RISE OF EROS

Contrary to Andrew's concerns before tending to the bare bodies of his wives, the children enjoyed their outing like never before. In this world, few have the chance to experience different landscapes.

The countries on the continent, even those side by side, are very different. Their landscapes, inhabitants, culture, and even their economies and politics vary, giving a unique flavor to each experience.

Most people, not just children, never leave the cities or towns where they were born, so the privilege Andrew's children have to see different parts of the world is unusual. The children played and enjoyed everything new that the duchy's city had to offer and, fortunately, faced no mishaps. This doesn't mean they were left unwatched.

The influence of the Pixoy family in the Duchy of Cannes is substantial. They are the ruling family and the only nobles in the territory, so their power and influence are considerable. Additionally, their territory is surrounded by several countries with strong fortifications, making them significant. Thus, everyone who wants to achieve something in this place seeks to associate with them.

Andrew's closeness to the Pixoy family is seen as an opportunity for many. So far, only Conrad had managed to approach Andrew, although things hadn't gone as he had hoped. However, this doesn't mean that other merchants and powerful individuals in the city had abandoned the idea of connecting with Andrew to get closer to the Pixoy family.

The issue was that Andrew had been relentless in keeping himself hidden, so when people noticed the children who were presumed to be Andrew's, a new approach emerged. Although they had no bad intentions, using the children as a bridge to approach Andrew was an option everyone was considering after seeing the children exploring the city.

No one had noticed this, but people had started to plan. They needed to answer the question, "How can I get the children to lead me to their parents?" If Andrew knew about this, he'd be furious, as he didn't want his children entangled in such matters. But for now, he was unaware, and no one had made any moves, so everything went smoothly.

As the sun began to set, Carmen, along with Oliver, Sansa, and Castor, brought the children back. Despite all the running and playing, the children were full of energy upon returning. In the office, they excitedly told their parents about everything they had seen and done. Andrew's wives smiled as they listened intently, while Andrew conversed with his guardians.

He was more concerned about any unusual figures watching them. Naturally, many people observed them from the shadows, as Andrew often faced similar treatment, but he wanted to know if there had been any unusual movement.

Oliver, Sansa, and Castor told him that although many people were watching, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, which relieved Andrew a little. With that settled, he joined his wives to listen to their children until they tired and went to rest.
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Now that the children were gone, Andrew's wives wanted to know what he had learned. When they heard that there was nothing suspicious, they were pleased, but Victoria saw things from a different perspective. Being a noble by birth, she understood these situations better and immediately raised the alarm.

"Everyone, I think you're missing the real problem," she said. Her words confused everyone, and noticing this, Victoria began to explain. "There may not have been anyone unusual that stood out, but that doesn't mean they're safe."

"What do you mean?" asked Helena, and Victoria replied, "So far, we've kept opportunists at bay by not letting them approach, but the children's outing opened another door. Now they know we have children."

"And how does that affect us?" Helena continued to ask, but some had already grasped the problem. Still, they allowed Victoria to explain, "They can't approach us, so they'll try with the children."

This made all of Andrew's wives frown, and before anyone could ask further, Victoria continued, "We can't keep the children confined forever; in fact, they'll go out more frequently now." At that moment, Andrew interrupted, continuing Victoria's line of thought, "They'll subtly approach the children, gain their trust, and, through them, try to get to us."

Andrew paused and added, "Children are the easiest way to reach their parents." Victoria nodded in agreement and added, "That's correct. They're innocent but hold great influence over their parents." Everyone seemed to understand what Victoria and Andrew were implying, but Aki still asked, "But how would they do that?"

This time, Candice responded, "It's easy. Children are innocent; giving them toys, food, and sweets, and winning their favor won't be difficult. Then they'll start asking for help to see us." Andrew's children were intelligent, but ultimately, they were still children, so deceiving them wouldn't be hard. Even if they were always monitored, it wouldn't be complex to approach them since direct tactics weren't necessary.

This presented a problem, but then Castor said, "It's concerning, but not alarming." His words caught everyone's attention, and they looked at him, wanting him to explain his thinking. "It's true that children have influence over their parents, but in the end, parents make the decisions. Denying some of their requests if they're deceived may be tough, but a little firmness isn't a problem," Castor said.

Andrew considered his sworn brother's words and understood his point. Clever merchants might instruct their employees to approach and build a relationship with the children, potentially leading to irrational requests or favors, but they could always refuse.

Certainly, the children might be upset if they refused, but it wasn't the end of the world. Everyone seemed to understand the idea, so they decided to go with it, although they would still try to nip the issue in the bud.

For now, they'd focus on preventing others from taking advantage of the children, and if they failed, they'd simply refuse, even if the children got angry or sad. They even thought it would be a good opportunity to teach them a lesson.

Meanwhile, in the south of the continent, Lugia spoke with Dornun about the bombshell he had dropped. It turned out that what Lugia thought was impossible wasn't entirely true. Dornun knew of some survivors who might have surrendered to the fallen god. Although they had experienced the destruction the fallen god had brought, they would still choose individual gain.

Some time ago, this might have been impossible, but over time and in the face of death, many have changed their thinking. The whispers of power professed by the fallen god had corrupted them.

No one wanted to die, but they knew that increasing their power and ascending to divinity was difficult without external help, so many of the survivors from the war a thousand years ago switched sides.

They would rather everything be destroyed if they could live longer and become more powerful. Dornun told Lugia how one of the demons who had fought and lost much in the previous war had changed sides.

Dornun felt compelled to destroy him, unable to tolerate the existence of another enemy. Fortunately, it seemed they hadn't realized there were remnants within the demon realm, but if they found out, things would get complicated.

For this reason, Dornun advised Lugia that it would be best to act alone to avoid potential betrayals. Lugia was still stunned by this news, but she quickly recovered and accepted the proposal. However, it left her with a sense of unease.

Internally, she couldn't help but wonder, "Is Dornun an ally, or is he trying to deceive me?" Certainly, Dornun had given her this valuable information, but she couldn't dismiss the possibility that he might be playing her.

If only the two of them went and Dornun was one of these traitors, she would undoubtedly suffer, and that worried her. Due to this suspicion, she devised a plan. First, she told Dornun that she was still recovering from her last incursion and that it would be better to search for the fallen god's remnants in a few days.

Dornun suspected nothing and agreed. Thanks to this, Lugia sent Vaelyra back to Seraphine and asked her to guide her to Andrew, but her intention was for her to notify Zaros and Elidyr of what had happened with her help.

Dornun might not be a traitor, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Even if he wasn't, Zaros and Elidyr's help would be more than welcome. So, without the chaotic demon knowing, Lugia set her plan in motion.

Vaelyra didn't hesitate to depart, causing Dornun to suspect something was going on, but Lugia managed to convince him she had sent her back as Vaelyra wouldn't be of use.

Since Lugia had already told him that Vaelyra couldn't withstand the aura of the fallen god's remnants the previous time, it wasn't hard to convince him that she was merely sending her to a safe place.

Thanks to this, Lugia managed to buy some time for Vaelyra to return with Seraphine and inform Zaros and Elidyr about what happened. It may not have been necessary, but it never hurt to be cautious.