Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 479 Family
Rean cannot understand Kane, nor does he need to.

There is a fundamental difference in values ​​between the two sides. In traditional aristocratic families like Kane's and even Suliman's, they subconsciously believe that individuals, including themselves, are merely assets of the family.

This shared underlying consciousness may stem from the need for team survival in harsh environments, or from the network of interests brought by the family. But the fact is that within such families, the younger generation not only sees their marriages as a resource to be traded, but they themselves are also expected to be sacrificed when necessary.

This is why the so-called glory of the nobility is never for ordinary people or the country, but only for the continuation of this "family" and this "bloodline".

Ordinary people who cannot understand their pursuit of glory are seen as peasants, while those who cannot become the new aristocracy are seen as nouveau riche and selfish good-for-nothings.

"You worthless bastard/scoundrel" is the dirtiest thing they can say.

In Kane Sudar's eyes, Rean showed some signs of this.

"Rean is very strong; he could become a hero or even a historical figure."

Even though he loathed his brother, Kane's upbringing still allowed him to fairly assess Rean's abilities and potential.

Such a young man who has soared to great heights at such a young age, with his unfathomable bloodline and multi-professional adaptability, his intimidating presence that has already touched the edge of a great professional, and his incomprehensible soul characteristics. Such a guy is probably only a "true hero" that can be produced during the Demon Tide.

But the more outstanding Rean became, the angrier and even more resentful Kane became, according to the family's philosophy, regarding him as a family asset.

"This is betrayal. You have humiliated Sudar!"

You are a member of the family, you were born because of it, and you consumed its resources. Yet you conceal your abilities and actively exclude yourself from the decision-making circle (according to the rules of most noble families, if Rean had shown potential back then, he would naturally have received resources and been given important responsibilities). This is a waste of resources, and this is a betrayal of the family's interests.

In Kane's script, Rean should rightfully be shown to soar to great heights with his family; that would be an honor.

From Rean's perspective as a "modern man," this wasn't just distorted; it was downright pathological. But among the ancient families who survived the Demon Tide War, they were the ones who were right.

For such a person, family honor is paramount, and he would never accept that his personal desires would lead to the damage of the family's honor. He could die at Rean's hands in a duel, but he could not become a disgrace to the family in their eyes because of a possible exposed murder.

"Damn it, a bunch of lunatics."

Rean was too lazy to think about what they were thinking. He would agree with those who sacrificed for their race, nation, or country, but it was more about their family or clan. What was so noble about a so-called noble who ate the tributes from his territory and the people's hard-earned money?
If the strength of your ancestors is glory and light, then wait until I become even stronger than your ancestors.

"Your brother figured it out too, so he'll even reluctantly help you, because he anticipates that your new family might be even more powerful than the original family."

Suliman's words nearly drove Rean to a standstill.

"For Sudar to have another branch family that has produced a top-tier expert is the greatest honor of all, especially now that the main family lacks confidence in surviving the demonic tide."

Rean was stunned. What did the previous hostility mean?

"He looks down on your decision-making ability and tried to seize control of the new division, but he failed, and that's it. He will adjust his emotions and wait for you to step on him."

"Are you a human?"

"Normally yes, but when it serves the interests of the family, no, it's a tool."

As she said this, Suliman sighed, looking quite helpless.

Rean realized she was thinking of him. Suliman still nominally had a few distant relatives, but they barely kept in touch. The once large family had dwindled to just a few members.

"Over here"

“They weren’t ‘old-school nobles’ enough, so they tried to use me as a puppet, which is why they all died. This behavior also touched some unspoken rules within the kingdom’s noble circles. The royal family and other high-ranking nobles helped me when I was young, allowing me to study in the new city and become a member of the royal family. After I came of age, I took everything back.”

A very standard prince and princess revenge story, but Sudar, who had nothing and no one she trusted, was able to reclaim everything not only because of her personal abilities, but also because this was what the kingdom's higher-ups wanted to see. For a feudal kingdom, as long as the lords were stable, the country would remain stable; as long as the high nobles didn't cause trouble, the lower nobles were unaffected.

This is the "order" of this era, the cornerstone of national stability. Rean doesn't understand it, and even hates it, but he can only understand and accept it, at least until he has the power to rebuild everything.

Rean estimated that this might also be a social consequence of the constant wars of the demonic tides, national wars, and racial wars, which made the destruction of nations seem inevitable. Many families have a history longer than the kingdoms, and when the kingdoms lost the wars, the families would naturally find their own way to survive.

"I hate this too."

In a sense, Suliman's choice to marry rather than become an adopted son-in-law was tantamount to giving up the opportunity to separate from the Suliman family. If Rean does well, she will be seen as having foresight and making a wise choice; if Rean does not do well, she will be disgraced and become a laughing stock.

If the head of the family is unable to steer the ship or is incapable of guiding it better, it is only natural for them to seize control.

However, Suliman's relatives lost the battle, so they were eliminated. Some people kept Suliman around, perhaps just as a backup plan. Obviously, those relatives didn't steer the ship properly, which led to the subsequent purge.

According to Rean's inquiries, besides some spendthrift sons among them, there were also some heads of the family who planned to move back to their original family home for refuge. They ran away too early, so they were killed like chickens.

On the surface, it is an individual struggle and choice, but behind the scenes, it is the operation of a larger trend. The will of many people, as human cognition (how things should develop), is this so-called larger trend.

"How annoying."

The engaged couple were both somewhat out of step with this era. Suliman was disgusted by betrayal and precise calculations of interests, while Rean had a completely different worldview. Perhaps it was because of this that Suliman ultimately decided to follow Rean.

When Rean looked at Suliman, he saw only a woman, a lovely woman, a woman who could become his wife and family.

"You mustn't lie to me, you mustn't hide things from me." This seems to have become the phrase of a girl who lacks a sense of security. All she hopes for is a gentle and sincere response, one after another.

"No, I won't lie to you or hide anything from you." At this time, Li En would often hold her in his arms and comfort her.

But this time, Rean did not respond as usual, turning his body to the side as if he had not heard.

"Rean! Rean Sudar!"

At this moment, the gentle girl became terrifying, with snake hair sticking out from her head and her long tail wrapping around her.

Rean gave a wry smile. You can't hide from someone who always asks, "Are you hiding something from me?"

There are some things I didn't lie about, I just "forgot to say".

"Oh, your aunt wrote a letter."

With a heavy heart, Rean told the truth, estimating that trouble would only arise if he continued to keep it a secret.

"Auntie?! Sister Purple Rose?!" Sallyman was so frightened that her snake tail stood on end.

The title was rather subtle, but Rean knew it was probably Purple Rose who forced Salman to call her that.

"It seems like she's coming back."

As he spoke, Rean took out a letter with a faint floral scent. It had just been delivered from Little Eagle, and he had only glanced at it briefly.

Sallyman quickly took it, and as soon as she opened the first line, she was completely shocked.

"Darling, I miss you, so I'm coming back."

(End of this chapter)