Chapter 5
As Caron walked to the office with his father, Fayle started the conversation by saying, "First, you must apologize to your grandfather. It’s the right thing to do."
"But I was just doing what needed to be done."
"You caused a commotion the moment you arrived at the main residence. Regardless of the circumstances, it's proper to apologize for the disturbance."
"If you say so."
The Duke’s office was located in the Azureocean Castle. Some referred to this place as the tiger's den. It was where the great hero who had ended the empire's dark age conducted his work. Anyone summoned here by the Duke felt immense pressure.
Feigning calm, Fayle knocked on the office door. "Father, it’s Fayle. I've brought Caron as you requested."
A deep voice rumbled from inside, saying, "Come in."
Caron entered the office holding his father's hand.
The big office was surprisingly modest for one belonging to a great hero and had a simple color scheme. Apart from the blue armor and sword hanging on the wall, there was nothing particularly remarkable.
An old man sat in one corner of the office. His long white hair and beard were striking. His shirt sleeves were rolled up just enough to show his forearms as he looked at the visitors. Despite his age, the man’s robust physique and vibrant eyes made it hard to believe he was elderly. These details about him hinted that he was an important figure of his era.
This was Halo Leston, seventy-four years old, the greatest hero of the Ducal Family of Leston, and the head of the household.
To Caron, however, he was simply an old man trying to look high and mighty in front of his grandson.
As he got older, he just got better at putting on airs.
"Father," Fayle said.
"It’s been a while," Halo replied.
"I’m relieved to see you’ve returned safely from the North Sea. Did you achieve what you set out for?"
"Unfortunately, I did not. But it wasn’t a complete waste of time. There were some positive results."
"Oh, I see."
Halo nodded in response and slowly turned his gaze to his grandson, Caron.
This was the first time he had seen his grandson since holding him as a baby. He remembered his grandson's fierce gaze even as a newborn. He had thought back then that this child could become something special when he grew up. Preoccupied with matters in the North Sea, he hadn’t realized how much his grandson had grown.
"So, you’re Caron," Halo said, rising slowly and approaching his grandson.
He had already been briefed on Caron’s activities, including his grandson’s Azure Mana that was already awakened, and his recent exploits at the mansion. For a ten-year-old, Caron's actions were quite significant.
Caron bowed to Halo as he approached him. "Good to see you again, Grandfather."
"Have you met me before?"
"Father always tells me that you held me when I was born. So, wouldn’t this be the second time?"
"If you put it that way, I suppose so," Halo agreed.
He examined his bold grandson. Just as reported, Caron emanated Azure Mana. But more surprising than the mana was Caron’s demeanor.
‘Normally, a child would be cowed after causing trouble.’
But Caron wasn’t cowed at all. He was smiling brightly, almost as if he were observing his grandfather who had been absent in his life for a long time.
"Alright, Caron, we have some other things to talk about, don’t we? First, I called you here to reprimand you. Do you know what you did wrong?"
"Father, this is…" Fayle began to intercede, but Halo raised a hand to stop him.
"I’ve heard your son is incredibly clever and smart for his age. This isn’t your place to speak."
"Father."
"Caron, I asked you a question, so you answer it."
Halo was curious about his peculiar grandson's reaction, so he intentionally pressured Caron, letting out a bit of his mana..
"I’m sorry, Grandfather," Caron answered, meeting Halo’s gaze. One thing was clear to him, however.
He finds this amusing, doesn’t he?
It didn’t seem as if he had become an outcast. Judging by Halo’s subtle smile, he seemed to find the situation rather interesting. Halo usually lifted the right corner of his lips when he encountered something intriguing. This was exactly one of those times.
It's been a while, Caron thought; he decided to play along. It was their first proper conversation since his reincarnation.
"What did you do wrong?" Halo asked.
"Hiding the fact that I awakened my Azure Mana," Caron answered.
"When did you awaken it?"
"Three years ago, I woke up one morning and felt it. At first, I didn’t know it was Azure Mana, but I figured out what it was while reading books. I didn’t hide it for any grand reason. I just wanted to keep it a secret."
Feigning a stern expression, Halo continued, "Azure Mana isn’t something that can be easily hidden. How did you hide it from the knights at your mansion?"
"I mostly played with it when I was alone... No one even noticed! It’s strange when you think about it. Many knights at the main residence sensed it, but the knights at our mansion didn’t. Why do you think that is?"
Caron pretended not to know, although he already had the answer.
Why hadn’t the knights at his mansion noticed? It was obvious and simple. The knights assigned to Fayle’s mansion were of lower skill because they were considered a mere branch family, even though Fayle was a direct descendant.
