(The Next Day, The Eternal Garden, Mairon's POV)
Upon Leo's summon, Mairon arrived at the Eternal Garden the next day, as despite trying to appear calm outwardly, deep within himself, he still felt unusually nervous regarding this eting.
Ever since Leo cut him off years ago and forced him to build his own path independently, the relationship between the father and son had never truly returned to what it once was.
And despite the fact that Leo recently began speaking to him normally again, so invisible wall still remained between them, making Mairon feel strangely uneasy while standing before him now.
*Step*
*Step*
Walking slowly through the silver pathways of the Eternal Garden while golden leaves drifted peacefully around him, Mairon quietly looked around at the ethereal scenery surrounding this divine realm.
As strangely enough, looking at this scenery made him realize just how different a life his father was living compared to his, as while he rarely had ti to enjoy peace and quiet anymore, Leo was living in an entire realm that had nothing but peace and quiet.
'Has the old man gone soft?'
He wondered for a mont before shaking his head, as he realized that it wasn't the old man going soft, but rather the fact that the old man had upgraded his lifestyle, after pulling the Cult out of imdiate danger.
Eventually, as he continued walking, he finally spotted Leo waiting for him near the cliffs, as unconsciously, his eyes lowered slightly while his footsteps gradually slowed without him even realizing it himself.
'Am I intimidated by the old man?'
He wondered, as despite his usual confident personality, standing before Leo today, still sohow made him feel like a child once again.
"It's been a while, father," Mairon muttered quietly while avoiding direct eye contact, as his voice sounded noticeably more restrained than it normally did during ordinary conversations.
However, instead of responding coldly like Mairon secretly feared he would, Leo simply walked toward him before pulling him into a warm and gentle embrace imdiately.
*Hug*
*Back pat*
"Yes, it has, my son. Yes, it truly has," Leo replied softly, as hearing the warmth hidden behind those words caused Mairon's tense body to relax slightly for the first ti since arriving here.
Because only now, after hearing that softness within Leo's voice again, did Mairon finally realize that the man standing before him today was his father and not the Cult Master.
And strangely enough, that realization alone almost made Mairon emotional, as over the past few years, he genuinely began missing monts like this more than he liked admitting openly.
Eventually, the two separated slowly, as this ti, Mairon finally looked directly into Leo's eyes properly without avoiding his gaze or lowering his head awkwardly like earlier.
"I think you already understand why I summoned you here today," Leo began calmly while observing his son carefully, as Mairon imdiately nodded without hesitation hearing those words.
"Yes, I know. It's because of Mauriss," Mairon replied quietly, before pausing briefly while clenching his fists, as complicated emotions surfaced within him gradually.
"However, honestly speaking, father, I have absolutely no interest in eting that snake whatsoever, because just hearing his na alone already irritates more than enough."
His gaze sharpened slightly afterward while years of buried emotions quietly resurfaced inside him one after another without restraint or hesitation anymore.
"But there is sothing else I need to admit to you today. Sothing that has honestly been bothering for a very long ti now, ever since you forced to walk independently."
Leo remained silent while listening carefully, as seeing that calm patience sohow only made Mairon's emotions grow even heavier while standing before his father today.
"Father… only after you cut off did I finally understand just how much you were actually doing for throughout my entire life," Mairon admitted slowly while his fingers tightened unconsciously beside him.
"Back then, I genuinely believed everything I possessed was sothing I naturally deserved, whether it was advancent potions, resources, protection, influence, opportunities, or connections that opened doors for automatically."
A bitter smile appeared briefly across his face afterward while disappointnt toward his younger self beca visible within his eyes gradually.
"And honestly, I was arrogant enough to believe I earned all those privileges entirely through my own talent and effort without properly appreciating the people supporting behind the scenes."
His gaze lowered briefly toward the ground beneath him while frustration and embarrassnt quietly surfaced within his expression more visibly now.
