Chapter 95. I Apologize, Father (2)

The Flame Kingdom.

The Yusef Kingdom.

The Decator Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Atronia.

These four nations, facing the Great Forest of the East, were classified as the continent's weaker nations.

It was difficult for them to develop as they consumed their national power against the overflowing monsters from the undeveloped wilderness of the East, the Great Forest.

Because these four nations acted as a breakwater against the Great Forest, the other countries on the continent could develop in relative safety.

The Kingdom of Atronia, to which Patrick belonged, was no different.

The country's productivity was poor, making food self-sufficiency impossible.

As a result, it was a nation that could only be maintained by importing food and necessary goods from foreign countries at high prices.

In other words, in this country, commerce was no different from the nation's lifeline.

In such a Kingdom of Atronia, the merchant guild boasting the largest trade volume was the Elbador Merchant Guild.

And the man who had grown the Elbador Merchant Guild to its current position was the current guild master, Aron.

In his father's generation, the Elbador Merchant Guild was a fairly large guild, but not to the extent of being considered the best in the kingdom.

But Aron, at a young age, took the position of guild master and, over 40 years, expanded his guild in all directions, finally solidifying its position as the kingdom's top merchant guild.

It was no exaggeration to say that the current Elbador Merchant Guild was his creation.

The undisputed top merchant of Atronia.

That was Guild Master Aron.

Today, Patrick came to meet that man for an important discussion, fully prepared.

All of Patrick's recent actions were solely in preparation for this moment.

Having steeled his resolve and entered, what greeted Patrick was….

“Oppaaaaa!”

“Oh. Jeila. You were home.”

It was a cute girl with reddish-brown hair, slightly redder than Matthew's, who came running, her hair flying.

The girl, who appeared to be in her early teens, immediately threw herself into her older brother's arms.

Then, she rubbed her head against her brother's chest and said.

“Hehehe, oppa, it's been a long time.”

“You're all grown up and still acting like a baby….”

Matthew stroked his younger sister's head, then gave her a light kiss on the forehead and set her down.

Then he introduced the friend he had brought to his younger sister.

“This is Patrick Schneider, a fellow student from the Academy. Have you perhaps heard of him?”

At Matthew's introduction, Jeila looked towards Patrick and covered her mouth with both hands.

Then….

“No way.”

“Huh?”

“Waaah…. Oppa, is this person ‘the’ Patrick Schneider? The one rumored to be the Rising Star of the East?”

“The Rising Star of the East?”

“It's a name that has spread in the capital recently. You didn't know?”

“…Of course I didn't.”

How would Matthew, who lived in the all-boarding Academy, hear the rumors?

And Patrick also did not know that such a moniker had been attached to him.

‘The Rising Star of the East. In this life, I won't be hearing strange backtalk like Mad Dragon or whatnot.’

Patrick knew.

That in his past life, people behind his back often changed Radiant Dragon to Mad Dragon when referring to him.

Although it was a plausible moniker, Patrick himself felt it was highly unfair.

But in this life, it seemed such a thing would not happen.

Moreover….

“Crazy. Crazy. Totally crazy. He's way more handsome than the rumors, right? Totally handsome.”

Seeing the girl looking at him with sparkling eyes and admiring him, he didn't feel so bad.

‘This kid has a good eye for people.’

At this moment, Patrick decided to dote on this girl very much.

Just as he decided to reach out and gently stroke her head….

Jeila smoothly passed by Patrick and spoke to April, who was behind him.

“You are really, really handsome. How can a person look like this? Are you even human? Are you perhaps an angel?”

“……”

Patrick, frozen with his hand still outstretched.

And Matthew turned his head to the side, trying his best to ignore Patrick.

Judging by his trembling body, he seemed to be desperately holding something back.

Jeila completely ignored Patrick and showed infinite affection towards April.

“Good at swordsmanship and handsome too, kyaaaa! With this face, his personality must be good and he must be smart too. Right? Right?”

What on earth was the proportional relationship between face and personality & intelligence?

