(A/N Big thanks to
Iseeyoudoyouseeme ( I do now)
sloZz
Talvin_Shiji
Talvin
For the power stones, they mean a lot. Extra chapter later today, and as usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review.
I promised an extra chapter yesterday, but I was swamped, not an excuse though. I'll do my best not to let it happen again. ENJOY)
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For the next few days, Orion continued with his usual activities, classes, training, and reading.
The classes were the same, with Lady Agatha's strict lessons.
Thanks to his increased stats, his training time had increased much to his mother's concern. He also did his best to grind his 'Eye of Truth and façade skill' by checking the status of everyone around him regularly.
For now, he was satisfied with his increase in strength; it might take a while for any drastic improvement, but he was patient.
The information in the library was no longer enough to satisfy his curiosity; he'd learnt all that he deemed important, the rest were bedtime stories.
Three days passed in preparation for the departure of their entourage, although Orion could tell that if his father wished to be at his friend's estate, he could do so in a snap.
His father was still a duke and, as such, was obligated to arrive in flair, not as a form of showmanship but a matter of tradition and pride. He himself understood very well.
He was currently in his room, where he was receiving a lecture from his mother.
"I know you are very well-behaved, too well-behaved in fact, but you have your moments of mischief. Try to limit them; although we do not seek anyone's validation, we are still a noble household, and as such, we must act like it. Carry yourself with pride and self-respect, behave, listen to your father at all times, and most of all. Be wise," Aurora said with a stern face at her son.
She really wanted to come with them; it was her baby's first time out of the estate after all, but for some reason Erevan refused. She tried to persuade him, but he was adamant, so she was doing the next best thing: lecturing Orion.
"Of course, mother, I am the heir to the Chronos family after all, and Lady Agatha's lessons haven't been for naught. I will make you and Father proud." He said to her with a grin.
"Oh my baby, I know you will," She replied, hugging him.
She held herself back from telling him that the world won't wait for him; she couldn't bring herself to remove that innocent smile.
She broke the hug and smiled at him, adjusting his hair.
'Maybe, no, not maybe. He will endure, I know he will' She thought with certainty.
"Alright, I've packed all that you'll be needing for the journey and the celebration. I know you'll claim to be independent and you can handle yourself, but Isolde will be coming with you. No buts or refusals," She said with a stern face.
"Yes, mother," Orion replied with a wry grin.
Knock..knock
"You can come in, Isolde," Aurora said, facing the door.
The door opened, and Isolde walked in, a smile on her face as usual.
"The Patriarch calls for the young master, everything is ready," Isolde said, turning towards Orion.
"Alright, you can go, Orion. Remember all that we've discussed. Be wise." She said after hugging him one more time.
He stepped out, eager to escape his mother's smoldering love, Isolde behind him.
"Wait, Isolde," Aurora quickly called out.
"Yes, my lady?"
Orion turned back, curious as to why his mother stopped Isolde.
"You can go, Orion, I'd like to speak to Isolde."
Orion nodded and closed the door behind him.
He quickly made his way to the front of the mansion, where a large entourage was prepared. Shaw was in front, giving final instructions in preparation for their departure. He stepped beside his father, gazing at it.
"I knew we were going in style, but this is …." Orion said at a loss for words.
"Too much?" Erevan asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Perfect," Orion replied with a grin.
Erevan chuckled, "If my grandfather saw this, he'd call it modest at best."
"He was a man of flair?" Orion asked intrigued
"Flair! he was downright boastful. He'd shout,' We are kings of the human domain, so we should act like it. ' He'd wear the flashiest of clothes all day long," Erevan laughed while reminiscing.
It had been a while since Orion had seen his father laugh this much.
"Yet despite his boastful nature, he was one of the greatest patriarchs the Chronos family had ever birthed," Erevan said with a smile.
"Were you very close?" Orion asked
"He was my role model and mentor, the closest thing I ever had to a best friend. I'd have loved for you to meet him; I'm sure you'd get along very well." Erevan turned to his son with a smile.
Orion smiled back, "I'm sure we would have, he sounds fun."
"Why have I never met my grandfather, or come to think of it, any other family relative?"
Orion had been itching to ask this question; nobody ever talks about them. He remembered the maids talking about the patriarch's sister about five years ago, but nothing since then.
Erevan smirked and replied. "In due time, son."
At that moment, Shaw walked up to them.
"Everything is ready, my lord," he said with a small bow.
"Good, let's set off," Erevan replied.
Orion turned around searching for Isolde, before he found her chatting with some other maids in a carriage.
He smiled and followed his father into their own carriage, the same one that brought his father back five years ago.
Before long, the whole entourage started moving with guards surrounding them on horses and coachmen controlling the carriages.
In the carriage, Orion sat opposite his father, both looking out the window, as much as he wanted to act mature, the childish excitement of finally leaving the mansion was threatening to overwhelm him.
Erevan looked at his son and smiled, amused by his restraint. "You can stand up and look out the window, if you have any questions or curiosities, I'd be happy to answer. You can take this as a father-son bonding time."
Orion looked at his father with raised eyebrows. "Outside training?"
"Of course, we aren't only father and son while training, I'm sure we've had some time to bond outside training," Erevan replied, a bit exasperated.
"You are right, thank you, father. I'd be happy to ask you any questions I have," Orion replied with a smile, not wanting to argue.
The journey continued in silence, with Orion's gaze never leaving the window. So far, they hadn't encountered any buildings or people, just the forest and wildlife.
He had tried searching for a map in the library, and only found an undetailed one of the human domain, nothing specific, so he couldn't tell where they were or what direction they were going; they hadn't even left the estate.
"Why are there no maps of the estate in the library, Father?" Orion asked
"Because you have no use for them, Orion," Erevan replied with his eyes closed.
"So, all that I have no use for are absent in the library?" Orion asked, exasperated, what kind of library was that?
"Yes, the library was built in consideration of both you and your sister," Erevan replied.
"So, where are all the other documents located?" He asked, eager to know.
"When I said, ask questions, I meant of the outside world," Erevan replied with a single eye open.
"There's nothing to ask, just some trees and deer, besides the library has information about the outside world," Orion replied with mock frustration.
Erevan just sighed and closed his eyes.
'Wow, he just snubbed me,' Orion thought, staring at him with deadpan eyes.
A whole day passed, and it was now night.
The entourage stopped, and everyone started preparing to rest for the night. The maids quickly got to work, preparing dinner for everyone. The guards spread around the group; they were this serious even in the Chronos territory.
They had built a camp with fires and everything, and the whole atmosphere was a bit lively.
Orion was tempted to go out and do something, anything; it looked like it would be fun camping outside with the rest, but he turned to his father and saw him still seated with his eyes closed; he couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake.
He remembered Lady Agatha's lessons; he was a noble now. Although he wasn't going to be stuck up, he'd start learning the ropes of the game from now on; besides, something compelled him to.
He quietly sat back down, closed his eyes, and focused on absorbing mana.
Erevan was awake. He was curious as to what his son would do, although he had claimed earlier that they had bonding times. Deep down, he knew the truth; there were so many things he didn't know about his son, so he was determined to observe him on this trip.
He wasn't going to restrict Orion's decisions; everyone had their way, and if his son's way was with familiarity with the masses, he wouldn't stop him; he'd seen many like that after all, and he had spent so much time with his grandfather to be shocked by strange quirks.
Still, he was pleased with his son's decision, who didn't want their son to take after them.
'This trip is going to be interesting,' He thought with a smile.