Chapter Seventeen: Family Legacy

Ethan took a sip of the tea Marry had prepared for both of them. It was delicious. “I didn’t know this place had tea.” Ethan said taking another sip from his cup.

“It doesn’t.” Marry said. “I must gather the herbs myself from the living world, as long as I don’t take too much at a time no one notices at all.”

Ethan took another sip of his tea and waited for Marry to continue.

“Right, your family” Marry said. “Your family’s infamy has been around since long before I arrived here. I don’t know exactly how far back it goes or how it all started. The worst case I know of about one of your family members was in the 19 th century where a phantom by the name of Katherine Alaster went insane and mass slaughtered a group of phantoms outside the mansion.

Twenty-three phantoms were slaughtered by her hands that night before the reapers finally took care of her. No one knows why she went insane and killed them but the worst part about it is that those phantoms were never heard from again. No one knows how she did it but Katherine managed to kill phantoms bound to the mansion without the aid of a dark spirit. Rumor has it that given her powers to transform into beasts she may have always been able to destroy other phantoms.

Many other phantoms also went missing since Katherine’s time but there’s no evidence supporting she had anything to do with it.

The next person with the name Alaster came only eight years after Katherine’s time. He had been around for a while to but for more unknown reasons he too went insane. For six years straight he had been running around the world of the living killing people at random. Somehow he managed to stay at least one step ahead of the reapers until something called him back to the mansion, that’s where the caretaker killed him.

That basically covers all that I know about the more insane members of your family. And I’m afraid the others I know much less about.

There were seven other Phantoms who carried the last name Alaster here. The seven of them ruled the tournaments with an iron fist. They each single-handedly hunted down every competitor in the tournaments until only they were left standing. They never worked together in teams but always stayed out of one another’s way.

Suffice it to say the seven of them always scored in the top places on each tournament. And I’m not talking about just the grand tournament or the reapers tournament. Even in the masters and the god tournament they won on top each time.”

“I’m sorry, what is the god tournament?” Ethan asked.

Marry smirked a little and said, “The god tournament is a special tournament that is held once every new years day. In order to be eligible you must have ranked at least in the top one-hundred of both the reapers and the masters tournaments year round. If you fall out even once then you’re no longer eligible.

But there’s more to it than that, the god tournament gathers phantoms from all around the world. So your competing with the greatest, and to have a group of individuals always fighting alone who have never come in any place lower than 7th … well that’s on a whole other level, even if I had ten of me I wouldn’t be able to beat one of them.”

“Sorry to interrupt again, but what do you mean the god tournament gathers players from all around the world I thought that when everyone, well certain people die they come here?”

“Well that’s true but a lie at the same time.”

“Okay, which one is it? Either it’s true or false.”

Marry sighed then finished her cup of tea before continuing. “I don’t know what it is exactly that draws us here after we die but I do know that there is more than just one mansion on this planet. From where I have been personally there is one in China, Ireland, Africa, and Europe.

Each mansion I believe represents the culture and style of its area. For example in China the outside of the mansion looks more like a temple with dragon statues guarding it. The only real way to know that you’re going to enter a different mansion is from the outside appearance, that’s the only indication that you get if you’re at an area with another one of the mansions.”

Marry stopped to let Ethan take everything in. when he was ready he asked, “So then what happens if I’m over the pacific sea, will I see the mansion closest to whatever nation I’m by?”

“I don’t know, never tried it.”

“Alright then please continue your story.”

“Very well, as I was saying those seven ruled the tournaments with unnatural power. That is until one day twelve years ago they all just mysteriously disappeared.”

“Wait what do you mean just disappeared?”

“I mean from out of nowhere they vanished without a trace left of them behind. Even their entire individual rooms here on floor ninety-nine were once more available for purchase. Normally the only time a room is back up for sale without going further down the line is if the phantom either dies, or terminates their contract. But given their power and joy of the tournaments both those seem impossible.

Even stranger they disappeared the day before new years. They had all been seen prior to that as normal as ever, which makes it all the weirder.”

Ethan took several minutes to think about everything Marry had just told him. Then he said, “I, I don’t know what to say really. But I have the feeling you’re not entirely done yet are you?”

Marry shook her head.

“Alright, go on.”

“Well following their disappearance there was a massive power vacuum and the god tournament was thrown into utter chaos. Without them as the great equalizer top placement was free for the taking, and the tournament inside of it lasted months on end.

Finally after a long time the battle was nearing an end and I was by sheer luck alone one of the last ones standing. In fact I came in second that year, something I would never accomplish again. I don’t remember much about the person who beat me except his wolfish smile, and the fact he killed me before I could even blink; I don’t even know how he did it, it was so fast.

Anyways the balance soon returned to there being a select group of people who would rank in the top of the tournaments and things for the most part went back to normal.

And last but not least your father David Alaster. When he first showed up he was nothing special like every phantom, but soon enough he became the top player in every single tournament. And in a small amount of time he not only revived the Alaster power legacy but created himself into his own small legend.

I’m afraid that there isn’t anything else I can really tell you about your family other than all that. I hope it was of use to you.”

“Yep, now I know my family legacy is nothing but ghosts who are insane, insanely powerful; or probably both… thanks.”

The two then sat in long silence sipping tea for a while. Eventually Marry spoke up saying, “Well the new years festival is coming up real soon so that’s something to look forward to; especially if you haven’t seen it yet.”

“Yeah hopefully,” Ethan said a little dreary.

Ethan finished his tea then stood up and said, “Alright well thanks for all of the information Marry. And the tea as well, that was a nice treat.” Then he turned and started walking to the door. When he got to it Marry called out, “Ethan.”

He turned around to see what she had to say. Merry hesitated she wanted to tell him about the information she had regarding the circumstances around his and his fathers deaths being strange. But from the look on his face she gathered this wasn’t the best time.

“You and Picario can come visit anytime you like, and I can make you more tea. Or maybe if you wouldn’t mind, I could come visit you guys sometimes, it gets lonely here…”

Ethan smiled and said, “Of course. I will be seeing you around Marry. Goodbye.” Then Ethan opened the door and left.

* * * * *

There was no knocking or warning whatsoever as the door to the Network main office swung open. The man in the purple suit walked in casually as the door closed by itself without any visible force helping it. “Has Miss Cromwell come here regarding the information about my family yet?” The man in the purple suit asked.

“Yes sir she has.” Finn said.

“Good. And you made sure to only give her the amount of information I told you to give her nothing more and nothing less?”

“Of course Mr. Alaster.”

The man in the purple suit smiled his wolfish smile and said, “Please, call me Leo.”