Chapter 724 Blunt

Chapter 724 Blunt

The three of them had spoken for hours, with Caldor doing most of the talking.

Atticus had barely asked one question, and it had unleashed a flood of stories that he wasn't prepared for. Ember had shot him a subtle glance, trying to warn him, but Atticus had foolishly shrugged it off.

Caldor spared no details, recounting every moment of his time in the military—the parts he was authorized to share, at least. Every fight, every victory, every near-death experience was described thoroughly.

Caldor was especially proud of what he called his "conquests," his romantic escapades during his time away.

"Caldor the Conqueror, that's what they call me!" he declared with a broad grin. "The first time... ah, let me tell you, Atticus, they'll be singing songs about me soon. I was like a force of nature!"

Ember, who had been sitting silently beside them, kept throwing dirty looks at Caldor with each exaggerated sentence, her irritation obvious. Atticus, however, couldn't stop laughing.

Every wild story, every exaggerated gesture from Caldor brought out another fit of laughter. It had been so long since he'd laughed like this. Since leaving the academy, he doubted if he had laughed at all.

Atticus smiled, watching Caldor's energetic gestures and Ember's icy, irritated expression. 'I've missed this,' he thought to himself, feeling a warmth spread through his chest.

In this moment, surrounded by family, it felt like everything was right again. He wished he could live in this moment forever—no battles, no responsibilities, just spending time with the people he cared about.

But deep down, he knew how the world worked. These moments were temporary.

As they continued to talk, the door suddenly swung open. Anastasia entered, followed by two elderly figures—people Atticus recognized immediately.

His grandparents, the Crawfords. It had been years since he'd last seen them, and the sight of them brought a smile to his face. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Zelda, his grandmother, looked just like Anastasia. Her long blonde hair, gentle eyes, and warm demeanor took one look at him and rushed over, enveloping him in a tight, loving embrace.

"Oh, you poor soul," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "My dear boy, you've been through so much."

"How are you feeling?" she asked gently, moving toward him.

"I'm... better," Atticus said, glancing at his cousins. "It's been good to catch up."

Anastasia smiled, her relief evident. "I'm glad. You need to relax now more than ever."

Atticus nodded, his heart felt lighter than before.

Afterward, Atticus spoke with Ember and Caldor briefly, only to be shocked by the revelation that 12 days had passed since the war and seven days since Freya had died.

He had been asleep for that long.

After they parted ways, Atticus had dinner with Anastasia in his room before resting again. The next morning, dressed in something comfortable, he left his room—only to find Avalon standing just outside his door.

'He's a mess,'

Atticus thought instantly, noticing how erratic the fire molecules around his father were.

Avalon gave him a smile, which Atticus returned, before Avalon reached out to ruffle his hair.

It was the third day since Atticus had woken up, and this was the first time he was seeing Avalon. His father's arms were wrapped in bandages, something that immediately stood out to Atticus.

'If he had an injury, he could just use a mana potion to heal it,' Atticus thought. 'He bandaged it instead. He wants to feel pain.'

They descended into an awkward silence, both unsure of how to begin or what to say. The weight of everything lingered between them.

Finally, Atticus decided to break the silence, choosing to be blunt.

"You must think it's your fault."