CHAPTER 10: THE NEW BONDS AND OLD BONDS

The Hopkins family were one of the most powerful noble families of the human empire of Tukufu, They were the official builders of the Kingdoms. They would facilitate the building of both air and sea ships. They would also build many official buildings, including adventure guild headquarters and merchant headquarters, which also helped in creating powerful connections both in the underbelly of crime and also the social upper classes of both the royal families and other social circles that influence the communities they're in.

Lucas Hopkins was one of the most prominent and influential nobles, but he had issues with his vices within the criminal underbelly. He was connected to the slave trading of fairies and the abuse of magical creatures and loved to go to illegal casinos to gamble his money away.

He was indeed a talented engineer who built terrific buildings for the government and also small manors for both male and female prominent knights, especially the ones who fought battles with the demon kind. He was considered a prominent figure who also had sway and control over the politics of the nobles.

One family, however, never liked the Hopkins Family, and that was the Elis Family. The Elis are a family of mages and priests of the gods of Ayan that have been one of the most powerful magic families in the human Kingdoms.

They have conflicted with the Hopkins for generations, but the patriarch of the Elis family at that time named Hankin Elis, was one of the most powerful mages in the history of the empire that was climbing the social ladder even more.

During the grand celebration of the Great God of Light Lumen, who is the main God of the Tukufu empire, the then Emperor Firmin Tukufu decided to introduce a new Grand Royal Wizard of the empire and two contenders were to be voted as the next wizard, Hankin Elis and Johari the wizard.

Hopkins and the 16 Noble families of the empire were to vote for the next Grand Wizard. Once they cast their votes, the deciding vote came down to Lucas's vote. Lucas, who was drunk at the time after his exceeds the previous night accidentally voted for Johari instead.

This made Hankin furious as they had agreed while in closed doors that half of the nobles from the northern lands, including Lucas himself, will vote for Hankin and in turn, Hankin would continue to enrich Hopkins and even help him find more dungeons for him as he had a magical artifact that could track dungeons.

From that day onwards Hankin hated Lucas and the entire Hopkins family and decided to ruin the entire family and to make it his mission. Johari and Hankin didn't like each other due to their differences in how they approach magic and how they acquire power for their benefit.

Johari's political power, of course, grew while the Elis family, though still strong, remained stagnant. Hamkin then started to ruin Hopkins by appealing to his vices and how he understands he has discipline in controlling his vices. This led him to squander his fortune and made Hopkins sign a debt contract which is linked by blood and can continue to increase for a long period.

The shame and ridicule that the Hopkins family was too much for Lucas, and he decided to end his life. Henry hated his father for this and vowed to be as powerful as he could and that he wouldn't care who his has to step on to make it happen. Henry used his children especially after realizing the amount of magic power they have and how they can quickly adapt into the family business.

The firstborn son of the Hopkins family, Judd Hopkins, is a Knight general for the empire and would go to do campaigns of vanquishing monsters. He quickly developed his army and started slowly building up his family, but it was a struggle as his father was using him to clear the family debt and revoke the contract.

The second son was an airship builder. A kind and generous person who was scared of conflict and authority but was diligent and hardworking, with a nark and talent for creating impressive magical vehicles and other technologies.

Henry would use his son's progress to brag about their airship and the workers he had, even though they were few, but he was always shut down by other nobles that made better ships than his company, some of which were used by the royal family.

The third son, named Mack Hopkins, is an engineer who always follows his father's call and beckon and would leak his father's shoes if he would so ask. He was greedy like his father and would always bully Aaron and call him a weak degenerate who didn't deserve to be in the family.

The fourth son, named Randel Hopkins, is a very reserved and quiet shipbuilder who would help in improving and fixing broken sea ships that were either destroyed by sea creatures or rough seas. He would always keep to himself within the attic of the house and wouldn't bother with the other brothers. He would follow his father's rules out of necessity and not out of choice.

The fifth child was the only daughter named Charlotte Hopkins. She was very generous and heartwarming, very assertive, emotionally intelligent of the environment she was in and wanted to help the less fortunate. She was always helping the people that couldn't get a leg up in society, he was always protective of Kids, especially those abandoned during the war and who didn't have a place to call home.