He couldn't understand the heart of a teenage girl, but one thing was certain: this girl had completely fallen for April.

“How can you live life having it all like that? What's your secret? Do you have a young lady you're courting right now? You have a thing for cute younger girls, right? Right?”

She was too aggressive.

April was breaking out in a cold sweat, at a loss as to how to respond.

And Matthew, who had been holding back his laughter, stepped in.

“Jeila.”

“Ah, what?”

“Can you look at your oppa for a moment?”

“Don't talk to me, you're disturbing my admiration.”

“……”

Now she had even cast aside her long-lost brother.

A fearsome child.

Jeila stared with her eyes wide open as if to engrave the sublime beauty before her onto her retinas without missing a single second.

It was quite scary.

Matthew spoke to his younger sister, whose whites of her eyes were red and bloodshot.

“My friend, Patrick Schneider, is this one.”

“Huh? This one…. Huh? …There was a person here?”

“……”

Due to April's excessive beauty, Patrick's very existence had become blurred.

Like a candle needlessly lit in broad daylight, Patrick was like a non-existent light to this girl.

‘Wow, this is the first time I've been ignored this badly.’

At this moment, Patrick quietly added ‘young girls who only care about looks’ to the fifty-fifth spot on his list of dislikes.

It had been quite a while since the last update.

Then Matthew coughed and spoke to his younger sister.

“Ahem, father is inside, right?”

“Yes. He's waiting.”

“Alright. Then I should greet him first. Patrick, you're coming too, right?”

“Of course.”

The reason Patrick had come here was for this very meeting.

The party went up to the second floor.

Matthew led the way, followed by Patrick, and April followed behind him, but….

“What are your hobbies? What do you usually do? Do you have any thoughts of changing jobs? I'm hiring a private tutor?”

“…I have no thoughts of changing jobs, Lady.”

“Kyaaaa! He called me Ladyyyyy!”

“……”

Pretending not to hear the girl's shrieking voice, Patrick and Matthew arrived at a room on the second floor.

And Matthew knocked on the door first.

Knock knock.

“Father, it's me.”

“Come in.”

After hearing the answer, he opened the door and went in.

Then, he saw a middle-aged man sitting at a desk, looking at documents.

The full white hair and the wrinkles on his face showed the traces of time.

‘I thought Matthew's father would be young, was this guy a late child?’

That's right. As Patrick had expected, Matthew was a son Aron had after marrying late.

Originally, he had neglected his personal life to focus on growing the merchant guild, married after turning forty, and after a few more years, his first child, Matthew, was born.

So now that Matthew had entered the Academy, the Elbador Merchant Guild master Aron was over sixty years old.

“Wait a moment. I can't take my eyes off this document right now.”

“Yes. Understood, father.”

Even though his son had arrived, Aron showed that he was more focused on the document in front of him.

Matthew waited, as if he were used to this side of his father.

However….

“Hey, Patrick?”

“Huh? What?”

“It seems we'll have to wait a bit.”

“Then we wait. What's the problem?”

“…You know how to wait?”

“……”

‘What the hell did this bastard think of me?’

Patrick was hurt.

Though he had brought it upon himself.

Fortunately, there was no need to wait for long.

Aron was a competent person, and the pile of documents that had been stacked high was quickly approved and disappeared.

And 10 minutes later.

“Hooo….”

Aron finished his paperwork and rose from his desk. Then….

“Ooh, my beloved son. Welcome.”

“Ah…. Father. It's been a long time.”

“Yes. This fellow must have suffered so much at the Academy for his face to become half its size. Are you eating properly?”

“I am. I'm eating well.”

“You seem to have lost a lot of weight….”

The competent merchant who had been reviewing documents and signing them with a cold gaze until a moment ago was gone.

At this moment, there was only a doting old man who was a fool for his child.

‘My, he's a person who can switch his mindset completely.’

Patrick quietly watched and evaluated Aron.

And Matthew, after pulling away from his father's embrace, introduced his friend.