"But only after I started building the Fundantalists independently, only after I spent years struggling to sustain my own organization financially, and only after personally experiencing how difficult it is to procure resources…"
Mairon slowly looked back toward Leo again before continuing further without stopping this ti.
"…did I finally realize how absurdly privileged I truly was growing up beneath your protection and uncle's love, because the things I once treated casually are things ordinary people spend entire lifetis chasing unsuccessfully."
A heavy silence settled between father and son afterward while the ocean waves crashed softly against the cliffs nearby, creating a strangely peaceful atmosphere around the conversation.
"You joined the Cult as an outsider. You built your reputation yourself, climbed through endless suffering, betrayal, bloodshed, and war until eventually becoming the Cult Master entirely through your own rit and perseverance."
His voice grew more emotional with every passing sentence while years of buried respect finally surfaced openly through his words without concealnt anymore.
"anwhile, I was born directly into power. I had mother, I had you, I had protection, influence, resources, opportunities, and a family na capable of intimidating entire worlds automatically."
Mairon shook his head slowly afterward while quietly laughing at his own past arrogance and ignorance regarding the reality surrounding his privileged upbringing.
"And the worst part is that I genuinely failed to appreciate any of it properly while I still had it, because I was too arrogant and immature to understand what true struggle actually ant."
He clenched his jaw tightly afterward before finally saying the words lingering within his heart for years now.
"So today, I just want to say this honestly. I understand now. I understand why you beca strict with , why you wanted to struggle, and why you wanted to run the Cult the way you do."
A faint bitterness entered his expression afterward while regret quietly surfaced within his gaze once more.
"If I understood back then what I understand today, then honestly speaking, I would never have behaved the way I did while growing up beneath your protection."
The confession ended there, as strangely enough, once those words finally left his chest properly, Mairon felt lighter than he had felt in many years.
anwhile beside him, Leo simply stared silently toward his son for several monts while genuine surprise gradually surfaced within his usually calm expression naturally.
Because if there was one thing Leo understood extrely well about Mairon, it was that the boy absolutely despised empty flattery and aningless emotional manipulation.
Which ant that everything he just said today was genuine.
As smiling softly afterward, Leo stepped forward before pulling Mairon into another warm embrace while responding calmly without hesitation or awkwardness between them anymore.
"I struggled because I wanted the next generation to struggle less than I did, and if you struggle now, then it should only be so your own children soday are born into a world even better than yours."
Mairon remained silent hearing that answer, because sohow, those simple words hit him harder emotionally than anything else spoken throughout today's entire conversation between them so far.
As eventually, Leo gestured for him to walk alongside him casually, as the two slowly began strolling through the Eternal Garden side by side.
"Mauriss is an extrely difficult existence to understand properly, and while I completely understand why you have absolutely no interest in eting him…you also need to understand sothing important, which is that it is always better to keep your friends close and enemies closer, instead of remaining blind regarding their intentions."
A dangerous calm lingered behind Leo's words while he continued speaking steadily without any visible emotional fluctuation upon his face whatsoever.
"If Mauriss is plotting sothing, then I would rather know about it beforehand than let him spring a surprise on ."
Mairon nodded quietly while listening carefully beside him, as despite his personal aversion to eting the Deceiver, he decided to respect his father's wishes.
"So what I want you to do is, arrange the eting here, in the Eternal Garden, so that I can be beside you when you talk…."
Leo continued while his gaze shifted briefly toward Mairon.
"With by your side, your safety will never beco a question, while together we can figure out what that fox is up to."
Leo said, as Mairon looked toward Leo silently for several monts afterward before eventually nodding seriously without offering even the slightest bit of resistance or argunt toward the proposal.
"If that is what you desire, father, then that is exactly what we shall do," Mairon replied calmly, as the obedient answer genuinely caught Leo slightly off guard internally.
'Has my son really grown up?'
Leo could not help but wonder, as this version of Mairon was sothing that not even he had expected at all.
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