Arthur and Michael calmly sat in the living room of Gerald’s house as Cristopher told them the true reason behind his decision to quit being Terence’s retainer and become Zion’s subordinate.
At first, the two of them thought that the chubby boy had an easy mission in Solterra, allowing him to return to Pangea alive.
But the more they listened to the story, the more they thought that the boy was just telling them a bunch of nonsense.
However, when Cristopher came to the part where Gerald suddenly appeared in the Barbarian Lands, Lady Callista couldn’t help but look at her son who suddenly showed up at their residence with a cast on his right arm.
Gerald and his wife, Alessia, were both listening to Cristopher’s story, interested to hear more about Zion’s adventures.
Even Shasha, who had Remi seated on her lap, had a serious expression on her face as she listened to her brother’s exploits.
When the war against Arundel started, Cristopher was no longer able to say anything because he was tasked to operate the Grand Ballista.
At this point, Gerald took over and told everyone how Zion fearlessly faced one of Arundel’s Generals, ordering his subordinates to lay down a trap for the Rank 9 Sovereign.
Arthur, whose lifelong wish was to reach the Monarch Rank, clenched his fists tightly. The achievement of fighting against a Rank 9 Sovereign was enough for him to become a Monarch.
This was especially true if he consumed the Jinn’s Core, allowing him to gain enough points to break through to the next Rank.
After Gerald shamelessly told everyone that he was the one who dealt the last blow to the Fire Dragon, Michael fixed the glasses on his face, while Lady Callista covered her lips with her right hand.
Arthur took a deep breath in order to calm his nerves because Gerald’s story had captivated him completely.
As someone who loved to fight, he could imagine himself fighting alongside the Ogre King and the Tigerkin King.
But when Gerald mentioned his son’s desperate attempt to lure the Majin Prince to the place where a trap was waiting for Arundel, everyone inside the room, including Cristopher, nearly stopped breathing due to suspense.
The chubby boy had no idea about how close his Master was to death in order to bring the Majin Prince to the center of the formation.
If in the past, his respect for Zion was already high, then now, it had reached the peak, making him even more determined to become the seven-year-old’s retainer.
“After I faced off the Majin Prince’s Giant Fireball to protect Zion, I blacked out for a few minutes,” Gerald said with a bitter smile on his face. “When I regained my consciousness, I saw something that I never thought that I would see in my lifetime.”
Gerald paused for a bit before clenching his fists.
“Mammon made an appearance and punched the Majin Prince, pinning him to the ground,” Gerald stated. “The being whom we desperately fought together went down after a single punch. Could you believe that?
“However, I saw then and there the vast gap between Mammon and Arundel. It made me realize how powerful the Fiends really are. After that moment, the mission that I received was completed, allowing me to return to Solterra.
“But I didn’t leave right away. I wanted to see everything until the end. Arundel begged for his life like the coward that he was and even asked Mammon to give him a chance to gain his forgiveness.
The Fiend agreed and ordered Arundel to fight Zion. When I heard the Fiend’s order, I felt as if all the breath in my body disappeared completely.”
Alessia felt faint and a little light headed after hearing her husband’s words. There was no way that her son could fight against a Majin Prince, especially after everything that had happened.
“But just as Arundel was about to attack Zion, the Bolts that we forged descended from the sky and hit the Majin Prince’s body,” Gerald said, while doing his best to not look at Cristopher.
He didn’t want the chubby boy to get the limelight for being the one to kill the Majin Prince because he didn’t know how his father would react if he heard this bit of information.
“Four reinforced bolts hit their mark, ending Arundel’s life,” Gerald added. “That was the last thing I saw before I was teleported back to Pangea.”
A silence that lasted for a full minute graced the living room as everyone took their time to digest everything that had happened.
A moment later, a sigh escaped Arthur’s lips before looking at his son with a solemn expression on his face.
“Why?” Arthur asked. “Why did Zion ask the Laplace Demon to send you to Solterra instead of me? If I were there, I would have become a Monarch after completing the mission that you received.”
Gerald only chuckled after hearing his father’s aggrieved words.
