This meeting was nothing like what my father would consider a true family gathering. It felt more like an announcement in disguise, a mere formality before he vanished once again. The fact that we were allowed to question him in return was a rare opportunity, yet it seemed that each child in the family had their own priorities and concerns.
"It's a request!" my father replied to Alicia's question, offering nothing more.
His answer was frustrating, even to me. I wasn't sure what my sister had hoped to gain by asking, but if the matter was serious enough to be raised, I would have liked to know more.
Who had issued this request? The academy's dean? The imperial family? What were the exact terms? The full details? All of these things remained a mystery, but in a setting like this, I had no right to speak.
The sooner this meeting ended, the better. Sitting here without being able to take part wasn't something I was used to.
In the end, Alicia stepped back. Like me—and probably like most of those present—she was dissatisfied with the answer, but she didn't let it show. As for me, I now understood why attending the academy was an obligation. What troubled me more was figuring out who had the authority to make such a request of Renfyr.
This matter was far from trivial. As I pondered, a movement caught my attention. A hand had been raised. That surprised me—I never would have thought this person would dare to speak in such a situation.
Renyfr's first wife's expression shifted slightly, betraying a flicker of surprise. I wasn't the only one taken aback, though she quickly regained her usual composed demeanor.
She spoke, her voice calm yet carrying undeniable weight.
"Azimus, speak."
Azimus wasn't truly one of Renfyr's children, but his achievements were comparable to Aijin's, granting him a certain right to speak. Even so, by speaking up in this setting, he had most likely broken an unspoken rule.
"I want to know the absolute condition for being eligible for the patriarch's seat."
He certainly had a lot of nerve. This wasn't the kind of behavior my father disliked—so long as one had the ability to back it up.
Everyone had already forgotten Azimus's breach of protocol, their attention now fixed on my father's next words.
This didn't concern me directly, but I couldn't help feeling slightly curious.
"We are a military family," my father replied, his voice resolute.
His words echoed through the room, heavy with meaning.
"Our duty is to protect. And to protect, we must wield strength. Naturally, anyone who aspires to the rank of patriarch…"
A shiver ran down my spine, and a crushing pressure filled the room. The air grew impossibly heavy, robbing everyone of breath. Some managed to recover after a moment, but others… others remained frozen in place, paralyzed by the sheer force of it.
There was only one possible source for this overwhelming power. Everyone understood, yet no one dared lift their gaze to him.
I knew that producing such an effect without any special technique was nearly inhuman.
"…must prove they are worthy," my father continued. "Only achievements matter. The only ones eligible will be those who can prove they have accomplished the greatest feats. And more explicitly—those who surpass mine."
A challenge like that… Was he serious? At this rate, why didn't he just take and keep the Khan family's patriarchal seat for himself?
The pressure intensified even further, slamming down onto the assembly with crushing weight. One by one, the children and vassals dropped to one knee. Some vassals didn't even have the luxury of resisting—they collapsed unconscious the moment my father began speaking.
Then, in that same unwavering tone, he brought the meeting to an end.
"We are done for today. Aldhen Khan, you will leave all your possessions at the manor. Everything you need for your studies at Xerx has already been arranged. However, you will make your way to the academy by your own means."
A knot formed in my stomach.
He really expected me to reach Xerx on my own? He might as well have told me to walk there!
I wanted to say as much, but I was already struggling just to stay on one knee. The sheer force pressing down on us was suffocating. I refused to let both knees hit the ground. One would be enough.
The atmosphere remained heavy even after my father left the hall, leaving us trapped in the silence and pressure lingering in his wake.
He hadn't even waited for a response. He never did.
What he ordered was never up for negotiation.
Slowly, I lifted my head, my muscles taut as the weight gradually dissipated. Some around me took longer to get up, while others, like Aijin, remained eerily composed as if nothing had happened.
Yet, I knew he had felt it too. He was simply better at hiding it.
Alicia, on the other hand, remained silent. Her gaze had hardened, but she made no comment.
"By my own means… huh?" I muttered to myself.
I couldn't help but feel a bitter amusement at the situation. This was just like him. He wasn't just forcing me to attend the academy—he was ensuring I got there alone.
My thoughts were interrupted by movement to my left. One of the vassals who had fainted was beginning to stir, his expression dazed, as if he had seen death itself. Around the room, murmurs rose as some finally dared to exchange hushed words.
Then, a clear voice broke the silence.
"When are you leaving?"
I turned to find Azimus watching me with a neutral expression, as if evaluating my reaction.
I shrugged.
"Soon."
"Are you going alone?"
The question hung in the air, its implications far deeper than the words themselves.
A smirk tugged at my lips.
"I doubt I have a choice."
Azimus didn't answer right away. Then, after a brief pause, he said:
"I'm coming with you."
This time, it was my turn to be surprised.
"You're really going to break another unspoken rule?"
"It's already done, isn't it?" he replied with a faint smirk.
A short chuckle escaped me. He had a point.
The road to Xerx was about to be far more interesting than I had expected.