Chapter 210: Old Man Tobias’s Bow

After dropping off Sylvia at Yuna’s house, Raiden finally reached his destination and parked his bike.

It was an old villa in the rich part of the suburbs, surrounded by greenery and nature.

Raiden had to go through three waves of barricades and guards to get inside. And as soon as he entered the villa, he saw nothing but greenery and a big-ass garden for a few hundred metres, as he was able to see how much wealth they had.

He was surprised to find Maple standing outside the home, seemingly waiting for him.

Her face looked a little pale, but otherwise she looked okay.

"Raiden, thank you for coming. We are truly grateful for your help." She bowed a little as soon as she saw him, causing Raiden to panic a little as he tried to hold her up.

"Hey, hey, hey, there is no need for that. We are friends, aren’t we?? It’s just a small favour." Raiden stopped her as he spoke.

A smile appeared on Maple’s face after hearing his words.

"You are right. We are friends. Both old man Tobias and Aria are waiting inside." She opened the gate and led the way forward as Raiden followed behind her in awe.

The mansion looked very simple at first glance, made up of wood and brass, but the closer Raiden looked, the more he found how immaculate the furniture was, engraved with such small details that they were not visible from afar.

’Is this what they call the old money aesthetics??’ He tightened his grip on Woolie in his hands. He had to make sure he didn’t create a mess here, or he wouldn’t be able to pay it all back, even if he sold himself.

He followed behind Maple with small guarded steps, making sure not to touch anything on the way.

"Raiden, you are here! Thank you for helping me!!" Aria beamed and jumped up from her seat as soon as she saw him moving in for a hug.

Raiden caught her with a smile as he hugged back.

"Haha, there is no need for thanks. Big sister!! You are the first one to help me. It is because of you I was able to meet with Woolie, so if anything, I should be the one thanking you." Raiden spoke sincerely.

"Really??"

"Of course!! Plus, I still owe you money. You can consider it as I am doing labour to pay you back." He teased with a smile.

"No, no!! You already paid me back 10 times the amount you borrowed. I don’t want more!!" Aria started to shake her hands in denial, looking very flustered.

Raiden smiled as he looked at the panicking girl in front of him. He didn’t know why, but he liked to tease her a lot; her reactions were always so funny.

"Ahem." A cough rang out from the back as Old Man Tobias stood up.

"Old Man. Thank you for having me." Raiden stood at attention and greeted him politely.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice and helping my granddaughter. I owe you a favour now." He bowed down in front of him, causing Raiden to panic as he tried to hold the old man up.

What was with this family and them trying to bow down every second? Were their ancestors from the land of the rising sun or something??

"No, I must do this. You are risking your life for my granddaughter. This is the least you deserve." The old man spoke with a stubborn expression on his face.

"Risking my life??" Raiden was surprised.

"Yes. From your expression, I’m guessing Maple didn’t explain the details. Please have a seat. I will tell you what this family trial is and what it is all about."

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Raiden took a seat in front of a sofa, while Aria sat quietly on the side with a guilty expression on her face.

"Let me ask you first, Raiden. How much do you know about the Stormwind family??" Tobias asked.

Raiden pondered for a moment before he spoke.

"Not much, honestly. I know that your family is one of the biggest in the empire, and your main family business is the shops spanning nationwide. Oh, I also remember you guys also have the power of bloodline, something related to wind??"

Tobias nodded his head before shaking it.

"Well, you are half correct in your knowledge. While we do have a massive business empire, that is not the main focus of the family; it’s the military. Our Stormwind family has always been predominantly a family of military faction." Tobias spoke leisurely.

"Military Faction??"

"That’s right. In our nation, all the noble families are actually divided into three factions. First is the Aristocrat Faction, where families band together for their interests and filthy politics. The next faction is our Military Faction, where most of our family members enrol themselves in the military and protect our nation. And last but not least is the Neutral Faction, which gives the balance between the two, led by none other than the Archon himself."

The old man paused, giving him some time to digest the news. And judging by his words, he didn’t think well of the Aristocrat Faction.

"Stormwind Family, Military Faction, got it." He nodded his head.

"As you know, since we are part of a military family, most of our descendants grow up and join the military. That is how we preserve our legacy for thousands of years. And my granddaughter Aria here, she is an outlier." A doting smile appeared on her face as he looked at his granddaughter, who turned her head down in shame.

"An outlier??"

"Yes, I’m sure you noticed her nature by now. She is a very kind-hearted person. But the problem is where she was born. She is the daughter of the head of the family."

"And because she did not want to join the military and kill anyone, the family stole her bloodline."

"What?!!"