For a moment, silence settled over the study.
The atmosphere between him and his father gave Lanqi a rough sense that this conversation would likely carry significant weight for them both.
Judging from his father's expression, it was to be a talk about the future, duty, and family honor.
Lanqi therefore held his tongue until his father spoke first.
Slowly shifting his gaze, Lanqi noticed the butler smiling at him.
It was that same old-fox grin as ever.
Lanqi felt a faint prickle of discomfort and promptly looked away.
That left only the towering bookshelves lined neatly with a dazzling array of volumes, as well as the oil painting hanging on the wall, to rest his eyes on.
Supposedly, this was an ancient masterpiece long treasured by the family; illuminated by the elegant magic lamp, it infused the entire study with an artistic aura.
Yet clearly.
It fell short of Lanqi's own art.
After a long pause.
Noe finally seemed to have settled on his words and spoke:
"Lanqi, you came of age a month ago... The family has cleaned up far too many messes on your behalf during this time. I do not think you can continue living with such reckless abandon."
Another brief silence followed.
Or rather, a period of waiting.
Noe was unsure whether Lanqi, feeling exposed in his act, would fly into a rage and throw a tantrum after hearing this.
For in his eyes, the change Lanqi had shown these past two days seemed more like a temporary ploy.
Most likely, Lanqi had realized that the family was about to clamp down on his extravagant spending and wanton behavior.
Thus, he was suppressing his unruly vices, trying to play docile for a short while to weather this storm in peace.
However.
Contrary to Noe's expectations.
Lanqi's gaze remained clear and tranquil throughout.
After reflecting on the matter, he gave an earnest nod.
He replied:
"I am truly sorry. I promise never to do anything that tarnishes the family's honor again."
This caught Noe completely off guard, and he could not help but squint. He looked Lanqi up and down once more.
No matter how one looked at him, he was a fine young man.
For a fleeting second, Noe even felt he ought to be proud to have such a well-mannered, bright-eyed son.
This boy was either genuinely remorseful, or he was still putting on a brave front.
Although Noe preferred the former, he knew the latter was far more probable.
It was hardly possible that some sudden trigger had completely transformed this foolish son's entire mental state, was it?
Still, it did not matter.
Whether Lanqi was putting on an act or not, Noe had a fundamental way to decide how to handle him going forward.
*Ahem.*
Noe cleared his throat, sat up a bit straighter, and fixed his eyes on Lanqi.
"How are your preparations for the entrance exam to the School of Alchemy coming along?"
His tone seemed to soften slightly, yet the underlying message was even sterner.
"You should know that even though my cross-border trade keeps me in the Empire most of the year, that does not mean I neglect you entirely. My tolerance toward you has always been based on the premise that you are taking your life seriously."
"Heh heh..."
The moment the words fell, the butler standing behind Noe could not help curling his lips into a faint smile.
Part of it was schadenfreude at the young master's predicament, but mostly it was sheer amusement, curious to see how the young master would respond.
"..."
Lanqi held his tongue for the moment, though a jolt ran through his heart at those words.
In his predecessor's memories, the boy had never studied at all!
The School of Alchemy Noe referred to was a branch of Ikerite Academy, the oldest academy in the kingdom, situated in the royal capital of the Hutton Kingdom.
Each year, the academy admitted promising youths of eligible age from the Hutton Kingdom and neighboring lands, and it enjoyed a well-deserved reputation across the entire Southern Continent.
The School of Alchemy was one of its four constituent schools.
Renowned for its alchemical craftsmanship and theoretical research, the entrance exam for the School of Alchemy was so difficult that his predecessor had given up before even attempting to study.
Yet his predecessor had constantly lied, claiming he was studying hard to get into the School of Alchemy, thereby winning his parents' reassurance and trust while squandering copious amounts of pocket money to carouse day after day.
*Curse that damned predecessor.*
*He enjoyed all the perks, and now I'm the one left holding the bag!*
Lanqi cursed silently in his heart.
Still, in the original course of events, his predecessor would never have faced this predicament.
Because Talia would have ended all of the foolish young heir's worldly troubles for him.
At this thought, Lanqi suddenly furrowed his brows.
"Father, are there any other enterprises in this world that share the name 'Wilfort Chamber of Commerce'?"
Lanqi asked.
"Hm?"
Noe seemed baffled by Lanqi's abrupt shift in topic, but seeing the earnestness in Lanqi's eyes, he replied with considerable pride:
"I cannot say with certainty whether there are small businesses with similar names, but when it comes to large-scale commercial enterprises trading across the Hutton Kingdom and the Creti Empire, we are the only one."
After Noe finished, Lanqi showed no change in expression and merely nodded in silence.
Now that he had altered his fate of being killed by Talia and survived, he would naturally have to confront circumstances the foolish young heir never would have encountered.
Lanqi had long felt that his family name, Wilfort, sounded familiar, though he had not been able to recall where he had seen it.
Upon hearing Noe's words, Lanqi finally remembered: two years after the current timeline, in the game's main story, there was a side quest named "The Wilfort Tragedy"!
The quest brief stated that a transnational trading enterprise had abruptly collapsed overnight for unknown reasons, and every high-ranking figure associated with it had been murdered one after another. Players could choose whether to investigate it, and the quest's required level had been exceedingly high.
