Re-Overlord: I Can Acquire Anything!-Chapter 90: Secrets: Heart to Heart

"How are you, Mom?" he asked gently, his voice low but warm.

Roxanne gave a soft smile. "You’re calling me ’Mom’ again... but I like that."

She held his gaze for a moment, then added, "You must have a lot of questions, don’t you?"

"Yes," he admitted, "but before that, please, have a seat and rest a little."

He also needed a moment to gather his thoughts, to prepare for everything he wanted to say.

"Hehe... You’ve grown so considerate," she chuckled lightly. "But I’m not some fragile woman, you know. I trained as a Lightning Mech rider from a very young age."

Even so, she accepted the offer and sat gracefully on the chair in front of him. Isadora climbed onto the soft bed nearby, kicking her feet and watching them both with wide, curious eyes.

After a moment of quiet, Igaris finally asked, sensing the time was right.

"Who is my father? The real him?"

Roxanne blinked, a bit puzzled by the question. "You’ve seen him, Igor. He lived with us for 10 years. And I told you about his true identity long ago. How could you forget? Or... could it be your amnesia still hasn’t fully healed?"

"Yes... something like that," Igaris replied, carefully choosing his words.

Roxanne looked at him more closely, clearly suspicious, but she decided not to press further. Instead, she answered softly:

"Your father’s name is Ebon Flameborne. He’s not human, nor a Summoner. He’s a powerful Spirit from the Spirit Realm itself."

The words struck Igaris like a bolt of lightning.

All this time, he had assumed his predecessor’s father was an ancient Summoner, maybe someone tied to forbidden arts or the old kingdoms. But a Spirit from the Spirit Realm? That was completely unexpected.

She continued in her soft but clear voice: "We fell in love at first sight. He was strong and handsome... but also lonely. I think he wanted to escape that emptiness, and with me, he found comfort. So, we married and lived in the Calamity House for years. Then, we had you and Isadora."

Isadora, who had been listening curiously, slowly lowered her gaze. The light in her eyes dimmed as she sensed the heaviness in her mother’s words.

"Everything was fine... until the accident," Roxanne went on, her tone growing distant. "His disguise as a human form began to weaken. And someone noticed. They saw it... Ebon had no reflection, no shadow. Traits only found in the High Spirits of the Spirit Realm."

She paused to steady her breath. Igaris didn’t interrupt, frozen in stunned silence.

"The Spirit Realm isn’t just home to beasts. There are humanoid spirits too, though incredibly rare. Almost no one can contract with them. When they realized what he was... they grew greedy. You see, Spirit Realm isn’t just a mystical place. It was treasure trove for endless spirit stone mines, rare ores, forgotten treasures."

She looked him in the eyes, her pain naked and raw.

"Your father wanted to leave Ashvale... but he didn’t. Because I, as a ordinary human wouldn’t have been able to survive there because of highly concentrated spirit energy. So, he stayed. He stayed... because he loved us."

"And that proved to be a fatal mistake."

Her fists clenched on her lap.

"When they secretly conducted aptitude test on you, they confirmed their suspicions that your blood held traces of Spirits. That’s when they stopped letting us leave. We became prisoners in all but name."

Igaris’s heart clenched.

"He could have escaped. He could have vanished without a trace. But instead... he let himself be captured. He made a deal. In exchange for your safety and Isadora’s, he gave them knowledge. The secrets he never wanted to share."

Her voice cracked. Her tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Yes, he betrayed his homeland... just to keep you two safe."

"But... they didn’t keep their end of the deal," Roxanne said, her voice laced with quiet fury. "Some of them plotted to kill you and Isadora. To them, you two were stains on their proud lineage. Unforgivable reminders of a bloodline they couldn’t control."

Igaris clenched his fists, and his jaw tighten with unknown fury.

"So, I made the decision to escape," she continued. "Your father was still imprisoned, tormented for more information. They drained him piece by piece, while I planned our escape. He doesn’t even know that his family has been marked as fugitives. But once he finds out..."

She trailed off, the weight of her words sinking in. "He’ll be furious.

But reaching him was an near impossible task.I’ve tried again and again to inform him... but I failed every time. My Lightning Mech, Dorothy, was badly damaged in my last attempt."

She looked up at Igaris then—her eyes tired, but full of hope.

"So now... you’re the only one I have left, Igor."

"Me?" Igaris echoed, stunned.

She nodded, brushing the last of her tears away with her sleeve.

"Yes, you. A Diviner I met in the Forsaken Land—an old one with eyes like glass—told me your fate burns brightest here. That this land would shape you. That you would rise above all others."

Her lips curled into a Proud smile.

"And you have, Igor. You have become really strong.

I never abandoned you, Igor. I’ve been watching you. From the moment you picked up your first weapon... to the day you led an army."

Igaris blinked. "You’ve been watching me? From where?"

"From above."

"...From above? You mean the satellite? That thing that kept trailing me like some creepy star?"

Roxanne nodded with a chuckle, a little sheepish.

"Yes."

Igaris cleared his throat. "Ahem. So... does that mean... you know everything? About what I can do?"

She tilted her head, an amused smile on her lips.

"Are you talking about your ability to tame anything?" Roxanne asked with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Or... your fallen angel girlfriend?"

Igaris froze for half a second before his expression twisted into a grimace. "That feels like a serious breach of privacy, Mom."

She simply laughed. "Mothers are entitled to a few violations now and then."

"Anyway," he scoffed, crossing his arms, "she’s not my girlfriend. She’s just... a subordinate. That’s all."

Roxanne raised an eyebrow and leaned back slightly, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "You can’t fool me, son. I know the look a man gives a woman when there’s love behind it."

"I don’t look at her like that," Igaris murmered.

"Mhm. Sure you don’t." She chuckled, clearly amused. "That’s why you were willing to fight off a whole horde alone when she got injured, right?"