A Way of Redemption

Chapter 6

The breakfast was finished quietly as Frances was being led by Seraphina through a walk. She had hoped that just this walk would help Frances recover even a little of his memory. But she knew that this may be a shot in the dark; still, nevertheless, she was willing to do anything for her son. Frances, on the other hand, was just observing everything he came through even though he still feels a bit awkward walking with Seraphina. In Frances's mind, however, he wanted to ask a question about the painting he saw earlier that day. He just didn't know how he would convey it to Seraphina. Because for him, even in the past on Earth, he did not have the best communication skills. This was so because he was just always stuck in the thoughts of his own mind. He always contemplates whether he should just keep it to himself or say it out loud.

He didn't notice this, but Seraphina, who was beside him, noticed how Frances looked.

"Uhm, is there anything you want to ask, son?" Seraphina asked slowly as she didn't want Frances to feel pressured.

Frances hesitated for a little while before he saw how Seraphina had looked at him warmly. This made him ease into it a little, feeling that Seraphina truly cared for him. That he could trust her with this. It may just be motherly love, but for Frances, he had been missing this ever since. And now he didn't want to take any chances of not forming a connection with his mother.

"It's just that I saw a picture of you and a man who looks exactly like me but with white hair," Frances said, awkwardly scratching his cheek. "I just wanted to know who that was. But if it's hard, it's ok you don't have to answer!" Frances said, as he now tried to dismiss everything he had said.

This made Seraphina giggle at how different this Frances was from the son she knew. But deep inside, she had wished that Frances was more open like this back in the days. That if he was, even if a little, he may have not gotten involved in the accident. But for her right now, there is no time for regrets. What she needs to do is help her son recover and find a way to punish the people responsible for her son's suffering.

"Well, that is your father, Frances. He hadn't had the opportunity to see you because we of the Rayos Duchy have the responsibility to guard the East border of our kingdom," Seraphina explained carefully, not wanting Frances to think his father hated him or hadn't bothered to see him once he had woken up. But for Frances, this info just passed through his brain, and the guilt of living again as an unwanted child of his father shook up some bad memories for him. This thought shook him up as he shivered in fear that what if in this world his father also hated him.

Seraphina saw this as panic started to set in her mind that Frances might think his father hated him.

"Madam, I think it would be better for the young master if you show him the family compendium," Rose said as she swiftly tried to control the situation.

The look of relief washed over Seraphina's face as Rose's suggestion quickly de-escalated Frances's feelings.

"Yes, son, how about we go to the family shrine and look at the compendium where we keep records of each and every ancestor we had," Seraphina said as she quickly held Frances's arm and slowly rubbed it to soothe him. Rose, as if on cue, guided the two to the east of the garden.

The three walked for a few miles and stopped in a place painted white and gold. There were pillars gilded with jewels and treasure that the place would be treated as a historic monument where tourists from around the world would visit. But this shrine is hidden deep inside the manor of the Rayos family and is surrounded by guards who patrol every minute. Frances tensed up from the atmosphere here as he knows that this place is something so precious to the family that he must act properly, or they will find out that he isn't the original Frances. Because of that, he quickly breathed in and out to calm himself.

This did not go unnoticed from Seraphina's gaze, but she decided not to pursue as now all she could think about was having Frances forget about the topic earlier. And it actually worked as Frances couldn't help but be in awe of the shrine. He saw that it only has a main hallway leading to the building, but through it, there was a bunch of statues of people in the garden. For Frances, he had only seen this kind of white marble statues in museums, and they usually depicted famous people that did heroic deeds.

The maid Maria saw this and immediately gave her master Seraphina a signal. Seraphina's eyes brightened as she was ecstatic that her son actually took interest in something.

"Frances, everyone here in the garden are honorable members of the family that helped or even saved the empire's people at some point in their life," Seraphina said as she couldn't help but hold her head high.

Frances, on the other hand, gazed through every one of them as they now quickly approached the main building in the middle of the garden. Amongst them, what captured Frances's gaze was a figure of his very own grandfather in this sea of statues.

"Yes, son, actually your grandfather is treated as a hero of his generation," Seraphina said as she followed Frances's line of sight and saw him look at the statue of her father.

"But what did grandfather do that considered him as a hero?" Frances asked as they now had to stop because Frances's curiosity needed to be quenched before they could continue.

