"We cannot have him attend the academy." Reina told her husband.
He continued to scribble on paperwork, not necessarily ignoring her. It was evident that they were on the same page and he did not have to vocalize his agreement. Especially after receiving a new, hysterical report from Ulya. Or at least through her intermediary after she was found unconscious in the hall surrounded by random blood patterns on the floor. Reina rubbed her husband's shoulders, feeling how taut the muscles had become as he stewed in frustration. He paused for but a second before giving up on completing the forms on his desk. Pushing back his seat, he pulled her onto his lap. She in turn placed her chin on top of his head with a contented hum. Though her gaiety only lasted a moment before the troubling thoughts returned. The Veilkerhurst family were never ones to keep their children out of Gauliker Academy. Whether they were strong or weak did not determine if they could attend, only if they could survive. And it would cause too much of a controversy for them to start now.
"The youngest's face ripped off!" Those words rang in Reina's head. Though unsurprising after everything they had witnessed, it still just did not make sense. Reina had recalled seeing the child whistling to himself as he went off to to complete his own activities. His face had an uncanny aspect to it, as if it had not settled properly onto his skull. She felt weariness beginning to settle into her bones at every new strange development with that child. She had gone to her husband's office, already certain that they would receive news about some new query concerning the youngest Veilkerhurst.
And lo and behold, they did.
Reina still presented herself as refine and nonchalant, not showing any bother at the shrill announcement from the servant. She gaily dismissed them, waited until they left then allowed her shoulders to droop. There was now the slightest bit of evidence of dark bags under her eyes, underscoring the stress that had plagued the top of Veilkerhurst for the last few days. Vlaus felt his hand instinctively clenched into fists as he took in her condition. This was not caused by them trying to subdue a more resilient enemy. Nor was it the result of her being preoccupied by a new design that would further her own interests or the benefits of the Veilkerhurst family. The cause of their distress came from within their own household, from a whelp that had been no more than an insignificant spawn. There was enough of a stir that even the more distant members of the Veilkerhurst family were beginning to murmur. It would not be long until talk reached the outside of their walls.
"If he registers this year before we can get to the bottom of what is going on, it will lead to nothing more than humiliation or disaster." Reina studied her husband's face. She was impressed that he was still able to smooth out any sign of irritation from his face. Though she did feel the tension in how his fingers kneaded the back of her thighs.
She was not the type to raise unnecessary alarm, but with everything happening with that voice and the youngest's strange powers, it would be best if they proceeded with cautious. Were the new developments something that could truly benefit the Veilkerhurst family or could it be the start of their downfall? This was not an exaggeration as the youngest was now performing unnatural feats that could not be attested to any magic or illusions they recognized. Reilard had already begun to do research to see of their have been reports of strange summonings or invasive voices. Yet there have been nothing of such note in all of their records.
Vlaus was not too worried as this was similar to him overpowering his more formidable brother. It would be foolish of him to expect none of his children would be in the same predicament. Vlaus had no back up in his youth. He had no allies. He was at the bottom of the competition and his defeat--and more likely, his death--had been guaranteed. That did not mean that he had not used the resources he currently owned to investigate how the youngest had somehow gained outside help. The only reason they remained at the op was due to the fact that in his own personal experience how those who were weak would eventually become strong enough to overthrow the ones in power.
Yet he could not find any substantial evidence that the youngest had undergone the same metamorphosis. Reina had also made it her mission to solve how her youngest had managed to gain the aid of a omniscient being that was will to do his bidding, but there was nothing she could determine that could result in him gaining him the upper hand to cause such a disturbance, but there had been nothing on his end either. His wife had obviously grown obsessed, wanting to learn how her youngest had become invulnerable to extreme injuries as what had occurred during the last bout with Brakus. When Vlaus had received reports about the youngest's neck being broken, only for him to rectify the injury, he had already determined that it was imperative to summon the brat to his office. It had long become obvious that he had been concealing more than he had let on and he would not be made a fool.
Only to be made a fool of anyway.
He had never been so humiliated in all of his life. Not when his brother had one up him during a planned ambush, brutally beat him to the point of putting him out of commission for months. Not when he had to go on a solo mission to save Reina after she had been kidnapped and left for dead in enemy camp. Not even when he had spent years snuffing out any bouts of rebellion that tried to destroy him from the inside the castle during his early years of being head of the Veilkerhurst family. Yet, somehow, the most untalented and unimpressive member of the Veilkerhurst's main branch had gained control of some creature with the ability to force each of them out of their bodies and into some kind of mind space?
He could not accept it.
And now, with the rapidly approaching new school year, it would be a matter of time before it was exposed how little control he had left over the youngest Veilkerhurst. There may be a chance that he never truly had it.