Coming Clean (2)

Upon watching the overly excited twin leave, Shin turned to Ryujin and sighed.

"Sorry son. We have been incredibly selfish and burdened you with a secret we adults should have taken responsibility for."

"I'm sorry as well. If I had known this was how they were going to receive your reality, I wouldn't have told you to carry such a heavy secret either." Raja added.

"Mother has wronged you son. I hope you can find it in your heat to forgive us this once." Lin's sobby voice rang out from above.

Ryujin knew why they were having such thoughts, but did they think he did what he had done because he couldn't keep a secret from his cousins?

For them, at least it seems so; but for Ryujin, he had only that simply because he had come to realize and believe that none of it mattered.

Both his situation and the consequences of his current abilities held and posed no significant risk to himself - at least, within the context of his own family.

At his current strength, and after his battle with Aric's gang, he had come to realize that the amount of people who could harm him within his family's domain cohld be counted one both his fingers.

One might think Ryujin was being conceited or foolish, but if Aric and his gang was the best of the mercenaries the other families could send after him, what were the odds that there would be experts much stronger than Aric?

Furthermore, even if they did exist, Ryujin didn't believe they would be more than ten.

After all, if Aric was only a little weaker than his father who had hunted and killed the tribe chief, the how many experts would be as strong as his father?

If they did exist, then they would most likely be candidates worthy of being a Grand Family Patriarch.

Agreed, the establishment of a Grand Family requires far more than the strength of a single person; such family, would still need at least three experts of Aric's level and three generations worth of descendants.

Furthermore, they must also possess a level of wealth that was enough to sustain and maintain a domain, as well as a level of influence or fame that was no weaker than any if the existing grand families.

Once a family can fulfill all these criteria, then they would be considered as a Grand Family candidate.

If they outshine one of the existing Grand Family, then the King might bestow them such title and demote the least performing existing Grand Family.

Or in the case of Atlantea, they could just slaughter one of the grand family and take their place.

The political status or noble strata of Atlantea as always been this way.

If a family performed well enough and possessed enough strength they could become a Grand Family, and likewise could a Grand Family become a Tribe Chieftain.

Through this lens, one could understand why the previous Tribe Chieftain had been too scared of the Shin and Raja Family.

Even if they did not go to war or apply to the king for the position of the Tribe Chieftain, the King would have nonetheless given it to them.

It was just so unfortunate that despite their lack of interest in such political status, they had fallen prey to the consequences of King Atlantea method of rulership.

They had the fame, influence, wealth, and their children more than made up for the lack in military strength, so it was only natural that the weak willed Tribe Chief would think they were aiming for his seat and then strike preemptively.

----

With all of that being said; if a Grand Family was required to have three experts on Aric's level, and they were only two remaining Grand Families, that brought them to a total of Six.

Though, Shin and Raja were stronger than Aric, this didn't mean they necessarily possessed the required strength of a Patriarch.

However, what the lacked in the strength aspect, they more than made up for in wealth and influence.

In addition, the very fact that Shin was able to kill the Tribe Chieftain was a testament to such required strength; however, the Tribe Chieftain had never been the strongest either.

Thus, since he wasn't strong enough to keep his status, he simply opted to nip those who could in the bud.

---

In recent months, Ryujin had come to understand that if they wanted to unify their domain under the banner of a single family, the they would need six people on Aric's level and a leader with the strength of a Grand Family Patriarch.

Currently, his family had three; Shin, Raja and Lin. However, Ryujin had thought of roping in Aric, Luo Fei and Ella to make up the required six.

Furthermore, his battle with Aric has shown him that even he wasn't any weaker than the latter, and Ryujin was certain that once he undergoes his trial of awakening, then he would without doubt outstrip the mentioned six by a large margin.

Though, he had no desire to be a Patriarch, but what he could do was substitute for his father to become the Patriarch whilst he took his father's place at the table of six.

However, even though Raja and Shin were sworn brother's, there would exist the need to select a single descendant as the lineage of Patriarchy, and Ryujin wasn't sure if Raja would want his future generations to be resigned to a supporting role.

This might sound too overblown, but it was exactly this sort of narratives that results in situations whereby the Patriarch dies, but the successor's uncle's decides to kill the successor so as to free themselves from a lifetime if supporting roleplay.

It was because of this train of thought that Ryujin felt the need to solidify his families bond of trust even further, up to an extent where betrayal, though possible, would carry a nigh negligible probability.

He knew his father and uncle were sworn brother's, and it also helped that his mother served to be another link to solidify that further; however, they are of the older generation, while himself, Dara and Jada were of the younger generation.

