Chapter 32: Are You Truly My Son? (2)

Besil's eyes narrowed. The business card signified that the bearer was a mage.

“You managed to master something difficult like magic, even in a place like Liqueur.”

Besil was calm, but he was slightly disappointed. If Keter possessed mana, then learning aura techniques was impossible. Mana and aura were like water and fire—incompatible forces that could not coexist. In other words, even if Besil wanted to teach Keter the Sefira family's aura cultivation techniques, he couldn’t learn it.

“If you don't know magic, you're missing out on half of what life has to offer. Magic is incredibly convenient.”

Keter wasn’t exaggerating. While aura might surpass mana in sheer power, magic had unparalleled utility in daily life beyond just attack and defense.

One prime example was long-distance communication. Normally, people had to travel or send messenger birds to communicate across distances. No matter the method, it was often hindered by environmental conditions. However, mages could, under the right circumstances, instantly communicate regardless of distance. And this was just one of many advantages magic provided.

Besil let out a bitter smile.

“You know as well as I do that magic is forbidden by law in our kingdom. I won't tell you not to use it, but be cautious in front of others.”

“Other high nobles seem to use magic just fine.”

“That's because their magic is more of a hobby. Yours, however, doesn't seem like that.”

“Well, I'll keep that in mind for now.”

“Good. And, you said you're a solver.”

“I can solve anything, as long as the price is right. I already handled two cases yesterday.”

“You received requests? From whom?”

“Anis was my first client, and the second was Taragon. Both were very satisfied.”

Besil was confused. He couldn’t believe Anis and Taragon hired Keter.

They wouldn't have made a request before meeting him, so it must have been afterward. But what could they have seen in Keter that made them request his help?

Besil knew his sons well, and they were not the type to seek help from someone like Keter. Then, Keter quickly cleared up the confusion.

“And now, I think I can take on a third request from you, Father.”

“I have nothing to ask of you.”

“You don't need to worry about that. I'll find something for you.”

“Hmm?”

Besil quickly understood.

He forced a request by saying he would help.

Now it all made sense. Besil finally understood what Keter meant by taking on requests.

Besil clasped his hands together, adjusting his posture, and said, “So, Keter, are you saying that you're here not as my son, but as a solver for the Sefira family?”

Keter shrugged and leaned back.

“Why can't I be both? The son of Sefira and the Solver of Liqueur—both are me.”

“Then let me ask the Solver from Liqueur: does the Sefira family seem so weak that it would need the help of just one person?”

It was well known among the nobility that the Sefira family was being ostracized. But commoners were unaware, and even if they knew, they wouldn’t care enough to spread rumors. At most, only the local citizens might be aware. Besil believed Keter didn't know about the family's crisis. His question was meant to put Keter in his place, suggesting that someone like him had no right to think he could help a master family.

However, Keter replied nonchalantly, “You're not weak, but you are in crisis, aren't you?”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of certainty, and the look in Besil’s eyes changed. Though it was true, the Sefira family hadn't shown signs of decline to the extent that an outsider would notice.

How could Keter, who only became part of the family yesterday, be so certain?

Besil almost asked, but then stopped himself.

I brought him here to question him, but I’m being swept into his flow.

It wasn’t just because Besil was unconsciously going easy on him because Keter was his son.

This kid has remarkable conversation skills. On top of that, he creates an oddly comfortable atmosphere and skillfully steers the conversation.

Besil realized that Keter had survived in Liqueur not simply because he was strong—Keter possessed his own toughness and Akrah’s embracing nature.

Besil's lips curled into a slight smile—a mix of sadness and pride.

He truly is my son.

Keter had survived and grown strong in the harshest of environments without anyone’s help. Even if there had been help, it was probably because of Keter's charm. While others might dismiss this as luck, Besil saw it differently. Luck, too, was a quality of the strong.

Though Keter’s character was far from what one might expect of a noble—perhaps very far—but what father wouldn't feel proud to see such an exceptional son?

“Oh, chocolate.”

