Chapter 1417 One With Them
In a dark, subjugated, and repressed underground area where there were many formations kept to ensure that some group of people stay and spend the rest of their lives repenting for the crimes they have done, or was waiting for a public execution that was executed by beheading or burned alive, a particular person could be seen appearing at the entrance of the cell, looking through the iron bars which were practically unbreakable for anyone put in this place.
It was a man, a blonde-haired man who possessed a worried look on his face. Judging by the garment he wore, he seemed to be a Grand Elder of the Alstreim Family.
"Elise..."
He called out to the cell opposite to him as he looked around.
The stoned pathway seemed to be lit by dull flames that were burning inside lanterns, making the place have poor lighting. This caused the people to be here to become dull, easily depressed, that he couldn't help but worry more.
"Elise...!"
He called out once again, seemingly wanting to say something.
"So noisy..."
A melodious voice resounded, but it also sounded a bit exhausting, as if this person possessed no energy beyond their voice.
The face of a charming woman became visible on the other side of the cell as she neared the prison bars. Her purple eyes looked tired, while her expression looked a bit indifferent. However, the moment she saw the person on the other side calling out for her, an imperceptible smile couldn't help but appear on her face.
"Father, your beard has become bigger..."
"Who cares about that? I want to ask if you had kept a count of the days that passed?"
This person was none other than Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim.
"Why should I?" Grand Elder Elise Alstreim looked amused, "I see no point in-"
"Elise, you can't be like this! We are going to be released in a few days if they keep their words. Look at the bright side...!"
"Bright side...?" Grand Elder Elise Alstreim's purple pupils trembled before she lowered her head and sighed, " After my husband died, I sought solace by nurturing someone whom I can be proud of but ended up making a monster without realizing it. I raised my son Eldric to be a proud, righteous, and upstanding man, and yet, how did I fail to realize that Weiss-"
"Elise. It's enough..." Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim shook his head, "Forget about that demon spawn. Some people just weren't meant to be what you want to or make them be..."
"..."
The atmosphere became gloomy for a few seconds before Grand Elder Elise Alstreim giggled.
"Someone has to take responsibility for bringing out that demon spawn's inner demons, and it should be none other than me, the person who placed full trust in his actions and allowed him to act freely..."
"Then I will take shared responsibility for letting you act unbridled..." Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim harrumphed.
"You...!"
Elise Alstreim looked at her father, looking aggrieved.
"Daughter, I will not allow you to stay here and spend the rest of your life wallowing in this dark space! Don't be full of yourself! That demon spawn merely took advantage of your kindness and had his way with many others, causing us irreparable damage! I don't like you sympathizing with that demon spawn, hmph!"
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim harrumphed as he turned his head away, but noticing that his daughter was going to cry in the corner of his eyes, his expression became awry, but he hardened his heart. He did not come off this strongly when he tried to convince her so many times in this one year, but now that they were almost going to get out of prison, could he still allow her to be suffering from such self-harming mentality?
"Well, well... What do we have here? A father-daughter bonding session?" An amused voice of a charming man echoed, causing both Grand Elders to look to the side.
A blonde-haired, sapphire-eyed figure walked out of the darkness that enshrouded the dimly lit stone pathway, causing their eyes to experience a bit of change.
"It's you...!"
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim looked at the young man who wore a purple robe. It was none other than Davis.
He clenched his teeth with resentment but harrumphed it off as he couldn't be bothered to deal with him, not to mention that he lost the battle and lost the qualifications to regain the dignity he had lost.
"What did you come here for? To mock us that our imprisonment has been extended or something?"
Davis walked and stood between the two cells as he shook his head, having his hands clasped over his back.
"You're mistaken if you think my mother would act like a backstabber like your subordinate who allowed foreign forces to invade the family."
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim had just sneered before his expression fell when he heard Davis mock him. Indeed, his subordinate Zeno Alstreim was a black mark, a disgrace that he would never be able to scratch off from his name in this life unless he could achieve something greater that would bring him a good reputation.
By this point, it was no doubt to him that his name had been utterly tarnished in the Alstreim Family, but he didn't care about that. All he cared was for to be released and carve a place for his family again. He looked at Davis, suppressing the intent to retort as he asked.
"Is Nora fine...?"
Davis looked away as if he purposefully ignored that question, looking towards Grand Elder Elise Alstreim. Looking at her gloomy face that was a far cry from her previous proud self that had even dared to earn the ire of the Aqua Flood Dragon for some reason, he couldn't help but take a look at her again.