His relationship with the twins had seen a dip in recent times due to the fact that he was barely at home; and now, should they realize that he had also been keeping secrets from them, then it might break their trust in him, and such a situation was what usually resulted in the situation he was trying to avoid.

Furthermore, if his actions could solidify or create a bond of brotherhood between himself and the twins (just like their fathers and grandfathers) then they might just be able to weather the brewing storm that was now on their horizon.

Though this was his train of thought, he didn't tell them yet; after all, everything needed to occur in the right sequence regardless of whether they were on a time crunch or not.

Furthermore, it wasn't as if it was a given that Ella, Luo Fei and Aric would just go along with his idea, thus, there was no point in revealing his grand plans yet.

Nonetheless, what they could at least start with was their own family; if their family isn't united, how can they convince others to join them, and furthermore, what if one of those they've invited tried to exploit the cracks in there bonds?

---

"You all did it to protect myself, Dara and Jada, so I perfectly understand." Ryujin pushed the matter to the back of his mind as he responded.

Raja heaved a sigh of relief, Shin had no visible reaction, while Lin simply buried him deeper into her bosom; a comfortable sensation that nearly sent Ryujin into an instant deep sleep.

"I have a few things to come clean about as well; but more importantly, we might have inside information into the plans of the other grand families." 

The latter part of Ryujin's statement were hushed to the extent that only the trio around him could hear.

Upon hearing what Ryujin said however, their eyes widened in shock and their expressions became solemn.

If it was indeed as Ryujin had said, then such an information had to be tagged 'for your ears only' and had to be worked upon immediately.

"Has there been any new developments?" Shin asked casually.

He had intentionally his his reactions simply because he didn't want the twins to mistakenly walk in on them and notice the solemn atmosphere.

A glare from Lin also sent Raja reeling backwards in sweat; not only was he the strongest source of the tension in he air, but he was also involuntarily putting pressure on her baby; someone who was meant to be resting at ease, and in comfort.

Ryujin noticed the slight exchange between his mother and uncle, but he knew the story behind it would only be worth recounting once the incoming storm had passed.

"The man that brought me back; that hunter... Did he have a scar that ran across his jugular?" Ryujin asked, and upon seeing his father and uncle nod, he continued.

"We will need to go see him tomorrow; regardless of he's alright or not. 

I know a place where all of us would be able to speak freely and get all the information we need from him.

However, mother would have to make an excuse to take Jada and Dara out, and another excuse to explain why I can't join the them on their trip, just in case she is asked."

Ryujin explain in a breath. Though he was probably paranoid, but the atmosphere of danger his instincts was sensing was still there, and whilst it didn't seem immediate, it was definitely hinting at a critical sense of urgency.

Since that is he case, he was unwilling to leave his mother and cousins alone at home with neither him, his father or Raja being home to protect them.

Though he had accounted for six people in Aric's level, that didn't mean that they were the only ones on such level.

There was still the mysterious mastermind whose strength he had no clue about, and he also didn't believe that Aric's gang was the only group of mercenary led by someone with Aric's level of strength; hence the TEN he assigned to them all.

In fact, Ryujin believed that if Aric's group could find his house and stalk him for –only God knows how long– then there was bound to be at least, another group who might be able to do the same, more or less.

Furthermore, the other group might not be like Aric's gang, and may choose slaughter his family before finding the opportunity to deal with him amidst the chaos.

---

It didn't take long for Jada and Dara to return and interrupt the serious conversation the adults were having.

Ryujin didn't know why; perhaps it was because he hadn't eaten anything in almost two days, but Dara's soup tasted delicious.

Though it was neither as mouthwatering as the ones Jada made, nor was it as spicy as his mom's; still, it had a wild, outdoor taste to it; the type that reminded one about the reckless adventures of one's youth.

If he had boiled the soup with a freshly caught game, then it would taste no different from what a hunter would eat when the were deep into the forest and hungry.

Jada on the other hand had packed a few fruits, squeeze out every single drop of juice into a healthy mixture of fruit blast that made Ryujin decide that he would drink no other for as long as she could continue making them.

Afterwards, he receded into his mother's embrace and dozed off.

Lin was pretty much happy just cuddling him to sleep, just like a mother would- their child.

She couldn't help but stare at him, smoothening his hair and picking out nonexistent dirt from his face.

The moment Raja and Shin realized that Ryujin had now become the only existence within Lin's world, they swiftly left, as quiet as a thief in the night.