Chapter 248: Orvain Arcturus
Aurelian returned to the family estate with Astra and Rhoswen.
Seraphine and the Morozova triplets were still staying at the estate when he returned.
Seraphine asked why the elders needed to leave as she noticed their departure, but she didn’t dig too deep, knowing that asking too much could ruin the relationship they had built up to that point.
And Aurelian explained a little bit, but not too much, as although they have an agreement, it is still just an agreement, and they have not gotten as close as the triplets for him to tell her everything.
But the triplets were much less restrained.
Yelena immediately wanted to know how the family’s elders reacted to Helion Bastion Twelve.
"Although they were surprised at first, from the looks of it, it seems that they have seen similar events before, so their reaction was not as strong as you were imagining," Aurelian said.
Yelena thought for a moment and agreed with this, thinking from her perspective and forgetting the true ages of the elders who had seen many things when they were younger.
The frontier was far away. The Kharov were far away. The endless reports and problems waiting for him beyond Mournveil felt distant enough that he could ignore them for a few hours.
Unfortunately, that peace didn’t last very long.
The following morning, it became clear that the family had already started moving.
The elders were still holding private meetings, but the discussion had shifted. Nobody was debating whether House Arcturus should support the Crownward March anymore. That question had already been answered.
Now they were arguing about something else.
Who would go, and who would stay?
Which branches would provide people?
How much influence could each branch establish near the March without upsetting the balance within the family?
That was the real discussion now.
House Arcturus was enormous. Cassian’s direct line stood at the center, but many powerful branches existed throughout the family.
Some specialized in exploration. Some controlled industrial sectors. Others focused on military command, administration, research, logistics, settlement planning, or frontier development.
Most of them now want a place in March.
Aurelian had expected that much.
What he hadn’t expected was Lord Orvain Arcturus coming to find him personally before the next official meeting.
Orvain was one of the senior branch heads within the family. He wasn’t among the oldest elders, but he had been a Tier VI commander for a long time and had spent decades building his branch from almost nothing into a respected family line.
His branch wasn’t weak, as it had capable officers, good administrators, reliable engineers, and loyal personnel.
What it lacked was a successor powerful enough to push it into the next stage.
Aurelian knew him, though they had never spoken particularly often.
That was why he became cautious the moment Orvain approached him in one of the estate’s inner gardens with a friendly smile and only a single shipgirl escort standing at a distance.
"Aurelian," Orvain said warmly. "Walk with me for a bit."
Aurelian glanced briefly toward Astra, who had followed him as usual.
Then he nodded.
"Of course, Uncle Orvain."
The title wasn’t literal. In a family as large as Arcturus, it was simply the normal way to address older relatives of senior standing.
They followed a quiet garden path lined with silver-leaf trees and shallow pools that reflected the morning light.
Astra stayed several steps behind them, close enough to intervene if needed but far enough away to allow privacy.
For a while, Orvain didn’t bring up anything important.
He asked about the trip.
About Larkspur Haven.
About the frontier.
About reaching Tier III.
He even asked whether Cassian had somehow become even harder to argue with since taking greater responsibility within the family.
"Father has always been difficult to argue with," Aurelian said.
Orvain laughed.
"That’s because he’s usually right. The most annoying kind of difficult."
"I’ve noticed."
The conversation stayed relaxed for several minutes as they walked through the gardens.
Only when they reached a small overlook above one of the ponds did Orvain finally stop.
The water below was calm.
The estate beyond it was quiet.
Orvain looked out over the pond before speaking.
"I’ll be direct."
Aurelian immediately paid closer attention.
"I am considering moving most of my branch’s future development into the Crownward March."
That wasn’t what Aurelian expected.
He had anticipated a request.
Perhaps a proposal.
Maybe an attempt to secure favorable treatment.
Not this.
"Most of it?" he asked.
"Yes."
Orvain nodded.
"Not every person and not overnight. But the center of gravity. Engineers. Settlement teams. Younger commanders. Administrative families. Support companies. I want my branch to grow there."
Aurelian studied him carefully.
"That’s not a small decision."
"No," Orvain agreed. "It’s probably the biggest decision my branch has made in over two hundred years."
"Then why tell me before the family meeting?"
Orvain’s answer came immediately.
"Because the March is yours."
That made Aurelian pause.
Orvain wasn’t looking at him anymore. His eyes remained on the pond below.
"I wanted to ask you first."
For several moments, neither spoke.
Eventually, Orvain continued.
"My branch rose late compared to many others. We earned direct recognition because I reached Tier VI and accumulated enough merit on the outer fronts. That gave my people opportunities they never would have had otherwise. Better education. Better careers. Better access to family resources."
He smiled slightly.
"For a while, that was enough."
Then his expression became more serious.
"But we haven’t produced another commander capable of carrying the branch forward."
His voice stayed calm, but there was honesty behind it.
"We have good people. Useful people. Loyal people. I am proud of them."
Aurelian could tell he meant it.
"But we don’t have enough weight anymore. If things continue as they are, we’ll spend the next century becoming comfortable."
He looked toward Aurelian.
"And although with me here, nothing will happen, but eventually I am not enough to keep an entire branch running."
Aurelian remained silent.
Orvain continued.
"And although I hate to admit it, this can be considered my fault partially, as I was more focused on becoming stronger, which led me to not even look after the branch that I am the head of."
He shook his head.
"But that is not something I can change, which is why I am planning to move most of the clan members from my branch over there to grow."
Aurelian understood that immediately.
Orvain wasn’t looking to get ahead of other branch leaders; instead, he was looking for a future for his branch.
