Chapter 239: Cutting Ties
The journey back to the capital territory was long, but after several days on the road, the familiar, towering stone architecture of Ashbrook finally came into view.
I changed carriages at the city’s main transit hub, hiring a private driver to take me the rest of the way.
By the time the sun hit its peak at noon, the carriage rolled to a halt in front of the massive, wrought-iron gates of the Raith estate.
I stepped down onto the paved street, paying the driver before turning to face the sprawling mansion.
And let out a slow, heavy exhale.
"This might be the last time I ever see them," I murmured to myself, adjusting the strap of Oathstorm over my shoulder.
As I approached the entrance, the two heavily armed estate guards immediately crossed their halberds. But the moment their eyes landed on my face, their eyes widened in sheer shock.
They instantly uncrossed their weapons.
"Y-Young Master Jin!" one of them stammered, hurriedly pushing the heavy iron gates open.
I didn’t acknowledge them, just simply striding up the manicured gravel path.
As I pushed open the massive mahogany front doors and stepped into the grand foyer, the few maids dusting the vases and sweeping the marble floors froze.
Their eyes darted toward me, completely completely surprised, before they hurriedly lowered their heads, frantic whispers instantly breaking out among them.
I scanned the grand hall. The estate was eerily quiet.
My father, Aldric Raith, was nowhere in sight. Neither was my arrogant elder brother, Victor, nor my elder sister, Cassandra.
Good thing I don’t have to mess with them, I thought, letting out a quiet breath of relief.
I bypassed the main staircase and headed straight for my old room in the secluded wing.
Then pushed the door open, fully expecting it to be covered in a thick layer of dust.
But to my surprise, the room was impeccably clean, the floors polished and the bed perfectly made.
I didn’t think much of it. The maids probably just kept it clean out of strict estate protocol.
Then I walked over to the desk and grabbed the few personal documents and minor trinkets I hadn’t taken with me the day I left, and tossed them into my storage ring.
"All set," I muttered, turning around and walking out of the room.
I had absolutely zero intention of lingering in this house for a second longer than necessary.
Walking down, I made my way back toward the grand foyer, my boots clicking softly against the marble stairs.
Just as I was about to reach the front door when a heavy, venomous voice echoed from the second-floor landing.
"Finally decided to show yourself?"
I stopped, my hand resting on the polished banister and slowly turned around.
Standing at the top of the sweeping staircase was Aldric Raith. He was dressed in his aristocratic finery, looking down at me with an expression of absolute, unfiltered disgust.
Standing right beside him, practically vibrating with arrogant hostility, was Cedric, my younger half-brother.
"Where have you been, you useless wretch?" Aldric sneered, slowly descending the stairs with Cedric right on his heels.
"You disappear for weeks without a single word to this family. Do you have any idea how much embarrassment your pathetic stunts cause the Raith name?"
I just stared at him. The sheer, suffocating fear this man used to instill in the original Jin Raith was completely gone.
After staring down a 4th Grade Abyssal Entity, Aldric just looked like an angry, aging man in a fancy suit.
"I’m not here to cause trouble," I said flatly, my voice completely devoid of emotion. "I just came to grab my things. I’m leaving."
"Leaving?" Aldric barked, his face flushing with immediate, explosive rage. He closed the remaining distance, stopping right in front of me.
"You don’t get to just waltz in and out of my house whenever you please! You utterly worthless disappointment!"
He raised his hand and violently swung his hand to slap me across the face.
Whoosh!
I didn’t even blink. Aldric’s strike looked like it was moving through thick molasses.
Without hesitation, I casually tilted my head a fraction of an inch to dodge the slap, raising my left hand and violently swatting his forearm away.
The sheer physical density of my parry knocked Aldric completely off balance, sending him stumbling backward.
"You dare raise your hand at Father?!" Cedric roared, his face contorting into a mask of pure, murderous rage.
The younger boy didn’t hesitate. He drew his rapier with a sharp metallic hiss and lunged directly at my chest.
I didn’t draw my sword. I didn’t need to, just simply unhooked Oathstorm’s pitch-black scabbard from my belt, holding the sheathed blade in my right hand.
"You’ve been learning sword arts from your tutor, right, Cedric?" I asked, my voice terrifyingly calm as I stepped flawlessly out of the path of his thrust.
"Let’s see how much better you’ve gotten."
Cedric completely overextended his lunge. Before he could recover his footing, I pivoted, swinging the heavily edited scabbard like a baseball bat.
CRACK!
The heavy metal tip of the scabbard slammed directly into Cedric’s ribs.
He let out a strangled, agonizing gasp as his body launching off the marble floor and crashing violently into a nearby decorative pillar.
"Cedric!" Aldric bellowed, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief at the speed of my counterattack. "You little bastard!"
Aldric unsheathed the decorative longsword hanging at his hip, his own formidable aura flaring to life as he charged me.
I sighed, shaking my head. I didn’t even bother modifying the scabbard.
You’re not strong enough!
I blurred forward, slipping entirely inside his guard before he could even bring the blade down. I drove the heavy pommel of my sheathed sword directly into his solar plexus.
The air violently violently exploded from his lungs. As he doubled over, gagging, I brought the scabbard down hard against the back of his knee, forcing the proud, arrogant head of the Raith family to violently drop to the floor.
Then I kicked his longsword out of his grip, sending it skittering across the marble foyer.
The hall became dead silent, save for Cedric’s pained groans and Aldric’s ragged, wheezing gasps for air.
I stood over them, looking down at the two men who had made Jin’s life a living hell. I felt absolutely nothing. No triumph. No lingering resentment. Just a cold, heavy finality.
"I don’t have a family anymore," I said, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.
"I am cutting ties with the Raith house. If you ever send anyone after me, or try to interfere with my life again, I won’t use the scabbard next time."
I didn’t wait for a response, just turned my back on them, hooked Oathstorm back onto my belt, and walked out the heavy mahogany front doors.
But before I can step out into the bright afternoon sun.
"...Is that so?"