It was the first time Kirian was allowed access to this part of the mansion, not due to a lack of trying. Her nanny had an uncanny ability to locate her at all times, even when she was as inconspicuous as possible. Until now, they were restricted to the left side of the inner mansion — the nursery. It was not only the most guarded place in the Braveheart house, but all of Kilsfort, excluding the patriarch's quarters, that is.

  The rest of the building was even more extravagant than the left wing. The walls gave an ancient impression. The wood was dark and warm to the touch - something Kirian associated with mana. She didn't have much time to look around, but what she glimpsed made her want to stop and downright stare. Everything from paintings to simple vases with flowers pulled her like it was the most beautiful thing she ever had the pleasure to see. It must have taken ages to accumulate so many artefacts.

  The wealth on display might surprise a one-year-old toddler, but for someone who knew who they were dealing with, it was the norm. The Bravehearts existed even before the empire's creation, which took place over ten millennia ago, when they were just one of the border clans under the human kingdom. At that time, they guarded the Ethereal Forest, a paramount barrier between the Elven kingdom.

  Humans, elves, and beastkin were like water and oil. The first ones wanted to expand, innovate, create, no matter the cost. The second lived in harmony with nature, only taking what was given to them, preferring to live in stagnation, fearing progress would bring them doom. The third were too busy trying to survive the wasteland and fighting among themselves to respect the plant life that the elves so furiously advocated for. Though they lacked the drive humans had, preferring to stick to old traditions, never leaving their comfort zones unless forced to.

  Needless to say, the three opposite races did not get along. Too bad the world went to hell and gave birth to beings that eat mana and shit out toxic miasma. Miasma that poisoned the land and animals alike.

  During the war against the Demon King, old grudges were forgotten, but the moment the threat passed, people suddenly remembered they actually didn't like each other and worked together only because of the circumstances. Even though the humans, elves, and beastkin served the empress under one unified nation now, the spirit of the old rivalries stayed the same. That's why the first empress created the marches — border towns surrounded by a couple of farming villages, but mostly enormous virgin lands that would keep the old kingdoms separated long enough for them to naturally assimilate with each other.

  The plan worked, and after so many years of co-existence, old grievances faded away, but the border towns stayed, serving as melting pots of different races and cultures. That's how the old martial clan practicing the Brave Heart arts transformed into a march. And even though they didn't govern a frontier town anymore, their accumulated wealth after so many centuries of prosperity kept them well-off and still somewhat influential, a perfect place for a would-be hero to grow up in.

  "This is ridiculous! How big is this house? If that's how semi-high nobles live, then I'm scared to imagine how the empress's palace looks like." It wasn't that big. It's just Kirian who was small.

  She finally caught up with her mother. Ariana must have grown impatient with the slow pace they were walking, because she put Kai on her hip and marched as if their life depended on it. Someone was not happy with babysitting duty, even though the babies were literally hers.

  "I wonder what the rest of my family looks like. My father was probably present during my birth, but I didn't have time to look around back then. And my sight was pretty limited, too, so I would probably see just the outline of his figure." Arnold was, in fact, not present during the labor. Too busy drowning in moonshine and gambling the family's generational wealth away. Neither Kirian nor Kai met their father yet.

  But that was about to change! The twins were over a year old now. Old enough for their mana circuit to develop and their immune system to strengthen. Even if they were to fall sick, a [Healer] could just cure them using a Skill. This is the reason babies' mortality rate is highest during labor and the first months of life that follow. If someone tried casting a spell on a body without a circuit, they would just give that person mana poisoning, making the situation even worse. Now that both of them were old enough that a simple cold wouldn't kill them, most of the Braveheart mansion was free for them to explore.

  Well... most of it.

  At last, they reached the patriarch's personal quarters. Only people with an invitation could enter. Even close relatives had to ask for permission from the head of the family if they wanted to be included in the inner wards.

  Ariana stopped before the huge door. It was manned by two branch family members. Even though House Braveheart wasn't as big compared to its glory days, it still reared exceptional fighters.

  "Open." She demanded, barely looking at the guards.

  The men ignored her. Ariana did not like being ignored.

  "I said open the damn door, mutts!" This time, her voice carried so far that even Kirian, who was still trying to catch up with her mother, heard it.

  The guards tensed, readying their mana. Ariana, even though unarmed, was still a [Warrior] and did not need a weapon to beat some greenhorns into a pulp.

  Before a fight could break out, the doors opened, and from the inside came the man himself — Marquess Bernard.

