Free Web NovelChapter 8: Askelund Siblings⁵
As for the twins Lucien and Julian... well, he agrees entirely with Seraphine that they are chimpanzees who know nothing but fighting and swearing. Because they are twins and both possess a talent for combat, there has always been a rivalry between them over military achievements and personal strength
It’s clear that these two fools banged their heads hard somewhere during one of their battles, so their heads were no longer fit for use after that. That’s why, from the start, he didn’t expect them to offer anyword of substance now...
But he wanted them to be present so they would understand that a single mistake on their part—one they might not even notice—could put the entire household at risk of collapse... Well, the situation isn’t actually that dire if they know how to handle it,
but he deliberately stirred up their fears and exaggerated the matter to put pressure on them, especially Lucien, because recently, after taming an epic-class dragon and acquiring the Monstermaster ability—which allows him to tame any monster below the epic-class with a single word—this man had become extremely boastful, making him reckless and unhealthily eager for battle.
It is good for the twins to be strong, but even more so for them to be strong with a clear mind and an understanding of the consequences of their choices and their outcomes, for they are the future commanders of the Duchy’s army.
As for Evelyne... well, she’s just a child, but it’s important that she learns, and given her problematic abilities, it’s best to expose her to political tension and the chaos of the world early on, or she’ll find herself in serious trouble when she enters the adult world... She’s already overprotected simply because she’s the youngest daughter... And no one in the house has the heart to make her cry; even Lars, who bullies even the stones and trees in this house, couldn’t bring himself to bully her.
As for Lars
the reason he called Lars in was that he didn’t want to exclude him who was already suffering from paranoia and believed himself to be... an outcast... ƒreewebɳovel.com
So despite everything Lars said in an attempt to persuade him, he wasn’t really taken in... It was clear to everyone that something had caught his attention about that place, and for that reason he blurted out whatever he thought made sense without a second thought, anything that might allow him to go there...
His younger brother, Amyas, caught his attention; he was sitting with his hands on his cheeks, looking straight at him, and it seemed that the other three had been sent away by him whilst he was lost in his thoughts.
And when he saw that the Duke had finally finished gathering his thoughts, he spoke up.
"Don’t you intend to tell them the truth until the very end?"
"Don’t interfere."
"Your children deserve to know..." freēwebnovel.com
"Hah..."
"You know you can’t run from the problem forever; the day will come when they find out the truth, and then they’ll blame you."
The Duke looked at him with frustration and spoke in a strangely sharp tone, cold as ice
"Don’t try it, and don’t you dare give them any hint, for I shall not hesitate to cut off your head, Amyas. And you know I’ll do it"
"No, no, no, I wouldn’t dare... All I’m saying is that you’re clinging to the wrong things, my brother..."
"..."
"You know the Emperor won’t leave you alone and will keep putting pressure on you. The situation with the Empire is truly beyond repair... and we really aren’t obliged to stick with the Empire now that they’ve started plotting against us, but you already know that our biggest problem isn’t really the Empire."
"he is MY SON"
"and no fucking one deny that, but you already lost him ten years ago. The sooner you accept that, the better it will be for you and for him."
"Shut up"
"No, you have already struggled for a whole decade to find a solution, but you can already see the negative consequences; the child is already losing his mind. Besides, you know full well that an entire dynasty searched for centuries in vain.. Why do you harbour this blind hope? The Duchess told you this... she will not blame you, nor does she have the right to."
"...."
"Release him from this prison... because if you do not, a day will come when you wake up to a massacre and a catastrophe. You cannot control him forever."
"...."
"Release the child. Only in this way can you bid him a proper farewell and protect your other children, your home and your people."
"...."
"Hah... In any case, whatever your decision, brother... please understand that I am always by your side and will support you. I may be useless on the battlefield, but I am very good at looking after children."
Then he smiled gently and added as he rose to leave
"Besides, who knows? Perhaps he is the hero he is searching for. After all, people like him will always have a different outlook on life than us, and perhaps he will return to you victorious. So with him, perhaps you can be optimistic... Also, wasn’t Her Highness actually the princess of the fallen kingdom? Since he is the heir to the cursed throne, perhaps he will find his answer there. Give him the complete fragment of the Calamity Crown., and if he finds the remains of the crown, there may be real hope. What do you think of that? I’ll push him to get a glimpse of his Domain Weapon. Well, although this will affect his mind and might not be the best idea in the world because it will increase his instability, it will add another layer of security as long as he’s already determined to visit that Land."
