Looking at the information in golden colors, Asher didn't know if he should cry or laugh as new data started assimilating in his mind. 'Rosewood Orphanage. His family sure is criminal.'

'Rosewood Orphanage...' He thought, 'directly under the Rosewood Family,' the puzzle pieces clicking into place. 'One of the families under the Mercenary Family umbrella, tasked with capturing discarded seedlings for the family and siphoning fate from orphans.'

The Orphanage, an institution ideally symbolizing hope, was exploited as a hunting ground by his family—a Mercenary Family that grew its ranks by preying on outsiders. No, not outsiders.

'How do you think a Mercenary Family grows? By taking outsiders. And the best material? Get all the exiles. And where are these exiles found? Orphanages,' Asher articulated the cruel logic, his voice laced with sarcasm. 'And those who are righteous or demonic which didn't want anything else? Suck them dry. This world has no place for the wastrels. You either fight for the righteous or the demonic; if not, you fight for yourself.'

This dark revelation about the Rosewood Orphanage not only unveiled the depths to which his dysfunctional family would stoop for power but also reminded him about the world he was in. 

Asher was entangled in a world where life was the currency of the powerful, and destinies were traded like commodities. But he soon comes down from his high. The heavy Codecs especially made his mind hurt a little.

He was disoriented as the last memory was not from Asher's experience. It was a set of critical insights. System information that takes time to assimilate. Shaking his head to clear the confusion, he focused on the Councilor, trying to piece together his next move.

As the codecs assimilated, the layered complexity of their operations was revealed.

'Did my other half want to add the orphanage under my control?' he pondered silently, his gaze drifting to the Codecs.

Codecs are more like secret IDs to verify someone. Advanced ones that change their answer every day. Most of the time, only the passcode of the day is given to authorize the use of any resource between the Family. 

But he gained the info for the Codecs directly. Codec#2 is for requesting Rosewood forces for the Family, a high-level access code. 'She probably won't let me use it, even if it's within my reach.'

Then, there's Codec#32, specifically given to control this orphanage. The operational code of the place.

Considering his next move, Asher decided a bold approach might just unsettle the Councilor enough to gain the upper hand.

"Sorry about that. Just your description jogged my memory, bringing back fragments that were lost," Asher said, his tone apologetic. He watched closely for the Councilor's reaction, noting the slight tightening around her eyes.

"Never mind, we'll circle back to this later. Now, tell me, who informed you about the System? It's not common knowledge outside certain circles," the Councilor inquired.

"Of course, I learned of it through the Family," Asher replied directly, choosing his words carefully.

The Councilor feigned confusion at his response, though Asher was confident his emphasis on the word 'Family' had been clear enough.

"What family? Asher, this is no time for jokes. A leak concerning the System is a serious matter," she pressed, the word 'leak' underscored with a severity that demanded attention.

"It's the Family. The Mercenary Family, which, unless I'm mistaken, you are also a part of," Asher retorted, a smug smile playing on his lips.

He leaned back slightly, observing the Councilor as she processed his words. For a moment, there was silence, a tension-filled pause as the Councilor weighed her following words carefully.

She narrowed her eyes as she gave him a scrutinizing as if looking at him for the first time. She was not stupid and realized that acting ignorant would go nowhere. "Hmm… That's quite the connection. When did you realize or did it come from those memories earlier?"

"Something like that, let me give a glimpse of what I got," Asher said as he looked at the date. Quickly calculating the code for today. "Delta-Moon-SIG-5321-Helou," he said, observing her.

Her eyes widened with each word that Asher spoke. By the last words, her jaw was hanging open as she looked at him in shock. "Wha… How th… How the hell can that come from a memory!?" the Councilor almost shouted by the end. 

"Think of it like my father's legacy," he said, still smiling.

"Well… your father is actually slightly late then." the Councilor said. Seeing him open his mouth in protest, she continued, "The Orpahanage is already under someone else jurisdiction for a mission."

