For a moment, silence reigned. The awkward atmosphere gave Lance a hint that this conversation was supposed to be quite important. Judging by his father’s expression, it was likely something concerning the future, responsibility, and family honor. And so, he felt it would be inappropriate to speak before his father did.
He looked around slowly and noticed that the butler had pasted on that same old fake smile. Lance felt a faint twinge of unease, so he immediately averted his eyes. The only places left for him to look at were the myriad books arranged in neat rows upon the towering shelves and the oil painting hanging on the wall.
The painting in question was an ancient masterpiece and a family heirloom that had been cherished for generations. Under the soft glow of the magical lamps, it gave the whole study a feeling of understated elegance. However, it couldn’t compare to Lance’s work.
After a long period of silence, Noel finally came to a decision. "Lance, you have now been an adult for a month. During this period, we have cleaned up after you more times than I care to count. You simply cannot continue down this same path anymore."
Following that was another brief silence, or perhaps, Noel was waiting for something. In truth, he wasn't sure whether Lance would fly into a furious rage after being told off. The transformation that had occurred in these past two days didn’t seem really genuine. Instead, it came off as a performance his son had just cobbled together.
Lance had probably figured out that his family was about to crack down on his extravagant spending and unbridled behavior. Therefore, he was likely suppressing his unruly desires, hoping to weather this storm safely by temporarily feigning good conduct.
Much to Noel’s surprise, Lance remained composed, without a single ripple on his calm face. After taking a moment to reflect on the matter, his son nodded earnestly. "I am truly sorry. I promise that, from now on, I will never do anything that tarnishes the family’s name."
Noel was caught off guard, and he involuntarily rubbed the corners of his eyes. He scrutinized Lance once more. By all appearances, his son was a fine young man. For a fleeting moment, Noel even felt a surge of pride at having such a well-mannered, bright-eyed heir. The boy was either genuinely repentant, or he was still putting up a front.
Although Noel preferred the former scenario, he knew that the latter was far more probable. Surely his foolish son couldn't have suddenly undergone a complete and utter transformation triggered by some random, out-of-the-blue event, right? Whatever the reason, however, it didn't matter. Regardless of whether Lance was putting on an act or not, Noel had a way to get to the bottom of it and decide from there how to handle him.
"Ahem." After clearing his throat, Noel straightened his posture slightly and stared straight at his son. "How are your preparations coming along for the College of Alchemy’s entrance exam?"
His tone had softened somewhat, yet the underlying message was even more stern.
"I spend most of my time in the empire due to the family business, but that does not mean I do not keep tabs on you. The generosity I have extended to you rests on one condition—that you’re genuinely making something of your life."
The butler standing behind Noel couldn't help but smile a bit more broadly. Part of it was the quiet pleasure of watching the young master squirm, but he was also curious to see how Lance responded.
Lance stayed silent, startled by this new information. From the memories he had of his predecessor, he knew that the old Lance had never studied for the entrance exam before!
The College of Alchemy was a part of Ikerite University, which was located in the royal capital. It was the oldest institution in the realm and was quite renowned throughout the entire Southern Continent. Every year, it recruited promising students from the Kingdom of Hutton and its neighboring nations.
As one of the university’s four divisions, the College of Alchemy was famed for its expertise in alchemical craft and theoretical research. Its entrance exam was so notoriously difficult that the old Lance had given up without even making an attempt to study.
Unfortunately, his predecessor had also lied time and time again, claiming he was diligently studying to gain admission. His parents were lulled into a false sense of security, allowing him to squander vast sums of his allowance on ceaseless revelry.
Damn it! My accursed predecessor got to enjoy all the perks, and now I’m the one left facing the consequences!
Of course, in the original flow of events, the old Lance would never have actually encountered the predicament he was facing right now. Talia had handily put an end to his foolish predecessor’s antics before his father could confront him.
Lance frowned at the thought. He then asked, "Father, are there any other businesses in this world that are also named ‘Wilford Trading Company?’"
"Hmm?" His son’s sudden change of topic puzzled Noel, yet he met Lance’s earnest eyes and answered with a distinct air of pride, "I cannot say for certain whether there might be some small-scale businesses with a similar name, but there are no others with that name among the major trading enterprises conducting commerce across both the Kingdom of Hutton and the Krati Empire."
Lance nodded in response without a change in expression. Now that he had altered his fate, escaping the destiny of being killed by Talia, he would, in turn, have to face certain situations that his foolish predecessor would have never encountered.
He had long felt that his surname, Wilford, sounded familiar to him, yet he couldn’t quite recall exactly where he had come across it before.
Now he finally remembered why it felt familiar. In the main storyline of the game, which was set two years from now, there was a side quest titled "The Wilford Tragedy!" The quest description stated that a multinational trading corporation had abruptly collapsed overnight for unknown reasons, and individuals connected to the company's senior management were subsequently murdered one by one. Players had the option to investigate, but the quest’s difficulty level was classified as extremely hard.
His own surname was Wilford; the family business was named Wilford Trading Company. Now that he confirmed that it was the only major multinational corporation with this name, there was no mistake: this was going to happen to his own family.
It appeared he couldn't simply laze about and retire just yet. He needed to buckle down and work hard for at least another half a year, long enough to investigate and take down this latent threat in advance! After all, the family fortune was the very foundation of his plan to retire at age twenty; he absolutely had to safeguard it.
