After a long time, my parents and brother looked healthy.
My father, Teon Percus, head of the Percus Family, extended his hand to me with a warm smile, as always.
With a friendly, middle-aged demeanor, my father was known for his informal attitude.
Despite being a noble, he didn’t carry a sense of authority.
Most nobles learn power along with etiquette as they grow. They come to realize that the differences in status and the authority akin to a sword are fundamental to maintaining society.
This was a type of social trend built over generations.
Thus, most nobles could not shy away from a sense of authority, even if they wanted to. In fact, the very existence of a noble like my father was an anomaly.
No matter how unique a person was, they couldn’t completely escape the influence of education.
I had once heard it explained that the short history of the Percus Family contributed to this. The shorter the history, the less cultural assets are accumulated, so it made sense.
Thanks to that, I found it much easier to adapt to the Academy, so I didn’t have any particular complaints.
The only concern I had was one.
Except for Reto and Celin, who had interacted with me since childhood, my father had never met any of my friends.
He certainly never expected their outstanding backgrounds.
One of the highest leaders of the Holy Kingdom, the Lady Virgin Saint.
A genius swordsman from the Yuridina Clan, Ceria.
A promising talent from the renowned mage family, the Rainelle Clan, Senior Elsi.
These were individuals I hadn’t interacted with for a while even within the Academy. For them to suddenly come as my friends after just a few months must have seemed quite unexpected for my father.
However, surprisingly, my father did not appear to be that shocked.
“Welcome, guests. Friends of my foolish son…”
“Ah, no!”
It was the women who were more startled.
Especially Senior Elsi, who raised her voice in surprise upon hearing the words “foolish son.”
“Oh, no! I owe so much to the host… I mean, to I-an! Really!”
Senior Elsi’s title had improved slightly, but it was still strange.
Though she managed to get through “host,” she was flustered enough that she couldn’t change the title to “I-an.”
Nonetheless, my father merely placed his hand on the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly.
“Hahaha, Miss Rainelle has quite a peculiar way of speaking, doesn’t she? ‘I-an’…”
My father’s gentle, golden eyes flicked toward me.
I merely cleared my throat and looked away.
Eventually, my father closed his eyes, a bittersweet smile on his face, and shook his head.
“…You seem quite far from hearing such honorifics, don’t you?”
To my father, I would always look like a young boy, so it couldn’t be helped.
Isn’t that how parents are?
If I wanted to stand before my father as a confident adult, I had to demonstrate the appropriate demeanor.
Of course, in my family’s home after a long absence, it wasn’t just my father who would scold me.
My mother still saw me as her considerably younger son.
With a dignified presence, my mother still looked youthful. While my father had a youthful appearance, my mother looked even younger than that.
At a glance, one might even mistake her for my older sister.
However, the affection and worry in her eyes were emotions only a mother with children could possess.
My mother first hugged me tightly for a long time after seeing me after so long. Then she sighed and began to chide me seriously.
“I-an, I keep hearing strange rumors lately… about you defeating a mage and thwarting the Dark Cult’s schemes.”
“… Yeah, well.”
At a loss for words, I could only look away again.
I had a rough idea of what my mother would say next.
“Of course, you’re an adult now, and it’s time for you to take responsibility for your choices. However, our Percus Family has always upheld the principle of moderation. Although rumors tend to be exaggerated, I can’t help but worry as your mother that you got involved in something so dangerous.”
It seemed my mother thought there was exaggeration in the rumors about me.
Just a short while ago, I had been attending the Academy without a care in the world, and now suddenly I had become a rising superstar on the continent; she must have thought it nonsensical.
Honestly, I still couldn’t feel it myself.
I thought it was just as well.
After almost dying several times, I had now reached the point where I couldn’t recover unless I faced danger, though I wondered how she would react if I confessed that.
She might just faint on the spot.
My mother was a soft-hearted person. As a dutiful son, I decided to at least try to reassure her a bit.
