I regressed and became the Sword Ice King

NORMAL POV

"Hmmm," Gloria muttered, turning her attention towards the book about the History of Jun. "You never learned about our history?" she asked.

"I've never been interested in those sorts of things, you know."

"But... You're a Jun; this is something that we naturally become curious about." Gloria picked up the book, turning through the pages.

"Then you probably don't know about the side families." A pin-drop silence suffused the air, Raph's thoughts still contemplating her words. "What?!" he cried out, standing to his feet.

"We have side families?!" His voice could have woken the dead, if they weren't so... dead. Gloria chuckled at his reaction.

"Of course, do you think each generation just had one kid, and that kid became the sole Patriarch?" she asked, her amused tone evident. "It's a good thing you decided to come." Raph sighed, taking his seat and adjusting himself.

'Well, of course, there are branch families; the Jun likes to reproduce, don't they?' He thought. Interestingly, the Jun's were known for their peculiar nature of bearing at least four children in each generation. It raised questions of whether they liked children or just loved engaging in the act. Raph always thought it was the latter.

"I know what you're thinking," Gloria said, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up at her with a smug expression. "Do you really?" She shrugged. "Our desire for strength makes us domineering; the feeling can be said on the bed as well." Her reply caused a shiver down his spine. 'Ma–Ma–Maso–'

"It's not as bad as you think it to be," she cut off his thoughts, easily swaying them away with a chuckle.

"I'm simply saying that we tend to over-engage in such acts because of how effective it feels... well, you'll understand when you're older." She explained, nodding in satisfaction to her own explanation.

Raph clicked his tongue, turning away. 'What's this virgin talking about?' He thought when a resentful aura caused a chill up his spine. He turned to face his sister, her face a contorted mix of annoyance and anger.

"I know what you just thought," she said, her tone bitter. Raph pushed himself away from her.

"A–A joke, sister, I didn't mean it at all," he muttered, scared of an impending world of pain, but then his sister stopped halfway.

"Pff- ha ha ha..." She laughed lightly, tears forming in her eyes. "What was that about, Raph?" She giggled, slumping her shoulders and easing her posture.

"Thank you; I can relax a little now." Raph watched her silently, then turned away, picking up the Abriverd Version of the History of the Dark Ages with a sigh.

'Guess Dad's disappearance affects all of us in different ways.' Gloria had been handling most of the affairs of the household while her mother assisted every now and then. She was constantly on her toes, trying to maintain a constant aura of level-headedness.

"Every single person in my family is strong," he came to that conclusion as he read through the first page. "Goddess Mayura's appearance during the Dark Ages, and the appearance of the Twelve Great Heroes, I've always wondered why they connected." Gloria spoke up again, her gaze lingering on the book. Raph sighed.

"Are there any books in this library which you haven't read?" He asked, his gaze flickering between her and the book. She chuckled. "No, not any I'm aware of."

He sighed, and silence descended upon the library once again. He read through the book at a quick pace, easily flipping to the next page every three to five minutes before turning to the next. The first few pages described the harsh times during the Dark Age. Human strongholds were besieged by demons, while devils kidnapped humans as slaves.

It was a time when mana nor aura existed, and even the demi-race didn't exist. A time when Elves and Mermaids were akin to demons in the eyes of humans. It was turbulent times, until the Hermits, ancestors of the Lucia family, prayed and fasted for thirty days in search of an answer. That answer was the goddess of casualties, Mayura.

Her summon had caused a drastic change, and within the next few years, humans finally gained their first stronghold, known as the Kingdom of Lumbrica. Time passed, and Mayura realized how difficult it would be for her to save the entirety of the continent. She traveled through the continent to gather twelve heroes who would later form the great families.

She granted them strength beyond human capabilities and, with the help of the goddess of Earth, Gaia, they were granted the first energy, and thus, mana and aura were born. The book had nothing about ki, so their history must have deviated at one point, but it was noted that one had not received the blessing for being discourteous.

