Rivas Family

6 months later

Located in the northeastern part of the continent, today in one of the territories of the Doria Empire, more precisely in the northwestern part of the empire in the grand duchy of Rivas, the streets were unusually packed with people. Crowds lined both sides of the street from the city entrance to a huge luxury manor at the corner of the city.

Many were cheering and shouting, welcoming the occupants of a luxurious carriage pulled by four horses with horns like goats. The carriage was escorted by hundreds of soldiers in a parade formation, most of them at the viscount stage and some at the earl stage, indicating the significant importance of the person inside.

Almost everyone in the city was talking about the excitement of the day.

"Why is there a parade today? Is there some kind of ceremony." a person asked the person beside him.

"Don't you know? The daughter of the grand duke Rivas is come back after she is missing for almost 12 years!"

"What? One of the 'Five Shields of Doria'? The youngest member in history? Didn't they say she was lost in the Everlasting Silent Forest because of the devils' traps?"

"That's why it's a miracle that she's come back alive."

"Well it looks like something has changed in the Everlasting Silent Forest, because a few months ago some people who had been missing for a long time returned."

"Seriously?"

"No wonder the grand duke is making such a big deal of this celebration."

Conversations like this could be heard all over the city—in taverns, houses, and restaurants. No one, absolutely no one, was unaware of the event.

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In one of the dark alleys far from the hustle and bustle of the streets, three hooded figures gathered, their faces obscured and their auras completely hidden. One of them spoke to the other two.

"The news are true, the Blizzard witch survived back then." said one of them.

"It's really unfortunate, we even lost many members of the 'The Hunters' at that time" said the second figure, from the soft voice which it indicate that this person is female.

"Fret not. Even if she has returned, it doesn't change anything. The plan will still carry on. When darkness covers the world, that will be the time our God will come."

"Our God will come!" shouted the other two.

Just like that silence returned to the dark, narrow alley, leaving no evidence that anyone had been there.

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The three-story manor, with its grandeur decoration evident from the front gate and fence are asking admiration from the passerby, the fountain with the statue in front of the manor adding it's elegant that give a prove about the status of the inhabitants.

The manor of the Grand Duke Rivas stood as one of the symbol of the power of the Doria Empire, its territory bordering the Vindas Empire and Devil territory, acting as the empire's spearhead in the northwest with many formidable cultivators. Among them was the current patriarch of the Rivas family and one of the Grand Dukes of the Doria Empire, Giovan Rivas.

A man who appeared middle-aged stood in front of the manor's door at this moment. His short black hair had a few strands of white, showing the effects of time. His blue eyes seemed to have witnessed many tough experiences in life. He wore noble attire that accentuated his tall and gallant stature.

Beside him stood an elegant blonde-haired woman, her youthful appearance and slender body captivating to those who looked at her for too long. She was the wife of the Grand Duke, Elene Rivas. The two of them had been in good spirits since a few months ago when they heard their daughter had suddenly reappeared after more than eleven years of being lost in that forbidden land. As the entourage of the carriage finally came into view, they could not hide their happiness that their daughter was coming home.

When the carriage entered the manor grounds and stopped in front of them, the door opened to reveal the person inside. A long leg stepped out of the carriage, revealing a beautiful face and black hair.

"Irene, my daughter!" Elene rushed to touch and hug her daughter, finally releasing the emotions she had endured for so long. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and even her husband's eyes seemed to hold back tears. Irene smiled upon seeing them once more. To her, it hadn't felt like too long because the time she spent in the secret realm with Aldrey and Aldrian was so precious and beautiful that she had enjoyed every moment.

"I'm home, mother," she said, returning her mother's hug and looking at her father. What she saw was quite different from the last time she had seen him: more wrinkles on his face and strands of white hair mingled with the black. She wondered what had happened while she was gone, but now was not the time for questions. Instead, she allowed herself to indulge in the happy moment of their reunion.

"I'm glad you are back and safe." Giovan said with a heartfelt smile.

"Yes father, It's nice to be home again."

"Let's go child the food had already been served, you must be miss the food here."

After exchanging words of comfort, they entered the manor and headed to the dining room. They ate with delight, their conversation filled with something like "How is family? Are you okay? Were you hurt somewhere? Did you this and that, are you this or that." These questions formed the backdrop of their reunion.

When they finished their meal and gathered in Giovan's workspace, the Grand Duke began to ask more serious questions.

"Now, how did you manage in that place? How did you escape?" Giovan asked, his eyes full of concern.

"After the Devils trapped me in Buran village, I managed to escape and ran towards the Everlasting Silent Forest because that was the only direction I could go. I ran for days until I found a crack in space within a hidden cave. After I entered it, the crack closed itself. When I looked around, I realized it was a secret realm with a small village in it." Irene explained.

"Fucking devils bastards! Wait, a secret realm? Already inhabited?"

"Yes, Father. I lived there because the entrance had closed and didn't open again until a few years ago. I noticed fluctuations from the crack and knew the entrance would open soon. Finally, six months ago, the entrance opened again." Irene answered truthfully, though not revealing everything.

"Who are the inhabitants? I heard that a few months ago, some people who had gone missing returned from that forbidden zone."

"They said their ancestors were also trapped there. Most of them are mortals, and a few have reached the disciple stage. Even though the heaven and earth energy is rich there, they never learned proper cultivation techniques."

"Is that why the ones who entered the deeper part of the forest never returned? Were they trapped in some secret realm?"

"I believed that is the case father." Irene replied.

"By the way, did you happen to meet that bastard from the Flamecrest family? He disappeared around the same time as you and I heard he also came back from there." his father asked.

Hearing her father bring up the topic she most wanted to avoid, Irene nearly screamed in frustration. She took a deep breath and delivered the answer she had prepared in advance.

"No Father, I didn't see him." she answered sweetly, trying to mask her panic, Giovan looked at his daughter for a moment and said.

"It's better if he doesn't return. It would save us some trouble with the Vindas Empire."

Irene forced the best smile she could muster, though her thoughts were something else.

"I'm sorry, Father. I already did the deed with him and even gave birth to your grandson!" she thought.

She decided it was best to reveal this to her parents when the time was right. If her father knew what she had done, he would undoubtedly wage war against the Flamecrest family, potentially sparking a full-scale conflict between the empires.

While her father could be deceived, her mother was another story. Elene's suspicious gaze bore into Irene, sensing that something had changed in her daughter. Irene felt her back grow damp with sweat and knew she needed to escape before things went south.

"Father, Mother, I'd like to return to my room. I'm tired after the long journey and need to rest." she said quickly.

"Oh, go ahead, dear. Take a full rest." Giovan replied, granting his permission.

With that, Irene rushed to her room without looking back, feeling her mother's scrutinizing gaze following her.