His surname was Wilfort, his family's business was the Wilfort Chamber of Commerce, and it was the only major transnational company with that name...
Then that tragic household was undoubtedly his own.
It seemed he could not just lounge about freely. He had to strive for at least a year or two to investigate and eliminate the hidden peril facing his family in advance!
The family fortune was what he was counting on to retire at twenty; he had to protect it at all costs.
Calling up what information he could recall regarding Ikerite Academy, Lanqi replied with measured composure:
"I promise I will pass the entrance exam without issue."
In truth, he had no objections to attending the academy in the royal capital.
One could even say that in his predecessor's memory, it was a dreamlike institution—
Not only did it boast the Hutton Kingdom's most cutting-edge magic engineering technology and abundant advanced facilities and resources, but it also offered exceptional protection.
Right now, he was still a harmless Tier 1 classless person, possessing neither the power to protect himself nor the status required to make powerful figures value and shield him.
To rashly venture into the Creti Empire—the most probable source of the trouble—to investigate would be nothing short of suicide.
It was better to cultivate his potential in the Hutton Kingdom first.
If he wanted to rise to fame in the shortest time possible, win the favor of influential figures or top powerhouses in this world, and build connections, becoming a master card maker was definitely the shortcut best suited to his talents.
Going to Ikerite Academy to draw upon the School of Magic Engineering's resources would be hundreds of times more efficient than studying card crafting alone in a frontier city-state like this.
The royal capital was also a far grander stage for him to show his true potential.
At worst, as long as he could make his fortune in the royal capital of Ikerite, he could personally find a way to bankrupt his father's Wilfort Chamber of Commerce when the time came, thereby preventing the destruction of their lives!
"Hm?"
Noe raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious to Lanqi's intensely filial plan, merely feeling skeptical about Lanqi's confidence in getting admitted.
He had assumed that his foolish son, with his ruffian-like demeanor, would show his true colors here.
He had not expected Lanqi to do nothing more than knit his brows and stubbornly hold his ground.
Indeed, Lanqi's reactions today had defied Noe's expectations at every step.
Although Noe did not have much energy to spare for Lanqi's daily life, and the butler and maid always did their best to shield the boy whenever questioned, Noe was no fool. He could still roughly gauge the state in which Lanqi spent his days.
"Since you put it that way, if you pass the entrance exam, it will mean I misjudged you, and I will apologize..."
Noe said in a deep voice, his torch-like gaze probing deep into Lanqi's emerald eyes.
"However, if you fail to pass the academy's exam, does that prove you have been betraying our trust?"
"Of course. That is only fair."
Lanqi's reply remained entirely unhurried.
"Then I shall not disturb you any longer today. Go back to studying hard. I will purchase your train ticket to the royal capital in advance; you need not worry about that."
At this point, seeing Lanqi offer such a crisp promise, Noe was satisfied.
Since Lanqi still insisted on being stubborn, Noe did not mind using this justifiable pretext to let him face some setbacks before willingly accepting his punishment.
In truth, Noe did not believe Lanqi could pass the School of Alchemy's exam.
Or rather, it was simply impossible.
Given the complexity of the exams, the sheer number of subjects, and the exceptionally high passing standards, one would need at least two or three years of serious preparation.
Yet this year's entrance exams for Ikerite Academy were only three months away.
If Lanqi could not even handle the School of Alchemy—the one requiring the least raw talent—then once he reached the royal capital and met his gifted peers in the other three schools, he would finally realize how foolish and pathetic his own laziness, arrogance, and shortsightedness truly were.
"Understood,"
Lanqi affirmed.
Even though his father clearly harbored doubts about him, he had maintained a high degree of tact throughout the conversation and was even willing to send him to the royal capital. Lanqi felt respected.
In that case, he would certainly live up to his father's expectations.
"As long as you are certain about sending me to the royal capital to show my true potential, I promise you will receive good news of my successful admission to the royal capital's Ikerite Academy."
"...Heh."
Noe nearly burst out laughing at the words.
He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and suppressed the mocking smile threatening to break across his face.
*Show your true potential?*
*You are only going there to take an entrance exam. What kind of massive storm could you possibly whip up?*
Noe had not expected today's conversation to go so smoothly; he had originally prepared himself for an exceedingly unpleasant row between father and son.
Punishing Lanqi was inevitable, for he needed to teach the arrogant, overconfident boy that his mistakes carried a price.
Yet surprisingly, Lanqi's earnest attitude had allowed them to reach an agreeable peace treaty today.
In Noe's view, the only difference was that before punishing Lanqi, he would let him see the wider world in the royal capital first.
In any case, Lanqi was only going to the Ikerite Academy entrance exam to make a fool of himself.
As for letting Lanqi go to the royal capital, Noe was not in the least worried that the boy would run wild like an unbroken stallion.
In this small frontier town, an ignorant Lanqi could act arrogant and domineering.
But in the royal capital of Ikerite, crawling with prominent figures and serving as the true grand stage of the Southern Continent, this unworthy son of his would surely fail to make even the slightest ripple.
After all.
Noe knew Lanqi well: the boy was merely a paper tiger, a foolish playboy.
He was by no means some uncontrollable havoc-wreaking demon king who would evolve out of hand the moment he was placed in the right environment.
That fact, at least, was reassuring.
Chapter 6