For a moment, silence filled the study.
From the atmosphere between him and his father, Lance could already guess—this conversation was going to be significant for both of them.
Judging from his father’s expression, this was going to be a serious talk about his future, responsibilities, and family honor.
So before his father spoke, it wasn’t appropriate for him to say anything first.
His gaze shifted slowly, and he noticed the butler smiling at him.
That familiar fox-like smirk—the same as always.
Lance felt slightly uncomfortable and quickly averted his eyes.
The only other places he could look were the bookshelves towering with neatly arranged volumes and the paintings hanging on the walls.
One of them was a family heirloom, an ancient masterpiece that had been preserved for generations.
Bathed in the warm glow of magical lamps, it added an air of artistic refinement to the entire study.But—
It was nowhere near as good as Lance’s own paintings.
After a long pause—
Noah finally seemed to have chosen his words carefully and spoke:
“Lance, you’ve been an adult for a month now… In that time, our family has cleaned up far too many messes for you. I think it’s time you stop living so recklessly.”
Another brief silence followed.
Or perhaps, a moment of waiting.
Noah wasn’t sure how Lance would react to these words—
Would he lose his temper and throw a fit now that his act had been exposed?
Because in Noah’s eyes, Lance’s recent changes seemed more like a temporary performance.
He suspected Lance had realized that his family was finally going to start restricting his spending and reckless behavior.
So he was probably just enduring it for now, pretending to be obedient in order to smoothly ride out the storm.
However—
What happened next was completely beyond Noah’s expectations.
Lance’s eyes remained clear and calm.
After briefly reflecting on his father’s words, he nodded seriously and replied:
“I’m truly sorry. I promise I won’t do anything to tarnish the family’s reputation again.”
Noah was caught off guard.
He even blinked in surprise.
He studied Lance again.
No matter how he looked at him, he seemed like a well-mannered, decent young man.
For a brief moment—
Noah actually felt a surge of pride.
To have such a knowledgeable and respectable son with such bright, clear eyes—
This kid had either truly repented—or he was just stubbornly maintaining his act.
Though Noah hoped for the former, he knew the latter was more likely.
It was impossible for this foolish son of his to have suddenly experienced some great epiphany that completely transformed his mindset overnight, right?
Well—
It didn’t really matter.
Whether Lance was acting or not, Noah had his own methods to determine how to deal with him moving forward.
Noah cleared his throat, straightened up, and fixed his gaze on Lance.
“How’s your preparation for the Alchemical Institute’s entrance exam going?”
His tone softened slightly, but his words carried an even stricter weight.
“You should know—I may spend most of the year in the Empire due to international trade, but that doesn’t mean I’ve completely neglected you. My leniency toward you is based on the assumption that you are at least taking your life seriously.”
“Hmph…”
The moment Noah finished speaking—
Behind him, the butler’s lips curled into a faint smirk.
Thirty percent was schadenfreude, enjoying the young master’s predicament.
Seventy percent was pure curiosity, eager to see how Lance would respond.
Lance remained silent for a moment, startled by what he had just heard.
According to his past self’s memories—
He had never studied for this exam before!
The Alchemical Institute his father mentioned was a branch of Ikrit Academy, the oldest and most prestigious academy in the Hetton Kingdom.
Every year, it recruited talented young individuals from across the kingdom and surrounding nations. It was renowned throughout the southern continent.
The Alchemical Institute was one of its four branches, specializing in alchemy and theoretical research.
But the entrance exam was so difficult that his past self had given up before even trying.
Instead, he had lied to his parents, claiming he was working hard to get accepted, just to reassure them and scam more allowance money—which he wasted on pure hedonism.
Damn it.
That useless past self had enjoyed all the luxuries, and now Lance had to deal with the consequences!
Lance cursed in his head.
However—
In the original timeline, his past self wouldn’t have even needed to worry about this.
Because Talia would have saved him from all these troubles—by killing him first.
Thinking about this, Lance suddenly frowned.
“Father, are there any other businesses with the same name as Wilfort Merchant Guild?”
Lance asked abruptly.
“…Hm?”
Noah was momentarily puzzled by the sudden topic change.
But seeing Lance’s serious expression, he still answered with undeniable confidence:
“I can’t say for certain whether there are any small businesses with similar names, but as for a major international trading company that operates between the Hetton Kingdom and the Creyth Empire—there is only one. Ours.”
After Noah finished speaking—
Lance’s expression remained unchanged.
He simply nodded silently.
Since he had avoided being killed by Talia, his survival had now led him to face new problems that the original foolish rich boy never would have encountered.
Lance had always found his surname, Wilfort, strangely familiar.
But he couldn’t remember where he had heard it before.
Now, hearing Noah’s answer, he finally recalled something.
In the game’s main storyline—two years from now—
There was a side quest called “The Wilfort Massacre.”
The quest description stated that a large multinational trading company had mysteriously collapsed overnight, and its high-ranking members were brutally assassinated one by one.
Players could choose to investigate the incident—but the quest’s difficulty level was extremely high.
His surname was Wilfort.
His family business was Wilfort Merchant Guild.
And according to Noah—there was only one large-scale multinational trade enterprise with that name.
That basically confirmed it.
It was his family.
So, it looked like he couldn’t afford to slack off just yet.
