章 17: The Sonfild Family
Skyler woke up, and the tremors that hit her arms the day before had finally stopped, thankfully.
The sun was coming through her balcony, and when she got up, for a minute, she forgot everything that had happened.
She adored those minutes of solitude and quiet where she didn't have to be the perfect successor and where she didn't have to prove to anyone that she was worthy of anything.
There were only her and her thoughts.
Skyler got up and took a long shower, then dressed and got ready for breakfast. She put on black pants and a white blouse with blue details on the sides and sleeveless.
She looked in the mirror and saw her hair cut short.
Skyler hated having hair like that, but it was a recommendation from her uncle, a good way to avoid giving an advantage in battle.
She always forgot how many things in her life were done based on that. If she counted them, there was a high chance that she would be very upset.
Skyler went down the stairs, and when she reached the dining room. She saw her mother and father sitting without speaking.
Her father read the newspapers while her mother carelessly turned the pages of a magazine.
When the young woman appeared on the threshold of her door, her mother looked up.
Her mother snorted when she saw that the new arrival was Skyler.
It was her father who welcomed her, "Hello, honey! How are the tremors going? Still bad?"
The girl smiled at her father and sat at the table, "They no longer affect me. Last night they were very frequent, but today I don't feel them."
"Excellent!" Her father replied happily. He then took a sip of his cup of coffee before adding, "Do you have a nice day planned?"
"I must leave soon, and I must go to Mabel's ranch," just as Skyler said that a butler came over and filled her cup with coffee and placed two muffins on her plate.
Skyler smiled at him and nodded, to which the butler returned the smile as well.
"Mabel!" Her mother spat out with noticeable disgust. As she uttered the name, a tremor ran through her body as if she rejected that word "I can't believe they let a woman like that be a virtue. What is virtuous about her?"
"A gigantic magic power," Skyler said after biting a muffin, "Almost as big as Uncle Maximo's."
"I know that," her mother answered before glaring at Skyler. "But it is not a reason to be a Virtue. Your uncle is a refined and educated man. Magic power should not be the only requirement to be a Virtue."
"It is not," Skyler answered, "And she was not allowed to be a Virtue. But she managed to smash the former Virtue in free combat and snatched the position. She did not ask for it mother. She took it."
Skyler's mother fanned herself with her hand as she responded, "I know, poor Rondha," she got up before continuing, "it is an injustice what happened to her. It's a shame that no one was there to correct that, just how they corrected yours yesterday."
"Cecilia!" Skyler's father yelled, but the other woman just left the room.
Skyler watched her mother leave her. She took a sip of coffee then shrugs her shoulders, "She always makes my day."
"Skyler," Armand said while looking at her daughter, "Remember that your mother does not like people antagonizing her."
"It's hard not to when she's against everyone," a voice answered before Skyler. It was coming from the threshold of the door that led to the kitchen.
Skyler turned and saw how a tall and uniformed man appeared.
He had a scar on his eyebrow. His long black hair was tied in a ponytail. As soon as she recognized him, Skyler stood up and then ran towards him to hug her brother.
The young man received her and held her tightly, lifting her off the floor.
Skyler smiled as she squeezed the body of the young newcomer.
"I thought maybe I should come to see my little sister! I saw the beating that dude gave you. I thought you needed support," the young man said.
Skyler's father got up and walked over to his son, who was letting go of her sister and hugging his father as he said, "Albert! What a good surprise you have given us, boy!"
Skyler looked at her brother in admiration as he hugged his father.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were on duty," Skyler asked with bright eyes.
The young man, after hugging his father, walked towards his sister. He put his arm around her.
Albert smiled awkwardly, "They promoted me. I'm a Virtuous guard now. It's a super stupid name, but we are Jonah's protectors. As he had to come to the capital, we came too."
"That's great. It means you'll be here for the duration of the tournament," Skyler responded, extremely happy.
Albert laughed. "Exactly, I just hope you don't continue to embarrass yourself, little brat."
Skyler hugged her brother again as they all sat at the table.
Albert looked exhausted.
He was only three years older than Skyler, but he looked much older now. His face was haggard, and when he had a cup of coffee, he seemed to be in deep exhaustion.
He took a long drink before he said as if exasperated, "It's good to be home."
"Albert," Armand said with concern, "You look terrible. I thought being in Jonah's direct squad would keep you out of harm's way."
Albert winced, "No, father. That dude is just completely crazy," he said before biting a muffin.
"He leads the charge, goes on the tip of every attack, never retreats. He is a very strange guy and always takes care of most of the work himself. The minister of the eastern city Garnica adores him and always asks him for advice on anything," Albert continued.
Skyler listened to her brother and said, "I thought there was no war as such."
"Well, officially, there is not, sis! But the eastern countries do have armed groups on the borders that try to destabilize that place. They do not take responsibility for those groups.
Jonah believes that they are trying to start something, that is why it is so important to protect that place, and lately, we have had big problems with the fanatics of the Church of the Four," Albert explained.
"The Church of the Four?" Skyler asked curiously while looking at his brother.
Albert frowned as if he remembered something unpleasant, "Yes. I believe that here they call themselves the Riders Worshipers. They are crazy fanatics who think that the Riders should be freed."
"I can't believe that there are crazy people like that," Skyler's father said, shaking his head. "Go back to how we were before not being able to have settlements for fear that those creatures would appear and destroy it, live in fear and force the virtues to a battle without end with those creatures again. Who could want something like that?"
"Those people, father," Albert answered, "The worst thing is that little by little. They gather an entourage of powerful people. They are a pain in the ass!"
Skyler smiled at his brother's affirmation. While looking at the scar on his eyebrow, she asked thoughtfully, "Have you been in a lot of battles, Al?"
"More than I would like, brat!" He said jokingly.
"And did you see my fight yesterday?" She questioned while looking at him with narrowed eyes.
Skyler's father smiled as he watched his son put a muffin on the plate while looking at his sister with care.
"Of course! Sky! Yesterday's fight was magnificent. I cannot make more than three attacks of that level without breaking my bond. You did many more. Your capabilities are impressive. You lost because you lack experience, darling," Albert seriously commented.
"I have fought many times. Brother I was twenty and nothing in my record," Skyler boasted.
He snorted, "Yes, in that stupid game in the bio-sphere. Brat, in real life, things are very different. Believe me!" His face darkened a bit after saying that. Albert's hand ran through his hair as if he was trying to push back his unpleasant thoughts this way.
He laughed forcefully before speaking, "That guy who fought with you showed that he has a lot of real combat experience. Not just in that game but in real life. Maybe you should ask him where he trains."
Skyler looked directly at the tablecloth on the table and said, "I also think he could show me many things."
When she said that, she got up and said while kissing the head of her brother, "I must go. But you will be here at night, right?"
"Yes! Today I will sleep in my bed. I'm not on duty. Thank goodness..." Albert muttered with satisfaction.
Skyler giggled. Her brother looked silly.
"Then I'll see you tonight, brat," Skyler playfully said as she tried to imitate her brother's voice.
And with those words, the young Skyler left the room.
She was still not far when she heard her brother speak in a low voice to ask her father.
"Father, you know the location of all those Markeds, don't you?" Albert softly asked.
That question piqued her interest. It made her wonder why his brother would ask such a thing. But she kept going.
She had a strong day in front of her.
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