Misunderstood Hero: My Family Are All Villains

For now, Malik wasn’t planning on adding anyone to the registry... unless something major happened, of course.

Something that, at this point, was sure to happen in some shape or form sooner rather than later.

"Tell me how your Empire fared while I was gone."

Malik changed the subject.

"I can do that!"

Huda was more than willing to do the same.

She straightened in her chair, wiped her face one more time, and took a breath.

"Listen, listen. Weird as she is, the Empress stuck to her word."

Staying quiet, Scheherazade picked up her teacup and sipped, her eyes watching Huda over the rim.

"Thanks to our protection, they haven’t had much fighting here. Except for a few small internal wars and the occasional faction coalition."

She gestured around the cafe.

"So naturally they’d be able to develop outside of the needs of war. This cafe, for example, is a result of that. Those benefits trickled down to us. We are sent supplies in all forms—especially food."

She pointed at Malik’s face.

"I’m sure you’ve noticed, but our people have grown less gaunt. Most rivers had dried up, and more glass hills began to form. But the food from the West kept us alive."

Scheherazade set down her teacup and smiled at Malik.

"I’ve heard from a few crows that a new river sprang up recently."

Her almond eyes gleamed.

"I believe it was on the same day as your return."

She tilted her head.

"Did you have a hand in that, I wonder?"

Malik, in fact, did.

His fall into Devil’s Maw had turned sand into water, carving a new river through the dead lands. Now he only needed to turn that water into... hm.

Anyhow, he wasn’t about to answer her teasing question, so once more, he moved on:

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

Both women turned serious, surprisingly so.

They looked at each other, then back at him.

"Khaybar."

That name was said in unison, prompting Malik to raise a brow.

"Khaybar?"

"Yes, a fortress taken over by invaders in the South."

Huda sighed, seemingly recalling a memory.

"We tried to take it back once but failed... we’ve been in a stalemate ever since. Taking it isn’t too much of an issue; we’re just too preoccupied with... well, with everything. We called it Khaybar to remind us of your memory. Of the day you carried the gates of evil and led the Twelvers’ Army to victory."

Taking a moment to process those words, Malik nodded.

Ding!

Only to inwardly pause...

—

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║TRAIT UNLOCKED!║

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[Lifter Of The Gate]

[Description: A title that celebrates the day the Sultan awed those evil.]

—

And then continue as if nothing had changed:

"Is that all?"

The two women did the same, nodding at him.

"If that’s the case, then I’d better leave. My people seem to think I’ve disappeared."

Malik pushed back his chair and stood up.

Scheherazade opened her mouth to ask him to stay longer, probably, to beg for another hour, another minute.

But, well, her logical mind knew better. She closed her mouth and smiled at him instead.

"Good luck, love."

A sad smile.

"Yeah, yeah... homewrecker."

Huda stood up from the table, presenting her hand to Malik.

"I can take you back, big brother."

Malik took her hand, then reached across the table and grabbed Isha, who was still stuffing her beak with the last cream puff.

The little owl squawked in protest, her wings flapping and her feet kicking.

"Wait! I wasn’t done!"

"You were done."

"I wasn’t!"

He tucked her under his arm and turned to Scheherazade, who was chuckling at the little one’s antics.

"I will see you later."

She raised her hand in a small wave.

"I love you~!"

Malik nodded at her.

...

Huda flew high above the clouds, her speed incredible. No wind screamed past Malik’s ears; his body was protected from the wind.

Isha had stopped struggling and now nestled under his arm, her feathers ruffled but her eyes bright.

Below them, the landscape blurred faster than he’d ever seen it. Green fields, brown mountains, the dark line of the border. The Twelve Moons hung overhead, their light washing over the world.

After a few minutes, they reached Markaz and then the Last City.

It sprawled beneath them, its walls dark against the night.

Lights flickered in the windows and streets, but most of the light came from one place, dominating everything else.

A crowd had gathered near the center of the city, thousands of people pressed together, their faces turned towards a wooden platform.

’Ah... right.’

The guillotining.

His people had gathered to witness the execution of the two traitors.

They had paraded Ghadar through the streets earlier, letting the citizens jeer and throw rotten vegetables at his cage, shaming him.

Now the final act was about to begin.

Malik pointed at that area.

"Drop me there."

Huda looked down at the crowd and sighed. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I don’t know how people enjoy watching this, but fine."

She descended in a wide spiral, avoiding the main streets, aiming for a shadowed alley near the back of the crowd.

Their feet touched the ground without a sound.

Malik’s hand left hers, while little Isha hopped out of his arms and onto Huda’s shoulder.

The owl raised her wings and cutely covered her eyes, making a show of not wanting to see whatever came next.

"I’ll take her home."

Huda stared at her brother for a while.

"D-D-Don’t... please don’t disappear again."

Malik nodded, his golden eyes not leaving her pink ones.

After a few more seconds, Huda launched back into the sky, Isha clinging to her shoulder, struggling to stay on.

Meanwhile, Malik turned towards the crowd.

The platform stood at the far end of the square, where two figures knelt on the wooden boards.

The former king of Aram and Ghadar.

A rat-like man and an idiotic coward who had claimed he could defeat the Sultan.

"Kill the traitors!"

"Don’t show them mercy!"

"They don’t deserve the Sultan!"

The crowd pressed forward towards them, hungry for their deaths, screaming in anger.

’Heh.’

What an end to his date, hm?