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Chapter 227: Rinella’s Destiny is Her Own (20)

The middle-aged father with a gentle and amiable demeanor was known for his unreserved attitude.

Despite being a noble, he didn\'t exude a strong sense of authority.

Most nobles learned about power and etiquette as they grew up. It was the realization of the social foundation maintained by the gap in status and authority akin to a sword.

This kind of social custom was developed over generations.

Therefore, most nobles couldn\'t easily distance themselves from a sense of authority. On the contrary, the existence of nobles like our father was like a mystery.

No matter how individualistic a person might be, they couldn\'t escape the influence of education.

I had heard before that the explanation was because the Percus Family\'s history was short. With a briefer history, it was natural to have accumulated fewer cultural assets, so it made sense.

Thanks to that, I had no trouble adapting to the academy.

I had only one concern.

Except for Leto and Celine, whom I had interacted with since childhood, my father had never met any of his son’s friends.

Not to mention the fact that these people in question were so extraordinary.

The Saintess, who was a supreme leader of the Holy Nation.

Seria, who was the genius swordsman of the Yurdina family.

Senior Elsie, who was the promising talent from the elite magic household Rinella family.

I only had little contact with these individuals in the academy for a while before. So, it was surprising that they became my friends in just a few months. Even so, it wasn\'t strange that my father felt it was unexpected.

However, surprisingly, my father didn\'t show much surprise.

"Welcome, everyone. I suppose you are my foolish son\'s friends..."

"N-no!"

Instead, it was the ladies who reacted with a start, especially Senior Elsie, who was particularly surprised and raised her voice when she heard the phrase \'my foolish son.\'

"N-no, instead, I felt indebted to Mas— I mean, Sir Ian. Re-really!"

Despite Senior Elsie fixing the way she addressed me a bit, everything was still strange.

I managed to prevent her from calling me \'Master,\' but, to my bewilderment, I couldn\'t change her way of addressing me as \'Sir Ian.\'

Even so, my father just touched the back of his head and let out an awkward laugh.

"Haha, Young Lady Rinella, you have a peculiar way of speaking, don\'t you? \'Sir Ian\'..."

My father\'s kind golden eyes glanced at me.

I just cleared my throat and turned my head without saying anything.

In the end, my father closed his eyes and shook his head, holding back a bitter smile.

"...I thought it was still too distant in the future for me to hear him being addressed with such an honorific."

Well, it couldn\'t be helped because my father would forever see me as his young son.

All parents were originally like that, weren\'t they?

If I wanted to stand before my father as a confident adult, I had to show him the appropriate appearance.

Of course, in my family home, which I hadn\'t visited in a long time, my father was not the only one who would criticize me.

There was also my mother, who still saw me as a much younger son.

Exuding an aura of virtue, my mother still looked young. While my father appeared younger than his age, my mother seemed even younger than him.

At a glance, she could be mistaken for a sister rather than my mother.

However, the affection and worry that flickered in her eyes were the kind of emotions only a mother with children could show.

My mother first embraced her son –me—, whom she hadn\'t seen in a long time for quite a while. Then, she sighed and began scolding me in earnest.

"Ian, I\'ve been hearing strange rumors circulating lately... They say you defeated the demonic human and thwarted the Dark Order\'s scheme."

"...Well, yeah."

I had no choice but to turn my eyes away again, wondering what my mother\'s next words would be.

However, I could roughly guess what my mother\'s words would be.

"I know you\'re an adult now, and it\'s time for you to take responsibility for your choices. But our Percus family has always upheld the principle of moderation. Although the rumors are likely exaggerated, as a mother, I\'m more concerned about you getting involved in such a dangerous affair."

It seemed that my mother thought the rumors about me were exaggerated.

Until recently, I quietly attended the academy, and all of a sudden, I became an explosively rising star on the continent. It must have seemed unbelievable.

Honestly, the realization still hadn\'t fully sunk in for me.

I thought it was better this way.

If I were to confess that, after facing life-threatening situations several times, my body wouldn\'t recover without a holy relic, I wondered what their reaction would be.

Probably, they might collapse on the spot.

My mother was a tender-hearted person. As a filial duty, I decided to reassure her a little.

