Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

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"...So, Acala's in slumber now because she's tired after evolving into a Cosmic Spirit?" Godwyn asked with barely concealed shock on his face.

His brothers, while not looking as shocked on the outside, were the same inwardly.

"Yes." Cedric nodded, then sipped his tea. "It's a short slumber; she'd wake up soon after she adjusted to her new form. She used her PTO for this too, so no worries in that regard."

At Cedric's behest, his sons first went to their mothers before coming to him. It took a while for the boys to reassure their mothers that they're fine and doing well while also pacifying their sulkiness at their departure. It was only after that that they went to him.

The first thing they inquired after checking Cedric's well-being was the strange changes they felt since returning here. Cedric didn't hide what he did; he told them that he helped Acala evolve into a Cosmic Spirit. Which brings us to the present.

"That's good. That's very good." Godwyn laughed in relief, sinking into his chair, feeling as if a heavy burden was lifted from his shoulders. "This way, I wouldn't need to deal with that asshole."

"Which asshole?" Gilderoy asked with a raised brow. Gerald was also looking inquisitively at him.

Godwyn smiled wryly, wanting to smack his own mouth for being too loose. He tried to play it off, waving his hand dismissively and saying, "Just some lucky nobody. I was planning on trading with him since he got something that could help Acala evolve. He's an ass, though; he looks down on me since he thinks that I'm a nobody as well. But, since Dad already made a move, I don't have to deal with him anymore. It's all good."

Inwardly, Godwyn hoped that they'd buy his excuse. The truth is, that asshole was simply too much. If it weren't for the fact that Godwyn didn't want to commit a crime, he would've killed the guy and robbed him clean already. He only tolerated his actions because he was a governor, and everything he does will have an impact on his people.

Well, it seems that Gilderoy and Gerald were convinced. The same couldn't be said for his father, though. But Cedric didn't pursue it, so he's relieved.

Of course, how can he fool his own old man? Cedric could spot his lies even before he said them. He seems to be forgetting that he inherited his magical eyes from him. The same pair of magical eyes that could see through many things.

"How goes your courtship, Gil? Any progress?" Cedric shifted the conversation to Gilderoy, sparing Godwyn the embarrassment...well, shifting it, more like, because as soon as he said these words, Gilderoy blushed all the way to his ears.

"Come on, Old Man. Don't do me like this." Gilderoy pleaded, much to the amusement of his father and brothers.

"Aww, look at him, all grown up and stuff." Cedric laughed. He couldn't help it, okay? Teasing his son's romantic exploits was one of the joys of parenthood. "Come, talk to Papa. Maybe I can help."

"...She's avoiding me. I don't like it," Gilderoy helplessly said. He scratched his head in mild irritation and continued, "I guess she's doing it to avoid implicating me. After all, she's heavily involved in the politics of the Mystic Fae, and I have nothing to do with that."

"So she likes you too?" Godwyn asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah." Gilderoy fought hard to hide the foolish smile on his face and barely made it. "But what she says always betrays what she truly feels. It's so convincing that, if I hadn't inherited Dad's eyes, I would've believed it too."

"So, it's confirmed then? She's a royal fae? Probably the last of her line?" Gerald asked.

"Yeah." Gilderoy bitterly responded. "And the Arch Faes already confirmed it; therefore, it's too late for her to escape their politics now."

"The hateful thing about it was that she was originally doing well in hiding her origins. She managed to fly under their radar for many, many years. But because she was fancied by some perverted fatass and had her life threatened, she was forced to rely on her royal blood to escape with her life, which placed her directly under the spotlight."

"That time, I was planning on taking her here." Gilderoy added, "You know, to let her know more about me. I was also planning on introducing her to all of you during one of our weekly family dinners. But all of that happened, and suddenly, everything turned shitty."

"I can't even see her now." Gilderoy gripped his fists indignantly. "Last time I checked, she's imprisoned near World Tree, which is no different from an impenetrable fortress. Meanwhile, all her 'Elders' are discussing which of their descendants gets to marry her for the sake of their so-called 'Clan Restoration.' I hate it so much."