"Well, from what I remember, this also happened before my time. My mother, your grandma, had told me that this happened when they were young, teenagers at most, just like you. Your grandpa, who was one of the budding new heirs of the most prominent family in the empire, had decided to take a little break from the responsibility and gone on to explore the vast continent," Seraphina said as she waved her hand. Images started to appear in the air as if light was bending at her own will. The images depicted a young man who ran away from his family with nothing but his sword and trusted companion, a horse.

Frances's mouth dropped in shock as now he could truly say that this world is really a fantasy compared to Earth. But not only Frances was amazed; everyone in the garden stopped what they were doing and listened to Seraphina's wonderful voice and storytelling.

"And along that journey, your father met a lot of people. One is a thief that could even blend in the shadows. It was said that this thief, whose feet are so silent, could even go toe to toe with the elusive elves. Alongside them was the wisest and smartest wizard in history, who could summon a meteor just from a single word. And then there is also the noblest of knights that was said to be as gentle as the breeze but sturdy as the highest mountain that covers the northern part of our empire. But what's important is not that but the last companion of your grandfather, the former emperor and the one whose light encompasses the warm sun. It was even said that his aura alone could bring vitality to those around him," Seraphina said as she focused herself to bend the light once again. The air around them suddenly was filled with warm and dazzling particles that captured everyone in a trance, even Seraphina, who made the figure of the former emperor and was left dazed.

"I see this is where you younglings are hanging out," Lucianus's voice echoed as he stepped into the shrine's garden. Seraphina saw this and quickly cancelled out her magic. But this had not gone unnoticed as Lucianus's face contorted into a strict one.

"What have I told you about telling this story to everyone? Your mother had made that story so extravagant," Lucianus said as he sighed, tired of hearing his legend over and over again from his daughter.

"But Father, Frances was curious about you. So of course, for his sake and for him to get his memory back, maybe telling him your legend would at least unlock some of his memories," Seraphina said cunningly as she smiled mischievously, clearly telling Lucianus's story just for her sake of entertainment.

"Hush now, child. I told you many times that the stories your mother had said to you are all fictions," Lucianus said as he lightly tapped Seraphina's forehead with care and nagging. Seraphina, on the other hand, got flustered and embarrassed by this, quickly turned around to hide her face. Everyone who saw this just smiled as if this was a regular occurrence for them. Even the maid Maria couldn't help but smile a little.

"So what are you actually doing here?" Lucianus asked as he looked at Frances from up to down again. This slightly scared Frances as it visually spooked him. But now he knows that Lucianus was just looking at him through magic. Even so, for him, this was like an invasion of his privacy; still, from what he had experienced, he knew that Lucianus meant no harm.

"Well, father, actually we thought that bringing Frances to the family shrine may help him recover some of his memory," Seraphina said as she went to Frances's side and held his arm, soothing him.

"Hmm, you know that may actually work," Lucianus said as he nodded in agreement. And just like that, the four of them went and walked towards the shrine while the people who had stopped working went back to their own businesses.

Frances couldn't help but gaze in awe as he went inside the shrine. It was filled with monuments of people just like the garden, but there were also memorabilia like swords, bows, and even books among the things that were displayed there.

"So here in the shrine are monuments and items from exclusive persons that made significant marking into the world's history," Lucianus explained as he guided them towards the front of the shrine, where there is a single statue of a giant lion with the wings of an eagle.

"And here is the guardian and symbol of our family. We of the Rayos family were blessed and guided by the spirit of the gryphon," Lucianus said as mana slowly seeped out of his body and formed above his head a figure of a gryphon. It was so majestic and big that it was half the size of the ceiling.

Frances looked upon it with awe as mana now suddenly seeped out of him, as did Seraphina's and Maria's. Seraphina's gryphon showed an elegant aura akin to a queen, while Maria's showed a cold and desolate one. This sparked Frances's curiosity, but he hadn't time to ponder further as he turned around and saw his own. From what he saw, his was the only one different from them; his was seeping with white mana. But his was the only one that was small as his head. Nevertheless, Frances's gryphon continuously emitted an aura of dominance that was accompanied by its white mana.

Lucianus and the others seemingly could not see Frances's familiar except for himself. Then in just a sudden turn of events, Frances's gryphon suddenly flew around him and went through him, leaving Frances blinded by its light.