Two days later, in the peaceful mansion of the Arvin Vedegra household in the capital of the Astoria Kingdom, the atmosphere in the lounge located on the second floor felt a little different than usual. All of Arvin's spouses had gathered, sitting in a circle on the sofas in the lounge.
Davin stood near the window, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Alright, I will convey what our husband instructed me before he left the other day!" he said in a firm tone, starting the conversation and breaking the silence.
Instantly, all the youths in the room focused their attention. Their relaxed demeanor evaporated, replaced by a deep seriousness to listen to every single word that the brownish-white-haired youth was about to say.
"He asked us to split up and form a team!" he continued, delivering Arvin's instruction straightforwardly. "All of us must investigate the forest area around the capital and immediately destroy a cave, or anything suspicious we find there!"
Hearing the specific instruction Davin had just stated, Alrain's facial expression instantly changed. He fell silent for a moment. The fragments of information and his past memories immediately connected. He finally understood very clearly what his husband was planning.
Seeing Alrain's expression suddenly tense up, Davin looked at Arvin's second spouse.
"Actually, what exactly are we investigating in that forest, Alrain?" Davin asked with a curious expression. "Our husband said you would immediately understand his goal if I told this to you."
Hearing that question, all eyes now shifted to look at Alrain.
The green-haired youth let out a rather long and heavy sigh. He then leaned his back against the sofa, trying to calm the rumbling in his chest.
"That cave..." Alrain answered with a voice lower than usual, beginning his explanation. His eyes slowly lifted, staring sharply at the ceiling of the room as if replaying a very dark memory. "...is the place where that damn Dalvanel performed his ritual and massacred many innocent people!"
Alrain gritted his teeth for a moment before he continued his sentence with a voice trembling from holding back anger and old wounds. "And... that cave is also the place where my older sister was murdered right in front of my eyes."
That statement successfully froze the atmosphere. All the youths in the room widened their eyes.
A fact about that cave, which Alrain had kept tightly hidden in the corner of his heart all this time, was finally revealed, leaving Alvein and Davin completely shocked.
The same went for Dylan and Arion. The two youths were deeply shocked and covered in goosebumps upon learning the fact that the horrifying massacre had taken place in a cave not far from where they were currently living.
However, a different response was shown by Victor, Kaydan, and Calverd. The three of them, who knew absolutely nothing about the fact that some of their family members had regressed, became highly confused by the direction of the conversation.
Especially for Victor. He knew exactly who the name that was just mentioned belonged to.
"What do you mean, Alrain?" the purple-haired youth chimed in suddenly, breaking the silence with a deeply furrowed brow. "Why would a first prince of this kingdom do such a thing and slaughter the lives of many people? Do you have proof of it?"
Alrain lowered his gaze, looking straight at Victor.
"I indeed don't have the proof in this timeline!" Alrain answered in a heavy tone fraught with suppressed anger. "But, listen to me carefully! Our husband, myself, Ordion, and also Davin... the four of us actually died in the future. And somehow, we miraculously returned to the present!"
Like being struck by lightning on a clear morning, Victor, Kaydan, and Calverd were left completely speechless. Their bodies froze. Their brains refused to process the nonsensical sentence. They felt that dying and then returning to the past was an impossibility that could not happen.
"A-Are you serious, Alrain?" Kaydan exclaimed with a stuttering voice, his eyes widening perfectly from shock.
"Why would I make up a story and lie to the three of you?!" Alrain replied firmly, without the slightest hesitation in his eyes. "Try to remember and think about it again. Could the three of you not actually feel it yourselves through all the unnatural actions and decisions our husband has made all this time?"
Hearing that indisputable argument, the three youths instantly fell silent. They could not deny Alrain's words.
Memories of Arvin seemingly knowing everything, Arvin knowing their potential before they even realized it themselves, and especially regarding the task their husband had just given through Davin just now. All those anomalies further rendered them speechless.
Seeing all his family members begin to digest that reality, Alrain slowly resumed his story about all the horrifying things that happened in their previous lives.
With a flat tone that masked his trauma, Alrain began to tell the story. The tale started from him being kidnapped and held captive in the dark cave, witnessing firsthand how many women were killed for Dalvanel's insane ritual.
Then, his story continued on a more massive scale. Alrain recounted the great war that occurred between the Vedegra territory led by Arvin against an alliance of four kingdoms.
He recounted the most tragic moment when all the core members of the Vedegra family died a gruesome death after being poisoned by spies secretly sent by Dalvanel.
"It was the deaths of all his family members that ultimately triggered the war to seek revenge for the deaths of the people he loved." Alrain said, narrating.
Not stopping there, Alrain also shared the irony of their fate. He revealed that in the past, Allen, Ordion, and Davin were actually enemies of their husband, as well as enemies to himself on the battlefield.
Then, he recounted how Arvin at that time attacked mercilessly and destroyed the Marland Kingdom, the Flamort Kingdom, and the Victoriaz Kingdom until nothing was left.
The dark and blood-filled story Alrain told was then met with firm nods from Ordion and Davin. As fellow regressors who had experienced the bitterness of the past, they confirmed every detail and also shared their own respective versions.
Victor, Kaydan, and Calverd could only gape stiffly after listening to the entire sequence of future historical stories that were completely beyond logic.
However, amidst his shock, Victor finally fully understood the meaning of the terrifying threat Arvin had once made inside the shelter house, shortly after everyone returned from the tournament arena and discussed the absurd power Ordion possessed at that time.
"So..." Victor said with cold sweat suddenly trickling down his temples and back. "...back then, his words about how he would destroy anyone who dared to disturb his family... were not just an emotional bluff, but a real threat?"
"Yes, he was completely serious with his words!" Davin responded in an absolute, final tone. "Our husband has already lost everything once, and he will not let that history repeat itself. He will never hesitate to destroy a kingdom if that is indeed the only way to protect his entire family."
In his silence that was still shrouded in immense shock, Kaydan finally understood. Everything became crystal clear. The gray-haired youth finally grasped the actual reason behind his husband's decision to destroy the Victoriaz Kingdom by plundering all the treasures inside the palace throne room.
I truly never expected that you bore the burden of the past and a secret this massive all on your own, My Light...