Chapter 1398: Void Palace [3]

1398 Void Palace [3]

Damien had a family.

Damien had a home.

But these were things of his creation.

Since the very moment his mother fell ill all those years ago, he didn't have a place to return to.

He'd moved from place to place, even slept on the streets a few times, and eventually, he was thrown into the First Dungeon, a place where he had no choice but to move around.

Whether it was any of the stops he made in the Human Domain, anywhere in the Divine Realm, or anywhere in the lower universe at all, he never found a place to truly call his home.

Because there just wasn't a place that could keep up with him. He would always have to leave eventually to continue forth his ambitions, so he never got deeply attached to the influences he was a part of.

Instead, he made connections to the people he met within them.

And they became his home.

The Sanctuary was created so they could always be with him, so he never lost the feeling of "home" that he dearly missed, but there was never a location that could fill the hole in his heart.

He filled it himself by building a family and building a home. He was satisfied with what he had.

But could it ever be the same as the image of a "home" in his heart?

It couldn't.

This void was never brought to the forefront of his emotions, because Damien's unrestrained personality actually gave him the qualities of a wanderer from the start.

He quite enjoyed that life, so despite the longing he felt, he never got bogged down by the emotion.

But it was still there.

Perhaps Claire noticed it before he did. It was always lying there in the recesses of his heart, never truly allowing him to feel complete.

But all that would change today.

Because Claire would not allow her son to live in such a pitiful way.

She would give him the home he deserved, as she always should have as his mother.

"Come, Damien, let me introduce you to your family."

She led him through the room and slowly helped him make acquaintance with everyone present.

"Let's start with me," she said with a smile.

"You?" Damien echoed in surprise.

"Mm, didn't little Lynn tell you already? Your mother is quite the character, you know?"

Claire smiled proudly as she spoke.

"While I was called Claire Watson on Earth, my true name is Claire Ellowyn, and I am the Clan Head of our Void Palace's Ellowyn Clan."

Damien's eyes widened in surprise.

Claire really started off with a bang.

While the Ellowyn Clan was now part of Void Palace's 4 Grand Dukes, it had a deep history before it gained that position.

In fact, the Ellowyn Clan alone had the ability to stand as one of the eight great clans. It was only a subsidiary because of Void Palace itself.

It was an influence created by friends, and the Void Clan was only created after the four great clans came together.

Naturally, it took the leadership position amongst them.

Because...

"And this..." Claire continued, walking over to another woman roughly the same age as her.

"...is my sister, Serena Krone."

She had long raven-black hair and piercing red eyes that swirled mysteriously like clockwork. When Claire walked over, she smiled and nodded, introducing herself.

"I am Serena Krone, Head of the Krone Clan. While it is a bit embarrassing to say it myself, me and your mother are indeed sisters. It may be uncomfortable at first, but I sincerely hope you can eventually view me as a member of your family."

Damien's jaw dropped.

That was...

'...isn't that kind of introduction...'

'...usually given by a step-parent?!'

Damien glanced over at Yiren, who nodded as if to crush all his hopes.

'This is what she meant when she said that bastard is also a man.'

"So, Dante Void is..."

"But I'm also..."

"This is...definitely something."

Damien's thoughts were broken for a second, and the first thing he managed to say was:

"Let's make things clear. First off. Who's the first wife?"

"Who else? Naturally, it's this mother of yours," Claire responded with the same proud look on her face.

"..."

'I have to cope.'

'I am severely coping.

'But this is reality.'

He couldn't escape reality.

His father had two wives.

He wanted to be angry, but how could he?

It looked like Claire was long aware of Serena's existence, so obviously he didn't cheat on her.

And as a man with four wives of his own, how could he fault a man with multiple wives, especially when those wives seemed to get along splendidly?

'But still, it's my mom...!'

"Haa..."

He sighed and accepted it.

From the look on Claire's face, she loved each and every person in this room.

If his mother and father were both lovingly accepting of his...

aunt, then who was he to complain?

'As long as mom's happy.'

It was all he could think without being a hypocrite.

'And if she's happy, I'm not going to ruin the vibe.'

His personal feelings could be overcome, because the happiness of those involved was all that mattered.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Aunt."

Damien had been thinking for a pretty long time, so the words he spoke had become anticipated by everyone present.

However, the ones he spoke were words of acceptance.

Serena let out a sigh of relief, while Claire patted her back supportively.

Serena was definitely afraid to see how Claire's son whom she'd heard so much about would react about her. She thought she would be hated, and she'd prepared to be scolded.

Because she also wanted everyone to be happy. She didn't want to ruin Damien's introduction to the family by acting like the second mother he never knew.

His acceptance not only made her relieved, but made everyone present smile.

The family they had was built on strong bonds and loyalty. They didn't want it to be ruined by Damien's presence, but they couldn't help but worry about what would happen when an outlier was forced to accept their dynamic.

But their thoughts were wrong from the start.

Damien was never an outsider.

And he never planned to act like one.

He smiled at their reactions.

'They were really that worried, huh?'

He didn't know any of their names yet, but their expressions were enough for him to tell what kind of people they were.

'Plus, even though I've been trying to ignore it, my eyes really can't avoid seeing it.'

Their souls were pure.

Their true emotions that were bared to him because of his perfected All-Seeing Eyes showed him relationships he'd only ever seen amongst the best people he'd ever met, people like Tian Yang and Malcolm who'd taught him and helped him through his younger years, and people like Long Chen and Su Ren who became his closest friends.

"Alright," he said, clapping his hands.

"I know it's an emotional moment, but it can wait, right? I at least want to learn everyone's names before we start crying."

With smiles all around and a jovial atmosphere built around them, everyone nodded together, and the introductions began.

'Really, the complications of a big family...'

Damien smiled again. He hadn't stopped smiling since he came here.

'...it really isn't so bad.'