Chapter 123 - Change
Chapter 123: Change
Angora saw his father just a little differently after learning about his own roots.
Afterward, they continued their conversation over a number of random things such as Angora’s management of his fief, the old man’s past romances, and what should they be careful about before heading to red-light districts while traveling incognito.
This was the first time that Angora had such a pleasant conversation with his own father, to understand that his father was normal too, completely unlike that person who had always been high and mighty, whom overs could never hope to reach.
In the past, Angora could only watch his father from a corner, and could never even look him in the eye.
It was all thanks to the God of Game.
Angora was self-conscious enough to know that while all the change in him might have been thanks to his life in his small town, but the basis for that courage and confidence was thanks to the Overlord System that the God of Games had blessed him with.
“I see, so you have some interesting fellows amongst your retainers.” There was a compassionate smile on old Horan’s face even as Angora spoke of his crazy exploits with the Players rather braggingly. “I might meet them if I have the time.”
“What are you waiting for? Why not now?” Angora asked cheerfully, having deliberately kept the God of Game’s System a secret.
“You’re being impatient.” The old man said, although he had already risen to his feet and was about to go with his youngest son and check out those interesting followers.
“Because I’m heading back tomorrow,” Angora replied seriously.
Ultimately, his conversation with the old man had changed his mind.
At first, he wasn’t too keen on staying in this home which lived for a dozen years because he basically didn’t exist. Although life wasn’t so tragic that he would be bullied even by the servants, life was really dull, nor did he have any sense of belonging.
Now, things were different: After learning about his roots from his father, the abandonment that Angora remembered of his old man had become a deliberate cold-shouldering.
To protect him.
When he thought about it carefully, his father never really ignored his existence completely either. He was treated the same in every basic need as well as education, even just a little better than Edmund, his second brother.
Moreover, he would have been assigned some dangerous duty such as a knight given that he was never going to inherit the duke’s title. And yet the old man had somehow made him a lord and had given him a fief—he wouldn’t have gone so far for him if he had been truly biased against Angora.
That was also why Angora cherished his father now.
Be that as it may, his original intention here was to draw the attention of the mastermind who was bent on taking his life, to force them into making mistakes that would expose themselves since it would be fine to get rid of them right here.
However, if such a conflict happened in the Silver Eagle Castle—or even within Tunaya, his father’s reputation would be hurt regardless if his plan worked.
Taking that into consideration, he now intended to leave Tunaya and return to the town. This way, anything that would happen would happen outside the city whether the mastermind whose existence was questionable would take action, and his father free of blame.
“Won’t you stay another few days, leave after the festival?” Horan seemed a little upset to part.
“The fief has just started development. There’s a lot of things I need to handle so I can’t be away for too long…”
Angora initially put up a rather cheap excuse, only to find his father’s ‘are-you-fooling-around-with-me’ face and remember that Horan was the largest landowner up north.
Knowing that he was fooling nobody, Angora cleared his throat and tried again.
“Well, Cecil and I just can’t stand each other, and it’s going to be a problem if things get violent. Even if you did tell me to compromise, we should avoid any direct confrontation. Surely you don’t wish that things escalate between us? That’s why it would be better if I leave early.”
It was a convincing reason, and the old man did not say anything else after a heartfelt sigh.
Nonetheless, they ran into a fuming Cecil, who was leading all his guards just as they left Horan’s private study.
“What are you doing, Cecil?!” The old man could not help frowning at Cecil. “Are you trying to rebel, bringing so many men with you?”
“Father, he attacked me first!” Cecil pointed an accusing finger at Angora. “He sent his people to assassinate me! I would have died if my men didn’t defend me with their lives!”
In his head, Angora was musing that he only had the Players slip into Cecil’s keep to steal information.
Assassinate my foot. He was too good at poisoning the well.
Hence, he resolved himself and asked, “The assassination failed since you’re alive, I believe? If that’s the case, surely you should present us the murderer, be they alive or dead? It’s a tall tale if you put the blame on me out of empty words.
“Show those two corpses!” Cecil sneered with a face that said ‘I-knew-you-would-defend-yourself-like-that’.
The old man’s expression turned strict as he stared at Angora in suspicion as well.
But the guards never presented the ‘corpses’ even after a long time had passed.
It was only until the captain of Cecil’s personal guard arrived and whispered something into his ear that he roared at Angora viciously, pointing at him again. “You must have done something to the assassins’ corpses! They vanished completely!”
“Enough! This is over!”
The old man’s severe cry cut Cecil’s accusations short. “Go back, Cecil.”
Angora stared in shock at the old man—didn’t Horan tell him to let Cecil have his way?
In turn, the old man gave him a look that said—this is the last time your daddy helps you, and you’re on your own from now on.
However, that exchange naturally became the picture of a good father and a devoted son bonded tacitly in Cecil’s eyes.
He was speechless in his rage with the two men, and ended up heaving a mouthful of blood at the ground.
“Cecil…” The old man was frightened, but was shoved away as he hurried to him to check on his eldest son. He stumbled one step behind and almost fell, and found his child’s gaze ever so cold and… unfamiliar.
“I’ve said…” Cecil turned around even as his body wobbled and spoke in unparalleled coldness. “I will take if you don’t give… be it a god’s relic or this family… it’s all mine! All of you forced me to!”
“I have no interest in what’s yours,” Angora said probingly, realizing that Cecil wasn’t in a good condition. “I’m returning to my town tomorrow.”
“Hmph. That’s because you’ve got what you wanted… I know… I know everything.”
Cecil laughed sinisterly, and slowly left the walkway along with his guards and his captain, who was helping him stand—leaving Angora and Horan, who were frowning at each other.