Chapter 187: The Long Game (Extra)

At Stark Industries, Ethan had been discussing potential clients with Lucy and what the prices might work best for the Vanguard and the private jets.

But a part of him was distracted.

The conversation about House Azazel with Ishtar kept circling back, pulling his attention away no matter how hard he tried to focus.

Lucy noticed his attention drift and paused halfway through her statement, tilting her head. "Ethan?"

He blinked, realizing he had lost track of what she was saying. "Sorry, Lucy. I just... there’s something I need to take care of."

"Is everything okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, it’s fine," he said, offering her an apologetic smile. "Can we pick this up later? I promise I’ll be more focused."

Lucy nodded, though concern still lingered on her face. "Of course. Take your time."

Ethan left the room and made his way to the main building, until he reached the boardroom where Eduardo liked to work when he was at the company.

Eduardo was seated at the large table, going over a stack of papers. He looked up the moment Ethan entered.

"Master Ethan," Eduardo greeted with a respectful nod.

"Hey, Eduardo." Ethan stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He stood there for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

Eduardo set the paper aside and looked up. "What’s on your mind?"

Ethan walked closer, stopping a few paces from the table, then said. "I need to ask you something."

"Of course," Eduardo nodded.

Ethan met his eyes. "Do you know what my father’s real name was?"

Eduardo’s facial expression turned confused. "I’m not sure I understand, Master Ethan."

"Nathan Stark," Ethan said. "Those were names he took when he entered this continent. But they were never his original names. He came from House Azazel, and you know this. So what was his real name?"

The look on the butler’s face changed as understanding settled in. He exhaled, leaned back in his chair, and was quiet for a moment.

Then he said it.

"Varron," he said after a pause. "Varron Azazel."

The name hit Ethan with a strange mix of relief and surprise. He let it sit for a moment, turning it over in his mind.

Varron. Not Renaal.

"Why did you need this name, Master Ethan?" Eduardo asked more carefully now.

Ethan was silent for a moment, still trying to piece it together, especially making the timeline match up.

Two decades ago, Renaal had wiped out House Azazel. Ethan was eighteen now. If his father had been the one to do it, then he would have come to this continent afterward. That would mean Ishtar’s account aligned with the idea that Renaal had vanished after the massacre.

But the name didn’t match.

Ethan exhaled and looked back at Eduardo. "Did you ever consider that my father might have lied about his true name?"

Eduardo’s eyes widened. "Master Ethan, the late master would never—"

"You’re certain?" Ethan pressed.

Eduardo nodded firmly. "Your father would rather withhold information than lie about the things he chose to speak of."

Ethan didn’t look fully convinced. He stared at the floor, trying to make sense of it all.

Eduardo studied him for a moment, then asked again. "Master Ethan, these questions... is there a problem?"

Ethan exhaled and began to explain. He told Eduardo everything Ishtar had told him. About Renaal, the demon noble of House Azazel who had wiped out his entire family and vanished.

When Ethan finished, Eduardo’s reaction wasn’t what he expected.

The butler let out this little laugh and shook his head. "I’m sorry, Master Ethan, but this Renaal cannot be the late Master Nathan."

Ethan frowned. "How can you be so sure?"

Eduardo leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Two months after your father created the Midnight Vanguard," Eduardo began, "he still hadn’t been able to kill a single monster from the breaches."

Ethan was caught off guard. "What?"

"Not because he couldn’t," Eduardo clarified. "Your father was capable with magic, extremely capable. But he found it hard to take a life himself. He said it was a right he didn’t possess, so we did most of the killing for him."

"Someone like that," he said, "could not have possibly wiped out his entire family."

Another stretch of silence followed. Then Eduardo adjusted his glasses and said, "Now that we’re talking about real names, I think it’s time I told you something else, Master Ethan."

Ethan looked up. "What is it?"

"Eduardo," the butler began, "was the name given to me by your father. My real name is Mikael."

He paused, then added, "I apologize for not mentioning this all this while, but I really got used to Eduardo being my name."

Ethan’s expression didn’t change. He let out an amused scoff. "The hybrid, I assume?"

Eduardo stopped for a second, his eyes widening slightly.

"I kind of knew that already," Ethan continued. "I was just waiting for when you decided to tell me yourself."

Eduardo’s surprise was written on his face. "How did you know?"

Ethan smirked. "I always just knew. But the most obvious giveaway was during the battle against the League of Assassins."

"But you weren’t there at the time," Eduardo followed up.

"My summons were," Ethan countered. "And Joe has really keen sight. Your transformation gave you away."

Eduardo said nothing for a moment.

Ethan continued. "Besides, you weren’t exactly the most subtle when you got mad. Growing up, I saw you hide a lot of things from me. The fangs, the eyes. Nice try, but I still saw them."

Eduardo let out a breath, then laughed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "I see."

Ethan laughed a bit too, and the tension in the room eased a bit.

But then curiosity struck him, and he tilted his head. "How was it that my father was even able to recruit you? You scared all the family leaders. So how did he convince someone like you to work for him?"

Eduardo smiled, adjusting his glasses again and exhaling. "Ah, the late Master Nathan..."

He trailed off, and his gaze looked distant, as if reliving a memory from long ago.

"Your father had a particular way of doing things," Eduardo began. "When he was building the Midnight Vanguard, he didn’t just recruit anyone. He searched for specific people. Individuals with certain... qualities."

Ethan was seated now, listening intently.

"When he found me and told me his intentions to have me recruited," Eduardo continued, "I gave him a condition. I told him, ’If you can land one hit on me, I’ll do whatever you want.’"

Ethan’s brow lifted.

Eduardo let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "It was a joke. I never expected any of it to actually happen."

"But he tried," Ethan said.

"Oh, he tried," Eduardo confirmed, his smile widening. "The late Master Nathan tried loads of times. And he failed, repeatedly."

Eduardo’s expression changed, though the amusement still lingered. "Your father had a death wish, Master Ethan. I almost killed him several times."

Ethan’s eyes widened.

"But he was a demon," Eduardo continued, "and being a demon noble, his regenerative factor was better than the regular...Let’s just say he survived longer than he should have."

Ethan stared at him, half in amazement, half in disbelief.

He had never imagined his father doing something so reckless.

"After several weeks," Eduardo continued, "maybe even a few months, we had actually become friends. And I thought he had given up on the challenge."

He paused, and a smile formed at the corner of his lips.

"But the late Master Nathan was playing the long game the entire time."

Ethan smiled a bit, shaking his head.

"One day," Eduardo said, lifting a hand and pointing to his own face, just below his left eye, "when my guard was down, he landed a punch. Right here."

"And that was it?" Ethan said. He had expected more.

"That was it, mostly," Eduardo said, his smile softening. "But the truth is, your father wasn’t really going to go through with recruiting me anymore. He said we had become friends, and he was only trying to win our bet."

He paused, adjusting his glasses again.

"But I was the one who chose to offer myself," Eduardo continued. "There was something about the late Master Nathan. Or perhaps I was simply searching for a new purpose... But I knew I wanted to follow him."

Ethan was quiet for a moment, letting that settle.

"Thank you for telling me that," Ethan said after a moment.

Eduardo nodded, with a warm expression. "Of course, Master Ethan."