"You look like you don't want to live... Was that trash's death that much of a severe impact on your mental well-being?"
"What do you know?" Grand Elder Elise Alstreim had become taken aback before she clenched her fists as her body trembled, misunderstanding that he was peeking on their conversation.
"Try losing the love of your life and a grandson you decided to nurture with all your care, only for him to turn into the trash you mentioned and then come and ask me the same question. I'll answer..."
Davis couldn't help but chuckle at her aggressiveness.
"Don't be so heated. You still have your proud son and your stubborn father looking after you. Is that still not enough?"
Grand Elder Elise Alstreim narrowed her eyes. She looked confused, wondering what this young man was getting at before she harrumphed.
"Hmph! Because of me, my proud son kneeled to your grandfather, begging for forgiveness. Your mother made my father kneel as well. I'll never forget that, so you don't dare let me out, or I'll scheme against your family just as that trash schemed!"
She possessed a crazy smile on her face as she declared while Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim's expression fell.
"Elise! What are you saying?"
"Father, don't interfere..." Grand Elder Elise Alstreim shot a cold look that angered him once again.
Davis couldn't help but scratch his head, "You, your son, and your father literally took a binding oath that you won't target us because of that matter. You're going to go against that?"
"Yes!" Grand Elder Elise Alstreim giggled, "At the very least, I will. I dare you to let me out!"
"Young Davis!" Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim abruptly screamed, "Don't listen to her words! She's trying to make you angered so that you would imprison her for more time!"
Davis pursed his lips, finding their replies amusing.
"This is rather problematic. A sorrowful baby is trying to threaten my family and me, but Valdrey, why are you so formal all of a sudden?"
"You...!"
Both Grand Elder Elise Alstreim and Valdrey Alstreim were dumbfounded at the arrogant Davis. How could he be so disrespectful towards them? They blamed their sealed cultivation bases for it.
"Whenever I give an inch, you take a yard." Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim clenched his teeth as he replied, "If it weren't for these bars blocking my path, my cultivation being sealed, and the Dragon Queen's protection, you would not dare to take this kind of attitude in front of me..."
"Ahaha!" Davis couldn't help but laughingly shake his head, "You weren't exactly a threat to me a year ago, and you are much less of a threat to me now. At this moment, you are at the level of a little kid trying to scream on top of his lungs from the safe confines of your mansion's balcony, nothing more, nothing less."
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim frowned before he shook his head, finding it useless to talk to an arrogant brat who delusionally thinks that he could beat them in a battle.
"Think what you want, but you haven't answered my question yet. How is Nora doing? You better not have done anything bitter to her...!"
"Guess..."
Davis possessed a teasing smile on his face, looking very obnoxious. He had this punchable face that irked Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim to commit murder, but he ended up taking a deep breath to suppress his anger.
"Don't play games with me. I'm asking you a question and depending on the answer; we'll need to reassess our standings. I assure that you that even though I was severely humiliated, I have no grievances as I've used this time to reflect on myself. I want to break through to the Law Rune Stage as Ancestor advised me, and you and your family are least of my concerns."
"However, Nora... If anything happens to her, I will never forgive you!"
Davis kept smiling, looking rather crazy before he gestured smugly.
"Why don't you ask her yourself, grandfather?"
"...?"
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim was momentarily taken aback by his addressing before he noticed the gesture, his head turning to look at the figure that walked past the dark pathway, coming into their view. His purple eyes dilated as his mouth opened agape, while Grand Elder Elise Alstreim looked stunned as well.
"Nora! Why are you here!?"
He couldn't help but shout before he turned to look at Davis.
"Bastard! Why have you brought her here!? Don't tell me you're going to imprison her as well!?"
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim's expression became enraged as he yelled at Davis, causing him to blink.
However...
"Grandpa, if this son over here dares to imprison me, then he would receive severe beatings from Claire..."
A melodious voice sounded out from Nora Alstreim as she smilingly closed the distance, looking smug as well as proud.
"Huh?"
A voice of utter confusion echoed from Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim as he returned his gaze to his granddaughter.
Nora Alstreim maintained a proud gaze, but her expression couldn't help but turn awkward as her crimson lips moved.
"Grandpa, back then... when I had a face-off with Logan in the Grand Welcoming Hall, I inevitably fell in love with him. At that time, I didn't know he was married to Claire, but after thinking about it..."
Nora Alstreim felt extremely embarrassed as her face became a shade of crimson.
"I still decided to become one family with them..."
"..."
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim's confused expression stayed confused for a while before it abruptly changed into a priceless one.
"What!?"