"Of course, she isn't from an ancient clan, if we're talking specifics, she should be just like you, or even worse, after all, when the Ancient Blaze clan rejected you from their bloodline, your father wasn't present."
"He was said to have dived into a space passage on the verge of being conquered by the Abyss, and since then, he never returned. In simple terms, the Blaze Clan conclude that your biological father had died, he didn't reject you, but his clan and direct family did."
"But she, on the other hand, her mother sent her back to the clan her father was from, and that man shamelessly rejected her right then, even when he knew she was his blood and had awakened their clan's special taming ability."
"The funny thing about all of this is that he still mocked his daughter's low affinity for both powers she possessed, all that she had left was her mother, who had hoped that when her child was accepted, then her daughter would finally get the life she deserves. "
" But her mother's world came crashing down on her after the rejection, and she couldn't bear to watch her daughter suffer, so she took her own life in the process."
"Sophie can be classified as an orphan," Pale said from where he stood, staring outside the cave.
Agnes was furious with the way he used Alec as an example, she wanted to smash him into the wall, but as she stood up, she felt Alec's eyes on her, when she turned towards him, he shook his head, signalling for her to stop.
"How do you know so much about her?, i can understand you knowing about me since your clan is a rival to the Ancient Blaze Clan, and you would want to know their secrets, but hers should be more secure, am I not wrong?" Alec asked, but it only prompted a chuckle from Pale.
"In the eyes of the leaders of the ancient clans, none of us hold much worth, they are primarily concerned with their own benefits, valuing individuals only as long as they can provide something advantageous to them, however, once you lose that value, they will swiftly discard you," Pale explained, a hint of bitterness coloring his voice.
"Finding out about Sophie's background was quite simple, really, many discussions take place within our elite circles, where gossip about which clan now has a 'bastard' child runs rampant, it's hard to believe, but there have been countless children who have been rejected by the ancient clans in recent years, these clans only extend invitations to those who show potential and can benefit their cause." Pale added more information based on their experiences.
He continued, his tone now tinged with suspicion.
"Furthermore, the ancient clans are willing to eliminate anyone they perceive as a threat to their own clan, regardless of the consequences, Personally, I had my suspicions about Sophie, but upon learning about her unique ability in beast taming and her low affinity, it became easy to piece together her identity, as I have heard about her before."
"I can relate to that, my father hailed from a low-ranking clan, but he fell in love with my mother, who belonged to an ancient clan, they eloped together because they knew my mother's clan would never accept their union, as they felt it would tarnish their prestigious image." Endrick chimed in, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.
"After ten years of living in hiding, my mother's clan finally discovered their whereabouts, they ruthlessly slew my father in front of her and forcefully took her back to their clan, I was also marked for elimination, however, the enforcer they sent seemed to have some prior knowledge of my mother. "
" When my mother pleaded with him to spare my life, he granted her request, viewing me as insignificant. Even to this day, I can vividly recall the look of disdain on his face as he stared directly at me," Endrick shared, his voice filled with lingering anguish.
At this moment, tears were streaming down his eyes, and Sophie was crying too.
Nearby, Lucas cringed at the underhanded way the ancient clans of the Northern Kingdom dealt with their illegitimate offspring.
In his clan, it had never been so; they accepted all children and trained them, only to pit them against each other, the one who emerged victorious was hailed as the Blade King of his generation.
Yet, it was an ancient clan that would never allow its bloodline to drift away from its ancestral grounds.
Sophie felt a towering presence before her, and as she lifted her gaze, she realized Alec was standing in front of her, at that moment, his figure seemed larger than usual as he extended his hands toward her.
"I can empathize with your pain. Fortunately for me, I have been lucky enough to have a family that watched over me and shielded me from the harsh ways of the ancient clan, while you have been unfortunate enough to lose your entire family in the process," he said.
"So here I am, inviting you as the young master and future Patriarch of the Gordons clan to become a member of our family. Do you accept this honour?" Alec said, offering his hand to Sophie.
Every member of the team was taken aback, staring at Alec as if he had lost his mind, but only the Gordons clansmen present at that moment understood the gravity of his offer.
Alec Gordons was not an ordinary young master like those of other clans who wielded no real power, in the Gordons clan, Alec held significant influence, and his actions suggested that his grandfather had entrusted him with this authority.
He had the power to extend such an offer, and Sophie appeared visibly shocked by the sudden proposition, her eyes darting sideways in search of support.
"Don't look to them for an answer; this is my decision alone, I have the right to appoint ten enforcers, which means I can invite ten individuals into the clan who are not yet of our blood, this authority never really mattered to me until no, I may not be wealthy, and I'm not a high-level mage, but I'm confident I can offer you better support than if you were without a clan, so, what do you say?" Alec asked again, his hand still outstretched toward Sophie.
"I accept!" She finally responded, taking Alec's hand, while Arthur laughed and embraced her from behind.
"Welcome to the family!"
Arthur's eccentric behaviour was the catalyst for the rest of them to surround her with congratulations.
Although Alec had mentioned the role of enforcer, he had no intention of assigning her such a position; instead, he saw her as a younger sister he now felt compelled to protect.
After all, the Gordons clan rarely took in enforcers, despite having the capability and resources to do so, They relied on golems for most of their battles, menial works and thus never felt the need for enforcers except a few of them.
The Gordons clansmen in the team were crowding around Sophie, but Alec wasn't finished yet as he approached Endrick.
"Would you join my clan? I offer you the same support I promised Sophie, you would be like my own sibling, while I can't assist you in seeking revenge due to your mother's situation now, I assure you that if a day comes when I have the power to help, I will not hesitate," Alec promised with a sincere smile.
He was infuriated by the way the ancient clan had treated them, and after hearing their stories, he felt a kinship with them, which fueled his desire to help and bring them closer.
"Sounds like a good plan. I accept," Endrick replied with a chuckle, taking Alec's hand, which Alec used to pull him into an embrace.
"Brother! Welcome to the family."