A Debt of Gratitude
"What nonsense are you spouting? My son is an indomitable man who wants to do great things. How can you stay at ho every day to wash my feet? I am already very satisfied with your kind intentions. My son has finally grown up."
Maria’s eyes shimred with warmth. The afternoon light streaming through the carved wooden windows softened her features, turning her already graceful presence almost radiant. She looked at her son not as the reckless youth he once was, but as the man she had always hoped he might beco.
Harrier Taylor stroked his beard slowly, studying Harry in silence.
The basin of warm water stead faintly between them. Harry’s hands were steady as he rinsed his father’s feet with careful movents—far too careful for a young master who once avoided even the simplest duties.
"It seems," Harrier finally said, nodding with restrained satisfaction, "that he has indeed grown up after this journey."
They did not know that Harry’s sudden transformation had only one cause.
Fear.
A single na echoed in his mind like a blade hanging over his neck.
Leon.
The dignified Divison Master of the Athyst Summit Division of Celestis Academy.
Harry had once strutted proudly through Ashford City like a peacock, mocking others, flaunting status, indulging in excess. But that encounter—those calm purple eyes that saw through him entirely—had stripped him bare.
He still rembered the words.
If your filial piety is false... I will personally visit the Taylor family.
Harry’s spine went cold at the mory.
"Alright, Father," he said with forced brightness, though his back was damp with sweat beneath his robes. "I’ll wash your feet too. You’ve worked so hard for our Taylor family all these years. It’s ti I show proper respect."
"You’ve worked hard," Harrier replied, visibly pleased, leaning back slightly. "Yes... my son has finally matured."
The mont his boots ca off—
A wave of pungent scent rushed upward.
Harry’s smile twitched.
His vision darkened for half a second.
"Ah... Leon and I are irreconcilable enemies."
He cursed inwardly, teeth grinding behind a polite grin.
This humiliation—this suffering—was all because of that man.
But he dared not slacken.
He lowered his head and continued washing carefully. Every movent was deliberate. Every gesture sincere. Even if his stomach churned.
This was survival.
When he finished, he lifted the basin with both hands.
"Father, Mother," he said respectfully, lowering his gaze, "I’m going back to my room to train."
Silence filled the hall.
Harrier blinked.
Train?
The boy who once needed threats to sit for even a single hour?
"Yes... go. Good son," Harrier said slowly, trying to keep his composure. Inside, however, his heart was swelling with pride.
After Harry left, the room grew quieter.
Harrier leaned back in his chair, thoughtful.
"What exactly happened to him this past month..." he murmured.
Maria adjusted her sleeve gently, her green eyes thoughtful.
In recent days, whispers had circulated through Ashford City. Stories of a young, handso Divison Master from Celestis Academy. A man of extraordinary cultivation and bearing. A presence so calm that even household heads felt pressure before him.
She had listened carefully.
Leon.
Even the na carried weight.
And now, her son had returned from traveling... changed.
She was not foolish.
There was a connection.
Harrier suddenly called out, "Elder White. Elder Black."
Two elderly figures stepped into the hall swiftly and bowed.
"You summoned us, Patriarch?"
Harrier gestured for them to sit.
"Tell ," he said evenly. "What exactly happened when Harry encountered Leon?"
Elder White and Elder Black exchanged a glance before explaining the entire incident—how Harry had provoked Leon, how Leon had spoken calmly yet decisively, how the re threat of verification had shaken Harry to the core.
As they finished—
Harrier did not look angry.
Instead—
He laughed.
A deep, satisfied laugh that echoed through the hall.
"Really? Hahaha!" He slapped the armrest. "Madam, should we not thank him properly?"
Maria smiled faintly, relief washing through her.
She had feared punishnt.
Instead, there was opportunity.
Harrier leaned forward, eyes sharp with clarity.
"He is a Divison Master of the Athyst Summit Division. A King realm expert. A man of status and vision. Do you think such a figure truly intended to humiliate our son?"
He shook his head.
"No. He gave him a chance."
A chance to live properly.
A chance to inherit without ruining everything.
Harrier understood.
Leon had not destroyed his son.
He had reshaped him.
Maria’s voice softened. "Indeed. If Harry had continued down that path... the Taylor family might not survive another generation."
The words hung heavy.
They both knew it was true.
Harry had been reckless, arrogant, intoxicated by status. When Harrier eventually passed, such a son would not maintain alliances. He would destroy them.
And now?
He trained voluntarily.
He showed respect.
He restrained himself.
Leon’s single sentence had accomplished what years of scolding could not.
Maria clasped her hands lightly.
"Honey," she said gently, "next month is the Seven Division Martial eting at Celestis Academy. Should we prepare generous gifts and express our gratitude?"
Harrier stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Good. It is settled."
He nodded decisively.
"Respected Leon has given my son a second life. We must express our gratitude properly. Moreover, Celestis Academy is a renowned immortal Acedmy within the Drake empire. He leads a Divison—his status is illustrious."
He paused, calculating further.
"Currently, in Ashford City, every major household has backing from powerful forces. The Zain family relies on Sky Breaker Acedmy. The Lavahound household has Gyen Academy. Only our Taylor family stands alone."
His gaze sharpened.
"I believe Celestis Academy is the most suitable ally."
Elder White nodded slowly.
"Patriarch sees far."
Harrier turned to him directly.
"Elder White, prepare several precious gifts. Deliver them personally to the Athyst Summit Division. Our offerings may not impress an expert like Respected Leon, but they will be useful to his students."
He allowed a faint smile.
"This is not rely gratitude. It is goodwill."
Elder White bowed deeply.
"It will be done."
Maria watched her husband with admiration.
She had always known Harrier was capable.
But today, she felt sothing else.
Relief.
Her son was no longer spiraling toward ruin.
And sowhere beyond Ashford City, a calm young Divison Master with purple eyes had unknowingly altered the destiny of the Taylor family.
Maria closed her eyes briefly.
In her heart, she whispered a silent thank you.
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