Neo walked towards the academy gates.
He noticed the crowd waiting for him, and he frowned.
‘Should I call someone to pick me up?’
Just as he thought along those lines, a black sedan entered the academy premises.
It stopped in front of him.
The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out of the car.
“Greetings, young master.”
“It’s good to see you too.”
Neo nodded, acknowledging the butler’s greeting.
He wondered if his brother sent the butler, knowing he would need him.
The butler bowed before he opened the car’s door.
Neo sat inside.
He sank into the plush leather seat of the luxurious car.
The smooth ride made him lethargic.
His eyes started to droop.
The fatigue from days-long battles was catching up to him.
The butler, a stoic figure, smiled when he saw Neo struggling to keep his eyes open.
He drove the car silently through the academy gates.
Reporters waved cameras and microphones with excited shouts.
The noises helped him stay awake.
He focused on them.
“Neo! Neo Hargraves! Over here!”
The plethora of voices prompted Neo to look over.
“Neo Hargraves, thank you for saving us! My daughter and I were…”
“Immortal Slaying Death! Immortal Slaying Death!”
“We are reporting live from the doorsteps of Demigod Academy!”
“The Divine Ruler has left the premises unhindered! The Senate Hearing…”
“Ender of Undying! Ender of Undying!”
The cheers were all addressed to him.
“Ender of Undying?”
Neo’s nose wrinkled.
“Who gave me that nickname?”
“The title was given to you when you slayed the Minotaur, young master.”
The butler smiled appreciatively.
Neo’s frown worsened.
“Couldn’t they call me something simpler? The Divine Ruler was enough as it is. Ender of Undying is a bit too much.”
Despite his complaints, a strange sense of pride swelled within him.
‘I feel like I’ve become a local celebrity.’
He couldn’t deny the feeling was addicting.
The car lurched forward, and the butler navigated through the crowd skillfully.
They inched closer to the Hargraves estate at a steady pace.
It took them a few hours to reach their destination.
“….”
Neo pursed his lips when he saw the mansion.
He had seen photographs of the estate, of course.
But experiencing it in person was something else entirely.
His heart raced.
The realization that this was the first time he was returning home as Neo Hargraves made him feel fuzzy.
“Home.”
He repeated the words, feeling a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity with them.
The butler pulled into the driveway.
The massive iron gates of the mansion swung open.
The meticulously manicured gardens and pathways lined with luminescent flowers on either side surprised Neo.
‘It’s beautiful.’
‘It feels like I’m entering a castle.’
The butler parked the car before the main mansion.
He opened the door for Neo.
Neo hesitated for a moment.
He took a deep breath to steady himself and stepped out.
A bag rested over his shoulder.
Before coming back home, Neo had contemplated how to deal with the item inside the bag: the Trident of Poseidon.
He had been struggling to find a way to put the weapon to use.
It was too powerful for a demigod of his rank.
Still, the weapon was too useful to be left rotting inside his room.
After thinking it through, he decided to bring the trident back home.
Neo exited the vehicle.
He noticed a small crowd outside the Hargraves’ main gates of the mansion.
They were the residents of Greenwood City he saved or his fans.
They came to cheer him, to celebrate his return.
Neo shifted his gaze from the gates towards the mansion.
He noticed his brother, Henry, standing just outside the massive double doors of the mansion.
Next to him were his friends: Jack, Nathan, Arthur, Felix, Mars, Sean, and Clara.
The group’s expressions varied—from concern to relief to anxiety.
Before Neo could say anything, he noticed Henry’s gaze.
His brother was staring at the bag in his grip.
‘Can he see what’s inside?’
The thought prickled at Neo’s mind.
A flicker of uncertainty arose in his mind.
‘Should I just reveal the trident to him?’
The trident was one of the few weapons that could harm Neo.
And it could harm Henry too.
‘He is definitely going to ask where I got it.’
Neo shook off the thought.
He maintained a neutral expression as he approached his family and friends.
“Hey, everyone,” he said, trying to sound casual.
“Neo!” Jack rushed forward, his brow furrowed. “You had us worried sick! Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”
“I’m fine,” Neo replied, the practiced words rolling off his tongue. “I wasn’t injured much during the incident.”
“Not injured much?”
Clara’s voice rose in disbelief.
“You took on that horde of monsters alone! You even entered the Window alone after that!
“An entire team of Mythic Demigods is needed to clear a Tiger-ranked Window!
“And it still takes them a few weeks! You took one week only!
“How can you not be injured after going through all that?!”
Her excessive concern surprised Neo.
Following her, praises and complaints from others poured in.
Felix and Jack complimented him.
Arthur had a troubled expression, happy that Neo returned safely, but he couldn’t praise such a reckless attempt of Neo.
Neo smiled inwardly.
While he didn’t show it, he appreciated their concern.
He glanced back at Henry, who was still eyeing the bag.
The tension was palpable.
Neo could tell his brother had questions.
He chose to ignore it for now, not wanting to escalate the situation further.
“So, what are you all doing here?” Neo asked, diverting attention away from himself.
“We wanted to welcome you home—”
“What really happened out there? The media is going wild with speculation. They’re calling you a hero, but…”
Arthur stepped forward, cutting Mars off.
He could not ignore the issue anymore.
“But what?”
“But why did you do that? You had no obligations to save anyone.
“Fending off an invasion from an unidentified Window is nothing but suicide.
