Chapter 44: Let’s go eat
As Andrew rushed back into the house, Michael stood, arms crossed, on the top floor watching through a window. He had seen when his brother walked into the carriage and how he rushed out.
A deep frown formed on Michael’s face. "What are you doing, Andrew?" he muttered, scared that his brother had begun to go down a path that wasn’t safe.
He stood there for a few seconds, took a deep breath, and walked away.
Inside the Baron’s office, Raze stood near the door, about to walk out, but before he could, his father called out.
"Raze, a moment please," he said, then sat down in his chair, his fingers crossed and placed under his chin for support while his elbows rested on the table.
His eyes were half-open, and a heavy expression was plastered on his face. Raze walked back in and took a chair, sitting down casually, but not enough to show disrespect to his father.
"First of all, I want to say thank you," his father said, his tone completely genuine. He looked up at Raze. "You solved an issue that I have battled for so long, and you did it in only a day, without my help and with your hands alone." A look of sadness formed on his face. "It’s honestly disgraceful to me to rely on you for something I should have handled."
"Don’t beat yourself up, Father. Ribest is my home as well. Protecting the town along with the family is something every member should do when they can," Raze said casually.
"Hmmm, true." His father nodded. "You’ve always been a smart kid, to be honest, and your studious nature always stood out. A kid that picked the book over the sword.
In all honesty, I found it provoking, seeing my son take up books and cling to them. We needed all hands on deck for the survival of our family as nobles, everyone needed to put in some effort.
When I looked at you, I didn’t see effort; I saw a lazy kid that refused to become a man."
’Is he trying to hurt my feelings? What’s with all this?’ Raze thought as he looked at his father.
"Now I see that I was shortsighted, and I didn’t see your potential, and for that—"
"If you’re planning to apologize, stop it," Raze suddenly cut his father short. His father was stunned, eyes wide open. He had been pouring out his heart to his son, and he just cut him off?
"What?" his father asked in shock.
"Honestly, I can’t be bothered with what you did and all that. It doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t care. The apology does nothing, to be honest, it’s a waste," Raze said. He stretched his arms like he was a little sleepy and then let out a yawn.
"If you want to show me that you see me now, then work with me to fix things and raise this family," he said bluntly. His words took his father aback; he looked at Raze with confusion.
He opened his mouth a few times, but no words came out. Then finally, he spoke. "Pleasure, Raze, why are you so interested in fixing our family? With your knowledge and understanding, it should be easy for you to head anywhere in life and become a noble greater than me," his father said.
"Tsk, can’t you just agree with what I asked? Do I really need to explain everything?" Raze asked.
"You’re getting cocky. I’m still your father and the Baron," his father said with a cold gaze. Then after a few seconds, it shifted into a smile. "Don’t mind me. Right now, you and I are talking on equal standing," he added.
"I want to know why. I could say yes, but it doesn’t make sense to me. None of this makes sense to me, your new boldness, your abilities, your mind, everything. They don’t make sense to me. It’s like I do not know the son I have," the Baron said.
"Sigh, fine. The reason I want to raise this place from the dust is because I want to build my sanctuary. Don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely no interest in becoming the head of the barony, but I want to ensure this place becomes a safe and conducive home for me and all the things I want to do," Raze explained, then got to his feet.
"I know you have a lot of questions, Father, but I need you to trust me. I’ll be fixing our family’s state," he said and walked to the door.
"Wait," his father called out. Raze paused, his hand on the knob.
"How did you know about the illegal things the Viscount was doing?" his father asked.
"Oh, that. Let’s leave that for another day, Father. Soon I’ll tell you all you want to know," Raze said and walked out the door.
After he was gone, his father leaned back in his chair. He looked at the ceiling. "I don’t even know what’s happening. Is that really my son?"
[...]
When Raze stepped out, he saw a worried Elaine, a tired Ella, and a genuinely pissed-off Fey all standing outside the door.
"Sorry that took so long. The issue is settled, though," he said and then looked around. None of his brothers were there anymore.
"We saw the Viscount storming out angry. Did something happen?" Elaine asked.
"Nothing much. We just fixed our issue, but let’s leave that for now. We have to get Fey the goods we promised."
"Finally! You humans have no concept of keeping time," Fey said.
"You hid for three hundred years or more; you misuse time recklessly," Raze snapped back.
"Yes, and that’s because I can live for more than ten thousand years if I stay healthy. I have time to spare, the benefits of being a divine being," Fey said with a smug expression.
"Tsk, whatever. Let’s just go," Raze said and led the way.