After the death of the alluring middle-aged woman, the entire estate was thrown into chaos. The middle-aged man and a group of his subordinates stood at a distance, watching everything unfold with dread—they knew the world as they knew it was about to fall apart.
This woman, despite marrying into this place, had done so wholeheartedly. Considering her status, the sacrifice wasn't minor. Her father was none other than the formidable Lord of Fangspire Tower, the most powerful force within a thousand-mile radius.
The Lord of Fangspire Tower had already reached a supreme level of cultivation. If he were to be enraged, everything within that radius would be reduced to rubble. A disaster of that magnitude would cripple anyone involved.
Senju Yukika noticed the expressions of Takeshi Tanaka and Kael, and from their reactions, she quickly deduced the situation. Without hesitation, she walked toward the middle-aged man.
Yukika had her own reasons for accepting the position of guest protector in this estate. Long ago, a notorious demon overlord from the netherworld had once lived in Stonehill Town. Rumor had it that he possessed a powerful relic.
The Senju clan had long sought this artifact, and Yukika made this estate her base to continue that mission. Although she was technically a guest under the household, no man—not even the estate's owner—could order her around unless she allowed it.
That meant Yukika held no loyalty toward the so-called master of the house. In fact, in this very moment, she was contemplating taking him down.
The middle-aged man trembled when he saw Yukika approaching. His voice stammered as he spoke, "Senju Yukika, what are you doing? You're my guest protector!"
She gave a cold chuckle. "You? A useless coward? You think I'd ever truly work for you?"
With that, she drew her sword, pointing it straight at him. The terrifying aura it emitted made his knees buckle. He dared not defy her and slowly shuffled toward Kael, standing silently with his head down, not daring to move.
Yukika turned to Kael and asked calmly, "Shall I eliminate this man?"
The question struck fear into the man's heart. He looked at Takeshi Tanaka with pleading eyes, hoping his son might save him.
"Son, I'm your father. Please don't do this to me," the man cried.
But Takeshi remained unmoved, his face cold and emotionless. He remembered all the cruel things his father had done—the pain, the abandonment. But worst of all was the way his father had treated his mother, ultimately leading her to a painful death.
As those memories surged, Takeshi pulled out a short sword and slowly walked toward his father. The air grew tense; even Kael was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected a child to display such resolute decisiveness.
The middle-aged man's legs trembled uncontrollably. Never in his life had he imagined that he might die at the hands of his own son.
Just as everyone thought Takeshi would strike his father down, he unexpectedly slashed off a large wart from the man's arm instead.
"I owe you nothing now. From this day forward, we're strangers," Takeshi said in a flat tone.
Takeshi had once attempted suicide just to escape his father's control. That act severed the final thread between them.
Kael watched Takeshi in silence and nodded internally. That single act, though not as dramatic as patricide, was enough to completely break ties.
Relieved, the middle-aged man fled the estate, drenched in sweat. Everyone else had already cleared out, no longer daring to remain in this cursed place. After witnessing Kael's strength, none wished to challenge him.
In a blink, the once-grand estate became a deserted husk. Kael, however, remained, choosing to linger for a while.
It was only then that he learned about Takeshi's past and the tragic events that shaped him. Takeshi had once lived in a kind and loving household. His father, too, had once been a decent man.
Everything changed when the daughter of the Ironspire Tower's lord passed through Stonehill Town. While visiting the estate, she felt an inexplicable aura and became obsessed with it.
No one could explain it, but she became determined to marry Takeshi's father.
Captivated by her beauty and strength—and aware of the powerful support she offered—Takeshi's father accepted without hesitation.
Over time, he grew distant, neglecting Takeshi and his mother, until he ultimately cast them aside. The Ironspire heiress had poisoned his mind.
Takeshi's mother was imprisoned, and the boy was banished. Not satisfied, the woman even hired assassins to hunt the child down.
Had Kael not passed through the outskirts of town that day, Takeshi might have been captured and delivered to that cruel woman. What followed could only have been tragedy.
Hearing all this, Kael couldn't help but wonder: what had obsessed that woman so completely?
Why torment a powerless woman and a child?
She had wealth, power, and prestige. Marrying into this house should have been beneath her. So why all this madness?
Kael couldn't say.
But the question lingered in his heart.