SSS Talent: From Trash to Tyrant-Chapter 447: Decision [VI]

Silence settled over the chamber after Darian finished speaking. Neither Valttair nor Elenara responded immediately, the two rulers studying him with quiet attention as if measuring something that had not been visible a moment earlier.

The reports they had received about Darian du Thal’zar had never been particularly impressive. According to the records gathered over the years, he had not distinguished himself among his siblings, with no notable achievements and no remarkable talent for leadership.

Merely another heir among many.

And yet the man standing before them now did not quite match that description. Darian had stepped forward without hesitation, spoken clearly, and more importantly, spoken with an understanding of the situation that many heirs in his position would have struggled to accept.

Valttair leaned back slightly in his chair, studying him with faint interest. Darian did not carry the presence of a powerful leader, but what he did possess was something that often proved far more useful. He understood where his house stood, and he understood what it would take for it to survive.

Across the room, Elenara remained silent, arms still crossed as she evaluated him with narrowed eyes. Neither approval nor rejection showed on her face.

Near the wall, Caelum stood quietly. Officially his presence existed for a simple reason, security. The meeting involved two heirs from a defeated house standing before the leaders of two of the Eight Great Families, and precautions were expected. But Valttair had another reason for allowing him to remain, and for a brief moment his eyes shifted toward him. The movement was subtle, almost invisible, but Caelum noticed. No words were needed.

His gaze moved calmly toward Darian. From his perspective the choice seemed relatively simple. Darian appeared steady enough to handle pressure, and more importantly he seemed the type who could be guided and shaped into something far more manageable than Maris. And there was another factor that carried even more weight. Trafalgar wanted Darian to live. If that was the direction his young master preferred, Caelum would ensure events continued to move toward that outcome.

Valttair finally spoke again. "As you already know, the situation of your house is extremely delicate." His voice remained calm, the tone of someone stating a fact rather than beginning an argument. His eyes moved between Darian and Maris as he continued.

"Soon there will be a Council. All Eight Great Families and the Council of Sages will gather to formally conclude the war." He paused briefly. "The world wants stability. After a conflict of this scale, people want to believe the order they know still exists."

His fingers rested lightly against the armrest of the chair. "The one who attends that Council as the head of House Thal’zar will be recognized as its future patriarch." His gaze shifted toward Darian. "It seems you already understand that."

Then he looked at Maris. "And you do not."

Maris remained silent.

Elenara continued where Valttair had stopped, her voice colder and more direct. "As you already know, your father Kaedor is dead. And we are aware that everything began because of Icarus." Her eyes settled briefly on Maris. "You do not need to look at us like that. There is no need to explain anything."

"With your father’s death, the situation has been resolved. Icarus is dead. The rest of your family is alive." A small pause followed. "Except Lucien. There was... an unfortunate incident."

She continued without lingering on it. "Your mother is alive. The other wives of Kaedor are alive. The rest of the heirs remain as well, which means your house will continue to exist among the Eight."

Her gaze hardened slightly. "At the Council, the war will officially end. The peace between the houses will be signed. There will be no further vengeance." She paused once more. "The events of this war will be recorded as the work of Icarus. The destruction of my sanctuaries. The damage to the Tree of Life. All of it will be buried in the past."

The political reality of the war had been decided.

"What would you advise us to do?" Darian’s voice remained controlled, though the question carried a weight that had not been present before. "Our house is in ruins. If we are to stand before the Council as a house again, we will need to rebuild before that day comes."

Valttair watched him with quiet interest. "You’re asking advice from the houses that defeated you?" The question carried a faint edge of amusement. "I cannot decide if that is a bold move... or a foolish one."

A brief silence followed before he answered anyway.

"There are many houses across the world that would gladly take your place." His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest. "House Rosenthal, for example. They are strong. Ambitious. They would welcome the opportunity to rise." His gaze returned to Darian. "But removing House Thal’zar entirely would fracture the balance between the Eight, and balance is far more valuable than revenge." He paused briefly. "Which is why your house will continue to exist."

Darian nodded once. "I understand."

Across the room, Maris remained silent. The pressure in the chamber had begun to settle heavily on her shoulders. She had stood in the presence of these two figures before, but always from a distance, always as part of a larger gathering where her father had been the one standing where she stood now.

That distance no longer existed.

The closer she stood to Valttair du Morgain and Elenara au Sylvanel, the more she understood just how much power occupied the room. The decision that would shape the future of her house was not something distant or abstract. It was happening in front of her, and she had to decide how to stand within it.

"Shouldn’t our family decide this?" Maris spoke at last, her voice careful though the uncertainty behind it was difficult to hide. "A vote among our siblings... and the wives of our father?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Valttair looked at her with quiet coldness, and across from him Elenara’s gaze sharpened as well, the pressure in the chamber suddenly becoming far heavier than before.

Darian turned toward his sister immediately. "Do not listen to my sister." His voice was firm. "She does not understand the situation."

Maris felt the weight of every pair of eyes in the room settle on her, and in that moment something finally clicked. This was not a family discussion. This was not a matter to be decided inside the walls of House Thal’zar. This was a political designation. Lucien had died moments earlier in what had been described as an incident, and she did not know the full truth behind it. But she understood enough. If she said the wrong thing here, she might not leave the room.

Her husband’s face crossed her mind briefly. She wanted to live.

Maris inhaled slowly before speaking again. "I also believe Darian is the most suitable candidate." Her voice was steadier now. "He has the clearest judgment among us. He will represent our house well at the Council."

Valttair’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Oh? A change of opinion." He shifted his gaze toward Elenara. "What do you think?"

Elenara studied both siblings in silence, the pressure in the room becoming almost tangible before she finally spoke. "I agree." Her eyes sharpened slightly. "But understand something. If your family rejects this decision... we will solve that problem."

Darian inclined his head respectfully. "There will be no need. All my siblings and my father’s wives will be proud of this decision."