Chapter 301

Chapter 301

Hearing Leodis’s pointed remark, Evelyn bit her lower lip anxiously.

Bringing him home.

The phrasing itself wasn’t bizarre, but the way Leodis’s gaze lingered on both her and the slumbering Aster made it deeply unsettling given the current circumstances.

Meanwhile, the dialogue between Leodis and Damian forged ahead.

“Home? But I still want to play.”

“We can play as much as you’d like, and then we will take him back with us.”

“But eventually we’ll just go back after playing, right?”

“Hmm… It’s slightly different from that.”

“In what way?”

Leodis looked upward as if contemplating his response. Even with his cold, detached nature, he couldn’t bring himself to utter something brutal right in front of his own child. This was the final boundary remaining within Leodis’s conscience—a limit he refused to violate, even as the person he was.

Consequently, a heavy silence stretched on for a good while, though fortunately, Leodis managed to come up with a suitable reply without much trouble.

“We will keep him at our place permanently. Oh, do you recall? That canary we raised when you were little.”

“Bluey?”

“Yes. Bluey. We shall keep him at home just like Bluey.”

Only then did a realization hit Damian, prompting an “Ah” of understanding. Soon after, however, he tilted his head to the side.

“But Bluey escaped from the house.”

“Correct. That is true. But how do you think he managed to get out?”

“To be honest, I let him go.”

“You set him free? Whatever for?”

Faced with Leodis’s inquiry, Damian answered as though it were the most natural thing imaginable.

“He wanted to leave, so I let him. It feels miserable to keep someone locked in a cage.”

“Ah, he must have been quite joyful then.”

“No. Ransi mentioned seeing a stray cat eat Bluey. I really wish I hadn’t let him go.”

“That is truly unfortunate.”

He claimed it was unfortunate, yet his tone was completely hollow. In truth, Leodis felt absolutely nothing regarding Bluey’s grim end. After all, the entities capable of eliciting his emotions were incredibly scarce.

Regardless.

“Just think of it the same way as Bluey. We will keep Aster at home just like him. That way, no stray cat can snatch him away.”

Once more, Damian tilted his head, unable to comprehend the logic.

“But Aster isn’t Bluey, is he? A stray cat won’t carry him off.”

“Hmm… Is it the upbringing at home that is lacking? Or perhaps the academy? Son, that is what we call a metaphor.”

Even at that moment, Leodis didn’t perceive any flaw in his child’s comprehension level, and upon hearing the question, Damian offered a bright beam.

“I know. I was just saying it.”

“If you weren’t my own flesh and blood, I would have given you a solid smack on the head.”

“Violence is bad.”

“You have been taught well.”

In a rare occurrence, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Leodis’s mouth. He genuinely took pleasure in bantering with his son. Just as Leodis was savoring this sentiment he hadn’t experienced in such a long time, Damian spoke up with an inquiry.

“But are there actually stray cats out there?”

In other words, were there people out there actively tormenting Aster?

“Yes, there are.”

“Then can’t you just give them a good beating, Dad?”

“Not at this current moment. Perhaps when you are older, Damian.”

“Why is that?”

“Because your father only becomes powerful once you’ve grown up.”

“Ah.”

Damian nodded along as if he grasped the meaning. In reality, it was merely a motion he made when he had no clue what was being discussed and possessed zero interest in it.

“Well, son. Shall we take Aster along to our home? What do you think?”

“Hmm…”

Damian pondered. Truthfully, his mind was already halfway made up. If malicious cats were attempting to bully his companion, wouldn’t keeping him at home be the superior option? It seemed far better than allowing him to suffer a tragic end like Bluey.

Yet, a single question remained.

“But friends aren’t birds, are they?”

“Eh?”

“Are you going to put him inside a cage?”

“Ah, about that.”

Faced with Damian’s sharp question, Leodis paused for a brief moment to organize his thoughts. How exactly should he clarify this to his son? The hesitation was fleeting. Leodis resolved to state reality as it was… though naturally softening his delivery a bit.

