The Descended Mountain Villager Is The Supreme Commander

Chapter 3: The Adoptive Family

Chloe let out a sharp laugh and swatted Nina's arm.

"Darius? In Harvey Whitfield's car? Have you lost your mind completely?" She looked at Nina like the girl had just said the sky was green. "That worthless cockroach probably cannot even afford a bus ticket, and you think he is sitting in a billionaire's limousine? Nina, I swear, if you say something that stupid again, I will slap the nonsense right out of your mouth."

Nina pressed her lips together and looked at the ground. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the sunlight played tricks on my eyes.

"Now come on. We have wasted enough daylight on this cursed mountain." Chloe grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the main road without looking back.

On the other side of the city, Harvey's car pulled up to the Asgard Hotel's private entrance. Harvey had his phone pressed to his ear, barking orders.

"Cancel everything. The banquet, the decorations, the chefs, the guest list. All of it. Right now."

"But sir, the invitations have already been sent to three hundred..." The voice on the other end sounded like it was about to cry.

"Did I stutter? Cancel it. If anyone asks why, tell them I changed my mind. If they ask again, tell them it is none of their business." Harvey hung up and turned to Darius with an apologetic smile.

"It is done, My Lord. Now, where would you like me to take you?"

"Joseph's house." Darius's voice was calm. His eyes were looking out the window at the city he had not seen in ten years.

Harvey nodded immediately. "Of course. Mr. Joseph Reed. We have been taking care of him over the years, My Lord, as per the instructions left by Master Alesio. He is doing quite well now. He runs a pharmaceutical business in the city. Nothing enormous, but very respectable. He lives comfortably."

Darius turned to look at Harvey. Something warm flickered in his eyes for the first time since he had come down the mountain. "You looked after him?"

"It was our duty, My Lord. Master Alesio made it very clear before he... before his passing." Harvey's voice cracked slightly at the mention of Alesio.

He reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a small leather case. Inside was a single set of keys on a silver ring.

"My Lord, these are the keys to Villa No. 1 in Dragoncrest Estate. It is the largest and most prestigious residential estate in Whitemoor City. The villa has been maintained and prepared for your arrival. It is yours."

Darius took the keys without looking at them and slipped them into his pocket. "Take me to Joseph first."

Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a large house in one of the nicer neighborhoods on the east side of the city. Darius stepped out alone. Harvey wanted to follow, but Darius held up a hand.

"Wait here."

Harvey froze mid step and bowed. "Yes, My Lord."

Darius walked to the front door and knocked twice.

The door swung open, and a man in his late fifties stood there. His hair was gray at the temples. His face was lined with years and worry.

But the moment his eyes landed on Darius, every single line on that face disappeared.

"Darius?" Joseph's voice broke on the second syllable. His eyes went wide, then wet, then he was grabbing Darius by the shoulders and pulling him into a hug so tight it could have cracked ribs.

"Boy! My boy! You are back!" Joseph held him at arm's length and looked him up and down, touching his face, his arms, his shoulders, like he was checking to make sure he was real.

"I am back, Joseph." Darius smiled. A real smile. The first one since he came down the mountain.

Joseph wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and pulled Darius inside. "Come in, come in. Let me look at you properly. You have grown so much. You are a man now!" He laughed, and the sound was pure joy. Then his face turned serious.

"Darius. Your condition. Has it been cured? Did that old master of yours finally find a solution?"

Darius paused for a moment. "Not yet. That is part of the reason I came down. I need to find a way to resolve it."

Joseph's face fell. The light in his eyes dimmed for just a second. Then he straightened his back and slapped Darius on the shoulder.

"It does not matter! Do you hear me? It does not matter one bit. I am a pharmaceutical businessman now, Darius. I have connections. I have resources. I know doctors, specialists, researchers. We will figure this out together. You are not alone anymore."

He has not changed at all. Still the same Joseph who fed me when he barely had enough for himself. Darius felt his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with his condition.

Joseph led him through the hallway into the dining room. It was a spacious room with marble floors and a chandelier that probably cost more than the old shack they used to live in.

At the table, two women sat eating dinner.