  "What's all this ruckus? Ariana, I told you to keep it down today. Can't you listen to me for once in your life?" He grumbled, defeated. His eyes didn't stay mad for long, though, and soon he was smiling from ear to ear as he walked to his grandson. "You must be young master Kai, I presume?" He joked, not really expecting an answer from a 14-month-old baby.

  "Yes... grandpa." To his surprise, he got it. Kai stared at him like he were seeing an old friend after ten years of being apart. Bernard tilted his head, noting the bizarre behaviour.

  That's when a gasping Kirian finally showed up, pulling him away from appraising Kai. His grin grew even more, if that was even possible, and he bent to be on eye level with the new arrival.

  "And you are Lady Mai." Compared to her brother, Kirian's reaction was far more in line with what a toddler would do when a strange old man she never seen before spoke to her — she hid behind her mother.

  The women in question scoffed. "Don't bother. I tried to make her talk to me, but she insists on staying silent. If it weren't for the nursemaid reporting on the children's development to me, I would think she was completely mute. Wouldn't be surprising, just another thing her brother is better at.

  "Hmm, I think she's just shy. Why, Arnold was the same when he was her age! Give her some time, and she'll grow to be brave, it's in her blood after all." Bernard gave her a cheeky grin. It looked uncanny on his old, wrinkly face. Ariana must have thought so too, because she averted her eyes from his.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "Well, this is awkward." Kirian thought, looking from her grandpa to her mother and to grandpa again.

  "Ehm" Bernard cleared his throat, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence. "Why are you just standing here like sitting ducks, anyway? Come on in! Everyone is already waiting inside." The energy came back to him instantly as he herded everyone through the door, giving both guards a quick nod.

  The first thing Kirian saw after entering was even more ostentatious decorations, but what caught her attention was the overwhelming feeling of warmth.

  "This place is literally swimming in mana. I feel like I'm being cuddled in a nice, hot blanket. So unfair! Our quarters barely had any mana at all! I want to move in permanently." The nursery is designed that way on purpose. It wouldn't do for the newborns to die from mana poisoning. And besides, if Kirian thinks the mana in her room was abysmal, she's in for an unpleasant surprise the moment she leaves the mansion. Mana outside is almost non-existent. Who would have thought that letting demons fester for centuries would bring unforeseen consequences? Well, unforeseen for the ignorant and the ones who pretend to be.

  There was not much time to sightsee before Bernard took Kirian's hand and led her deeper into the dining hall. The room was quiet except for the sound of the staff walking around. At least that's what Kirian thought, until she passed an invisible barrier and suddenly loud voices of agitated teenagers assaulted her ears.

  "Oh please, you can't even dance to save your life. Why would Anna date someone so incompetent? Learn to walk straight without kissing the floor first, before you think about kissing any girl." The boy who was the recipient of these words turned absolutely red, looking down as if to hide his face from his cruel cousin. To the rescue came his older brother.

  "Shut up, Vince. You're one to talk. At least Jonathan is competent enough to cast first-tier spells, unlike someone sitting in front of me." Raymond smiled, seeing his cousin's grin go from cocky to an angry frown in seconds.

  "You- You- I don't need some stupid spells to beat the shit out of this twerp! A true warrior lives and dies by the blade, not wielding a wand like a coward!"

  This ridiculous argument would probably go on for a while longer if it weren't for Grandpa Killjoy.

  "Okay, okay, everyone! Let's all calm down. You don't want to scare the children, do you?" At the sound of Bernard's voice, all heads turned toward the entrance. Fabian — the oldest at the table and heir to the march — averted his father's judgmental eyes. Don't blame him, he was outnumbered, after all! It's hard to keep teenagers in check.

  The first to react was Lilian — the youngest, but probably the most mature of the bunch.

  "Bless the system! They are so cute! I want to squeeze them so bad!" Or maybe not. Who could blame her? The babies really were cute. She got up from her seat and ran towards them, her hand outstretched in preparation for Kai's puggy cheeks, when a sudden commotion got their attention.

  From the kitchen tumbled out Arnold — completely shitfaced and still clutching a bottle of moonshine. Ariana, seeing her husband in his inebriated state, stepped forward, ready for confrontation. This peaceful family dinner was about to turn into a bloodbath.

  "What are you doing here? We agreed you would go drink with your buddies and not ruin this one thing for once. Look at you, you're barely standing!"

  "It's mu- my child- children first bir- birthday! I have the right to be- to be here!" He slurred, trying to steady himself by leaning on the nearest person — it fell on a poor server, who just tried to get the food to the table. He lost his balance, and all the dishes fell to the floor in an accompaniment of screams from Ariana.

  "What have you done, you buffoon!?" It almost came to blows, but Bernard once again saved the day.