At the very least—
He had to work hard for the next year or two, investigate the family’s potential crisis, and eliminate the hidden dangers ahead of time!
His family’s fortune was the key to his early retirement at twenty—he had to protect it at all costs.
After quickly recalling everything he knew about Ikrit Academy, Lance finally responded—
“I guarantee I’ll pass the entrance exam.”
His tone was surprisingly calm and composed.
Honestly—
He didn’t mind attending the academy in the royal capital at all.
In the past self’s memories, Ikrit Academy had always seemed like a dreamlike place—
Not only did it possess the most advanced magical engineering technology and resources in the Hetton Kingdom, but it also provided top-tier protection.
Right now, Lance was a first-tier, jobless nobody with no combat ability.
He had neither the power to protect himself nor the status that would make powerful figures take him seriously and ensure his safety.
Rushing blindly into Creyth Empire, the most likely source of the impending crisis, would be suicidal.
It was much safer to develop his potential first in the Hetton Kingdom.
If he wanted to rise to prominence quickly—
If he wanted to gain the attention of powerful figures, accumulate connections, and establish influence—
Then becoming a Card Master was undoubtedly the best shortcut that suited his talents.
Going to Ikrit Academy and utilizing the resources of the Magic Engineering Institute would be hundreds of times more efficient than struggling to research card crafting alone in a small border city-state.
The Royal Capital was a far better stage for him to make a name for himself.
Worst-case scenario—
Even if he failed to prevent the Wilfort Merchant Guild’s downfall, as long as he got rich in the capital first, he could personally destroy his father’s business before anyone else did, ensuring the family’s safety!
“Hmm?”
Noah raised an eyebrow.
Of course, he had no idea that his son was currently filled with such… filial intentions.
He was simply skeptical of Lance’s sudden confidence in taking the entrance exam.
He had expected this bratty, delinquent son to panic and reveal his true nature at this point.
But other than a brief frown, Lance was still holding his ground.
Every single reaction from Lance today had been outside Noah’s expectations.
Although Noah hadn’t spent much time personally managing Lance’s daily life, every time he asked the butler and maids about Lance’s behavior, they always tried their best to cover for him.
But Noah wasn’t stupid—
He could still get a general idea of how Lance had been spending his days.
“…Since you’re so confident, then if you pass the entrance exam, I’ll admit I was mistaken and apologize to you.”
Noah’s deep gaze locked onto Lance’s emerald-green eyes, sharp as a torch in the dark.
“But if you fail—”
“Wouldn’t that prove you’ve been deceiving us this entire time?”
“Of course. That’s a fair point.”
Lance’s response remained calm and composed, as if completely unbothered.
“Then I won’t keep you any longer—continue your studies.”
Noah leaned back slightly.
“I’ll arrange for your train ticket to the capital in advance, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Seeing Lance so readily commit, Noah was finally satisfied.
Since Lance was still insisting on keeping up his act, Noah didn’t mind letting him fall on his face first.
In Noah’s mind, there was no way Lance could pass the Alchemical Institute’s entrance exam.
Not a chance.
The exam was notoriously difficult, covering a vast range of subjects with extremely high standards.
Normally, a student would need at least two to three years of intense preparation to have a shot at passing.
Yet the Ikrit Academy entrance exam was only three months away.
Even among all four branches of the academy, the Alchemical Institute had the lowest talent requirements—
And yet, Lance still wouldn’t be able to make it.
When he finally arrived in the capital and saw how his peers were leagues ahead of him, only then would he realize how pathetic his laziness, arrogance, and short-sightedness had been.
“I understand.”
Lance confirmed firmly.
He could tell—
Even though his father was full of doubts, he still chose his words carefully, maintained a diplomatic tone, and even offered to send him to the capital.
Lance felt respected.
And since his father had such high expectations of him—
Then he would definitely live up to them.
“If you’re willing to send me to the capital and give me a chance to prove myself, then I guarantee you’ll hear good news about my acceptance into Ikrit Academy.”
“...Hah.”
Noah nearly laughed out loud.
He took a sip of tea, suppressing the smirk that nearly crept onto his face.
“Big ambitions, huh?”
You’re just going to take an entrance exam—what, you think you’re going to shake up the whole kingdom while you’re at it?
Noah had originally prepared for a much more unpleasant conversation.
Punishing Lance was inevitable—
He needed to teach his arrogant, overconfident son that reckless behavior had consequences.
But surprisingly, thanks to Lance’s “sincere” attitude, they had managed to reach a peaceful agreement.
In Noah’s eyes—
The only difference was that instead of punishing Lance immediately, he would first let him go to the capital and experience the real world.
After all—
Lance was only going to humiliate himself in the Ikrit entrance exam.
As for letting Lance loose in the capital?
Noah wasn’t worried at all.
In a small, insignificant border town, Lance could act arrogant and reckless because he had never seen the real world.
But in Ikrit Academy, a place filled with the most talented young elites, in the true heart of the southern continent—
This brat wouldn’t cause any trouble at all.
Because Noah knew Lance too well.
Lance was just a paper tiger, a spoiled, foolish young master.
He was definitely not some untamable beast who would evolve into an uncontrollable menace the moment he entered the right environment.
That much—
Was reassuring.