Babel Novel
Love at the 1931
Shadows of the Past
The news of Summerton Corporation’s temporary closure and the hasty
departure of its leader from Onza had already reached Salem’s ears. Yet, he
still wasn’t sure who was behind the attempts to eradicate the Summerton
family.
“It must be Teddy Mole, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce!” Julian © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
exclaimed, “We’re married to the Quillen family, and they run the Nuthana
Chamber of Commerce. Teddy’s targeting them because he wants control of
Nuthana, and he’s going after everyone tied to the Quillens.”
Salem fixed Julian with an intense gaze. “Are you sure about this?”
With a casual shrug, Julian replied, “I’d say I’m about 80 to 90 percent sure. But I don’t have hard evidence. Believe it or not, that’s up to you.” He wasn’t
much of a businessman, so he spoke carefreely and didn’t feel the need to
speak with precision.
Oddly enough, Salem liked that about him. At least it meant he got to hear
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some unfiltered information.
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“You’re right.” He nodded grimly. “It’s likely Teddy Mole. That man has been
trying to wipe out our family for thirty years.”
“What?” Julian’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why? Do we have some old
grudge with him?”
Ashton, too, was taken aback. It suddenly made sense why Teddy had been
so relentless in his pursuit, chasing them even to the far reaches of Eldoria,
determined to hunt them down.
Salem’s voice took on a grave tone. “That man may be our enemy, but he’s d formidable one. His ambitions are boundless. Our family’s arms business has
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been a thorn in his side for years. So, he’s been looking to take us out for a
long time.”
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There was no point in holding back now, especially with Julian–he was, after
all, the heir to the Summerton family in Onza, so he had every right to know.
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Shadows of the Past
While processing this information, Jullan couldn’t help but ask,
“Great–Grandpa, I understand why you’ve asked for our financial support, but
why are we still stockpiling weapons when our family has retreated to the
mountains? Are you planning to take over the world?”
Before Salem could answer, his twenty–eighth wife chimed in with a soft
laugh, “Oh, the Great Master doesn’t want to take over the world; he just
wants to be a local emperor!”
However, she quickly stifled her laughter under her husband’s stern gaze.
“Forgive me, I misspoke!”
Salem took a few steps forward, his back to Julian, and spoke thoughtfully,
“The times have changed. Anyone dreaming of ruling it now is chasing a
fantasy. I saw that years ago. I didn’t want to be under anyone’s control, sol
moved our family from Zovince to these mountains, where we could live
freely.”
He paused, then sighed heavily. “But freedom requires strength: We’ve
trained fighters, but even that isn’t enough. We need modern weapons to
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defend ourselves, so we kept a branch of the Summerton family active in the
outside world. But who would have thought that each generation would grow
weaker? Our influence outside has dwindled, falling far short of what we’d
hoped for.”
Julian and his siblings knew this all too well. No one in the Summerton family
had ever had a knack for business, and the fact they’d survived for thirty
years was nothing short of miraculous.”
That was nothing but a distant dream.
Ashton, his curiosity piqued, asked before Roselynn could, “So, what exactly is
the grudge between our family and Teddy Mole?”
Salem’s eyes grew distant. “It’s a long and complicated story,” he began.
“Simply put, the power struggle in Zovince is brutal and intricate. The Big Four
are enemies and allies, depending on shared interests.”
His explanation was vague, but then, with a sudden shift in his demeanor, he
turned to face them. “The feud between the Tanner family and our
Shadows of the Past
Summerton family revolves around a priceless martial arts tome.”
“Is it the Lannister family’s tome?” Julian interjected quickly.
Salem’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How do you know?”
“On our way up, the Lannister family was already at the mountain, trying to
get it back.” Julian shrugged.
“Oh, really?” Salem was taken aback, unaware of this. He had gone to bed
early the previous night for health reasons, and no one had reported this to
him yet.
“They’ll never make it up here,” Salem said confidently, a glint of pride in his
voice. “No one who isn’t part of the Summerton family can reach this place.”
Just as the words left his mouth, a commotion erupted outside.
Gary burst in, panic etched across his face, dropping to his knees as he
reported breathlessly, “Great Master, something terrible has happened! Three
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Shadows of the Past
top fighters from the Lannister family are demanding their Dragon Tome
back. They’ve already broken through the seventh checkpoint!”
“What?”
Salem’s face tightened in shock, his pride visibly shaken. Tension crept into
his voice. “Are the senior fighters from the Lannister family here? How could
so many of our people fail to stop them?”
“No, it’s not that!” Gary replied anxiously, “They’re not the senior ones–just
three juniors. The leader, Gwain Lannister, is a prodigy who is truly one of a
kind. He looks to be under thirty, but his martial prowess is unbelievable. Last
night, none of our hundred men on the mountain could hold him back!”