18 Ch 18: A Grudge that Won't End

The next day the Aslanbeks invited Volundr to finalize the contract for Baldeur. They only asked for a few minor changes, mostly having to do with Baldeur's training and limiting how many gates he could go through until he turned 18.

He agreed to the changes and then surprised them again by offering Vivek an updated contract as well. Rather than being a contract that required his physical abilities like the one that he had at the Explorers Union, this new one put him in an advisory role.

Having been on missions of various levels for the Union, Volundr knew that he'd have a unique perspective on the worlds that this district was connected to. Since he couldn't take advantage of an imperial realm cultivator, he would take advantage of the man's knowledge.

One of the few times during his recovery that Levanya left her husband alone, Tulio entered and shared his history with Pantel. The two agreed that they'd help each other kill him if the chance arose.

Baldeur was listening in from his room using a previously planted Laksulm pattern.

Over the course of the next week the fall out of what happened took place at the Explorers Union. Vivek's companions were not happy with how their friend had been treated. Even those that hadn't worked directly with Vivek were enraged at how Hogarth abandoned him.

Several began to seek employment elsewhere and Volundr was more than happy to buy out a few more contracts.

The main office of the Explorers Union sent a replacement to stop the hemorrhaging of their talent and Hogarth quietly disappeared from the public.

Baldeur was only allowed out of his heavily warded room for meals, harsh training, or intense chores. All of which were arranged by his wrathful mother.

Vivek had been placed on bedrest for a week. He received a constant stream of visitors.

In the evening of the five day after his return, Vivek asked to speak to Baldeur privately.

There were several minutes of silence between the father and son.

"Thank you." Vivek finally said.

"Of course you're my dad." Baldeur said.

He could sense that his father was weary about something else.

There were several more minutes of silence.

"My master once told me that there was a secret technique that he glanced at while visiting a secluded temple in a world overflowing with Qi. The technique would allow someone of the Divine realm and above to have a chance at remembering past lives. I've often wondered what it would be like to remember more than one life." Vivek said.

Once again silence.

"When I started my second life, I kept thinking that I had to find a way back to my first world. There were people I loved and things I still wanted to do there. Eventually I came to the realization that I needed to live that life, in that world.

"Since then I have always had the mind set that I was who I was currently born as. I might remember who I used to be, but holding on too hard to the past would keep me from the present and building a future in my new homes." Baldeur said.

"How many lives do you remember?" Vivek asked.

"This is my ninth life." Baldeur said.

"Oof. You mean I have eight other guys that I have to compare myself to. I must be pretty low in the rankings after the past week." Vivek tried to joke.

Baldeur placed his hand on Vivek's.

"You're one of the best. Tied for first actually. You and mother remind me of my first parents. I've even thought you might be their reincarnations you're so similar at times." Baldeur left Vivek speechless after saying this.

After another moment of silence, Baldeur asked a question.

"When and how did you figure it out?"

"Oh that's a tough one. I knew something was different from the moment you were born. You just seemed to understand everything around you. And your eyes reminded me of my master. Eyes of someone that's very old and has seen many things.

"There was also the situation with Ilinka a few years ago. Even if you had a Divinus inspired premonition, you shouldn't have had the spell knowledge to heal what a trained doctor couldn't.

"You also could perform magic that Jaya and Sofia weren't very good at teaching. They're decent enough teachers, but you were too good of a student. That's the how of it.

"As to when, after Volundr brought me home. That wasn't the plan of an eight year old." Vivek said.

If Vivek was being completely honest he was only about half sure that his son had memories of a past life.

More silence.

"You're still my father." Baldeur said.

"Good. Because I like having you as my son." Vivek said.

"But can we not tell mom?" Baldeur said.

"I guess so. Though telling her might get you out of your punishment." Vivek said with a smile.

Baldeur started to reconsider it. He only didn't want to tell her because he feared she'd look at him differently and he liked having her as a mother. He already saw that Vivek looked at him differently.

Even though he said he was still his son, the man looked at him more as an equal.

"Now, let's talk about revenge." Even though Vivek didn't have access to a Source at the moment, that didn't eliminate the killing intent he could create.

"It's going to be a few years before your old man will be able to help but that doesn't mean that I can't help you plan… Assuming you intend to kill that bastard?" Vivek said.

With a wicked smile, Baldeur released his own killing intent.

"Don't worry about that. In fact I have a few ways to make sure you can be more than helpful in this endeavor." Baldeur leaned over his father and pressed their foreheads together.

Vivek was familiar with this method of transmitting information and was briefly surprised that his son had Qi.

What filled the father's mind were exercises to heal his dantain and a high grade celestial cultivation technique. With his foundation gone, switching cultivation techniques won't have even a minor drawback.

"What other secrets are you hiding?" Vivek asked after receiving a cultivation technique that only existed in legends.

"Haha. That will take a long time." Baldeur said. "But let me start out by saying that when we watch the Source winds above our house, I can see a full rainbow of colors."

Baldeur had no problem sharing this information with his father. He really did feel there was a good chance that his parents were reincarnations of his first parents. And they've shown him nothing but love so there was no reason not to trust them.

He had already been leaning towards being open with his father and helping in his recovery. Having a hidden dragon in the family would go a long way to their revenge.

Vivek was astonished at his son's biggest secret. Then he smiled knowing that the bastard would suffer for what he had done to his family.

---End of Childhood Arc---