Chapter 2: Returning to One's Roots
A crowd had gathered at the International Airport of Dalaget.
"Get out of the way!"
Over a dozen men sprinted over to the express lane. These men were clad in suits, their expressions were serious and intimidating enough that no one in the crowd dared to ask them any question as they evacuated the area.
With a loud rumble, a seven-car entourage of exclusively Rolls-Royce cars showed up immediately, clearing the path on both sides to make way for a luxurious Maybach car in the middle. The car sped up without any care for its audience as it exuded an unmatching and towering arrogance.
The audiences went wild, most of them took photos and admired the spectacle while also gossiping among themselves as to just what was the identity of the VIP that had just landed at their international airport.
Meanwhile, the subject of their speculation was seated casually in the Maybach with a glass of wine in his hand. His clothes betrayed the luxury that he enjoyed for he was only wearing a tattered military uniform and slippers, "Damn, this car sure is incredibly comfortable. I remember the trucks I've used to drive on that battlefield and even now, I still find it hard to balance myself on those trucks."
Keeping a low-profile had never been Henry Murray's style. Unless he was forced to by the circumstances, he would always boast whenever he went. In fact, his favorite adage was, 'What is the use of wealth if one didn't flaunt it?'
Although it was unknown if he knew about the adage that the tallest tree in the forest suffers the most wind. Henry didn't really care.
He was strong, so he would do everything in his way, whenever he felt like it.
Furthermore, as the God of Destruction and an esteemed six-star general of the country, Henry knew that he must act in a way that befitted his grand title and the faith, as well as the glory that it inspired. In addition, the money that Henry was using for all of these luxuries wasn't even his own money anyway, so why not splurge?
That old geezer Golden Dragon was getting old anyway and he had no heirs to speak of. If he died, what would happen to his fortune? Henry felt that it was justified for him to spend Golden Dragon's money like this. He felt his heart ease up and a rare smile appeared on his face, "I'm finally back... Dalaget. It's been such a long time since I stepped foot on your soil."
The memories of the past started to flood his mind as Henry took a deep breath and glanced at the soldier who had helped him organize all of these, "Are you one of that old geez—no, Golden Dragon's men?"
"Ah... yes! Yes, esteemed Shiva!" The soldier was so overwhelmed sensing Henry's gaze land on him to the point that he found it hard to articulate his words properly.
But no one could really blame the soldier for acting like this. Any soldier would become similar to him if the world-renowned God of Destruction, Vajrada Shivada was casually trying to strike a conversation with them.
"Rank and Position?" Henry asked.
"Ah... My name is Patrick Ricardo, sir! My current rank is Colonel while I'm also the second-in-command for the Dalaget Border Territory, sir..."
"Ah, so you're guarding the borders. It's been tough on you." Henry smiled.
He remembered that he also had once guarded the borders of the country against the invaders. It was that fateful battle on that night which made his name resound throughout the entire country of Laguna.
If not for that battle, then he would've probably stayed as a no-name soldier in a random country stricken with war as a representative of Laguna.
"T-T-Thank you, sir!" Patrick bowed his head in respect and gratitude.
"It's fine, you don't have to be so respectful to me like that. Just consider me retired, will you?" Henry didn't really like pretenses.
"My apologies, but I cannot do that, sir! The government might have granted you a retirement reprieve through that discharge report sir, but you still have your military authority, status, and position. I absolutely cannot disrespect you, sir!"
"So, you're saying that I'm still technically a Six-Starred General, eh?" Henry stared at Patrick in amusement.
"Sir, yes, sir!" A look of delight could be seen on Patrick's face as he continued, "Furthermore, the old Marshal had commanded that we accompany you to this city and that we should always be ready to help on command should you encounter any problems here in Dalaget."
"Of course, he won't tolerate extravagant spending, so the cost of this entourage and the bodyguards will be deducted from your pension..."
"Shit, that old bastard..."
Henry's eyes dangerously narrowed causing Patrick to stop mid-way as he gulped a mouthful of saliva.
"All right, let's go and visit my daughter. Of course, we'll transfer to a new car. We can't be this flamboyant anymore or we might scare my daughter off!" Henry gave his instructions and Patrick was quick to relay his orders to the others.
Soon, the entourage broke up.
Henry was soon transferred into a more low-key car as Henry's car stopped near the Mahalina Residential Area.
He didn't go out of the car as soon as they arrived.
Instead, he took out the photograph that he had of his daughter.
His heart immediately melted at the sight of the chubby girl with her bright and angelic smile.
'Daddy's about to come home, dear daughter.'
'My good girl, wait for me!'
Carefully tucking the photograph into his chest pocket, Henry was about to get out of the car when Patrick stopped him in his tracks.
"Oh, sir... Are you not going to read the report that the God of Destruction squad had gathered about your wife and daughter?"