A somber atmosphere descended amongst them. Godwyn and Gerald didn't like seeing their easygoing brother moping this way, yet at the same time, they too were helpless.

Although they have been exploring the alliance and making a name for themselves, their reputations weren't anywhere near stellar to move the clan politics of the Mystic Faes. So, as much as they wanted to help Gilderoy, they were incapable of doing so.

"Tch, aye! Whatever! I'll figure out a way somehow." Gilderoy dismissed the depressing atmosphere with feigned confidence. "Whether it works out or not, I just want to live without any regrets. What will be, will be."

"Mm-hmm! That's the spirit!" Cedric nodded approvingly at his son, which further dispelled the depressing atmosphere. He then turned to Gerald and asked, "How about you, Geld? How did your recent tomb-raiding escapade go?"

"Meh." Gerald snorted, "Our team couldn't even get close to the real inheritance."

He then paused and said, "Well, I really tried; maybe I could've taken them deeper. But I didn't want it. Besides, the inheritance was personal; it couldn't be shared. If I took it, I'd have no way of imparting it to those who actually wanted it. Moreover, it'll just paint a bright red target on my back, and I had no interest in living like a fugitive, so I didn't try too hard."

"Right, you said that it was your friends that really wanted that inheritance," Gilderoy commented.

"Yeah, that's why I didn't compete too much, and I came with them to repay a debt." Gerald responded, "However, they did get some valuable artifacts. Using those, they could secure more resources for their future cultivation, so it wasn't all that bad."

"Alright. Is that all that happened to you recently? Anything else you want to share?" Cedric asked, not just Gerald but all of his sons.

Seeing that none of them spoke, Cedric sighed. His gaze landed on Gilderoy before saying:

"So it seems Gil has the most colorful adventure amongst you so far."

"You say it like it's a good thing." Gilderoy complained, "Had I known it's going to be like this, I would've preferred a less colorful adventure instead. Boring sounds nice, even more so if I had her with me."

"Oh, you have it bad," Cedric teased. "And boy, you look pathetic. You're making me, your old man, lose face in front of your brothers."

Cedric's scolding caused Gerald and Godwyn to laugh, much to the bitterness of Gilderoy.

Sighing to himself, he stood up. He then looked at them and asked, "Fancy a short trip, boys?"

"Where to?" Godwyn asked curiously.

"To what Gil referred to as the 'Impenetrable Fortress,'" Cedric casually replied.

Gilderoy blanched and hurriedly held his father's arm, saying, "Dad, no. That's a bad idea. Let me handle this, please."

"Oh, shut it. Believe in your old man!" Cedric exclaimed domineeringly.

Gilderoy then looked to his brothers for help. "Help me talk some sense into him! We aren't facing demons this time; this is the Mystic Fae we're talking about, part of 'The Six'! Confidence alone won't cut it!"

And both Godwyn and Gerald knew that what he said was right, but before they could say anything, they heard Cedric say:

"Wives!"

"Yes!" The voices of the ladies came from within the Sky Castle.

"I'm taking the boys out for a walk! We're fetching a potential daughter-in-law!"

"HELL YEAH!" This was Chrissy, voicing out her full support for whatever Cedric plans to do, much to Gilderoy's horror.

"Have fun." Erica followed, sounding supportive as well.

"Don't take too long; return as soon as you're finished," Isabella reminded, but she too was supportive.

Both Godwyn and Gerald could look helplessly at Gilderoy, knowing that it's too late now. The poor guy felt the world crumbling before him. He should've stayed silent instead. It's his godforsaken mouth's fault that this was all happening.

Sadly for him, he wasn't allowed to simmer in his own thoughts for too long, because as soon as Cedric got permission from his wives, he took a step forward, which warped the space around him and his children.

And in a blink of an eye, they found themselves standing in a completely different world where they could see a massive tree at a distance.

"This...we're here already!?"

Just like that, Gilderoy's worldview has been shattered.