Bloody Evolution Chapter 4 Alt POV (Patreon)

Artoria Arc sat on her couch staring blankly at the official notice addressed to her.

The day had started so terribly as well. Her coffee mug's handle snapped when she went to take a drink coating her lap in hot coffee that only her aura protected her from. She stubbed her toe when she went into the kitchen to get a rag to clean up the coffee sticking to her.

Even worse, on the way back to the living room after getting changed she stepped on a fucking lego block somehow... All her children were adults and even if they just moved into this townhouse, none of her daughters and her sole son didn't even play with legos!

But she should have taken it as a sign.

As by noon, a series of knocks on the door lead to her receiving the imperial document signed by one of the workers of the royal family.

[It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that we must inform you of the tragic loss of your son, Jaune Arc. Jaune was killed in the line of duty on [date], while bravely serving our kingdom of Vale.

Jaune exemplified the highest standards of bravery and dedication. His commitment to his duty, his comrades, and his unwavering sense of justice were deeply admired by all who had the honor of knowing and working alongside him. He faced danger with courage and selflessness, embodying the true spirit of a hero. With his form not leaving his position and dying with honor.

Please accept my deepest condolences on behalf of the entire Royal Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this incredibly difficult time. We understand that no words can ease the pain of such a profound loss, 
Enclosed within the envelope is a voucher which can be turned in to your landlord for your year's lease to be paid out.

Once again, please accept our heartfelt sympathies. Jaune Arc's valor and dedication will be remembered with the highest regard for his sacrifice.]

Tears fell down onto the thick paper that was stamped with the royal isignia and Artoria wetly whispered. "They didn't even fill out the date of my baby boy's death..." 

-

Hours later her younger daughters who were on break from Beacon came back from their shopping trip and the three looked at their stun-locked mother and Jeanne asked. "Mom what's up? Are we getting kicked out or something?"

Silently Artoria put the paper down on the table and said with a hiccup in her throat but she had cried out all her tears at this point. "Jaune died. He died on the wall." 

There was a moment of silence before Jeanne silently came around, and read the letter while the other two, Nero and Okita did the same before all three all but collapsed onto their mother in a large pile on the couch as they just held one another.

As Jaune was their last major hope for owning property here in Vale. Sure out of the seven sisters, all but six of them in Nero, Mordred, Okita, Jeanne, Jean and Morgan were huntresses or wizards in training. But becoming nobility as a hunter took more time.

Time that the Arc family didn't have any more with the fall of their previous town and having to move to Vale without much resources. Sure they had enough money to keep afloat and even somewhat prosper with how everyone pitched in.

But the landlord... He wanted more, he wanted the 'perks' of such a fertile woman being added to his noble bloodline and it was only Morgan's status as a respected Disciple of The Goodwitch, that kept the low-ranking noble from... Pressing on their situation.

But now? A woman with seven children all busy working to become a wizard or a huntress? The very courts would rule that such a woman for the very future of vale was obligated to continue to spread her bloodline with how heroic her children were.

To say nothing of how the courts would as a matter of fact of course rule in the favor of the nobility in which the judge wouldn't want to put one of his peers away in jail.

Soon afterwards Okita being the more stoic of the sisters here got herself together and then did what needed to be done and sent a picture of the notice into the family group chat with everyone except Morgan saying they were going to rush back. 

Morgan on the other hand was outside of Vale's walls and didn't get the message as she was busy with the S-Rank Sorceress Glynda Goodwitch helping her clear Grimm and create a fortified zone that would allow Kafka the Jorogumo to make some poisoned lines to contain the grimm for material gathering.

-

Later that day with all six sisters 'minus Morgan' in Nero, Mordred, Okita, Jeanne, Jean, and Saphron who was carrying her adopted son beside her girlfriend Terra who was sitting next to her. They decided to have a family meeting.

"Alright... Five of you are in Beacon, with Morgan being one of Goodwitch's apprentices. With Saphron and Terra making the majority of the household funds." Artoria spoke as she collected all the information.

Mordred even though clearly emotionally exhausted after hearing of her brother's death, she still spoke clearly. "We just need to reach the Grand Knight stage to own property... But we need a Barony's influence to keep that fucking sleazeball off us." 

For all that the Huntresses in training could probably fairly easily kill that fat fuck who was trying to pin something on them to get them as indentured servants he could abuse. They knew that killing a member of the nobility was a fucking terrible idea.

As here in Vale? The dead did not keep secrets with the Royal Necromancers who kept the city safe by using the hero's who died to keep protecting the city with the same powers they held at their prime points.

For those with great power... They had the responsibility to keep back the darkness eternally, whether it be in life or in death, they would keep the torch of humanity going.

"So that leaves us with three options currently," Saphron spoke softly as she looked at Terra who grimaced as she knew what was coming.

"The first option, is someone discovering they are a genius in a field of magic 'seeing as we all already found our semblances that won't work', and that person becoming another high-ranking apprentice in the family. The second option is one of us marrying into nobility to keep the family safe from nobles while the rest of us work our way up the ranks as a huntress or Morgan finishes her apprenticeship."

Letting Saphron take a breath, Jeanne asked quietly. "And what's the third option?" 

Saphron grimaced but said. "Mom, and me could become an indentured servant to one of your classmates, a new student, or someone to that effect... If someone has a claim to mother, the bastard can't do anything."

Leaving the Arc family of eight women pondering of their future. As Beacon was starting in the next two days, all new things could change and come about as that happened.