“This is Patrick Schneider, who is studying with me at the Academy.”

“Right. I heard in the letter. So this friend is that Patrick Schneider.”

Patrick was now a celebrity.

Aron looked at Patrick intently.

The genius boy who had recently caused a stir in White Town.

He did not take lightly the fact that this boy had requested a meeting with him.

Patrick, unfazed by Aron's appraising gaze, said.

“I am Patrick Schneider. Thank you for making it such a difficult time today.”

Neither disrespectful nor servile.

Matthew was slightly surprised by Patrick's calm and familiar way of speaking.

‘What's this? Seeing him like this, he looks like an educated man who has learned manners.’

Normally, Patrick didn't show such courtesy to even the professors at the Academy, let alone the seniors.

If you tried to force him to greet someone by picking on it….

[Heeeeeey, how's it goooooin'.]

He would give a crooked greeting with an attitude that seemed to have gathered all the delinquency and cockiness in the world.

So Matthew thought Patrick had some strange belief inside him like, ‘I don't do things like manners.’

‘He should be like this normally. That damn bastard….’

Matthew made a sour face, but his father Aron did not see it.

He was too busy appraising the young man in front of him.

‘Hmm, so this friend is that Patrick Schneider.’

He looked at Patrick with an interested gaze and then said.

“So you're the man who achieved the greatest feat since the founding of the Academy.”

“Yes. That's right.”

“Does it not displease you? For a mere merchant like me to be speaking down to the Rising Star of the East?”

“Not at all. You are my friend's father.”

“Hahaha. Right, is that so?”

Aron laughed heartily.

But even while laughing, his eyes did not leave Patrick's face for a moment.

To not miss even the slightest change, he was constantly ‘watching’ Patrick.

Those who say nice things with their mouths but think the opposite show signs on their faces.

Moreover, the opponent was a child who had not even had his coming-of-age ceremony, was he not?

His insight, trained through tens of thousands of consultations, would not miss the changes in such a boy.

“…Why?”

“Ahem, no. It is nothing.”

‘At least he doesn't seem to be a guy who is different on the inside and outside.’

Aron could not find any awkwardness in Patrick's expression.

He corrected his posture and said to Patrick.

“It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Aron.”

“I am Patrick Schneider.”

“Right. First, let's sit down.”

The party sat in the seats prepared in the drawing-room.

And Aron began to brew tea himself right there.

At that sight, Patrick asked with a slightly surprised tone.

“You have servants, yet you are brewing the tea yourself?”

“Tea is one of my few hobbies. From choosing the teaware to choosing the tea leaves and brewing them, I do it all myself.”

“You are a master of the tea ceremony?”

“A master of the tea ceremony? I've never heard that term before.”

“Well, it's something like that.”

Come to think of it, his Master in his past life was also absorbed in the tea ceremony and would brew tea himself.

He didn't use particularly expensive tea leaves, but the tea his Master brewed was….

‘Uh, there was nothing particularly special about it. It was just tea. Anyway, Master wasn't good at anything.’

What a fire-attribute disciple.

In any case, after waiting for a short while, the tea brewed by the top merchant of the Kingdom of Atronia was served.

“Here, have a drink.”

“I will enjoy it.”

Patrick's movements as he savored the tea were perfect.

From holding the teacup and savoring the aroma, to taking a sip, slowly drinking it, quietly placing the teacup down, and exhaling, there was not a single flaw.

At that sight, Aron said in a voice tinged with faint admiration.

“You have been well taught in etiquette.”

“It is merely enough not to be ashamed.”

“Hahaha. You're even humble. I didn't know the Rising Star of the East, famed as a genius full of spirit, was such a well-mannered young man.”

“I am just grateful that you see me in a good light.”

Matthew, who was listening to the conversation between Patrick and Aron, shook his head and said.

‘What is this? This feeling of watching my family get scammed with my own eyes? And this Patrick fellow knows how to follow such elegant etiquette? Why did a guy who solves most of the world's problems by beating them up learn etiquette?’

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