Zion initially wanted Arthur to come instead of him, but Laplace Demon and The One rejected his proposal. Because of this, Gerald was the one who was sent to Solterra, having received the permission to help the boy in his fight against the Majin Prince.
But Gerald and Thirteen had already discussed what they would say if Arthur were to ask this question to them.
“Why would he choose you?” Gerald arched an eyebrow. “You never did anything for him or for our family.
“You allowed a Dimensional Gate to spawn right in front of our house, and you forced children to fend for themselves. You also did nothing to make our family’s life easier.
“Even the weapons I forged were forcefully taken away by you. After getting kicked out of the Family, we learned to fend for ourselves and did our best to survive. We never gained any benefit from the Leventis Family. It has always been you who benefited from ours.
“Tell me, do you really believe that my son will allow you to take advantage of our family forever? Do you really think that you can always have your way? If you had only treated Zion with a bit of kindness and if you had treated our family well, wouldn’t my son repay you properly?
“However, you did none of that. It has always been you benefiting from us. I guess Zion had enough of your shamelessness and decided that you didn’t deserve to become a Monarch. If as a Throne, you treat us as trash, then what more would happen once you become a Monarch?”
“I would have invited you back to the family if I had become a Monarch, and we could have started with a clean state,” Arthur replied.
“I would have invited you back to the family if I had become a Monarch, and we could have started with a clean state,” Arthur “Me? Go back to the Family?” Gerald sneered. “No, thank you. Why would I return to that rotten place? I’m happy here with my family and I’ll continue to be happy with them. We don’t need the Leventis Family. We don’t need you.”
Gerald’s emotion rose up to the surface as he glared at his father. All the pain that he had kept inside after he was kicked out of the family burst forth like a raging tide.
But after becoming a blacksmith, he had gained the ability to rein in his emotions.
“Zion will be staying in Solterra for a few more years,” Gerald said after a while. “And knowing him, I’m sure that he will face more hardships. I also know where he will be going next—the Main Continent.
“Perhaps, he will face another threat like the Majin Prince. If you are really desperate to become a Monarch, why don’t you use your influence and connections to find him there?
“Maybe, just maybe, he will change his mind about you and call you when he needs someone to help him face a mission, similar to the one we just finished. Besides, my son is a simple boy. If he is shown kindness, he will surely reciprocate.
“Ah, before I forget—for some reason, Zion has developed a fascination for Attack Helicopters. He is expecting the Remington Clan to give him one after saving Harry from the Orcs and helping him complete his mission.
“Of course, this isn’t guaranteed. But I am certain that whoever gives him an Attack Helicopter will definitely receive his good impression. Also, he has already recognized Cristopher as his right-hand man. If something bad happens to him, I’m sure that my son will be out for blood.”
Gerald smirked at his Father and even playfully gave Michael a wink.
Since his brother was the one who managed most of the Family’s affairs, he decided to appeal to him about Cristopher, allowing the Leventis Clan to let him go peacefully.
Arthur glanced at the chubby boy whose gaze was locked onto the carpeted floor at his feet.
“Did Zion really say that you are his right-hand man?” Arthur asked.
“Yes, Your Excellency,” Cristopher replied in a heartbeat. “This is why I wish to quit being Master Terence’s retainer. The only one I wish to serve is Young Master Zion.’
“Fine, I will allow it,” Arthur declared. “Let’s go, Michael.”
“Yes, Father,” Michael fixed his glasses and stood up. He then gave Gerald a brief nod before following Arthur to the front door.
“Callista, let’s go back,” Arthur said calmly.
“I’ll return after an hour,” Callista remained seated.
Arthur knew that his wife would do whatever she said, so he decided to leave before they got into an argument with each other.
Since she said that she would return after an hour, then he would just wait for her to return to their Residence.
For now, he needed to inform the Leventis Family in Solterra to keep a lookout for Zion.
If making the seven-year-old happy was enough to allow Arthur to become a Monarch, he would not mind giving his no-
good grandson an Attack Helicopter, which the boy wished to have for a very long time.
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A/N: Time for a time skip kekeke!