Now that he had an outline of what to do next, Lance calmly said, "Father, I promise that I will pass the exam and gain entrance to the university."
He actually didn't mind following his father’s direction. In fact, within the memories of his predecessor, the College of Alchemy had an almost mystical grandeur. Not only did it provide students access to Hutton’s cutting-edge magical engineering technology and a host of advanced facilities and resources, but it also offered them a level of protection that was second to none.
As an unemployed bum with zero combat prowess, he possessed neither the strength to defend himself nor a status significant enough to receive the protection of the kingdom’s powerful entities. Thus, if he rashly rushed off to the Krati Empire to investigate the likely root of his family’s future woes, then it’d be no different from running into death.
It was wiser to develop himself first. His goal was simple: Rise to fame as quickly as possible, gain the favor of this world’s powerful authorities and experts, and cultivate a robust network. Becoming a master card maker was undoubtedly the most suitable shortcut. His innate talents aligned perfectly with that profession.
Instead of attempting to learn card making on his own in this border city, it was a hundred times more efficient to use the resources at Ikerite University’s College of Magical Engineering.[1] The capital was also a far more suitable place for him to truly spread his wings and gain fame.
Even if all else failed, as long as he could make his fortune there, he could then find a way to dismantle the family business before it could get targeted. That would also prevent the terrible destruction of his family!
"Hm?" Noel raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious to Lance’s plan to save the Wilfords. Instead, he was questioning his son’s sheer audacity to proclaim that he would succeed in passing the exam.
He had assumed that his dim-witted son, whose recent conduct was indistinguishable from a street thug’s, would be thoroughly exposed for what he was the moment he arrived here. To his surprise, aside from a brief frown, Lance was still talking big. In fact, every single one of his son’s reactions had been completely out of his expectations.
Although Noel rarely had the time or energy to concern himself with the details of Lance’s daily life, whenever he did ask the butler and his son’s personal maid, the two servants would invariably do their utmost to cover for the boy. Yet Noel was no fool. He had an idea of how Lance typically spent his days.
"Since you’re so certain about this, if you successfully pass the entrance exam, then I shall admit I was wrong about you and apologize..." Noel said in a low, steady voice. His eyes burned with the intensity of a torch as they stared deep into Lance's eyes. "But if you fail to pass, would that not prove that you have been lying and deceiving the family this entire time?"
Lance replied in an unhurried and composed manner, "Naturally. That would be a fair assessment to make, should that happen."
"In that case, I shall not disturb you any further today. Continue to study diligently. I will purchase your train ticket to the capital in advance, so you need not trouble yourself with such matters."
At this point, Noel was satisfied that Lance had given such a straightforward promise. Since his son insisted on maintaining his story for the time being, he saw no harm in using this opportunity to let Lance learn the consequences of his own actions. Once his son had suffered a few setbacks, he would have to accept his punishment with no room left to argue.
In truth, Noel didn’t believe for a moment that Lance would be able to pass. It was simply impossible. The College of Alchemy’s entrance exam was notoriously hard. The number of subjects it tested was sky high, and the college had exceptionally high passing standards. Anyone who wanted to be admitted would need to prepare diligently for at least two to three years, yet the entrance exams were set to begin in just three months.
Admission to the College of Alchemy required the least amount of innate talent, yet even that was more than what Lance could handle. Noel was sure that, once his son traveled to the capital and encountered the truly talented individuals who had enrolled in the other three colleges, he would finally understand just how foolish and pathetic his previous laziness, arrogance, and shortsightedness had been.
Lance stated with conviction, "I understand."
Although his father still clearly harbored doubts about him, he had expressed them in a very diplomatic way. He even went as far as to offer to send him to the capital. Lance had a genuine respect for the man. Therefore, he resolved to live up to his father's expectations.
"As long as you are willing to send me to the capital and give me the opportunity to prove myself, I guarantee that you will receive the good news that I have successfully been admitted to Ikerite University."
Noel nearly burst out laughing. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and held back the smirk that was threatening to show itself. Prove yourself? You're just going there to take an entrance exam. Do you really think you're going to pull off some grand feat?
Noel hadn't expected today's conversation to go so smoothly, which was why he had fully prepared for a rather unpleasant confrontation. Punishing Lance was inevitable, as he needed to teach his arrogant and overconfident son that one needed to pay the price for one's mistakes.
Unexpectedly, Lance's sincere attitude had led to the establishment of a rather amicable agreement. As far as Noel was concerned, however, all it really meant was letting his son see a bit more of the world before his punishment fell. In any case, Lance was merely going to make a fool of himself at the entrance exam. As for letting his son go to the capital unsupervised, Noel wasn't the least bit worried that his son would run wild.
Lance could get away with being arrogant and domineering in this small border city. However, the capital and Ikerite University were a different story. Prominent, important figures abounded there. This foolish son of his certainly wouldn't be able to stir up any trouble on such a grand stage.
Noel knew his son all too well. He was simply a silly, spoiled brat who was all bark and no bite. He was certainly not a chaotic demon lord who, once placed in the right environment, would evolve into an uncontrollable typhoon.
That alone at least reassured him.
1. FYI, this is where you can learn card making, not the College of Alchemy. This is not a brain fart on the author’s part. The College of Alchemy is just where his father thought he should go. ☜