  "It's okey, calm down, everyone. Ariana, mistakes happen, the staff can clean the floor, and the dishes can be replaced. The cook always makes more, anyway. Arnold, it's true that you have the right to be here, but not in the state you're in right now. If you really want to stay, I can call for the [Healer] to come here and [Purify] you." He paused for a moment. "What will it be? You're leaving, or I'm calling the healer, and you eat dinner with us." Arnold swayed for a moment, looking like he contemplayted pros and cons of the proposition. Finally, his gaze found his father, looking straight into his eyes as if fully sober.

  "I want to stay... and stay drunk." He told it like this statement answered all the questions. Bernard forced himself not to facepalm in front of his family.

  "No, Arnold. You can only choose one." The barely contained exasperation slipped into his tone. He really didn't have any patience left when it came to his youngest son. He looked at Arnold for a second longer before calling the guards to escort him outside. "Karl, please take him somewhere where he can sober up. I want to talk to him after dinner." He instructed his personal assistant, trying to get the mood back as soon as possible. "Alright, everybody! You're all probably hungry. Are you hungry? I'm starving!"

  It kinda worked, and everyone started to shuffle to their seats. Soon, they went back to what they were doing before this shit show started — fawning over the twins.

  "Mai, Kai, let me introduce you to your siblings." Bernard took both of the twins' hands and walked them towards the table. Kai confidently marched ahead, when Kirian dragged her feet, unsure.

  "This is your oldest brother, Raymond." The boy who protected his brother before smiled at them reassuringly. He had gone through this three times already, after all. "Next to him is your other brother, Jonathan." The boy waved shyly. "And last but not least is your big sister-" He didn't have the time to finish before the girl shot from her chair and swept them in a big hug.

  "And I'm Lily. I'm 10 by the way, I'm so happy I'm not the youngest anymore!" Her excitement infected Kai, and he also started to embrace his older sister, grinning like a child who got his Christmas present early. Kirian, on the other hand, frezzed horrified.

  "Four. I have four siblings." The thought was overwhelming. In her previous life, even though she hated her father for forcing her into masquerading as a boy, she loved his undivided attention. A sibling would only split the love he could give her — that's why she secretly hoped Kai was her only brother. Even when Ariana told them that they would meet their siblings, she deluded herself into thinking that maybe it was just a way to make her mad. The truth was right in front of her now. Her father was a good-for-nothing drunk, and her mother didn't give a flying fuck about her.

  She looked around, panicked, searching for a lifeline and landing her gaze on Bernard. Bernard her... grandpa. Her only chance of experiencing love was through her grandpa. But he seemed to love his grandchildren equally. There was so much love that one person could give, and it would be even more diluted when you had to share it. This wouldn't do at all.

  From spiraling into panic pulled her a hand on her back. Pushing her towards the other people sitting around the table.

  "Now, now. Don't hog them all to yourself, Lilian. You'll have time to play when we're done with the ceremony." Bernard smiled warmly, trying to speedrun the introductions so they could finally eat.

  Bernard led them to the head of the table, bypassing a seat on the way and walking next to the impatient Ariana. The three chairs after her were also empty. When they reached the big seat at the front, they suddenly went around it and stopped next to the man sitting on the right of it.

  "And this is your uncle, Fabian. He's your dad's brother." Fabian smiled at them, lifting his glass as if to make a toast, but thought better of it. He cleared his throat to escape the awkwardness and went back to looking at his empty plate, dissociating.

  "Right..." Grandpa didn't linger for long and pushed them ahead to the last person sitting at the long table. "Lastly, meet Vincent, your cousin." Vince gave them a shit-eating grin, ruffling Kai's hair and sending Kirian a wink. "You also have an older cousin and another older sister, but they couldn't make it in time for your birthday. You'll meet them when they come back during winter break." Talking to toddlers as if they could comprehend anything he said. Good thing the twins were actually adults. There's no way a real baby would understand or even remember everything that took place today.

  Kirian scanned her family. Truth be told, everyone looked a bit scrawny. The person with the most muscles on them was her mother, and she was on the skinnier side. Or maybe it was their height that skewed her perception. Everyone with the Braveheart blood in them was freakishly tall, pale, with black raven hair and blood-red eyes. It was kinda handsome in its own weird way. If you were into sickly-looking, edge lords, that is. Her narcissistic mother seemed normal in comparison. With average height, tan skin, dull brown hair, and similar eyes.

  "Now." Bernard clapped to get everyone's attention. "Let's eat! Mai, Kai, you can sit next to me. Grandpa will show you how to properly gut and eat a stoneworm." Yes, this family wasn't normal, not normal at all.