Although Caron spoke with an innocent tone, Halo understood the underlying message.
Look at this child.
Halo narrowed his eyes as he gazed down at his grandson.
Caron’s words implied that the main family was also responsible, but he had said them with an innocent tone as if he knew nothing.
"I’ll deal with the knights separately. But surely you had a reason for wanting to keep it a secret," Halo continued.
"Hmm... If I tell you, it won't be a secret anymore, Grandfather."
"I am the head of the family. Will you really keep it a secret from me too?"
This grandson of his showed no fear. Any other child his age would have already been crying and begging for forgiveness, but Caron was peculiarly fearless.
"It’s fun to have secrets," Caron said with a bright smile.
"Is that all?" Halo asked.
"Hehe, yes!" Caron grinned innocently at Halo.
What would you do if I just said it was a secret? Torture me?’
In moments like these, it was best to take advantage of the fact that he was a child. Indeed, his judgment was spot on.
"Hah," Halo chuckled incredulously, looking down at his audacious grandson.
Clearly, Caron understood the situation. Just moments ago, he had been slyly pointing out the main family’s wrongdoing, and now he shamelessly wore the mask of a child. The term "cunning" couldn't fit him better.
As head of the family, Halo could have punished him right away, but he decided to observe what Caron would do next. His youngest grandson’s responses were refreshing, so he was genuinely curious about how far Caron would go. So, he moved on to the next question.
"Why did you beat your older cousin until he lost consciousness?"
The cousin Caron had beaten up was also older than him. It had initially seemed strange that a child with no martial arts training could take down someone older, but it made sense when Halo looked at Caron right now.
Surely, this cunning little child had to have secretly trained in martial arts, so Halo needed to give him a stern lesson. Disrupting the hierarchy of the family was something that could never be tolerated.
"Leo called my father a money maniac and said he had no sense of chivalry. He also said my father would never be your heir, so he should stop acting high and mighty. I couldn’t stand it," answered Caron.
Caron mixed eighty percent truth with twenty percent exaggeration.
As if he had been waiting for it, Halo said, "Fayle."
"Yes, Father."
"Go downstairs and bring Leo here right now. We need to hear his side of the story."
If his grandson was lying, Halo planned to punish him severely.
What an interesting boy.
Even though they hadn't known each other for long, he already had a feeling that this child was going to shake up the entire ducal family. There was no doubt about it.
***
Leo had regained consciousness thanks to the emergency treatment by the priest and doctor. Although his face was covered in bandages, he was still able to speak.
"Leo, is that really what you said to Caron?" Halo asked.
"Y-Yes, Grandfather. I-I said that," Leo answered worriedly.
"Caron’s father is a money maniac, he doesn’t know chivalry, and he’s never going to be my heir so he should stop acting high and mighty. Are you telling me you actually said all that?" Halo asked once again.
Leo was about to say that the last part was a lie, but he met Caron's bright, smiling eyes. The memory of what happened earlier came rushing back, and Leo quickly nodded.
"Yes… I said all of it," he said.
Leo knew he would be severely punished by his grandfather and father, but it was still better than incurring the wrath of that crazy bastard. Recalling Caron’s crazed eyes as he rained punches down on him, Leo shuddered. It seemed better to be punished by adults than to face that madness again.
Halo looked at Leo disapprovingly.
Ugh... It’s hopeless. He fears that child more than me.
Leo, who usually stuttered and fidgeted in front of Halo, was now nervously glancing at his younger cousin too. Instilling such fear in such a short time wasn’t easy, but Halo’s youngest grandson had done it effortlessly.
There’s nothing more I can do about it.
Regardless of the truth, Leo had confessed. There was no good reason to coerce Leo into telling the truth, nor would it uphold the dignity befitting the head of the family.
Waving his hand dismissively, Halo said, "Your reckless words created this situation, so the greatest fault lies with you."
"Yes… Grandfather…" Leo answered weakly.
"Kneel and beg your uncle for forgiveness."
Following his grandfather’s order, Leo kneeled and faced Fayle before saying, "Uncle, I am truly sorry. I-I said things too disrespectful to even repeat."
"It’s not entirely your fault. It must mean your father thinks of me that way too. Haha… What good would it do for me to hold you accountable? You’re not well, so focus on getting better first," Fayle responded gently.
Halo frowned at his son’s leniency and asked, "Is that how you intend to handle this?"
"What can I gain from punishing my young nephew? A child’s mistake is the parent’s fault."
"It sounds as if you’re talking about me."
"If that’s how it came across, I apologize."
Halo sighed and waved Leo away. "Get out. I don’t want to see you right now. I’ll summon you and your father later to discuss your punishment."
