Chapter 31

Episode 31. Are You My Son? (1)

Keter’s personal butler, Jacques.

As usual, he joined for lunch, but his eyes looked haggard.

Keter, who was leisurely enjoying his meal, glanced at Jacques.

“Who died? Why do you look so gloomy?”

“Does the bread go down your throat smoothly, young master?”

“Freshly baked, so it’s chewy and goes down well.”

“Ugh! Chewy or not, I heard you fought with the Ultima Merchant. That’s just a rumor, right? Even you wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Exactly, it’s a rumor. It wasn’t a fight; I just beat him up one-sidedly.”

“…Do you even know who Ultima is to act so carefree?”

“Just some commoner merchant.”

Keter continued eating while talking. Unable to stand it, Jacques snatched the roasted chicken leg Keter was about to eat.

“Stop eating and consider the seriousness of the situation…?”

“Thanks for deboning it.”

All Jacques had left was a clean bone.

*Plop.*

Instead of throwing the bone, Jacques gently placed it in the bone dish and changed his tactic to pleading.

“The Lord is kind and merciful, but this situation won’t just pass. No matter what anyone says, I’m on your side, young master. So, let’s discuss how to apologize together. There’s really no other way!”

“Strange talk. Who do I need to apologize to?”

“Of course, the Ultima Merchant! If he cuts off dealings with Sephira, it’ll be a huge loss. Even if the Lord protects you, Elder Paniro won’t let you off.”

Jacques began a long speech on why Keter needed to apologize.

But Keter just laughed.

‘Don’t worry, old man. Ultima won’t cut off dealings.’

Ultima accepted my deal.

To betray the Upper Nobles.

But that doesn’t mean he’ll openly help Sephira. He’s not foolish enough to betray so obviously.

Ultima will pressure Sephira as usual.

But that’s just a smokescreen.

When the critical moment comes, Ultima will abandon the Upper Nobles and side with Sephira.

When will that be?

‘When I make it happen.’

I bought time. I made it look like I beat up Ultima, fooling the whole world.

And that’s not all.

As a symbol of trust, I received a ‘signal device’ made of glass beads from him.

“If you need Ultima Merchant’s help, break it. A rescue team will find you wherever you are.”

“If I’m on the verge of death, you can kill me too, two birds with one stone, huh?”

“I won’t deny it. So, show me clearly. That you’re not just crazy, but crazy strong.”

On top of that, I pocketed 20,000 gold as a brokerage fee. An amount so large it could make your jaw drop. Enough to retire and live leisurely in a big city.

They say greed can make your stomach burst.

‘But I’m still hungry?’

*Crunch!*

Chewing on a peach with its skin, Keter looked out the window.

This family is disgustingly large.

To revive this family with just money, even 10 million gold wouldn’t be enough.

‘Of course, the money I earn is mine.’

They should learn to stand on their own.

While I secure my share.

*Thud.*

Keter stood up, and Jacques followed suit.

“Young master, are you finally listening to me?”

“Huh? I just got up to go to the bathroom.”

“…The knights will come soon. They’ll probably take you away. Please, just stay put. I’ll handle it.”

“Handling it sounds good.”

Jacques didn’t follow Keter to the bathroom. A sign he hadn’t been fully trained by Keter yet.

The dining room doesn’t just have a main entrance. There’s a back door for workers.

Keter didn’t go to the bathroom but slipped out the back door.

“Being dragged away isn’t my style.”

As Jacques said.

Father won’t tolerate it anymore. Even without the emotional aspect, if I keep acting out like this, internal dissatisfaction will grow uncontrollably.

‘Not that I intended it, but he couldn’t last more than two days.’

At this time, Father would only be in his office, so he must have called me there. Keter headed to Basil’s office himself.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the dining room.

Because Keter was gone.

Jacques said he was in the bathroom and to wait, but of course, Keter wasn’t there.

“Did he run away fearing reprimand? Damn it!”

A knight who came to take Keter away gnashed his teeth and shouted.

“Release the soldiers immediately! He couldn’t have gone far!”

“Ah, wait! No matter how unruly young master Keter is, he wouldn’t run away!”

Jacques hurriedly tried to stop the knight, but the knights, already prejudiced against Keter, didn’t listen.

Thus, Keter unintentionally breathed life into the family.

* * *

Count Basil was writing a letter while waiting for Keter.

-Dear Elder, Leganon El Sephira. Today, I couldn’t treat you as a father-in-law, and I apologize. As you know, my son Keter, whom I didn’t know existed, has joined the family. I’m grateful he grew up healthy, but his behavior is causing me distress…

*Scratch scratch, thud.*

Basil, who had been focused, suddenly put down his fountain pen. Simultaneously, the coat he was wearing transformed into a bow and arrow.

Sephira’s treasure, Doppelganger.

Instantly aiming at the window, Basil spoke softly.

“Show yourself.”

There was nothing at the window.

It was absurd to think an enemy could be outside. Basil’s office was on the 7th floor, and the building’s exterior was as smooth as glass.

Moreover? Knights were monitoring every angle.

But Basil sensed a presence at the window. If the intruder had shown hostility, he would have shot immediately, but since they didn’t, he held back.

