-Rhodes Island, Distant Future-
I walked through the restrictive corridors of the landship, restrictive for me, whose head almost touched the ceiling and the giant sword on my back threatened to scratch the metal walls.
The reactions of the people in my path varied; those accustomed to my presence greeted me, a gesture I returned, while others, with whom I was unfamiliar or who had just joined, had their faces filled with surprise and fear, freezing like statues or stepping out of my way.
I believe this last reaction was due to two things: my intimidating appearance, despite my efforts to seem friendly, and my fame as the warlord of Kazdel.
During the countless wars and invasions, I have no doubt that I killed some of their ancestors, and the story of the dreaded Immortal Devil ended up spreading throughout Terra, ruining my reputation.
The Sanktas were the worst; I had become "The Devil" in their religion, and now the angelic operators threatened to blow a hole in my head with their gazes while their fingers trembled as they approached their guns, that is, when they weren't desperately praying, as if that would somehow banish me.
Hm… Maybe kidnapping the Pope and causing the great fire of Laterano centuries ago wasn't a good idea.
The Sarkaz had a completely opposite reaction, treating me like a saint, almost worshipping the ground I walked on. I felt a mixture of shame and irritation due to the excessive attention, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change their minds.
At least Vigna was sincere and direct when she wanted to challenge me to a fight.
I was pulled from my thoughts by laughter and hurried footsteps approaching. Stepping aside, I let some of the children run past me, chasing one of my creations, a small wooden horse that acted like a real animal, a simple golem.
Laughing, I walked a little further, stopping before my destination, Warfarin's office.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
"Come in!"
The door slid open and I entered, seeing her seated at her desk with her head resting in her hands. My smile died instantly at the sight of her disbelieving expression, or was it worried? I couldn't tell exactly.
"Alden."
"Darya. Is there a problem?"
"We need to talk."
If my heart had been beating, it would have stopped upon hearing those words. Quick as lightning, I reviewed my memories, searching for what I had done this time. My dear seemed to know exactly what was going through my head, because she laughed before speaking.
"Don't worry, I'm not mad at you, but you should read this."
I approached and she handed me a stack of papers. I began to read them, noticing that the first ones were a number of DNA tests comparing hers and mine to Rhodes Island operators, while the next ones were notes about the families of these operators and other influential individuals on Terra.
"Darya, is this correct?"
I placed the papers on her desk, feeling my body tremble as she grinned from ear to ear, as if watching a comedy.
"Yes, I've checked several times. It seems our children inherited something from their father."
"That's funny coming from you, who dragged me to bed whenever she had the chance?"
I felt my face heat up, and she blushed a deep red.
Yes, I admit, centuries ago entertainment in Kazdel was scarce, so most people amused themselves in more pleasurable ways, and without contraception, we may or may not have had many children during all this time, who grew up and went on to build their own families.
Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren spread throughout Terra, their longevity allowing them to have many children of their own, mixing with other races, and now we are seeing the consequences of that. Our family had become so large that it was now impossible to keep track of its development.
"Alright, now pay attention, because you need to see this."
She stood up, going towards a board in the corner of her office, turning it and revealing several papers and photos connected by red lines, and what followed was a frightening explanation that I only partially heard, still shocked by the discoveries.
"...If this is correct, Maxwell married a Victorian noblewoman and then…"
"...That now makes us the distant grandparents of the Duke of Caster and distant uncles of the Silverash family…"
"...Mercedes caught the eye of a Yanese prince…"
"...And with that, Chen and Talulah are our descendants…"
"...Bartholomew had the audacity to fight the Don of the Saluzzo family for his daughter's hand…"
"...So yes, we are the distant grandparents of Lappland, unfortunately…"
"...I recently discovered that Rosalie and Clovisia, the Ageless Unicorn of Victoria, are in a relationship, so yes, your vengeance has reached your enemies, Alden, but not in the way you expected…"
"...You know Ulpianus, let's just say he's not strong just because he's an Abyssal Hunter. Daniela met an Aegir man in Iberia and…"
It got to the point where I wasn't listening anymore. I sat in a chair staring at the ceiling, wondering how things had ended up like this. People joked that I was the grandpa of Rhodes Island because of the toys I handed out, but now, it was more literal than I expected. How many Operators could trace their lineage back to me?
By the Gods, the Sarkaz will dominate Terra, not through military force, but through sheer numbers. I dread the family gatherings and the number of birthday presents I'll have to buy.
END OF CHAPTER