The older one was Lisa, Joseph's wife. She was thin, sharp featured, and dressed in designer clothes that still had the tags hanging from the collar, as if she wanted everyone to see how much they cost.

The younger one was Mira, eighteen years old, with her father's eyes but her mother's mouth. She was scrolling through her phone with one hand and eating with the other.

Both women looked up when Joseph walked in with a stranger.

Lisa's eyes traveled from Darius's plain jacket to his simple shoes to his unbranded pants. Her eyebrows pinched together like she had just smelled something rotten.

"Joseph, who is this? Why are you bringing random people into our house during dinner?" Her chopsticks stopped moving. Her mouth curled downward.

Mira glanced up from her phone, looked Darius up and down in two seconds flat, and went back to scrolling. Another one of Dad's charity cases. Great.

"This is not a random person! Don't you two remember? This is Darius! The boy I adopted years ago!" Joseph beamed, putting his arm around Darius's shoulder.

Lisa squinted at Darius like she was trying to read fine print on a contract. Then recognition slowly crawled across her face.

"Oh. That child. The sick one." Her voice carried all the warmth of a January sidewalk. He is back? Why is he back? We finally got rid of that burden and now he shows up again?

She remembered clearly. When that strange old beggar had come to take Darius away, she had barely been able to contain her happiness. One less mouth to feed. One less problem to deal with. She had practically packed the boy's bag herself.

"Well." Lisa set down her chopsticks and forced a smile that looked like it hurt. "How nice."

Mira looked up again, this time for longer. "Wait. The adopted kid? The one the weird old homeless guy took away?"

"Mira, do not call Master Alesio a homeless guy. He was a great man." Joseph's voice carried a rare edge of warning.

"Whatever. So why is he here?" Mira crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, looking at Darius the way someone looks at a stain on their new couch.

"He is back now! He is family. He will be living with us from now on." Joseph squeezed Darius's shoulder proudly.

Mira's phone hit the table.

"Living with us? Dad, are you serious? You cannot just bring some random guy off the street and tell me he is going to live in my house. I do not even know him!" Her face twisted with irritation, her eyes narrow and sharp.

Darius showed no reaction. His expression did not change. He looked at Joseph with calm, steady eyes.

"Joseph, I appreciate it. But I will probably only stay a couple of days. I mainly came to see you. After that, I have things I need to take care of, so I will move out."

Joseph's face crumbled. "Darius, no. Do not listen to your sister's nonsense. This is your home. You belong here."

"Dad! He is not my brother! Stop calling him that!" Mira's voice was rising, her cheeks flushing red. She crossed her legs and turned her whole body away from Darius like he was contagious.

Darius smiled. It was a small smile, patient and unbothered, like a man watching a child throw a tantrum over candy.

"It is really fine, Joseph. I will not be living far. I will visit often."

Lisa let out a dry laugh from across the table. She picked up her tea and took a slow, deliberate sip.

"Not living far? Darius, sweetheart, do you even know where we live? Every home within five kilometers of here is in a wealthy neighborhood. And to the north, that is Dragoncrest Estate. That is where the top tycoons of Whitemoor City live. You cannot even afford the gate f*e to walk past that place, let alone live nearby."

She tilted her head with a pitying little smile. The kind of smile people give to stray animals before shooing them away.

Darius put his hands in his pockets. His fingers touched the silver key ring Harvey had given him. He looked at Lisa with the same calm, unhurried expression he wore for everything.

"Actually, that is exactly where I will be living. Villa No. 1 in Dragoncrest Estate. You are welcome to visit anytime."

The room went silent for exactly two seconds.

Then Lisa burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she had to set her teacup down to keep from spilling it. She slapped the table with her palm, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Villa No. 1! Villa No. 1 in Dragoncrest Estate! Oh, that is the funniest thing I have heard all year!" She wiped her eyes, still shaking with laughter.

"Everybody in this city knows that Villa No. 1 belongs to Harvey Whitfield, the richest man in Whitemoor City. You could not buy a single doorknob in that villa if you sold everything you own. Stop bragging, child. It does not suit you."