"Master Demiliore," Aerion smiled and drew his hand forward, "I want to thank you for saving Anya the last time we met. It's been two years."
"You are welcome," Keith shook his hand, and then politely nodded to Alyona, who was protectively standing by her brother's side.
The young Miss Prince nodded back to him with a smile before she drew her hand forward to Kashish.
"Alyona Prince."
"Kashish Demiliore."
Both the siblings curiously looked at her after she stated her name, but they did not pay much heed to it and asked their guests to take their seats.
"I hope you enjoyed the meal."
"We certainly did. Your classmates made it quite entertaining."
"My apologies, but you have a lot of fans, Master Demiliore. And thank you for taking your time and meeting them." Aerion politely said.
"I am quite used to it now." He smiled and then curiously looked at Alyona, who was vigilantly staring at Kashish. "I wonder when the two of you plan on getting married."
His sudden words froze the girl, whose eyes quivered as she looked at him, but she quickly masked her panic.
"It is not time yet," she said and furrowed her brows, trying to calculate Keith's intentions.
"Is it not?" He playfully smiled. "You are doused in your brother's Aura, Miss Prince. And if you haven't realised it yet, the two of you are made of each other."
Both Aerion and Alyona were a little uncomfortable at his bluntness. They, of course, knew what Keith meant.
After Aerion awakened his Inheritance, he had learned about who they were, and the special bond that the two of them shared.
"What brings you here, Master Demiliore?" The boy asked, narrowing his eyes a little.
"I came here to meet the Inheritor of the Hedonistic Monarch and his dear wife." His words remained playful, and he smiled when he saw Alyona feeling more restless. "But it seems that you have not initiated your Sacred Vows yet. Do you want me to draw the Sacred Rune of Wedlock for you?"
"Sacred Rune of Wedlock?" The girl frowned, seemingly unaware of it, and she subconsciously turned to look at her brother.
Since Keith seemed to know about their secret relationship, and Aerion was not denying his words, she did not bother hiding it.
Somewhere in her heart, she was actually pleased that someone addressed her as Aerion's wife, not his sister.
"It's a Rune that binds two souls in the light of the Divine Laws. A Rune that only takes effect if the two people are sincere towards each other and are made for each other," her brother informed her and squeezed her hand before she could grow a little upset with him. "I did not tell you about it because we need a third person to initiate it for us."
"You don't need a third person. It is just a tradition. A highly respected Tradition, but never a need." Keith corrected. "The one who officiates the Rune for you becomes the Prime Witness of your Marriage, and it helps the Official with the favours of the Divine Laws. Therefore, allowing someone you trust to draw the Rune for you is the same as giving them a gift and honouring them."
{Lord Keith is right, Host.}
Aerion frowned when the System's voice suddenly sounded out in his mind.
"Why were you not responding earlier?"
{The System was trying to hide itself from Lord Keith, but it has already been sensed. He knows everything about you, Host.}
"Why are you calling him Lord Keith?"
{It would be impolite of me to not take his name with respect. He is Divine, Host. The Noblest of the Divine. And he is also the True Inheritor of the God of Darkness, Erebus.}
The boy's eyes widened when he heard the words of the System and took a careful look at the young man sitting across from him.
Subconsciously, he glanced at Kashish, and the System spoke again.
{Her name is Kashish Amora Demiliore, Host. She is Lord Keith's daughter, and she is bound to him just like your sister is bound to you.}
Alyona glanced at her brother again, and she found him lost in his thoughts.
"What does the Sacred Rune of Wedlock do?" She subconsciously asked, and Kashish smiled at her before explaining to her the perks of bearing this special Rune.
"It looks like this, but of course, the name inside these Runes will be that of your spouse." Keith lit up one of the Runes on the back of his right hand to show to her.
Alyona intently looked at the Rune, and the desire in her heart flared up. She glanced at her brother again, who was still silent, and she grew a little agitated at him.
However, as much as she wanted to ask Keith to draw it for them, she stayed quiet and waited for her brother to respond.
He clearly knew the ins and outs of the matter better than her, and both Keith and Kashish were giving off quite an oppressive feeling.
She was still not sure if they meant any harm to them or were truly sincere.
"Why are you here, Lord Erebus?" Aerion suddenly asked, and Alyona was shocked by his question.
"I need something from the two of you," he straightforwardly replied.
"And what would that be?" The Inheritor of the Hedonistic Monarch frowned.
"Two drops of your Blood Essence."
"Blood Essence?"
"Yes. You will feel a little tired afterwards, but you will be back to your perfect health after a good night's rest." He assuringly said, having sensed their unease.
