CHAPTER 301: CH 301: RETURNING HOME - PART 2

The butler’s eyes finally caught the figure in the shadows just as the young teenager stepped forward and gave them both a long look.

Recognition flashed across the butler’s face as he gasped.

"Young master Nigel?"

Nigel didn’t answer. His gaze never left Melissa, and in the next instant, he lunged toward her with mana flaring violently around him.

The air cracked under the force of his swing. Melissa barely managed to raise her sword in time to deflect the first blow, her boots skidding across the marble floor from the impact.

The pressure of his aura alone made her legs feel like lead.

The butler stumbled backward in panic, unable to interfere.

Nigel moved with lethal precision. His strikes were relentless, each heavier than the last, and Melissa could feel herself being overwhelmed.

Her arms trembled from the force, muscles straining as she tried to hold her ground.

"You’re good. But not good enough to stand beside him."

Nigel said with an eerie calm, his violet eyes gleaming with curiosity.

Melissa’s jaw clenched, her breath heavy. She didn’t have the luxury to answer. Nigel’s blade rose again, this time glowing with dense mana.

He brought it down in a savage arc, aiming straight for her neck. With no time to dodge, Melissa raised a desperate mana shield.

The clash sparked a loud explosion. Her shield took the brunt of the attack, shattering under the force, but a shard of Nigel’s mana-imbued blade sliced through the barrier and grazed her arm. Blood spurted out, staining her sleeve.

She winced, stepping back, clutching her wounded arm as Nigel straightened. He looked unimpressed.

"My brother deserves better allies."

With that, he rushed her one final time, blade poised to finish it. Melissa steeled herself, ready to take the hit and counter, even if it broke her bones.

But the blow never came.

Nigel halted mid-charge, his body lifted slightly off the ground by the collar of his cloak.

He turned around, furious, a snarl forming on his lips—only for his expression to drop in surprise when he saw who had grabbed him.

Kyle stood there, his hand clenched around the back of Nigel’s cloak. His eyes were calm but sharp, boring into Nigel’s without a single word.

"...Brother. I didn’t hurt her too badly."

Nigel murmured, the feral energy in him quieting.

Kyle’s silence was louder than any reprimand. He stared at Nigel for a moment longer before releasing him. Nigel landed softly and took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck like a child caught misbehaving.

The butler, meanwhile, was frozen in place.

"Y-Young master Kyle... I had no idea he—"

Kyle raised his hand, silencing the butler. He then looked toward Melissa, who was already tearing a strip from her coat to wrap around her bleeding arm.

"Sorry, young master."

She muttered under her breath, as if ashamed.

Kyle looked at her wound briefly, then shifted his gaze back to Nigel.

"Why?"

Nigel blinked.

"I wanted to test her. You’ve changed a lot. And if she’s standing beside you now... I wanted to see why."

His tone was straightforward, not apologetic.

Kyle sighed, rubbing his temple.

"That’s not how you test people."

Nigel pouted, but didn’t protest.

"She’s strong. Stronger than I thought."

"She’s not someone you can treat as your opponent."

Nigel looked back at Melissa.

"I see."

Melissa didn’t reply. She bowed her head slightly, then resumed wrapping her wound.

Queen, who had been silently standing watch nearby, moved from the shadows, inspecting Melissa with unblinking interest. It didn’t speak, but its presence loomed over all of them like a silent reminder.

Kyle watched Nigel for a long time before turning away.

"We’ll talk later. For now, stop attacking my people."

Nigel nodded once, subdued for now.

Kyle glanced at Melissa’s arm, the blood still seeping through the makeshift bandage. His expression hardened.

"Go treat that properly."

He said quietly.

Melissa bowed her head.

"Understood, young master."

Without another word, Kyle turned and gestured for Nigel to follow him. The younger boy hesitated, his confident posture faltering slightly before he fell in step behind his brother.

They walked in silence through the hallways of the Armstrong estate until Kyle entered his room.

Nigel stepped in after him, eyes flickering across the familiar furniture before landing on Kyle’s back.

"...Are you angry at me?"

Nigel asked hesitantly.

Kyle didn’t respond right away. He walked over to the window, stared out into the fading light for a moment, and then let out a quiet sigh.

"No. I’m not angry."

Nigel looked up hopefully, but that hope faded at Kyle’s next words.

"I’m disappointed."

The words landed harder than any shout. Nigel’s shoulders stiffened, his eyes widening slightly.

"You were reckless."

Kyle cut him off.

"If you’d gone even a little further, I would have had to stop you for real."

There was a long silence between them. Queen, quiet and unreadable, stood in the corner of the room, watching everything unfold.

"I won’t do it again."

Nigel finally said, his voice low.

Kyle turned to look at him. The boy was smiling faintly, but his eyes—sharp and wild—told a different story.

Kyle met that gaze without flinching.

"See that you don’t."

He walked past Nigel and sat on the edge of the bed, tired. There was too much at stake now, too many eyes on them. He didn’t have the luxury of allowing chaos to grow from within.

Kyle sat down heavily on the edge of the bed once the door clicked shut behind Nigel.

The room fell into a hush, save for the faint hum of Queen’s mana, still lingering like a watchful guardian. It had not spoken—not directly—but Kyle knew it was aware. It always was.

His fingers drummed against his knee slowly, thoughtfully.

Nigel had grown stronger. His instincts had sharpened, and his power had matured at an alarming rate.

But all of it came wrapped in volatility. If that energy was not reined in, it could become a weapon that backfired on everything Kyle had built.

And yet, despite all that, Nigel had come home. He had returned quickly, earlier than expected, likely drawn by the same unease Kyle had been feeling ever since the sky cracked above the world tree.

Queen hadn’t spoken much of it, but Kyle could tell—it was watching something beyond even what he could sense.

His room felt heavier now.

Queen’s presence pushed at him softly, brushing against the edge of his mind. It wanted him to move. To prepare.

"I know. I don’t have time to wait anymore, do I?"

Kyle murmured, his voice quiet,

The divine relic in the sanctuary had accepted his mana.

The sky itself had warned him, threatened him, but still he had declared war. There was no turning back now. No pretending to be anything less than what he was.

Kyle leaned back, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.

"If Nigel can be tamed, he’ll be an asset. But if he gets in the way..."

He said aloud, mostly for himself, but Queen hummed faintly in agreement.

Kyle didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t need to.

A knock sounded at the door. This time, it was the butler.

"Young master, the Duke has returned. He wishes to meet you tonight in the study."

The man’s voice came softly.

Kyle closed his eyes briefly. Of course. The main reason for his return.

"I’ll be there."

He said after a moment.

As the footsteps retreated, Queen stirred again, brushing against Kyle’s mind once more.

He understood.

Everything was beginning. The war. The succession. The shift of the world.

And there was no more room for hesitation.