CIRICH CIRICH CIRICH
The sound of a carriage rattling through the broken road echoed along.
Inside one of the carriages, the group sat calmly.
There was complete silence for now, but Theo could see his father staring at his suit of ants, clearly trying to make so sense of it.
Theo knew that before his father could explain anything to the Emperor, he first had to understand it himself.
He still rembered the mont he stepped out of the gate and everybody saw him beside the baron.
At first, nobody seed to understand, and confusion was evident on their faces, but the closer they got after the heated discussion, the more horrified everyone’s expression beca.
It ca down to first knowing whether Theo was even safe to approach, and only when the baron asserted his authority to calm everyone down did the situation settle, if only temporarily.
"Rember," the baron said, his tone steady, "We will tell the Emperor everything we know related to your affinity and how you can evolve your beasts... But only after all the Dukes have left. I will make sure of that."
Theo nodded with a calm expression.
When Clara looked at him, she couldn’t help but feel a little antsy; Theo seed far too composed for the situation they were in.
Even after several minutes of silence, Theo was all calm and relaxed. Eventually, even the Baron seed unsettled by it.
"If there is anything on your mind, say it right now, alright?" the baron said, studying his son carefully.
His father’s words made Theo look at him with confusion.
"You have already explained everything to . What else is there to discuss?"
The baron gave a small nod.
"Whatever you do, don’t show fear when we get there... though I can’t sense any form you even now..."
Only then did Theo understand. He smiled faintly.
’He’s just worried about .’
"Father, I already know how dire of a situation this has beco. But I have been preparing for this for months."
"I am just happy there was no bloodshed when we got out the gate. The situation seems calr than we expected, and I think the Emperor really wants to talk first," Theo said his thought.
"Good observation," the baron nodded, pride flickering in his eyes.
"As for fear..." Theo’s gaze sharpened, a flash of determination burning within it, strong enough for everyone in the carriage to feel it.
"I don’t believe they would dare touch a rrick. And once I tell them what I can actually do, it won’t make sense for them to act against . They can’t be so greedy and shortsighted as to lose a unique grade tar, especially soone who can actually do sothing unique, and definitely not when we need to see the bigger picture and the whole kingdom’s survival is at stake, just as you suggested."
The more Theo spoke, the quieter the carriage beca. There was an unusual calmness in his eyes, sothing that was completely unlike him.
The baron didn’t pry any further. In truth, he saw it as a good sign. Still, there were things that needed to be clarified.
"If they classify your affinity as high alert, which I will do my best to prevent, then there’s a possibility that they will try to use you, Theo. What will you do then?" the baron asked.
Theo looked into his father’s eyes for a few seconds.
’He is testing ...’ he thought.
"As a rrick, I will never allow them to use , Father," Theo replied. "I know they will try to label as a high-alert tar, but that’s fine. I don’t mind being checked from ti to ti. But being used... that’s a different thing."
"I will make them see as useful as an ally, soone valuable, but not soone they need to control."
Theo spoke and didn’t know if he needed to say the next part but still decided to anyway.
"You know what my affinity can do, or what my hive mind is capable of, Father. Given ti, I will be walking a totally different path than anyone else. I understand that fully."
The baron remained silent throughout, yet his eyes never once indicated that what Theo was saying was wrong.
"And I am not saying this out of blind overconfidence," Theo added. "It’s the truth, and you know it too."
Theo stopped completely and stared at his father.
A mont of silence passed before the baron finally let out a warm smile he couldn’t suppress any longer.
"The gate has truly changed you, son," the baron said with pride.
"And I want you to speak your mind fully when you’re in there. The emperor is a lot more sensible than the rest of the nobility; that is why we get along so well."
"As long as I am there with you, you don’t need to hold back. I will take care of everything else."
Theo nodded in agreent; there was also another source of his confidence he hadn’t ntioned, but it lingered in his thoughts instinctively.
The baron’s authority did not stop at the title of baron.
The white-robed man traveling in the carriage behind them was truly trying to be respectful toward him, despite the situation clearly being stacked against the baron.
To use a classified gate for his own family’s selfish reasons. Refusing to send his child, who was summoned by the emperor himself for an audience. Any of those offenses would be considered treason.
Yet the baron moved around as though he had done nothing wrong, and they had even been provided a golden carriage.
’It ans they want to stay on Father’s good side, which will work perfectly for . I just need to play my part right,’ Theo thought and sighed internally.
Both Clara and Elias remained silent in the situation. They weren’t as composed as Theo, but they tried their best to maintain it.
After several more hours of simply sitting without a break, the carriage finally ca to a halt. The windows had been sealed since the beginning of the journey.
And when the gates of the carriage opened at last, Theo stepped out, only to be greeted by a shocking revelation.
The baron exited first, his authoritative aura preceding him, followed by Theo and the attendants.
All Theo could do was stare at a certain familiar castle, its towering structure stirring a wave of nostalgia within him.
His gaze drifted upward, toward a certain window on the top floor.
A feminine silhouette stood there.
And just like that, Theo had returned to the rrick castle.
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