As soon as Besil felt emotional, Keter quickly snatched up a piece of chocolate from the table and popped it into his mouth. Feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion, Besil followed, putting a piece of chocolate into his mouth. Without even having the time to enjoy the bittersweet flavor, Keter began speaking again.

“I’ve actually already completed one of your requests. It turns out Ultima was being backed by the nobles, so I gave him a little lesson.”

Munching on another piece of chocolate, Keter continued. Besil raised his eyebrows.

“I was already aware that Ultima is working for the nobles,” Besil replied.

“It’s pathetic; knowing they’re your enemy, but still keeping them close.”

“That's what politics is.”

“I’m not well-versed in politics, but I do know one thing. Politics and violence go hand in hand. And—”

Keter grabbed the entire box of chocolates and shoved the remaining pieces into his mouth.

“The biggest problem with the Seira family is that you don’t know how to use violence. But guess what? You’ve got a talented person right here.”

He pointed at himself with his thumb.

“I can be the crazy one in the family.”

Just hearing it caused Besil a headache. He realized that pressing further wouldn’t get them anywhere, so he decided to shift the topic.

“There are mountains of things I want to ask you, but for now, I’ll ask as the head of the Sefira family, not as your father.”

Even Besil had his limits when it came to indulging Keter. It didn’t seem like he needed to go on and on about why he sold the Sefira family's bow without permission and took a ten percent commission, or about how beating and driving away Ultima benefitted the Sefira family.

One question should suffice.

Besil rose from his seat and walked toward the window. The estate appeared peaceful. The weather was perfectly clear, as if no storm could possibly come. But Besil knew better. This was merely a prelude—the calm before the storm. Though he tried to convince himself and his family that things would turn out fine, the storm was inevitable. Right now, he was only delaying its arrival.

Then Keter appeared. Initially, Besil had brought him out of pity, as he would inevitably be caught up in the storm. But Keter had refused protection. He constantly sought to do things on his own. The question was: were Keter’s actions truly beneficial for the Sefira family?

I don't know.

Even being uncertain seemed like an overly generous assessment of Keter. Others probably viewed him as a god of disaster. However, through his conversations with Keter, Besil had realized something: Keter didn’t resent the Sefira family. While he didn’t seem to love it either, it was clear he was trying to do something for the family.

Besil did not underestimate Keter. The fact that he had defeated Anis in combat suggested he was at least at the level of a first-star knight. Additionally, his ability to subdue Amaranth indicated he had a strong mind as well.

There was only one thing that bothered Besil: whether Keter thought of him as his father or just one of many nobles.

Wanting to know that, Besil broke the long silence and asked, “Are you truly my son?”

* * *

This was Keter’s second encounter with Besil.

Man, it’s nice to see him again.

In Keter’s previous life, he had only seen Besil for barely a minute. Even then, all he heard was a single word telling him to leave. The Besil in front of Keter now looked tired but was still a strong man, both inside and out. However, he was being worn down, like a massive stone slowly eroded by a constant drip of water.

After exchanging a few words, it didn’t seem like Besil disliked Keter—at least, not yet.

“Are you truly my son?” asked Besil in a serious tone.

Keter had been prepared to answer this for a long time.

“Depends on how you act, Father.”

Besil turned from gazing out the window and stared at Keter quietly. Besil’s expression barely changed, but he seemed confused by Keter’s response.

Keter rubbed his thumb and index fingers together and said, “And give me a lot of pocket money, too.”

“I know you took twenty thousand gold as a commission for mediating the deal with Ultima. Do I need to say it out loud? That is Sefira’s rightful money.”

“That was just business. Money matters need to be even stricter among family to avoid hard feelings.”

”...And if I give you pocket money, you'll remain my son?”

“You also have to praise me often.”

“Praise...?”

“And most importantly, you have to trust me, no matter what.”

This was the most important part. No matter how much he intended to help the Sefira family grow, it only mattered if they accepted it.

Besil returned to his seat and straightened his collar.

“Right now, there is only one thing I can offer you.”

Keter knew that as well. It was probably something like pocket money.