"Don\'t worry too much, Mother. After all, I came back in one piece, didn’t I?"

However, in response to my words, the expression on my mother\'s face only appeared much sadder.

I was at a loss for words, unable to figure out what to say. Having been separated from my family for a while, I couldn\'t grasp what words to bring up.

At that moment, the Saintess spoke.

"Mother¹, I can somewhat understand how you feel."

"...Ah, Saintess."

As a devout follower of the Church of the Heavenly God, my mother was surprised and quickly stood up at the Saintess\'s appearance. However, she intervened, preventing my mother with a benevolent smile.

Still looking dazed, my mother staggeringly sat back down.

The idea that someone like the Saintess was in the Percus manor seemed unbelievable.

"You are not the only person who is consumed by worries every time Ian goes into battle, Mother. I, too, have spent countless anxious moments by Ian\'s side."

The subtle voice subtly penetrated my mother\'s ears.

My mother seemed quite moved by the fact that even the Saintess was empathizing. Not to mention that she herself was expressing concern for me along with her.

There were no parents who wouldn\'t be touched by the fact that their child was receiving care beyond their imagination.

As my mother showed a grateful expression, the Saintess quickly held her hands with both hands.

"Still, don\'t worry, Mother. I will always stay by Ian’s side. With the Lord\'s permission, I will continue to indefinitely assist Ian."

She would continue to indefinitely assist me, she said?

It almost looked like a marriage proposal.

Of course, my mother was deeply moved, and tears welled up in her eyes. The holy power demonstrated by the Saintess was nothing short of a miracle.

If there was someone like her by my side, even in the worst case, I wouldn\'t lose my life.

My mother tightly held the Saintess’s hand and left numerous requests while doing so.

"Please take good care of my son, Ian, Saintess. Hic… He’s a very kind and delicate child, and even the sight of blood disturbs him. When he was first asked to wield a sword, he had so many concerns..."

"Aha, ahaha... Did you say Ian? Does Ian… really d-dislike seeing blood?"

The Saintess tried to laugh it off, but she couldn\'t avoid the awkwardness, giving me a look as if saying what kind of nonsense was this?

But what could I say here? It was the truth.

Still, my father and mother seemed somewhat relieved.

Aaron Percus, the heir of the Percus family and my older brother, was particularly taciturn.

He was a lone figure with a sturdy appearance in the Percus family, whose members mainly had delicate physiques.

As a sturdy-looking man, he tended to exude a peculiar sense of intimidation when silent. Therefore, my brother often faced misunderstandings from those around him. It seemed like today was no exception.

Seria appeared intimidated in front of him, glancing around.

Regardless, he simply observed Seria without a word. His golden eyes were deep enough to be unreadable.

After finally finishing the greetings with my parents, I approached my brother.

My brother glanced at me without saying a word, and I, with a wide smile, rushed towards him.

"...Brother!"

As I approached my brother amiably, he, as always, silently patted my shoulder a few times.

Although his expression seemed indifferent, I knew. I could sense satisfaction in those eyes.

It was the joy of seeing his little brother after a long time.

Despite his rough appearance, my brother had a deep inner self and a strong sense of consideration. He cherished his younger siblings, and we had the friendliest relationship.

Strangely, however, Ria found Aaron a bit difficult to approach.

Perhaps Ria felt distant due to our brother\'s bear-like appearance. There was a time when my brother felt sullen because of it, but now, he seemed to have adapted without showing any sadness.

Of course, when Ria subtly avoided our brother, there were still times when he showed a hurt face. However, there was nothing he could do about that.

Just like in friendships, even within a family, there would also be someone you couldn’t get closer to.

Especially for Ria, who spent a long time away from home due to illness in her early years, coming back to the family must have made everyone seem unfamiliar.

Her attachment to me might be because, at that time, I was the one who spent the most time with her and took care of her.

Meanwhile, my parents had to maintain their dignity as the head of the Percus family, and Aaron Hyung was naturally taciturn. Therefore, this was inevitable.

So even now, Ria would still keep proper manners when interacting with my parents and Aaron. The only person she treated comfortably was me.