Henry's figure froze.
He returned to his seat and opened the brown envelope that Patrick handed over.
"I'll read it on the way. Thanks, brother." Henry smiled at Patrick. He even patted the latter's shoulder as Patrick became overwhelmed with emotions that he repeatedly bowed in Henry's direction, only stopping when Henry disappeared into the Mahalina Residential Area.
"Block 69, Lot 42, Room 123..." Henry consulted the information within the brown envelope.
When the room that he was looking for was already in sight. He stopped for a moment and leaned on a nearby wall.
Taking out the file within the envelope, he started reading it and he couldn't help but feel aggrieved, realizing that he really knew nothing about his so-called 'wife and daughter'.
"Christine Ayala..." Henry mumbled, gazing at the gorgeous woman depicted in the photo.
So that was her name...
Five years ago, Henry was in the middle of executing a mission when he stumbled upon a depressed Christine. The two of them talked for quite a while, and Henry could still remember how she was trying to drown her anxiety and stress in the strongest alcohol known to mankind.
Henry found her actions to be amusing at that time, so he honored her request of giving her the strongest alcohol that Henry knew at that time. Unfortunately, Henry had no idea that it was actually Christine's first time drinking alcohol. The fumes from the base of that strongest alcohol alone, Spirytus Rektyfikowany turned her into a drunken mess.
Now, Henry might be an impulsive man at that time but he understood the concept of consent. He brought Christine over to a hotel room, so she could rest but when Henry was about to leave. Christine had latched her arms around her neck, refusing to let go!
The Henry of five years ago was a cherry boy and with their good looks and gorgeous bodies adding fuel to the fire.
Everything seemed to fall into place.
That was Henry's first and last time with a woman.
The stains on the sheet that had lingered after the activity gave him immense guilt.
He could still vividly remember that when he left the hotel room the next morning, he left every cent that he had saved for Christine and he also left a letter explaining his situation to her. Furthermore, he asked one of the personnel of the God of Destruction squad to take care of her from the shadows.
But he had never expected, even in his wildest imagination that the fleeting encounter at that night would bear fruit to a child.
Furthermore, she insisted on keeping the child, refusing to abort it!
In an instant, the heiress of the Ayala family, Christine Ayala was reduced to a laughingstock.
The very next day that she gave birth, the Ayala family disowned her; stating that she had tarnished the family image. Without the financial support of the Ayala family's conglomerates, Christine was left alone to raise her daughter by herself for the next five years.
Five years...
Henry felt pain pricking his heart.
The woman who could've enjoyed a lifetime of abundance had abandoned all of what she deserved as the heiress of the Ayala family for the sake of their daughter!
Henry couldn't even imagine just how much slander, gossip, and libelous claims she had endured in those five years, and how she survived through all of these, without no one else to care for her since her husband had disappeared as fast as he appeared in her life!
"Christine..."
"You've done well."
"Now that I have returned, it's time for me to give you and our daughter the life that both of you deserved."
Henry's eyes narrowed into slits.
Taking one final glance at the photos of his wife and daughter, Henry started to walk towards the apartment where the two spent five years of their lives.
'Why is this place strangely quiet?'
Henry looked around the place and discovered that there were three men standing in front of the doors of Room 123.
"Who are those people?" Henry hid behind a nearby wall.
"Shy Shy... Can you open the doors for us uncles? Your mother called us to fetch you. There's an emergency. She's in the hospital right now and she wants to see you before she goes into a coma!" One of them knocked on the doors and shouted.
An adorable voice rang from behind the door, "Hmmph! Uncles, your tricks aren't going to work on me! They might work on two or three-year-old babies, but I'm already four-years-old! I won't fall for it!"
"What...?" The three men stared at each other in shock.
"Bro, are you sure that we're talking to a kid?" One of them asked the other in confusion.
"Are you retarded? The tip that we've received must be accurate. We got that tip from the River Dragons Gang! What? Are you saying that they are a bunch of unreliable people?"
The man who looked to be the leader of the ground furrowed his eyebrows. To be honest, he had no idea what to do now that the young lass was refusing to open the doors.
"What do we do now, boss? Should we break the door?"
"No, we can't do that. Our getaway vehicle is too far. How about we just forget that this young lass exists in the first place? There are still a lot of children out there that we can substitute for her. There's a lot of fishes in the sea, do you get what I mean?"
The leader smirked at his henchmen and the three of them simultaneously agreed that they wouldn't bother with the kid behind the door anymore.
Walking down the stairs, the three stumbled upon Henry who was waiting on them in the stairwell.
"Hey, bro," Henry called out.
"What is it?" The leader asked with a good-natured smile.
A smile that one would never find on people with bad intentions.
"Do you believe in the idiom that one must never slap a smiling face?"
"Um... no?"
"All right, me too."
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone