The Legendary War God Returns

Chapter three

“I bet even if we wait for years, he won’t be able to prove anything to us.”  

Victor sighed and shook his head. He could have looked away; however, because of the family reputation, he decided to reconsider his decision at least.

“You can remain in the mansion temporarily, but that’s because Lydia refuses to let you leave,” he said. 

Hearing what he said, the other family members looked at him with deep frowns on their faces.

They wanted to object, but because he was the head of the family, no one dared to. However, his next words reclaimed the lost smiles back on their faces.

“However you shall receive no special treatment!”

He specified before calling out for one of the guards.

“Prepare the store room for him.” He ordered.

Everyone was very pleased with this. Though Orion could remain on the premises, they wouldn't mind him staying there, as it was no different from trash.

“You should be grateful that you have somewhere to sleep.” Damein chuckled heartily right in Orion's face to get back at him for what happened earlier.

As for Lydia, she clenched her fist tightly and couldn’t help but lash out.

“Dad, that room is so bad. Please, can you give him something else? We have so many empty rooms in the mansion after all.” 

She couldn't understand why he would choose to give Orion such a room when there were a lot better ones that weren’t in use in the house.

“Hmp!” Victor snorted. “He has done nothing to enjoy the comforts meant for the family. I don’t consider him one, so why should I spare him one?” He stated coldly.

Lydia refused to acknowledge this. She wanted to persist when Orion stopped her from arguing any further. He leaned to her ear and quietly spoke. 

“The room is acceptable. There’s no need to waste the evening fighting over a place to sleep.”

Lydia decided to stifle her emotions and listened to him. She nodded subtly while he smiled at her.

Moments later, both of them left the mansion and headed to the storeroom. 

Along the way, they could still hear the mocking words from the family members and Damien’s mocking contempt. He was enjoying it the most compared to the others.

Meanwhile, along the way, Lydia looked very heartbroken. She didn’t expect her family would be so cruel to Orion as soon as he came back. 

“I am so sorry about this. I didn’t expect them to-“

“Don’t worry about it, baby. I am not bothered about the room. All I care about is the fact that I’m reunited with you.” Orion smiled and saw her face blush softly. 

Though he meant those words, he was very much concerned about how badly her family had been treating her.

The room was meters away from the main mansion. As they got in, the room was filled with dusty antique furniture, cracked mirrors, and old wooden trunks. The chairs were still covered in cobwebs. The faded curtains hung by the windows, while misty air and creaking floorboards gave the room an eerie atmosphere.

Orion sighed before pulling out a handkerchief from his bag and dusting two chairs for them to sit on. Shortly, Lydia began recounting everything that had been going on in the apartment for five years.

Orion listened and didn’t interrupt her. He could hear and feel the pain in her voice. What was more, he felt bad for himself for not being present these past years. If he had been there, there was no way he could have let her undergo all that.

“Did anyone threaten you physically?” He suddenly asked.

Lydia shook her head. Cupping her chin, she replied. “Unless Damien, he has repeatedly tried to interfere with my personal decisions and embarrass me at every turn he got.” She explained.

Orion's eyes turned cold when he heard this. Damien had always been a pain in the ass after all.

“I’ll look into the matter.” He assured her.

Lydia nodded and smiled sweetly. “I am so happy you are back. I’ll go bring some towels to help with the cleaning so you can settle in.” She stood up, suddenly looking energetic. 

Her family had done the worst, and she felt she had to assist in the best way she could even though it might not mean much. Besides, she wouldn’t leave him in here all alone. He was her husband after all.

“Okay.” Orion nodded in approval.

She smiled before walking out of the room. 

Ring! Ring!

A few minutes later, Orion's phone began to buzz. He pulled it out and took a look at the screen. The caller was Ethan Walker, his trusted ally in the military. Without hesitation, he went ahead and picked up. 

“Greetings, god of war. Was your return to Crestwood successful, sir?” Ethan said politely over the phone. 

Orion held the phone tightly, and a brief sigh escaped his lips.“I have reunited with my wife. However, I discovered a serious problem with her family.” 

Ethan was silent for a while before he finally responded. 

“Do I arrange the usual security detail at once?”

Orion was silent for a while, pondering, before he shook his head.

“There’s no need to bring unwanted attention to myself. I would like to understand the situation before revealing my identity.” He said resolutely.

Ethan understood him and didn’t dare to pursue further. He had been working with Orion for so long and trusted him so much he couldn't even think of doubting his judgment.

“General Marcus called. He is requesting an urgent update concerning the investigation into the ambush five years ago.“

Ethan changed the topic. After all, he had the intention of reporting it to Orion too.

Hearing this, Orion's expression turned grave. He gritted his teeth tightly before replying. 

“Continue with the investigation without approaching my wife's family.” He ordered. 

Many things needed to be confirmed before any actions could be taken. Orion didn’t want to believe Lydia’s family was involved with the ambush five years ago; however, the result of the investigation was going to determine it all.

“I’ll hang up first. I have personal matters to attend to.”

Orion continued.

“I understand, war god,” Ethan replied, and with that the call came to an end. 

Orion sighed and put the phone away. Subconsciously, his head twirled towards the window, and he caught a glimpse of a vehicle parked across the street outside the mansion. The headlights dimmed shortly after.

He wanted to look away but subconsciously, his eyes narrowed when he spotted the security markings on the car. It belonged to a private company owned by one of the people he had been investigating. 

As soon as he reconfirmed this in his mind, his slightly narrowed eyes suddenly widened.