“I know you wanted to save the civilians, but at times like this, you need to think carefully—”
“Would you have retreated if you were in my place?”
“…”
Arthur’s mouth clamped shut when Neo asked him a question instead of answering.
“I wouldn’t have entered the Window alone at least,” he replied finally
The words feeling inadequate even as they left his lips.
“I would’ve asked for help from the adventurers or waited for reinforcements.”
“Is that so?” said Neo.
He had his reasons for entering the Window alone.
There was no way he would’ve risked showing the Seed of Darkness cultivated by the Necromancer to anyone.
Arthur had no more words.
Neo’s question made him realize he had been acting like a hypocrite again.
“Let’s go inside,” Felix suggested.
The group entered the mansion.
A grand foyer greeted them.
It was adorned with exquisite chandeliers that cast shimmering light over the marble floors.
The walls were lined with portraits of stern ancestors, and the air hummed with an unsettling familiarity.
Neo couldn’t help but be stunned again at the grandeur.
Once they settled into the spacious living room, Neo placed the bag on a nearby table.
He could feel Henry’s gaze boring into him.
‘He really looks pissed.’
‘Of course, he is pissed. I’m carrying a nuclear bomb, one that is especially dangerous to me.’
‘I bet he wants to know what was going through my mind bringing a weapon like this without any security to protect it.’
The room buzzed with conversation.
His friends wanted to know what happened within the Labyrinth and the Window.
Neo recounted his experience for them.
At the same time, his mind focused on another topic.
‘I wonder if things are going to be okay with Elizabeth.’
‘I know she is strong, but I’m taking a huge risk by asking her to meet me tomorrow.’
Finally, Henry couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Neo, what’s in the bag?” he asked, his tone low but firm.
“It’s something I picked up at the academy.”
“Along the way?”
“Yeah, I found it in a nice shop while coming back home.”
Henry’s eyes narrowed.
He knew the answer was a big, fat lie.
Henry opened his mouth to press further, but Neo raised a hand to stop him.
“Later.”
It was rare for Neo to dodge questions like this.
The atmosphere shifted as silence settled over the room.
Everyone realized that something was wrong between Neo and Henry’s conversation.
However, they didn’t ask him about it, knowing it would be rude to intrude in family matters.
“Let’s talk about something else,” Neo diverted the topic openly. “How’s everyone doing with the academy? Any good news?”
The conversation shifted.
Everyone was happy to bury the stifling silent atmosphere.
Soon, laughter and stories filled the room.
Jack recounted how he had been trying to increase the number of summons he could do together.
Sean revealed he had awakened the Time element.
While listening to them, Neo’s gaze drifted back to the bag.
What was he supposed to do with the trident?
He had spent countless nights pondering about it.
In the end, he decided to risk it all.
***
Starstream News Headquarters
A heated discussion brewed within the bustling media office of the local news station.
Reporters huddled together, speaking with excitement and ambition.
“Did you see the footage from the Greenwood incident?” Gwen exclaimed.
Her eyes were wide with enthusiasm.
“Neo Hargraves is a sensation! We need to capitalize on this!”
“Absolutely,” Karl chimed in. He scribbled the notes furiously. “But what’s going to make a bigger headline? The weapon auction or Neo’s bloodline?”
The murmurs of agreement rippled through the room.
“The Auction is being held to advertise the new weapon series of Hargraves Corporation. Everyone is already focusing on that.
“It’s better for us if we make the headline on Neo Hargraves instead of trying to do what everyone is doing.”
Gwen nodded.
She conveyed her intentions to her fellow reporters.
“Neo is the son of the Hargraves family — a family with deep ties to the late Hephaestus Clan.
“Everyone believes the Hargraves family has the bloodline of High God Hephaestus.
“Of course, it’s not concrete proof as it’s been ages since a demigod was born in the Hargraves family.”
She continued.
“We digress.
“As I was saying, it is widely theorized Neo Hargraves has the bloodline of High God Hephaestus.
“However, his affinities say something different.
“He doesn’t seem to have any metal affinity or fire affinity.”
Gwen’s voice trembled with excitement.
“What is Neo Hargraves’ bloodline?
“He is certainly not a descendant of High God Hephaestus going by his affinities!
“This could be a goldmine for our articles!”
Her words earned her satisfied nods from others.
“It’s a good headline.
“But we need to tread carefully,” an older reporter cautioned. “He’s still a budding talent only, and the auction is a significant event. Let’s focus on that, and give a bit of spotlight.”
The others agreed.
No matter what Neo’s bloodline was, it couldn’t overshadow the auction event.
***
Hargraves Mansion
Neo leaned back in his chair.
Laughter echoed off the walls, but his heart remained heavy.
He continued to go over his plan regarding the trident.
It was simple.
But he was worried Henry would object.
‘The conference is tomorrow too.’
Tomorrow would bring the press conference, and with it, more attention than he had bargained for.
Neo would need to face the media.
He would be confronted with the questions that would inevitably arise about his bloodline and his newfound fame.
‘Lucas tried to kill me because of my bloodline. I still don’t know what it was about.’
‘There is a slight possibility the other Clans might come after me too when they come to know about my bloodline.’
He glanced at Henry, who was still watching him with an intensity that made his stomach twist.
Thankfully, Henry seemed to be holding back the curses because of his friends’ presence.