“Don’t worry too much, Mother. I returned safely with all my limbs intact, didn’t I?”
But my mother only looked at me with even more sorrowful eyes.
I was at a loss for words and anxious. Having been away from my family for a while, I couldn’t grasp what to say.
It was then that the Lady Virgin Saint spoke.
“Mother, I can understand your feelings, even if just a little.”
“…Ah, Lady Virgin Saint.”
My devoutly Heavenly Deity Sect mother was taken aback by the Lady Virgin Saint’s appearance and immediately stood up. However, the Lady Virgin Saint stopped her with a kind smile.
Although she still looked dazed, my mother hesitated and sat back down.
The fact that a being like the Lady Virgin Saint was in the Percus Manor was incomprehensible.
“Those who worry each time I-an goes into battle are not just you, Mother. I too have had to endure countless moments of anxiety by I-an’s side.”
The gentle voice penetrated my mother’s ear.
My mother seemed genuinely touched that even the Lady Virgin Saint empathized with her. After all, she wasn’t just worrying about me alongside her.
No parent could remain unmoved by the fact that their child was receiving treatment beyond their imagination.
Seeing my mother with a look of appreciation, the Lady Virgin Saint quickly took both of her hands.
“Yet, please don’t worry, Mother. I will always be by I-an’s side. With this power granted by the Lord, I will support I-an for as long as necessary.”
Supporting for as long as necessary.
If just listening to that made it sound like a proposal.
My mother, of course, was deeply moved and even on the verge of tears. The miraculous powers wielded by the Lady Virgin Saint were nothing short of a miracle.
If she were by my side, I would certainly not lose my life.
My mother tightly held the Lady Virgin Saint’s hands and repeated her pleas.
“Please take good care of our I-an, Lady Virgin Saint. He’s… so gentle and innocent that he struggles to even see bl**d. I had so much trouble when I first let him hold a sword…”
“Ah, ahaha… That, that I-an? He, he dislikes seeing bl**d?”
The Lady Virgin Saint tried to laugh it off, but unable to do so, she looked at me in disbelief.
It was as if she was asking what kind of nonsense this was.
But what could I do? It was the truth.
Still, both my father and mother were somewhat better off.
As the heir of the Percus Family, my brother, Aron Percus, was known for his particularly sparse speech.
Unlike the delicate build common among the Percus family, he stood out with a robust physique.
A large man with a solid presence tends to give a strange sense of pressure when he is quiet. So, my brother often found himself misunderstood, and today seemed no different.
Ceria was nervously glancing at him for clues.
Regardless, my brother said nothing and merely observed Ceria. His golden eyes were deep enough that it was hard to read them.
After finally finishing my greetings with my parents, I approached my brother.
He silently met my gaze, and I threw my arms around him with a big smile.
“…Brother!”
As I approached him warmly, he patted my shoulder a few times in his usual silent manner.
He appeared indifferent, but I knew. Behind that gaze lay a satisfaction.
He was happy to see his younger brother after such a long time.
Despite his appearance, my brother was quite thoughtful and caring. He was particularly fond of me, making him someone I felt closest to.
On the other hand, Liya seemed oddly hesitant around Aron.
It seemed my brother’s bear-like appearance projected a sense of distance for Liya. There was a time when he had felt dejected about it, but now he seemed to have accepted it without showing any sadness.
Of course, when Liya still tended to avoid my brother, he would occasionally show a hurt expression. But that was simply unavoidable.
Just like in friendships, there will always be certain mismatches even among family.
Especially since Liya had spent a long time away due to illness in her childhood, everyone must have seemed unfamiliar when she returned to the family home.
Perhaps that’s why she clung to me.
I had spent the most time with Liya back then, taking care of her during her illness.
In the end, my parents had to maintain their stature as the masters of the Percus Family, and Aron, being by nature quiet, couldn’t help but be that way.