However, Besil said something entirely different from what he expected.

“Sefira's finances are precarious. I can't just praise you for no reason, but I can trust you. That’s why...”

Besil pointed to Amaranth, the Demon Bow that was now a tattoo on Keter’s left arm.

“Amaranth... You must have heard about it from Volkanus, but that thing is a devil. It gives you power, but it demands a fitting price. The user inevitably suffers misfortune. That was true for me as well.”

His gaze shifted slightly. Following his eyes, Keter noticed a portrait hanging on the wall. It was of a beautiful woman, wearing a simple willow branch crown, smiling gently.

Looking at the portrait, he continued, ” That’s my wife. I killed her with that Amaranth on your arm.”

Besil still looked sad, as if his emotions hadn’t yet worn away. He placed his hand on Keter’s shoulder.

“I still believe that Amaranth is a dangerous weapon. But I trust you, and I'm leaving it to you.”

Keter looked into his father's eyes silently. It was because he didn’t understand. Trust needed evidence, just like how collateral was needed to borrow money—trust required something to back it up.

“On what grounds?” Keter asked Besil.

Just as he always answered quickly, Besil replied without hesitation, “Because we're family.”

”...”

Wow, that hit hard. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard something I can’t comprehend. Trusting someone just because they’re family? It’s careless and completely defenseless. Does he think I don’t know what family means?

There were many families even in Liqueur, but families there were different. Sure, they lived together, but one side always betrayed the other first when there was a crisis. Fathers sold their sons as soldiers, mothers sold their daughters into prostitution, and children stabbed their parents for their inheritance. That’s what family is in Liqueur—bound by blood, but in the end, the one who let their guard down first got devoured.

Besil trusting Keter essentially meant he was willing to let himself be devoured by Keter.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

There's no way that's true.

Kindness without reason didn’t exist. If there was, it would only be an emotional ploy to win someone over. That was what the Godfather of Liqueur does. If Keter hadn’t been burned once, he might’ve wavered.

Either way, for now—whether it was a lie or not—it didn’t hurt Keter if Besil claimed to trust him.

Besil went to his desk, grabbed a pile of documents, and skimmed through a few before handing Keter a bundle of three documents.

Survey of the Unidentified Dungeon in the Langnil Plains.

Assigned Knight: Wing

Mission Difficulty: C

Mountain Bandit Extermination in the Canton Ridge.

Assigned Knight: Kanto

Mission Difficulty: C

Search for Missing Personnel on Leave.

Assigned Knight: Katherine

Mission Difficulty: F

Besil gestured with his chin.

“I won’t restrict your actions, but if you truly want to support our family, take on these missions. Your siblings handle these as well, so it’s not unreasonable.”

Now, this makes sense. Easy to understand, isn’t it? If you want to live as part of a noble family, earn your keep. How straightforward.

Keter quickly skimmed through the missions, and none of them seemed particularly interesting or exciting. However, there was one that caught his eye.

Search for Missing Personnel on Leave.

Assigned Knight: Katherine

Mission Difficulty: F

It was the third mission, the one with the lowest difficulty rating. The task was to locate and bring back a knight who had gone missing during their return from leave after communication was lost near a local village. The mission details were mundane, but what intrigued Keter was that the knight assigned to it was Katherine.

In my previous life, Katherine died during a mission.

And now, in front of him was a mission with Katherine’s name on it. It was obvious what this meant. It looked like a simple task, but underneath lies a web of schemes; there was a plot to kill knights of the Sefira family.

Though it was marked as the lowest difficulty rating, implying it was easy, it was actually incredibly dangerous.

People said to avoid danger, that it was best to stay safe, but Keter disagreed.

Danger is fun. And fun things make money.

While Keter was curious about the identity of those who killed Katherine, that wasn’t the only reason he was interested in this mission. Keter thrived on danger, and that’s how he grew in Liqueur.

Besil probably hoped Keter would pick one of the harder missions. He didn’t know the full story, so he would likely be disappointed when Keter picked the easiest mission...

So what? That’s none of my business.