The True Identity Behind the Tears
As I entered the training hall, the sight of Andres Frelia meditating in perfect silence, sweat glistening on his brow, filled me with quiet admiration.
“.....Shion?”
Even before he spoke, Andres sensed my presence the moment I stepped inside, as if he had read my mind.
Whether it was paternal intuition or the prowess of a 7-star powerhouse, I could not tell.
“It has been a long time since we last met, Father. I hope you have been well in the meantime?”
“Just as I am,” Andres replied with a faint, weary smile. “Even if we reconcile, there is still endless work to be done. One must seize whatever moments of rest one can find.”
“Despite your busy schedule, you continue to train diligently. Will you not reach the 8-star realm soon?”
My question drew a wry chuckle from Andres. He shook his head and rose to his feet.
“Eight stars may seem like a simple milestone, but they cannot be crossed by mere training. You need a body that has already shattered its limits, mana that knows no bounds, and most importantly, a personal belief so unyielding that it can bend reality itself.”
“What stands in the way of your path now, Father?”
“My flesh and mana reached their peak five years ago. What I need now is a belief of my own. After earning the title of War Hero who saved Praon Kingdom thirty years ago, I never truly found a conviction that could anchor my soul.”
With those words, Andres stepped closer to me, his heavy footsteps echoing.
He placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Even if you have forgotten, old habits die hard.”
“Huh?”
“From childhood, you always did this,” Andres said softly, his gaze steady on my eyes. “Whenever you had something important to say, or when you’d messed up and were terrified of my reaction, you’d approach me quietly, as if preparing your heart.”
Andres met my gaze directly.
“There must be something serious, or perhaps something that will happen soon.”
Andres had pierced exactly why I had come. Even a 7-star powerhouse could not read another’s intentions with such precision.
This was no ordinary ability. It was something deeper, something like the instinctive bond between parent and child that no lie could ever fully conceal.
“.....I truly cannot hide it from you, Father. You are right. There has been a great matter in my life, and even more formidable ones will come in the future that I cannot face alone.”
“Good. Then tell me first what happened to you.”
I lowered my head and took a deep breath.
Exhaling slowly, I spoke in a hushed voice.
“I met Mother.”
“......Emil?”
Andres’s expression hardened in a way I rarely saw.
Emil was the alias Eva Cardena had used when she infiltrated the Frelia family.
“Father, I must correct you. Mother’s true name is not Emil.”
“I already knew that. I simply could not uncover the identity of the fugitive long ago......”
“Mother’s real name is Eva Cardena. Have you heard of her?”
Andres’s eyes flickered for a split second at my words.
“.....Eva Cardena. Yes, how could I not know the name of an S-class dark mage? Yet.... you mean to say Emil was Eva Cardena? What in the world was she trying to accomplish by approaching the Frelia family? Some grand scheme?”
“No, you need not worry about that. Mother’s goal was merely to abandon me at the Frelia family.”
“That....”
Andres took a deep breath.
“Shion.”
He continued slowly.
“I am not your biological father.”
“......What?”
I clenched my teeth and pressed on.
“I am not your biological son. I am a being artificially created by Eva Cardena. She approached you, convinced you that I was your child, out of nothing more than curiosity—whether a being of her own making could grow without her interference.”
“........”
Andres showed no outward reaction.
He did not stagger as if the sky had fallen.
He did not roar in fury that shook the earth.
He simply stood there, fists trembling, eyes locked on mine without blinking.
I felt it instinctively—that he was screaming silently within.
But the cruelest truth was that I could offer him no comfort.
I could only watch the pain etched on his face as time passed.
How much time had passed before he finally spoke again.
“......Shion.”
He opened his mouth, which had been tightly shut until then.
“You swore earlier that there was not a single lie in what you told me, correct?”
“I can.”
“.....I see.”
Andres took a deep breath, as if struggling to accept the impossible.
He exhaled slowly and asked.
“Then why tell me now? If you had kept silent, I would have lived without ever learning the truth.”
Exactly. If I had remained silent, Andres could have lived out his life unaware of this horror.
“You could have lived freely, with your status as Frelia heir untouched.”
“Yes, that is true.”
I did not deny him. I simply nodded.
“But I could not stay silent.”
“....Why?”
Andres asked in a low voice, and I answered without hesitation.
“Even if it meant being cast aside, I wanted to remain your son.”
I closed my eyes and continued.
“You knew I was the child of a dark mage, yet you never drove me away. For seventeen years you took me in. Because I had nothing to offer, you humbled yourself before me. Thanks to your kindness, I could exist as your son.”
“........”
“Hiding the truth now would be like giving up the right to exist as your son. Of course, I could live an easy life without such burdens. But that is not the ending I want.”
I opened my eyes and met Andres’s gaze.
“Even if you abandon me, even if you never recognize me as your son, I will remain your son until the very end.”
“........!”
Andres bit his lip, his breath catching.
“.....I understand.”
Then, as if spewing out hot air, he continued.
“Shion.”
“Yes, Father.”
“You are not my biological son.”
“.....That is correct.”
“But.”
Andres stared into my eyes, gripping my shoulders with both hands. Warmth flowed from his touch.
“Still, the fact that you are my son does not change.”
Tears—clear, transparent tears—slid down his face.
“Whether you are my son or not, that is no longer important. Shion Frelia is my precious family and my most wonderful child. So stop worrying that I will cast you aside.”
“....Is that truly alright?”
Andres’s lips trembled in a faint smile as he answered my question.
“Since you risked everything to keep the trust between us, I must respond in kind.”
“If that is Father’s will, I will accept it with joy.”
“Do so.”
Thanks to the courage I had mustered, I could once again stand before Andres as his son, and he could remain my father.
It was fortunate that I had not retreated from fear.
“Then tell me. What great matter is about to befall me?”
Andres wiped his tears with his sleeve and released my shoulders, asking.
“Father. Eva Cardena is about to unleash a massive calamity at Luin Academy.”
“Again it is Eva, that woman. Speak more precisely.”
I nodded.
“Father, do you know that Hero Megan Astorius will visit Luin Academy in three days?”
“Of course I know. But how does that connect to the disaster Eva plans?”
“Although you may not know, Eva Cardena harbors deep hatred toward Megan Astorius. Therefore, together with allies who share her beliefs, she plans to ambush Megan at the academy in three days.”
I continued with a grave expression.
“However, the problem is.... their forces are far beyond what the academy or Megan can handle. Five 7-star powerhouses, seven 6-stars, thirty-three 5-stars, and below that roughly fifty more, making over a hundred in total. Even with what I have confirmed, this is already an enormous number.”
“This is no ordinary crisis. The numbers are so absurd I would not believe them at face value, but since you have met Eva directly, I know the lie would be meaningless. I understand your reasoning about the academy and Megan being unable to withstand it.”
“Correct. Therefore, as your son, I humbly beg your strength, Father.”
I bowed my head before him.
“Please lend me your power.”