Candies

In a room filled with books and scrolls, two figures sat face to face. One was a middle-aged man with a stern demeanor, and the other was a young man in his twenties, his expression a mix of confusion and hesitation.

"Dad... Is that child really my son?" Ray asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "I mean... That was the first time I've met this woman..."

Liandor stared at his son with a solemn expression, the weight of many years reflected in his eyes. "Are you an idiot? Of course, he's not!"

Ray's doubtful expression deepened. "Then why did you say that I was the father of the child?"

Liandor remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze distant as he pondered. Finally, he sighed as if resigning himself to a burden he could no longer avoid. "I had to. I had no choice. Either way, it was a loss for our family in all aspects. I just had to minimize this loss, but for now, play along until I find a way."

Ray's confusion didn't diminish, but he nodded reluctantly.

Liandor continued, his voice tinged with frustration and regret. "Sadly, I made some mistakes here and there, leading to the current situation. But I am sure I can still fix it. It's not a big deal. However, those mistakes also opened my eyes. I realized that my brain is not as sharp as it used to be. Even if I do have experience, I am getting old, son."

Ray was taken aback by his father's admission. All his life, he had seen his dad as a powerful, invincible, and infallible figure. To hear him admit his faults was both shocking and humbling. "Dad...what do you mean by mistakes?"

Liandor sighed deeply. "I will tell you everything from the beginning. From the moment I discovered your future wife's rank 4 red potential to the moment where I had to admit that this bastard was your son. Listen carefully, and I hope you will learn some things."

And so, Liandor began his tale. He told his son everything, from when he discovered Yui's exceptional potential to how and why he decided to hide it from the others. He detailed how he tried to obscure her past using connections and bribes and why he eventually had to accept Elias as his grandson, even if he wasn't.

Ray listened attentively, his expression changing with each new revelation. After his father finished, he stayed silent for a long time, processing the information. Finally, he spoke. "I see... I could have helped you."

"How? Would you have helped me hide her past or talent? Do you have money to bribe? Do you have any connections? Even if you had any, it would only be thanks to you being an elder's son. People show you kindness because they fear me, respect me, or want something from me."

"... Sorry."

"Don't apologize. For now, your priority is your own cultivation. Connections and money are worthless without real strength. Once you reach rank 3 and become an elder, I will gift you a fitting manifestation. You should focus on ensuring your wife falls for you. Her talent is something very precious and worth every trouble. Albeit a bit naive, you are still a handsome and educated young man. I can't believe a mere slave won't fall for you."

"I will try my best, Dad."

"Good. I arranged dinner for you, Raymond, Yui and her son tonight. Don't forget to act friendly toward his son. Also, make sure my grandson behaves properly. Now go, I need to think."

"Yes, Dad."

Ray stood up and left the room, leaving his father alone. Once alone, Liandor sighed and closed his eyes. He had a lot to think about.

...

Meanwhile, Elias ran around the courtyard, his lungs burning and legs aching. The sun beat down on him mercilessly, and his clothes stuck to his body, soaked with sweat.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" a man shouted.

The man, a middle-aged figure with a muscular build and a stern expression, wore a simple brown robe. His voice was firm yet carried some insincere warmth. He held a wooden stick, tapping it rhythmically against the ground as he watched Elias struggle.

"Keep it up, Elias! You're doing great!" the man called out

Elias continued running laps around the courtyard under the man's relentless yells. Despite his evident exhaustion, he maintained his steady pace for a long moment.

"You did half the laps! I know you can push through it!" the man urged, his voice smooth and coaxing.

Elias kept running, each step sending jolts through his body. He easily ignored the pain because it was a distant concept he couldn't truly feel.

"That's it! Keep going! You're almost there!" the man encouraged. However, before he could finish his sentence, Elias suddenly collapsed to the ground, his breaths uneven.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get up!" the man yelled, rushing over with a concerned expression plastered on his face.

Elias remained on the ground, refusing to move. The man bent down, his voice lowering to a soothing whisper. "Elias, my boy, you need to get up. Think of how strong you'll become. Think of your mother."

Elias stared at the man, his expression unreadable. Surprisingly, he could still run and easily push his body further, but he purposely chose not to. Instead, he decided to fake extreme exhaustion and fall. His reasons were simple. He knew that pushing his young body beyond its limits would result in damage, not improvement, something even his limited training knowledge made clear.

Of course, the man in front of him had far more experience in training than him since it was apparently his job. He could probably even gauge the appropriate level for Elias. Usually, this would mean that he's in good hands...

But what if he intended to harm Elias through this rigorous training? What if it was part of Liandor's plan? Following his instructions blindly would be foolish. Elias was not naïve enough to trust someone solely based on their experience. 

Ultimately, he decided not to push too far in his physical training.

The man leaned closer, "You have so much potential, Elias. Don't you want to protect your mother? To make her proud?"

Elias observed the man carefully, noting the manipulative tone in his voice. To Elias, the man's intentions were evident, but in the eye of an average four-year-old, they would seem genuine.

"I want to make Mom proud," Elias said, his voice a bit shaky.

"So, will you get up?" the man asked, a hopeful edge to his voice.

"No. My legs hurt," Elias replied, maintaining his facade. He did not really bother trying to act nice or obedient. He was a child, and children were known for their mood swings, so his attitude was not suspicious. However, the main reason why he absolutely did not bother to at least pretend was simply because of the difference in status.

In this clan, once someone reaches the threshold age of 6 or 7, they are bestowed with an awakening stone and awaken their aperture. This ultimately means that all clan members are cultivators. Upon awakening their aperture, they are given a special pin indicating their cultivation rank and status in the clan.

Identifying a clan member is easy. They either wear the white attire reserved exclusively for them or display their pin on their chest. This man had neither, meaning that he is likely not even a cultivator or a member of the clan.

'They said that he was an instructor or something like that. I shouldn't bother with him. He's useless. ' thought Elias as he slowly got up.

The man sighed, his expression darkening momentarily before he masked it with a neutral look. "Fine, you can rest for now. But remember, you must not slack off-" His voice trailed off, and he seemed to recall something important. Reaching into his sleeve, he took out a small pouch and tossed it to Elias.

"Since you really tried hard today... Here, you deserve these. But don't tell anyone, okay? I won't be able to give you more if you tell your mother."

Elias opened the pouch and peeked inside, finding a collection of brightly colored sweets. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced at the man, who smiled and nodded.

"You can eat them. They are very sweet. But remember not to tell anyone, okay? It will be our little secret," the man said, a warm smile on his face.

Elias simply nodded, his expression unchanging.

"Now, go and rest. We will continue tomorrow." the man said.

"Okay," Elias replied and simply walked away without any hesitation.

The man watched him leave with a cold expression expression. Once Elias was out of sight, he clenched his fists and muttered. "That bastard..." He then turned around and walked away with heavy steps.