*Whoosh.*

The intruder revealed themselves outside the window. Hanging upside down.

Basil didn’t recognize the intruder immediately. They were upside down, and it was a face he’d never seen before.

But upon closer inspection, he soon realized who it was.

“Ke…ter?”

“Correct.”

*Creak.*

Keter calmly opened the window and entered the office.

Seeing Keter, Basil remained silent.

‘The window was locked. Moreover, hanging upside down at this height, throwing himself in without hesitation.’

Even the most skilled knight would shatter their lower body jumping from the 7th floor.

And he was hanging upside down. The slightest mistake in landing would mean instant death.

Yet his son took such risks without a second thought to ‘intrude’ into his office.

Basil pointed to the door.

“There’s a perfectly good door.”

“That’s no fun.”

“Where are the knights who went to find you? Did you come alone?”

“Must have missed them. I came early since I thought you’d call.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the office door opened, and Nabakin entered.

“Lord! Young master Keter has run away! We’ve released soldiers and hounds; we’ll find him soon… Huh?”

Nabakin spotted Keter standing by the office window.

Keter waved at him, and Basil licked his lower lip.

‘What kind of chaos is this?’

It was momentarily confusing where to even start. Amidst the chaos, Basil spoke to Nabakin.

“As you can see, Keter is here. Call off the search.”

“Ah… Yes!”

Nabakin blinked, saluted, and left the office.

“Phew.”

Basil transformed Doppelganger back into a coat and leaned on the table.

*Thud.*

Hearing a sound from behind, Basil turned around.

Keter was sitting on the sofa. Despite his father, the Lord, standing.

“……”

Basil looked at Keter, dumbfounded. Keter then pointed to the opposite sofa.

“Please, sit comfortably.”

Why are you saying that?

‘If only he weren’t my child.’

Basil was surprised by his own thoughts.

‘Calm down. Keter probably thinks I abandoned him. If I clear up the misunderstanding, he’ll behave.’

Truly, the patience of someone responsible for a family.

Basil showed the composure of an adult.

“Adults should sit before children, Keter.”

“That’s not how it was in Ruquer.”

“This is Sephira, so follow Sephira’s rules.”

“Next time, I will.”

Basil clenched his fist.

“Good, don’t make the same mistake next time.”

Not wanting to seem petty by telling him to stand, Basil sat opposite Keter.

Finally, at eye level, the two stared at each other.

Basil was the first to speak.

“You look just like your mother.”

“Was she beautiful?”

“Have you never seen her?”

“Thanks to that, I was raised by an old thief.”

“We need to clear up misunderstandings. I didn’t know you existed. If I had, I wouldn’t have abandoned you. You being here before me is proof.”

“You didn’t call me here because you wanted to, did you?”

“……”

Basil almost said no immediately.

Keter was called here because of his misdeeds. That was the point. Straightening his back, Basil spoke in a stiff tone.

“Yes, that’s right. As the Lord of the House of Sephira, I called you here. Keter. Do you know what you’ve done wrong?”

“If being outstanding is a crime, I deserve execution.”

“Your rudeness is understandable. You’ve lived in the lawless city of Ruquer all your life. It’s natural you wouldn’t know the laws of the outside world. But I can’t forgive your mistakes.”

“What did I do so wrong?”

Keter’s innocent eyes. Basil thought his child was truly shameless.

“First, you picked a fight with Anis.”

“Anis started it, so it was self-defense. We even reached an agreement.”

“You took the Demon Bow Amaranth without permission.”

“The weapon chose its owner. I’d return it, but it doesn’t want to leave.”

Clearly a shameless lie, but Basil couldn’t verify its truth.

“You advised Taragon to run around the field all day. That doesn’t align with Sephira’s training methods.”

“If Taragon doesn’t want to do it, I won’t force him. It’s his choice.”

Really, not a single word of concession.

Basil glared at Keter. From his answers, it seemed like he hadn’t done anything wrong.

And that shameless expression was the most annoying.

‘But you can’t explain the Ultima incident.’

That was the main reason Basil called Keter.

Other things aside, if the only trading merchant we have a falling out with, it won’t just end at being troublesome.

“How do you explain hitting the Ultima Merchant?”

“I hit him because he was unlucky.”

“…What?”

“A commoner merchant should feel honored to trade with the House of Sephira, but he didn’t know his place. I gave him a proper lesson.”

“Listening to you, it seems you interpret everything to your convenience.”

“I am a bit selfish. Wonder who I take after.”

“Keter.”

Basil stood up. He stared at Keter with an icy, heavy gaze. Keter also stood, meeting Basil’s eyes.

Finally, Basil slowly spoke.

“The reason you came to our House of Sephira. Is it to take revenge on me? Do you resent me and the family for abandoning you, and that’s why you’re acting like this?”

A question that could determine Keter’s fate based on the answer. Though he should ponder, Keter answered immediately.

“I used to think that, but not anymore.”

“Not anymore?”

“I should introduce myself.”

Keter took out a business card from his pocket and politely handed it to Basil with both hands.

“Keter, the Solver of Ruquer. I solve problems at reasonable prices.”