Chapter 102: Upon the Golden Apple Tree

“Why are you handing this over to the family? What do you hope to gain?” Angus looked at Verin and asked.

“I want an estate, and it must be in a region with moderate magical energy,” Verin said, looking his father straight in the eye with an answer he had long prepared.

“That’s all?” Angus’s tone remained unchanged, as casual as in everyday conversation.

“That’s all,” Verin replied without hesitation.

Angus fell silent as he regarded his youngest son, then said, “I will grant you the estate. Besides that, the family promises you three things.”

“Anything I want?” Verin asked in disbelief.

“Of course not,” Angus said gently, stroking Verin’s head. “Within reasonable limits, the family will do its best to meet your conditions.”

“Thank you, Father.” Feeling the long-missed warmth of paternal love, Verin’s mood lightened.

“Your mother should have already prepared the dinner,” Angus said, glancing at the darkening sky.

Verin nodded and turned to the elderly steward nearby. “Uncle Winster, my knight is still waiting outside the main fortress. Please make the arrangements.”

“Leave it to me, Master Verin,” the steward replied meticulously upon receiving the nod from his lord.

“Let’s go; your mother is probably getting impatient,” Angus said.

Verin followed his father toward the hall of the First Auxiliary Fortress.

On the way, he suddenly remembered something and said, “Father, in the province of Kadero, I met Medmonchi Colombo. He asked me to send his regards.”

“Oh, him!” Angus’s pace slowed, and a hint of nostalgia touched his voice. “I heard he’s now captain of the Sixteenth Kingdom Cavalry, a unit rebuilt after the destruction. Quite an accomplishment.”

“Father, Lord Medmonchi has since broken through to the Golden tier and advanced to the Soul Will level. Why are you still... only at the high Golden tier?” Verin asked cautiously, studying his father’s expression.

Angus stopped and looked into his son’s clear eyes. “Since you want to know, I’ll tell you.”

Verin followed his father to a nearby bench and sat down.

“Forty years ago, before I inherited the title of Earl of the Eagle from your grandfather—of course, you weren’t born yet—I joined the expeditionary army assembled by the Church of Life to avoid the succession.”

“In the year 9677 of the Glorious Calendar, nearly three million humans from a coalition gathered at the border between the Kingdom of Belfas and the Duchy of Morninglight to campaign against the Black Yak Orks. The Duchy of Libovi, Kingdom of Belfas, and Duchy of Morninglight contributed eighty percent of the troops. Most of the foot soldiers came from those three states.”

Verin detected a subtle change in his father’s tone. He understood the term “foot soldiers” was a euphemism—for 2.4 million cannon fodder came from these nations.

“Additionally, the Holy Dawn Third Kingdom sent four hundred thousand troops, unquestionably the core force of the coalition. The remaining two hundred thousand were expeditionary forces from various countries, many of them formidable warriors in hiding.”

“Moreover, the Holy Shia Kingdom dispatched two million soldiers to assist the human coalition against the Black Yak Orks.”

“The war raged for six years, with battles almost every day.”

“At the Battle of Sandhill, three hundred thousand human soldiers faced two hundred thousand Black Yak Orks. Due to a command error, our forces were defeated. My legion was tasked with covering the retreat and suffered severe injuries—I was gravely wounded, damaging my foundation.”

“Father, to my knowledge, the Battle of Sandhill ended in a human victory,” Verin questioned with some confusion.

“Ha!” Angus patted Verin’s shoulder and explained, “Our Ilia Kingdom expeditionary force numbered only twenty thousand. We fought fiercely against sixty thousand Black Yak Orks pursuing us. Fewer than a thousand survived. Medmonchi Colombo was among them; he served as my standard-bearer then.”

“The war was officially declared a victory to maintain the coalition’s morale. Plus, our Ilia troops’ fierce fighting spirit was heavily publicized to boost confidence.”

“So that’s how you came to hold the titles of Honorary Bishop of the Church of Life and Commander of the Holy Dawn Third Kingdom’s auxiliary legion.”

“Yes. Of the few hundred survivors, my status, rank, and strength were the highest, so those honors were bestowed upon me.”

Seeing the strange look in his son’s eyes, Angus gave him a stern glance and said, “What are you thinking? These titles were earned with my life. Don’t be reckless on the battlefield when you go.”

“Yes, Father. I understand,” Verin said obediently, extinguishing his fantasies.

“By the way, Father, what about your injury?”

“Though my foundation was damaged, I’ve mostly recovered over these forty years. In fact, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise; my inner strength has grown considerably. I feel the day of breakthrough is coming soon.”

Verin nodded, no longer pressing the matter.

They rose from the stone bench and headed toward the hall of the First Auxiliary Fortress.

“My dear Angus, does it really take this long to cover such a short distance?” Elisa’s gentle voice held a hint of reproach as she looked at Angus.

“I was telling Verin about old times and lost track of time,” Angus replied with a tender smile toward Elisa.

“Mother, it’s been a long time,” Verin stepped forward and bowed.

“You’ve grown taller and much stronger,” Elisa said, embracing him gently. “Your grandfather sent over a Golden-tier magical beast a few months ago. I specially prepared plenty of dishes today. Make sure to eat well.”

“I will, Mother,” Verin replied, feeling his weary heart healed by her warm smile.

In a cozy and joyful atmosphere, the family of three shared a simple but heartfelt dinner.

After the meal, Verin bade farewell to Angus and Elisa and returned alone to the Seventh Auxiliary Fortress, to the room he had lived in for over a decade, where he began to rest.

The next morning, Verin came to the main fortress hall to wait for Angus.

“Verin, come with me,” Angus said, leading him to the Sixth Auxiliary Fortress.

“Sir,” two Silver Knights standing at the basement entrance saluted with fists to chests.

Angus produced his exclusive badge, and the two knights opened the door to the basement.

Curious but silent, Verin followed his father inside.