"In response to our ancestor, my name is Dorian Gray," Dorian replied promptly, not daring to conceal anything. He cautiously added, "Please forgive me for hiding the Abraham surname. You may not know, but since your disappearance, the family has faced many hardships. The Abrahams of today are no longer what they once were…"
As he spoke, Dorian's expression was a mix of sorrow and careful observation of Mr. Door's reaction. Though he had long awaited his ancestor's return, Dorian's knowledge of Bethel came only from the family's ancient records.
But as everyone knows, records can distort the truth. So, Dorian was genuinely unsure of his ancestor's temperament or stance toward the current Abrahams.
"I know the Abraham family has fallen on hard times. You don't need to be so cautious... it's not your fault," Bethel said with a sigh. "But I don't know the specifics. So, Dorian, tell me about it. What's happened over the years? What's the state of the Abrahams now?"
Hearing this, Dorian let out a breath of relief. He gathered his thoughts and began to recount the events slowly.
It all started with Mr. Door's disappearance, which was not only the loss of the family's greatest pillar but also the beginning of their downfall.
In that war, the Abraham family lost all its angels, and their high-sequence members were heavily crippled. Combined with the defeat of the Tudor Empire, the family was forced to relocate to escape persecution from the victors of the War of the Four Emperors, including the Seven Gods.
The pursuit itself wasn't the main reason for their decline. In fact, likely out of respect for Mr. Door, the Seven Gods' pursuit of the Abrahams was half-hearted. Compared to the Tudor royal family, which was nearly wiped out, the Abrahams preserved most of their forces, despite losing nearly all high-sequence members for various reasons.
The true cause of their decline was the full moon whispers. These whispers prevented the Abrahams from producing new high-sequence Beyonders, and even mid-sequence ones became rare, fundamentally stunting the family's ability to rise again.
Of course, the Abrahams hadn't been idle. Decades ago, they tried a solution: recruiting students outside the family bloodline to avoid the full moon whispers.
Tragically, their judgment was poor. The few promising talents they cultivated turned on them, defecting to the Aurora Order and even achieving demigod status. This betrayal dealt another blow to the already struggling family, pushing them deeper into decline.
"Fortunately, a few months ago, the full moon whispers suddenly stopped for reasons unknown. I contacted other family members, hoping to select suitable children to train anew…" Dorian paused, his expression tinged with frustration. "But many are too scared. They don't believe the whispers are truly gone. They fear becoming Beyonders only to face the whispers again and refuse to let their children take the risk."
By the end, Dorian looked at Bethel with guilt. "Ancestor, we've failed the Abraham name and the glory you once brought us. Many have lost the pride of being Abrahams. Please forgive them…"
Before he could finish, a sigh interrupted him. Dorian fell silent, awaiting his ancestor's judgment.
"It's not your fault, nor theirs," Bethel said with another sigh. A thousand years ago, he might have been furious, expelling these "cowards" from the family for being unworthy of the Abraham name.
But a millennium had passed, and Bethel was no longer that strict patriarch. He understood that the family's decline stemmed from his own actions, so he held no blame for them.
Still, Bethel knew what a competent patriarch should do, especially in such a critical time. He suppressed his sighs, his expression turning serious and resolute. "Spread the news of my return to all Abrahams. I will reorganize the family. Those unwilling to return are free to live as ordinary people and may keep the Abraham name. But those who choose to return must obey my commands from now on."
"Additionally, I will select a group of suitable members for training. If you have any candidates, you may recommend them, regardless of whether they carry the Abraham bloodline."
"…Yes, Ancestor!" Dorian's expression was half excitement, half relief. Then, as if remembering something, he hesitated for a second before saying, "Ancestor, I have a suitable candidate. She's very talented and has a good character... my student. I've divined that her inclusion would benefit the Abrahams."
Alaric's expression turned odd for a moment. If he recalled correctly, Fors had recently connected with an Abraham family member. Had she, as in the original story, taken Dorian as her teacher?
Alaric wasn't certain, as he'd promised Bethel not to contact the Abrahams privately. Plus, with how busy he'd been, aside from nudging Fors about her writing, he hadn't kept tabs on her activities.
"You know his student?" Bethel asked, catching the change in Alaric's expression, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"If his student is Fors Wall, then yes, I know her," Alaric said with a smile. "My student is a fan of her books."
He paused, then continued, looking at Bethel. "Also, in the original timeline, she was your successor, though you never met."
No mistake there... Fors, as the future angel of the Abraham family, inherited Bethel's characteristics, making her his successor.
Bethel's interest was piqued. "What kind of person is she?"
"A bit of a slacker?" Alaric said with a laugh. "Not the most reliable, but she's got potential and decent character. Without guidance, she might grow wild, but with proper training, she could become a fine angel."
Alaric was honest. Fors' ability to become an angel in just over a decade spoke to her talent. Her character was reliable enough... she was grateful and lacked major moral flaws. She might be a bit laid-back, but if someone like Amon could be tamed, Fors' minor issues were manageable.
Especially now, with Bethel's return, as long as Fors could be a dutiful angel, her quirks didn't matter much.
Alaric wasn't overly strict. He didn't expect everyone around him to be a saint.
***
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