Leo hurriedly left the office, leaving the three of them alone.
Halo looked at Caron disapprovingly and said, "Even if he deserved it, it was excessive to beat your cousin to such an extent. You could have resolved it differently."
"If you’re saying I went too far… I’m sorry, Grandfather."
"The one who provoked the conflict must be punished first. Your punishment will come later."
Caron bowed and said, "Thank you, Grandfather."
"I’m not saying I’m letting you off. I’m just postponing it."
"Thank you, anyway."
Halo looked at his smiling grandson and clicked his tongue in frustration.
How did a kind man and woman like Fayle and Sara have a son like Caron? Sara’s family had a long history of being esteemed public officials, known for their integrity. Halo himself had pursued the marriage because of their reputation.
As Halo pondered those thoughts while staring at Caron, Fayle spoke up with a smile. "I never quite knew who my son resembled until now."
"It’s neither you nor your wife. So who does your son take after?" Halo asked.
"He seems to resemble you when you were a child, Father. Grandmother used to tell me stories about your younger days. Haha… If Mister Cain were here, he’d probably say the same."
"Ridiculous," Halo muttered, but the comment wasn’t entirely unpleasant. The idea that this cunning and inscrutable grandson resembled him wasn’t too bad. He shook his head and looked at Caron again.
The boy showed potential; Halo could tell that his body was brimming with pure Azure Mana. The mana was already in harmony with Caron even though he hadn’t learned how to embrace it. Truly, he had a body blessed by mana. It was hard to believe that a mere ten-year-old was this clever and had such great courage. Halo didn’t doubt that Caron would pass the Awakening Ceremony.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Halo asked.
"What do I want to be? Why are you asking?" Caron replied, confused.
"Can’t a grandfather ask his grandson what he wants to be?"
"Hmm… Just a moment. What I want to be…" Caron put on a cute expression befitting his age as he began to ponder. However, after a brief moment of contemplation, he smiled brightly and asked, "Can I tell you after the Awakening Ceremony?"
"Why wait?"
"Because only after passing the Awakening Ceremony will I truly be a part of this family, so I’ll tell you then."
"Are you saying you’re not part of the family?"
Caron nodded. "That’s how I see it. For me, my only family here is my father and mother."
Listening to his young grandson, Halo felt a pang of guilt because this was the consequence of his own actions. He had orchestrated the rivalry between his first and second sons so one of them could become a strong successor, and he had quietly watched the third son be pushed out of the main residence.
Indeed, the boy was right. These people were practically strangers to him, so it was no surprise that he felt disconnected from the family.
Halo nodded with a bittersweet smile. "After the Awakening Ceremony, I’ll hear about what you want to be in the future, and then I’ll decide your punishment. You and your father may leave now."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Caron took his father’s hand and was just about to head out when Halo spoke softly. "It’s been a while since I met my youngest grandson, so I’ll think of everything as just his antics for now."
He knew his clever grandson would understand the meaning behind his words instantly.
"But Caron, remember, this is the Azureocean Castle. The favor extended to a grandson by his grandfather ends here," Halo reminded Caron.
As if to meet his grandfather's expectations, Caron respectfully bowed toward Halo and replied, "I’ll keep that in mind. Please rest well, Grandfather."
With those words, Caron and Fayle left the room. Halo silently stared at the door they had exited for a long time.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door and called out, "It’s Heinrich."
"Come in."
The old butler entered and immediately assessed his master’s mood. With a gentle smile, he said, "It seems your youngest grandson has made quite an impression on you."
"He’s an intriguing one. Do you think so too?"
"How could I presume to evaluate the young master?"
"At the age of ten, he should be whining to his parents… Heinrich, send the priest and doctor to Caron once Leo’s treatment is finished," Halo said, tapping on his desk.
"If I may, why am I sending them to him?"
"Being too mature isn’t good for a child. That child lacks the innocence of his age. I’m worried he might be carrying emotional scars."
Heinrich realized that his master had taken a liking to the young master.
"I’ll make the arrangements."
"Tell Fayle it’s just a check-up after the fight."
"Of course."
As Heinrich suspected, Halo was left deeply impressed by Caron from their first meeting, as the child was quite peculiar. The way Caron boldly spoke his mind in front of him despite his young age was something Halo found quite appealing.
His only regret was not paying attention to the child sooner. Despite that regret, there was undeniable anticipation.
Would Caron be a brief spark or a shining gem? Only time would tell.
"Let’s see what happens."
The upcoming Awakening Ceremony could just turn the household upside down. Halo smiled slightly as he thought about it. He didn't think the prospect was all that bad.
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