So even now, when Liya faced my parents and Aron, she always maintained a respectful demeanor. The only person she could be comfortable around was me.
For me, being around Aron was far easier than my parents or the picky Liya.
He was a kind brother who never raised his voice even when I played mischievous pranks as a child. I smiled brightly and asked him.
“It’s been a while, Brother! Have you been doing well?”
“Hmm, yeah. I’ve been fine, but…”
Once again, my brother’s stoic gaze turned to Ceria.
Ceria seemed anxious, wondering if she had done something wrong.
However, my brother’s interests always had a tendency to surpass expectations.
“…Is she a sister-in-law?”
“Si, Sister-in-law!”
Ceria was taken aback, almost choking on her words in surprise.
I thought I understood why my brother was interested in Ceria.
His younger brother had returned after months, bringing a bunch of beautiful women, and he must have been curious if any of them would make a good match for me.
A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
“No, Brother. Ceria is from the Yuridina Clan… What does she lack in wanting to be with me…?”
“…Ah, no!”
Ceria began to vehemently deny my words with a slightly excited voice, expressing a strange determination.
“I-I’m fine! You can still call me Sister-in-law! O-oh, I-an is even too good for me!”
It was the first time I had ever seen Ceria so flustered.
She might have thought that the respected senior was being insulted. While I stared blankly at Ceria for a moment, my brother rummaged through his belongings.
He then presented Ceria with a small ruby gemstone.
Now it was Ceria’s turn to be stunned.
To Ceria, who couldn’t grasp Aron’s intentions, I let out another sigh and explained in a mixed tone.
“That’s a wish of goodwill. My brother’s hobby is mining… So whenever he finds gemstones like this, he likes to give them as gifts.”
That’s why if you head to Aron’s room, you’d see a bunch of pickaxes displayed.
Ceria bowed her head in appreciation at my explanation.
“Th-thank you! So, um… uhm… Brother-in-law?”
It was rare to see a satisfied smile on my brother’s face.
He lightly patted my shoulder, as if pleased. And with a deep voice, he said.
“Do well.”
What exactly was he expecting me to do well in?
For a while, the reception room of the Percus Family was bustling with people. It was in that chaotic scene that it was Celin who pulled me out.
Celin tugged at my sleeve, whispering to me.
“…I-an Oppa, I-an Oppa!”
Just as I was about to head towards the sullen Liya in a corner.
Having returned after a long time without me acknowledging her, she seemed upset.
I found myself resenting my situation of having to stop when I was about to console my younger sister.
My eyes were filled with questions as I looked at Celin.
What was the matter?
Then, Celin shivered and whispered in my ear.
“Look over there!”
As she subtly drew me closer, my arm brushed against her soft chest, but Celin feigned ignorance.
Heh, I thought about playfully pinching Celin’s cheek while suppressing a laugh.
No matter how much I pretended not to notice, I couldn’t escape her gaze. But it was true that Celin’s expression seemed anxious, so my gaze followed her finger.
There stood a tall middle-aged man intently staring at me by the door.
He was Senior Elsi’s uncle.
We had just exchanged greetings and parted, but he had already returned to the door and was watching me intently. Honestly, it felt burdensome.
It seemed that Celin was nervously worried about it.
“That guy, his gaze… it seems dangerous, doesn’t it? What if he kills you?”
“Come on, no way.”
“‘No way’ is what gets people killed!”
Even with my dismissive words, Celin showed no signs of calming down.
She suggested to me.
“His gaze is so cold… Why don’t you go talk to him?”
I wanted to tell Celin not to worry about unnecessary things, but I couldn’t bring myself to say that.
In fact, I was quite concerned about Senior Elsi’s uncle as well.
In the end, I cleared my throat and turned my steps. Within the reception room, mixed with the Percus family and guests, my steps did not stand out much.
And facing me, Senior Elsi’s uncle spoke as if he had been waiting.
“…Let’s see what kind of skills you have.”