The problem was that Charlotte, even with enormous Navitas power, was hidden from society and kept in the house like a cage. This didn't mean he didn't build her own political and magical power while shut at her own house.

The problem was that Charlotte was born with a womb. Considering Henry liked to use his children as golden gooses and objects to further his wealth, Charlotte was the one key ingredient, which according to him was that of a failure. Charlotte always found a way to sneak into the public library and also disguise herself so that she could see how the town was faring. She never liked the results.

The sixth child was Aaron, a young kid who was born from a concubine who died during childbirth. He was always seen as an outcast, not only because he was an outsider but because he couldn't produce enough magical affinity and didn't have that much Navitas Aura.

He emulated his elder brother, who was a knight and looked up to him as a hero, even though they just met in passing. He also enjoyed playing with his sister, who would always encourage him to never give up and always work to achieve his goals no matter what anyone told him.

One day, Henry, who is frustrated by the debt contract that the Elis family is imposing on them, especially when he is now climbing the social ladder and gaining influence, becomes a leader. He needed a scapegoat to reduce or eventually eradicate the debt he has with the family.

With the news of Hankins's death and his son Christopher Elis being his next Heir, Henry decided to take advantage of the situation and decided to change the contract and transfer all the burden to the scapegoat.

Henry new of Christopher's illegal activities and decided to use that to his advantage. That is when he dropped Aaron when he was only five years of age and left him with Elis. 

Elis established a relationship of dominance and would abuse Aaron, saying it was to make him stronger. Aaron would work very hard like a horse, and he would always train every day with his swordmanship while also learning magic from Elis. Aaron grew up alone under the Ellis family, but it's when he meets Lydia and Ava that he becomes less lonely, angry and vengeful. 

Elis, in his mind, was crafting a soldier that he could use as a pawn to take down his enemies. It was also evident that he also wanted magical power from various sources, from animals to plants to even humans and other races like fairies, to further his goals.

So it wasn't a surprise that he formed an adventure party to fulfil his goals. But Christopher was shocked by Aaron's determination to completely pay the debt of his family. A burden he didn't ask for.

"Lord Ellis, I want to repay my debt to your family completely," Aaron declared.

"And how do you suggest you do that?" Elis inquired immediately

"I have 500 Chrysos coins as the remainder of the debt my family owns and a magical Holy Basil that I found in a goblin cave," Aaron replied as he gave the money and herb that he took out from his magical pouch.

Elis evaluates the payment and sees that he has indeed fulfilled the terms of the contract. Elis then takes his staff and breaks the mark of the slave contract. Aaron, who is almost moved to tears, is congratulated by Lydia and Ava. Aaron then states that he has the money to clear Lydia's debt.

"Lord Elis, and Lydia I have the necessary funds to pay for her freedom and that of Ava as well. please lift the spell from their bodies as well, and grant them their freedom, my lord." Aaron pleaded.

"Oh no, Aaron, as your contract is finally over, you seem to have misunderstood, but the slave contract that I have with those two girls is completely different," Christopher stated.

"I..I don't understand, my lord," Aaron lamented, How is it any different than mine?

"Aaron, you naive child, did you honestly think that you could easily free those two girls? They were more precious to me than you- well, at least one of the girls was precious," Christopher replied while looking at Ava.

Christopher then explained that Lydia's contract which was based on his own accord, the contract that she thought she signed was of financial purpose and that she only needed enough money to prove for her sick mother, and she did gain the money as her mother is feeling better and in a better environment, but what she didn't know was that the contract also stipulated that Lydia was to work for the Elis family for her entire life until she dies.

But Christopher noticed that Lydia wasn't as useful in his extracurricular activities, so he decided to let Lydia go but will leave the slave mark with her as she only has week and a half for the spell to self-destruct and stop her beating heart.

As for Eva, she was never leaving the Elis family due to her special magical affinity and High Navitas Aura, and even though she is the rank of Domnus, she has the Navitas Aura of a Numen rank; it just hasn't developed further.

Christopher wants to harness that power to himself. Christopher also told Aaron that Ava also has the self-destruct spell and Ava has only a weak to leave. Aaron was shocked by this and couldn't believe it. Aaron had to devise a plan to help her childhood friends before it was too late, and he might need Asani's help.