The rest of the content explained their adventures and strife as they found new purpose with their abilities, reforming and giving direction. After ten years of hardship and battle, their powers had differentiated from one another. Each specialized and amended their skill, training day by day for the complete destruction of the Demons and Devils. Eventually, after ten more years, the Dark Age ended.

The book with thick covers and lengthy notes had been completed in the span of four hours. His gaze lingered on it as he closed and picked up the History of the Jun.

"What do you think?" Gloria asked, looking up from the files she had been scanning through.

"It's bullshit," Raph replied instantly, leaving Gloria lost for words. She laughed out loud again, wiping away tears.

"True, I thought so too when I read it." She looked up with a sigh. "With time, history changes. What the story tells is how the goddess Mayura descended after the Hermits prayed for a savior. She spent ten years trying to resolve the issues with the plague alone until she earned a revelation and sought twelve heroes to help bind the Demons and Devils. But how did Mayura even grant us such abilities?" Discover more stories at empire

"Not to mention the Kang Lin household. According to this book, they were not granted mana or aura because their ancestor was discourteous. So how did they survive all those hellish years without finding Ki?"

"They could have developed it on their own on the battlefield or experienced some sort of revelation. In all, what we have are mere speculations, not the actual truth. Time waits for no one, and with time, information will be modified constantly until it becomes something akin to a fairytale."

Raph pondered her words, his gaze shifting to the other book he had not read yet. "The history of the Jun household. We can at least be certain of the content."

Gloria's gaze flickered to his statement, a solemn smile taking its place on her face. "The original text would be in the Jun Catacombs, north of here. If anything, this is merely the abbreviated version of the summarized one that our aunts are in charge of." Raph's eyes widened due to her statement.

There were so many things he had not even known in his past life, since he chose a life of negligence, but now that he wished to know more about his heritage, he began to realize how little he knew in general.

"Such... Catacombs? We have such?" His words were shaky, failing to believe his sister's statement. Her smile widened. "Where do you think the Patriarchs are buried? Everything you need to know about the Jun is located there...

and albeit a little about the Dark Age as well."

"Why... Why didn't anyone tell us? Do the others know of this?" His eyes flickered to the intensity of the crimson light that permeated through the open windows of intricate designs and ornate patterns that hung on the wall behind them.

"Why? Of course, this matter is only known to the firstborn, as well as the first son, and to all those who are interested in it... we don't force such things on those who want nothing to do with it or those who choose to live a life of ignorance. Our bond as a family is our strength, but it is also a fatal weakness, as we fear to hurt our own or direct their paths.

A Jun must choose his way and settle with the end result." Raph sighed deeply, contemplating her words and satisfied with his decision to know more. Information like this was privy to those who didn't want it, but now that he knew about it, his life would take a drastic turn from now on.

"Then, is there a way I can contact the branch families? I need to learn much more than I have now." Gloria's gaze flicked for a moment, and her tired eyes landed on Raph once again, her smile deepening.

"Well, I've always wanted one of us to check out the catacombs, but sadly, now is not the time for that. Though, there was a text that Father had refrained from showing even me. A text used by the First Patriarch, Mario Jun, a power that allowed him to truly transcend human limits in becoming the first 15th Star."

Raph's gaze widened once again. News after news left him lost for words. The legendary 15th star was heard of only by mouth, and even in his past life, it was hard to believe. But if that was true, then maybe... even he?

"Father couldn't comprehend it fully, and I've attempted comprehending it after going through some of his stuff..." She looked away guiltily after saying that. Well, it was expected. Who would go through their dead or missing father's things, after what? A week? Raph chuckled at her reaction.

"But, you must become a tenth star before you even get a glimpse of it." She said sternly, turning towards him, her gaze locked with his, and her smile widening. "Get to the Academy, and become a fine Swordsman. Then I shall think of letting you in on it."

A swell of hope built within him. If there was truly a way of attaining the power he so much sought, then he would grasp it with welcome hands. With a smile and new profound determination, he said,

"Well then, all roads lead to The Academy."

END OF VOLUME 1 - THE JUN.