“It is safe at home, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And Aster might try to run away.”

“Yes.”

“Therefore, we will gently persuade him that he cannot utilize magic. And just to be absolutely certain, we will also cover his eyes.”

“Why his eyes?”

“If you couldn’t see anything, would you be able to move around, son?”

“It would be quite difficult.”

“Yes, that is precisely the reason.”

“Ah.”

“So, what do you wish to do?”

Hearing Leodis’s question, Damian grinned widely. It was actually a response that required very little deliberation.

“No.”

“…Excuse me?”

Leodis tilted his head in confusion.

No? Not “I don’t want to,” but simply “no”?

“May I ask why?”

It was rare for Leodis to inquire with genuine inquisitiveness, and the truth was he truly could not fathom Damian’s reply. Did “no” imply it was unfeasible regardless of Damian’s wishes, or that he wouldn’t permit it? But for what reason?

“Dad.”

Instead of providing an explanation, Damian called out to Leodis. Leodis answered the call with a subtle smile. It was always a summons that brought him joy. “Dad.” Right now, it was one of the precious few words that served as a reminder that he still possessed human emotions.

Thus, Leodis replied gladly. However, Damian’s voice echoed in his ear, sounding somewhat sharp.

“I am not foolish.”

“…What?”

Leodis failed to grasp Damian’s underlying meaning. No, he understood the literal words but not the rationale behind them. Had he implied that he was looking down on his son? No… But far more baffling than the question itself was Damian’s expression. He was smiling innocently, yet it wasn’t a true smile.

Leodis, who normally struggled to connect with the feelings of others, could always read Damian’s perfectly. And the sentiment he detected from Damian at this moment was…

“Are you upset, son?”

“A little bit.”

“Why exactly is my son upset?”

“Dad, you are bullying my friends.”

“As I stated earlier, your father hasn’t done a single thing.”

This statement was entirely truthful. If it became necessary, he stood prepared to cross that “boundary,” even if it meant incurring his son’s hatred, but up until now, he had taken no action.

Yet Damian shook his head sideways as if that weren’t the case at all.

“Evelyn was terrified.”

“Hmm… I suppose it does appear that way.”

“Chenbi is starting to get frightened too.”

“My son has incredibly sharp vision.”

“And…”

Damian’s gaze shifted down toward Aster.

“Why is my friend asleep?”

“Hmm.”

“Did you hit him, Dad?”

Leodis hesitated for a brief span. Because labeling it as “hitting” didn’t entirely fit the description; he hadn’t struck him physically. …Only via magic. So, in that scenario, counted as a strike or…?

Damian’s voice rang out clearly in Leodis’s ear.

“Dad, stop bothering my friends.”

“Hmm.”

“Don’t take my friend home either. He isn’t Bluey. Even if there are bad cats out there, you can’t just take him away if he doesn’t want to come to our place.”

In the face of those resolute words, Leodis’s expression darkened. Had Damian ever voiced his desires with such intense vehemence before? No, beyond that… Had he ever spoken while considering anyone other than himself?

…No.

He could declare with absolute certainty that he had not. In a way, this was the fault of Leodis himself. From the moment Damian entered the world, Leodis had already been utilizing the term “Ignoramus,” and by the time Damian was capable of speech, those sentiments had largely dissolved. It hadn’t been quite as severe back then as it was now, but children mature by mirroring their guardians. Consequently, Damian’s emotional growth had developed differently compared to other youths.

Nevertheless, here was Damian showing consideration for others.

“…Very well.”

He meant it sincerely. But.

“I do not like this.”

“Because your father is bothering your companions?”

Damian nodded in affirmation.

“Then, if your father ceases to bother your companions, will it be alright?”

“Yes.”

“…I see.”

Leodis experienced a pang of letdown encountering his son’s gaze, but also a peculiar sense of admiration. He hadn’t even paid proper attention, so when exactly had the boy matured so much?

