- Ara: I heard, when the Moon El fell on our family's grounds, the Haan family that was once a small family on the country side went through a drastic change.
- Ara: However, I have never actually witnessed the Moon El in real life.
- Noah: (The Moon El...)
- Ara: Back then, I merely thought it was a precious treasure, one so precious you would not show to just anyone.
- Ara: But when my brother left to become the Guard Captain, after I happily sent him off, I heard the whispers.
- Ara: That's when I learned my brother's advancement wasn't only something to be happy about.
- Aisha: I did... wonder about that, actually...
- Elsword: What...?
- Aisha: Ara said the eldest son of her family has been the Royal Guard Captain for generations. But... a Guard Captain is not actually that high of a position.
- Ain: Ms. Magician... That's kind of harsh.
- Aisha: Ain! You know I didn't mean it like that!
- Aisha: What I mean is, it's not such a grand honor that it's seen as a step up for the eldest son of a noble.
- Raven: Yes. I you need a position to interact with other families and prove loyalty to the kingdom, there should be better positions closer to the palace.
- Raven: In Velder, even a commoner can become a Guard Captain. I do not know the situation in Northern Empire, but I doubt it's any different.
- Chung: Oh, it's not like that in Senace, but I understand what you mean.
- Elsword: Really? This is complicated... Is the position you get that important?
- Aisha: Sigh, you have so much more to learn. When it comes to matters like this, even picking up a needle from the ground holds some kind of political meaning.
- Ara: While the Northern Empire is ruled by the Emperor, the robles of the capital also hold a lot of power.
- Ara: When the Haan family gained an exorbitant amount of power in the form of the Moon El, we suddenly found ourselves scrutinized by both sides.
- Noah: ... A hostage.
- Ciel: A Royal Guard Captain? Isn't that too good a position for a hostage?
- Ara: I do not know for certain... But I believe the royal family wished to make the Haan family the leader of a new group of nobles that will be more favorable to the Emperor.
- Rose: And the nobles of the capital had the exact opposite idea.
- Raven: They probably didn't like a small family village from a remote region suddenly gaining so much prestige. Never mind the threat the family posed to their foundation and position.
- Elesis: ... Elsword, do you understand what they're saying?
- Elsword: Not a single thing.
- Elesis: Yeah, we should stick to swinging swords.
- Ara: Huhu... My brother Aren, the eldest, did not want to leave. Of course, things didn't turn out the way he wanted.
- Ara: Even after he left for the capital, I kept sending letters. To me, he sent stories of the capital, of new experiences, and asking about my day, but...
- Ara: To my father he sent letters... asking... pleading for action from the family.
- Ara: As expected, all my brother's requests were ignored. All the letters were burnt without even opening them.
- Ara: I could not bear to tell him that. So I told my brother everything will be fine... a cheap consolation telling him we'll endure this together.
- Ara: Time passed, and by brother stopped sending letters... When we got used to not hearing from him, that's when it all happened.
- Ara: ... I'm not trying to defend his action.
- Ara: But I understand, as someone who grew up with him, and as someone who watched him closely, how he came to make that choice.
- Ara: Please believe me. If... If Aren can't come back... Then I...
- Lu: Stop making hasty assumptions. I know more than anyone how those from the Red Demon Territory use others.
- Lu: They twist even the purest hopes and desires to use for themselves.
- Chung: I understand that even when you know someone believes in you, you can find yourself in a situation where you can't rely on them.
- Chung: ... My father... would have never met Ran on his own... if I weren't the hostage.
- Chung: So... Don't worry about us, and believe in your family. We don't know what will happen until it does.
- Ara: .......
- (CREAAAAAAK...)
- Rena: Uuuuh! Was that the door? It's giving me the shivers.
- Add: Do you not understand the meaning of quiet?
- Elsword: Hey! It's not my fault Ran didn't take care of his front door.
- Rose: It's severely rusted. Almost to the point of corrosion... It's likely nobody used it for a very long time...
- Elesis: Don't say that! He must be here. Maybe... he uses a doghole or something.
- Rena: Yeah, I don't think so. Let's go further in for now.
- (CREEAAK!)
- Add: Ack, mind the door!
- Ain: With that noise, even the Dream Demons would know we're entering Ran's manor from their village.
- Elsword: I opened slowly...
- Rena: ... It's still quiet. I thought something would show up by now.
- (STEP, STEP, STEP....)
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