"Why do you need our Blood Essence?" Alyona frowned again, now visibly very apprehensive of them.
"I don't mean any harm. I need them for two girls in my Family." He truthfully said.
His answer not just surprised the pair of twins, but also Kashish. It finally made sense to her why Keith would come to see these two the night before they were going to leave this world.
"Is he telling the truth?" Aerion voiced the question in his mind.
{The System can not get a read on Lord Keith's intentions, Host. But he is strong enough to forcibly take away your Blood Essence. Since he is asking for it, he is showing his sincerity to you,} The Hedonistic Monarch System replied. {And he is right, Host. Other than a weakness for several hours, there are going to be no other side effects on your health if you give away a drop of your Blood Essence. However, you will require several years to make up for that drop of Blood Essence, but right now, it is of no use to you. You will not need it until you enter the late Martial Realms or the Second Desolation.}
"Any ideas what he is going to use our Blood Essence for?" He frowned as several possibilities ran through his mind.
{There is no need to worry about Curses, Host. They never work on the Primogenitors. Your Blood Essence can help anyone come back to life from the brink of death. However, knowing who Lord Keith is, he is probably looking forward to creating a Bloodline for the two girls he just mentioned.}
"What?"
{Yes, Host. The Blood of the Immortal and Divine Monsters are special, and since you are a Primogenitor, your Blood Essence is even more precious. Knowing who he is, he can easily create a future Divine Bloodline with just a drop of your Blood Essence. A vessel race that belongs to him requires Monster Blood.}
"What is he?" Aerion solemnly asked, but before the System could answer him, he heard his sister speak.
"Aerion?"
He could clearly hear the nervousness in his sister's voice.
"What do you suggest?"
{The System suggests that the Host shows his goodwill to Lord Keith. He is an existence you don't ever want to stand against. And if he is on your side or, at least, on good terms with you, it would prove immensely beneficial to you.}
"I can never go against him?"
{You can, Host, but it does not mean that you should. You must not go against him. Nothing would ever be worth going against him. Also, Host, the System suggests that you never offend a certain someone.}
"Who?"
{She is the mother of Lady Kashish and the older sister of Lord Keith. Her name is Evelyn. The Gods remember her as Eve.}
"Eve? The Adam and Eve?"
{No, Host. The wife of Adam, upon her creation, was named after Lady Evelyn in honour. Her name was Eve, not Evelyn.}
"Oh..."
"Lord Aerion?" Keith smiled as he looked at the boy who was having a conversation in his mind, and the young Mortal God finally broke out of his thoughts.
"We can agree to your request, Lord Erebus. And in return, I would ask you to draw up the Scared Rune of Wedlock for us."
"Thank you." He smiled and stood up, pulling Kashish to her feet. "She will draw it for you."
Kashish was a little surprised at his words, but she nodded her head and smiled at Alyona, who was visibly quite excited right now.
The Demiliore was a little excited too as this was the first time she was going to draw the Rune for anyone, but the process went much smoother than she had been expecting.
An hour later, the two siblings lay on the sofa, holding each other in their arms, having already seen off their guests.
There was a sweet smile on Alyona's face, who, despite feeling quite weak, was the happiest she had been in her life.
Aerion too was happy, having finally activated their Sacred Bond, which made him feel complete. However, more than anything, there was curiosity that was overwhelming him.
"Tell me everything you know about the Eldeilyon Race."
{My apologies. Host. The System has already told you as much as it could tell at this point.}
It was the same as how the System would not tell him everything about his own race, but Aerion was still a little excited after meeting another Primogenitor.
He had finally met someone other than his sister who could match him in talent, and he looked forward to seeing what the future held in store for him.
Though enmity was out of the question as enmity between the two Primoginators extended far beyond just the two of them, a healthy rivalry was still on the table, and he wanted to surpass Keith.
"Who was stronger? The Lord of Darkness or the Hedonistic Monarch?"
{...}
The silence from the System made him smile.
"Erebus? I see. You said that Keith has a System as well. Which one is it? Is it the Legacy of Erebus?"
{Lord Erebus had the superior Bloodline, Host. Which is why he would be considered the stronger of the two. And the System does not know which System Lord Keith possesses, but it should be the same level as the Hedonistic Monarch System.}
On the other side, Kashish, who was holding Keith's arm and walking back to the Tower of Nox, finally could not help her curiosity.
"What are they?"
"They are the Primogenitors of the race called the Arcylarix, creators of the Four Divine Phoenixes." He lightly said, and his dear daughter stopped in her tracks, shocked to the core of being.
"What?!"
"Yes." He playfully chuckled and pulled her with him as they continued walking.