"Damn, now all the pieces are in place," Zephyr muttered, rubbing his eyes.
Everyone felt weighed down by the weight of all the new information they had learned, both physically and mentally.
As they comprehended the purpose of the eye's descent to that world being connected to Raydon and witnessed the subsequent destruction of the entire world, their stress reached new heights. They couldn't help but speculate that the presence of the eye was responsible for Raydon's survival in that world and the mysterious appearance of the gate beneath the family mansion.
"So that's why you wanted to hide his existence and exile him from the family. I have to admit, if it were me, I would have made the same choice," Seren said with a sigh.
When Samuen and Diam first came across Raydon, they had no idea what the future held for their family. Despite this, once they became aware of the extraordinary potential he possessed, they made the decision to bring him up as one of their own.
In doing so, they had to keep his backstory a secret, concealing the fact that they had found him in a fallen world. They introduced Raydon to everyone as the child of Cael and Thalia.
But unfortunately, while Cael and Thalia reluctantly accepted this order, they did not fully comply with it.
At first, they were uncertain as to whether or not Raydon was, in fact, a successful project, and they were even skeptical that he might awaken as an item holder at some point in the future. And the fact that he was the sole reason for the destruction of the world was sufficient for them to come to the conclusion that they should not expose their family to this danger.
Therefore, in defiance of Samuen's wishes, they came to the conclusion that the only way to completely sever Raydon's connection with their family was to expel him from the mansion and abandon him to die in the slums.
And because it was never their responsibility to look after him in the first place, they wouldn't have anything to do with the threat that he might pose to the rest of the world.
But even though Samuen and Diam respected their decision, they couldn't bear the thought of leaving Raydon to die in such a manner. If they couldn't bring him back to the family, they were determined to ensure he wouldn't perish in the slums.
"But there is something else I don't understand. If you knew about his past, why didn't you oppose the decision to welcome him back into the family?" Zephyr asked, his confusion evident.
Everyone believed Raydon had a high rank behind him when he awakened as an item holder despite all the odds against him, so they decided to take advantage of this by having Raydon return to the family. And, interestingly, Cael and Thalia were the first to accept this decision.
"Because initially, we also believed that it was a high rank that triggered his awakening," Cael replied.
As remarkable as Raydon's background was, they still believed that he would not be able to awaken on his own in his vegetative state.
"That's why it was such a great opportunity for us to establish connections with this high-rank, as our family has been losing strength for many years. So, even if he brings misfortune to this world in the future, the responsibility would fall on his high-rank master rather than us," Thalia explained.
In the beginning, they intended to conceal all of their family's ties to Raydon; however, they were forced to seize this opportunity in order to preserve their family, which had started to deteriorate and fall apart over the course of the years.
In the event that something ultimately went wrong, they would have this high-rank item holder, who is also Raydon's master, to place all of the blame and responsibility on.
"But then, as you witnessed his talents and learned that there was no high-rank item holder behind him, you had to accept that what was written in this diary was true and that he was indeed a successful project," Zephyr said helplessly.
Even if Cael and Thalia's every scheme had failed to materialize, Zephyr could not condemn them for the actions that they had taken. After all, they did it all for the sake of their family's future.
"We are truly sorry. Hold us accountable for everything you experience in this world," Thalia suddenly said, bowing her head to Raydon.
They had initially abandoned him to his death because they feared he would bring harm to their family. Subsequently, however, they tried to use him once more in order to plot the advancement of their family, which was unethical in the eyes of everyone.
"My father is not to blame for what you have been through, so we take full responsibility for all that has happened," Cael said apologetically, bowing his head slightly. "In fact, I can say that while he initially had the idea of utilizing your potential, he later came to see you as his grandchild and genuinely wanted to raise you."
Cael and Thalia had already come to terms with the fact that Raydon had experienced numerous betrayals in his previous world. Now, they deeply regretted subjecting him to similar experiences in this world and felt genuine remorse for their actions.
"We do not expect your forgiveness. If the same opportunity presents itself once more, we will probably try to use you for the benefit of our family's future. However, at this point, we are willing to accept any punishment that might offer you even a tiny bit of relief and change the way you feel about this family," Cael said earnestly.
He understood that Raydon's exceptional potential would propel him to great heights in the future, and as a consequence, he was determined to make sure that Raydon did not hold any resentment towards the Demugen family.
And just as he had previously decided to sacrifice Raydon for the future of the family, he was now willing to sacrifice himself for the same cause.
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