As for me, I felt the most comfortable with Aaron, not only more than my parents but also more than the fussy Ria.

Even when I played mischievous pranks as a child, my kind brother never raised his voice. Therefore, I was delighted when I asked him.

"Long time no see, Hyung! Have you been well during this time?"

"Hmm, yeah. I\'ve always been fine..."

My brother\'s brusque gaze turned again towards Seria.

Seria seemed to be anxious, wondering if she had done something wrong.

However, my brother\'s interests always surpassed people\'s expectations.

"...Is she my sister-in-law.?"

"S-sister… Sister in law!"

Seria was so shocked that she couldn\'t even speak properly. She looked extremely surprised.

I seemed to understand why my brother showed interest in Seria.

Perhaps he was curious if, among the many beautiful women brought home by his young brother after several months, there might be one who would be a suitable match for me.

A sigh escaped involuntarily from my lips.

"No, Hyung. Seria is from the Yurdina family... I don’t think she would choose..."

"...N-no!"

With a slightly excited voice, Seria started to negate my words. In that momentum, her tone even seemed to carry a strange determination.

"I-it\'s okay! If you want to call me... uh… Sister, Sister in Law! O-on the contrary, it’s Senior Ian who is too good for me!"

It was the first time I heard Seria raise her voice with such intensity.

It might be because she thought the respected senior got insulted. Ignoring me, who had been staring at Seria for a while, Aaron Hyung rummaged through his belongings.

Then, he handed a small ruby gem to Seria.

Now, it was Seria\'s turn to be lost in thought.

To Seria, who seemed unable to understand Aaron Hyung\'s intention, I spoke again with a voice mixed with a sigh.

“He means \'please take care of him.\' Aaron Hyung\'s hobby is mining... So, if he finds any gemstones or jewels, he would take them and offer them as gifts.“

So, when you entered Aaron Hyung\'s room, you could see a pile of pickaxes on display.

Upon hearing my explanation, Seria immediately lowered her head as if she was grateful.

"Th-thank you! Uuhh... Brother-in-law?"

A rare satisfied smile appeared on Aaron\'s lips.

He patted my shoulder a couple of times as if to say \'well done.\' Then, in a dignified voice, he said.

"Take care of her well."

What did he want me to take care of?

For quite some time, the reception room of the Percus family was filled with people. From that commotion, Celine was the one who pulled me out.

Celine grabbed onto my collar and whispered to me.

"...Ian Oppa, Ian Oppa!"

It was just when I was about to head towards Ria, who was making a sullen face in the corner.

She seemed upset that I, who had just returned, wasn\'t paying attention to her.

I felt resentful about being interrupted while on the way to fulfill the crucial task of comforting my younger sister.

So, I looked at Celine with a questioning gaze.

Then, Celine slightly shivered and whispered into my ear.

"There, look over there!"

Celine subtly pulled me while saying that. Thanks to that, my arm touched her soft chest, but Celine feigned innocence.

I faked laughter and contemplated pinching Celine\'s cheek.

She couldn\'t escape my notice, no matter how much she pretended to not know. But since Celine\'s expression truly seemed uneasy, my gaze followed her index finger.

Standing by the door was a tall, middle-aged man staring at me intently.

It was Senior Elsie\'s uncle.

Although we had just exchanged greetings and parted, he had returned to the door and glared only at me. It was honestly uncomfortable.

Celine seemed uneasy about that.

"That person, doesn\'t his gaze seem dangerous? What if he\'s planning to kill you, Oppa?"

"Pff, come on."

"Perhaps, he plans to capture someone!"

Even with my denial, Celine didn\'t seem the least bit relieved.

She then suggested it to me.

"His gaze is cold... Can\'t you go and have a conversation with him, Oppa?"

I wanted to tell Celine not to worry about unnecessary things, but I couldn\'t.

Because, actually, I was quite concerned about Senior Elsie\'s uncle, too.

In the end, I had to clear my throat and turn my steps. Within the reception room, where guests and members of the Percus family were mingled, my footsteps didn\'t attract much attention.

And when I was right in front of him, Senior Elsie’s uncle spoke as if he had been waiting.

"...Should we test your skills?"

It was such an unexpected /genesisforsaken