Yet. That was all it was. Leodis was entirely certain.

“Your companions are… truly precious to you, aren’t they?”

A pleasant smile emerged.

It was precisely at that juncture that Damian rose from his spot and took a stride forward. Leaving Chenbi and Evelyn behind him, Damian pouted with an irritated expression, narrowed his eyes, and spoke.

“No.”

“Haha, that’s my boy.”

“I said no.”

Fsssh… Fssssh-

A subtle aura settled around Damian. Mana surged forth from his core, manipulating the ambient energy of the surroundings. Concurrently, a breeze emanated directly from him.

Whoosh!

The campfire flickered dangerously against the sudden gust.

Roar!

From the darkness stretching beyond, the sound of receding waves echoed faintly. Then once more… splash.

Leodis calmly observed Evelyn and Chenbi before redirecting his attention toward Aster, who remained asleep.

“This is a bit different from what I envisioned, but it doesn’t matter. Son, can your father ask you one thing?”

Damian offered no reply. Instead, countless shards of ice materialized in the air surrounding him. It was a rather intimidating display, yet Leodis questioned him with complete indifference.

“If your father takes action, are you capable of stopping him, son?”

Damian didn’t answer. Because… he couldn’t.

But.

“I am incredibly terrifying when I get angry.”

Yes, he was undoubtedly frightening. The ice shards solidified all around. Leodis released his own mana in response, disrupting Damian’s spellcasting, and Damian perceived the subtle flow, instantly executing a counter-maneuver. An invisible yet fierce duel of techniques was already underway, causing the grin on Leodis’s lips to widen because of it.

Damian, who had once been completely dominated, was now shaking off his interference past a certain point. If he increased the pressure in response…

Crack, snap-!

Damian dismantled his counter-measures as though it were second nature. In other words, Damian was evolving in real-time.

How many times did the ice shards materialize and dissolve, only to take form once more?

Leodis pondered.

He is already this powerful… If I tear out Aster’s eyes and shatter his core, how much more will Damian grow? No, if I take it a step further and inflict the exact same treatment upon Chenbi and Evelyn…

Leodis trifled with Damian’s magic the way one would play with a toddler, all while calculating just how much his deeds would stimulate Damian’s development. And the conclusion filled even the emotionally hollow Leodis with a profound sense of satisfaction.

…There was absolutely no reason to refrain. No reason whatsoever.

But right at that moment.

“Um, excuse me…”

“…?”

Leodis tilted his head and turned his attention toward the source of the voice.

“Yes, Chenbi. What is it?”

“Ehm, I… I don’t entirely understand what’s happening, but… Patriarch, would it be possible for you to speak with us as well?”

“Speak? Regarding what matter?”

Chenbi swallowed hard with great effort, her complexion entirely drained of color. The circumstances had turned bizarre, leading her to intervene impulsively, but now, standing before the leader of the Blandoga family, her mind went entirely blank.

Just then, a voice intervened from the side.

“If I may be permitted to share a few brief observations… It appears that Chenbi and I aren’t completely unrelated to this scenario, correct?”

Faced with Evelyn’s question, Leodis tilted his head. He continued to dissolve Damian’s magical constructs, yet he organized his thoughts with effortless ease.

“Hmm, now that you bring it up, you do have a point. Ah, but it’s not as if it absolutely must be that way.”

Evelyn knit her brows slightly. To her, it sounded like a twisted joke, entirely devoid of humor… but that was no longer the primary concern.

“Then, just as Chenbi suggested, shouldn’t you speak with us too? If it pleases you, Patriarch.”

“Speak, hmm… speak…”

Evelyn swallowed hard under the tension. In all honesty, she harbored no genuine expectations. Merely…

‘ This is perilous.’

She had only thrown her support behind Chenbi because she felt compelled to act. As Evelyn watched Leodis while holding her breath, someone stepped forward.

“Patriarca, would you allow this humble servant to speak?”

It was Alfredo.