'As expected. How can it be that easy? I almost got the Elder with a single sentence." Asher thought but his enemy was not stupid enough to leave nearby resources.

"You mean the illegitimate mission to kill the main heir candidate?" he said, realizing the Elder behind had come prepared. 'Let's see if she knew anything about the Poison,' Asher thought.

The Councilor's lips thinned hearing him say that. "So you know about the poison, too."

"Yeah, really deceptive," Asher said with sarcasm. 'This woman knows about that too.'

"Well… it's officially a mission to train the main heir candidate… Of course, they will use deceptive means." the Councilor said, nodding as if they were not talking about him being poisoned.

Asher felt his eyebrow twitch, looking at the woman. 'That was not the important point. It was that you knowingly let them poison me!' 

'There is no point asking why. She will just say she was ordered. Maybe I will ask when I have some leverage on her.' Asher sighed inside his mind. "Is that the excuse the Elder used to scam my Grandmother?" Asher asked instead, wanting to know the extent of Elder's preparation.

"I'm not sure about the inner workings, but the mission is legitimate. And the man was your father's supporter." the Councilor said.

'Right, that's the main reason that Alissa trusted the man and was delivering the hidden poison…' 

"So I can't use the Orphanage for my personal reason…" Asher said, looking at her.

"Even if your father somehow was able to share the codecs earlier, your branch of the family has no power," she said as she looked at him pitifully.

'What nonsense is that? Shouldn't you just follow the rules instead of using your mind' Asher's eyebrow twitched a little, but soon he realized what her words meant. 

'My branch of the family has no power… What happened to my mother and sister then!?' Asher thought as his emotions spiraled out of control. He knew it was coming after assimilating the original's soul.

He stood up from the chair as he fixed her gaze on the Councilor, "What!?" he shouted instinctively, but after taking a deep breath, he asked worriedly, "What do you mean I have no power? Did something happen to mother and sister!?"

He could see the Councilor sigh as she said, "From what I heard, your mother's family demanded that her daughter be returned; she refused, of course, but was taken back by coercion after they captured her on the field."

"When was that, and what about my sister?" he asked, trying to remember his mother's family and why would they want her back. 'Wasn't she stripped of her position after eloping with my father?'

"About five years ago, when your sister's training should have started. Your mother was given a wish by her family in compensation if she cooperated. But your sister refused to go with your mother when she was asked. Stating that she will wait for you in the Family…" the Councilor completed, looking at him.

'So my mother has been taken by her family, and my sister is alone in a den of vipers.' Just thinking about it made his blood boil. 

'If they can scheme this much for me, I don't want to know how much she must be going through.' Asher thought, but he was still a little rational, knowing that, like him, they can only use underhanded tactics. At least until he turns eighteen.

Asher balled his fist, trying to control his emotions. 'I have to return as fast as I can.' Asher thought. 'Maybe I should throw caution to the wind? At least for little things. Things that can't affect me after I gained the Main Heir status.'

He ignored the Councilor observing him, though she was under a mission for the Elder. 'If she was against me, I would be dead long ago. Turning a blind eye is the least she could have done.' 

"So, what will you do?" the Councilor asked after giving him a few minutes to comprehend the information.

"What I have to do. I will kill everyone in my path!" he said. 

He didn't know why, but the woman started smiling a little deviously.

"I guess I can count on you not saying anything to him?" Asher asked just to confirm.

"What thing..? I don't know what you're talking about?" the Councilor said with a wink.

'Is that how you behave to everything? Ignore it and turn a blind eye? Definitely not.... Or is there some profit for you looking the other way?' Asher thought as he started to think about the woman's motivation. 'Is it due to their family legacy? Wait… Why am I thinking? I can directly ask her."

"Why are you helping me? Didn't you say my branch has no power?" Asher asked directly without beating around the bush.

 

 

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