan... Please visit us again if you have time. You see, our reunion has been ruined because of your other woman." Elizabeth cut off his thoughts, ending his little reverie of great anticipation.

Hearing his mother, Zero Ariad chuckled, "Yes, Father. This time, I hope Masha won't witness anything undesirable. It's not something I can bear to see for the second time."

"Hoh, look at that confidence of yours. Just as you said, what happened was unsightly.

"I'll make time, so in the meantime, keep your promise to protect your Mother and the others while I'm gone. There's also Wilhelm, even though he's a retired Explorer, you can trust his skills."

With his dignified strides, ready to leave the dining hall, Aladan paused:

"Zero, even if you are my son in blood, since you're not part of the Ariad Household anymore, I cannot allow you to use the Ariad family name. You need an alias when you register as a mercenary and before your admission to the academy.

"Yes, Father. I will keep that in mind."

"How about asking Wilhelm for suggestions? He was a former mercenary before we met during the old days. I'm certain he has a set of suitable aliases in case you find it hard to think of–"

Aladan's voice was cut off by his son's abrupt response:

"Fragmenta.

"From this moment, that will be my family name."

***

Villa of Ariad, Zero Ariad–Fragmenta's room.

Some time had passed and everything had been settled. The Patriarch of Ariad, together with the Matriarch of Ariad left for the Main House under the mixed gazes of genuine and hypocritical gratitude of the several maids, excluding those who passed out due to Aladan's pressure.

Meanwhile, Zero had taken a considerable amount of time to console his mother, Elizabeth, due to his abrupt decision, seemingly inconsiderate of the latter's emotions. But in the end, her words respectively etched and echoed in his heart and mind.

— "It doesn't matter what family name you now possess, be it from your vague lost memories or the product of your imagination, you will remain and always be my son. What matters most is that you are on my and your little sister's side. Okay? Fulfill your desire. Whatever it may be."

"Master, may I inquire of what you are thinking?"

Mai's serene voice of curiosity snapped him back to reality. His gaze fixated on the maid sitting on a refined wooden chair across his bed, as he continued standing in front of his room's high-end windows, witnessing the mundane life from below and afar in this early evening.

"It's my Mother." Zero answered as he paused for a second or two, "Even though I believe I have made the right decision for the long-term goal, it's a totally different feeling when coming face to face with someone concerning a familial relationship."

"..."

Mai listened, processing her Master's words. Before she could say something, Zero continued:

"Do not worry. I will keep my attachment in check. After all, it's my sole decision for 'it' to be its... condition."

After a moment or two, intermittently tapping the surface of the round marble table, Mai responded:

"Whatever path we may take, your goal will prevail, Master."

Zero paused. In a second or two, he addressed a different matter, "By the way, did the three... No, four of them agree?"

Understanding the matter, Mai nodded, "Yes, Master. They seem resolute because of the potential you are offering them, even though it's blind faith from their side. Yet, different from the three, Olivia already has the conviction as she realized what you meant by letting her participate."

"That's good then. Tell them to meet me in the backyard at eleven in the evening when everybody falls asleep. In the meantime, I have somewhere to go. So guard this place in my absence.

"On the other hand, that man has done his job. Take care of it."

Having an idea or two about her Master's next course of action, Mai lowered her head, "Yes, Master."

With that, Zero's figure disappeared into the void, whilst Mai blended in the evening shadows.

***

Ekker District, East Thread City, in a luxurious abode named Ekkerin Tavern.

The sun hid itself from the vast horizon as the bluish moon veiled the continent with its serene luminosity.

A maid donning a casual uniform, with a large refined aluminum tray full of delicacies in her hand, knocked on the door of the lodging of one of the esteemed guests.

"Hello, Sir Hakan? Here's your order."

After thirty to forty seconds, the maid paused. Continuing, she said in a concerned tone, "Hello? Sir Hakan?"

After another twenty to thirty seconds, the maid thought, 'Did he leave for a moment?'

Raising her hand to knock a few times again, the maid halted her action. A second or two later, her gaze fixated on the tray of delectable dishes as she muttered in dilemma:

"Sigh. Maybe I should go in."

Opening the door, the maid's scream reverberated as she instinctively let go of what she was holding.

There, the remaining mercenary of the Dual Guardian Mercenary was hanging in dead silence.

***

Midnight, Northern Endaira Empire, Radnan Fortress, Headquarters of General Ariad.

In front of him, neatly placed on his desk was a stack of papers. Seeing it as he bore a dignified expression, Aladan addressed the young woman standing beside him, "Yura, is this everything?"

"Yes, General! I have collected the known data based on the preferences you've provided."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work. I'll call you if there's something else."

"Yes, General."

Yura bowed ninety degrees before leaving the headquarters.

Letting out a sigh, Aladan read the headline of the stack of papers she had delivered:

"List of Recorded Explorers Abandoned by the Seven Deities.

"Judgement from the Dominion of Dea – Church of Light."