Ambition

After adequately psyching himself up, Paul knocked on the door to his Father's study.

"Enter."

Doing just that, Paul pushed open the door to find his Father, Amarant, facing away from him while standing behind his desk. The scene gave off an impression of sobriety, but Paul just played it off by asking, "Have you been getting the care packages Ningguang sent...?"

Though it wasn't overt, Paul noticed his Father twitch when he brought up the care packages. Ningguang wasn't the type to allow the favor she had painstakingly curried to wane due to complacency. Thus, even after three years had passed, she continued to send alcohol and other luxury goods to the Notos Estate through a backchannel.

After coughing a few times to cover his embarrassment, Amarant turned to face Paul with a severe expression on his face. His eyes widened a bit when he saw just how much Paul had grown, but he was still able to ask, "Is it true? Did you really exhaust your lifespan to gain power...?"

Seeing no reason to conceal the truth, Paul shook his head and answered, "No. That's just an inference the Sword God made after seeing the state I was in following the forceful awakening of my Touki. Thanks to my Vision, I not only made a full recovery, but my physique is nearing the upper limit of what humans can achieve without modification."

Extending his right hand, Paul produced not one but two Dendro Visions. Kusanali had acquired two more after receiving her Constellations, so he currently had three in his possession. Since he had previously gifted his Mother Zhongli's extra Geo Vision, he felt obligated to provide his Father one as well.

Understanding Paul's gesture, Amarant walked around to the front of his desk and accepted the Vision without a fuss. He truthfully didn't think he had the ambition to make use of it, but that changed pretty quickly when Paul explained the 'benefits' associated with a Dendro Vision.

"Hoooooo...you really are a filial son. Truth be told, the dynamic between your Mother and I has shifted ever since she made a full recovery. If this functions as you say, I should be able to even the odds..."

Placing the Vision into his pocket, Amarant's expression became slightly accusatory as he met Paul's gaze and said, "Speaking of which...the two of you didn't do anything, did you? I understand how alluring your Mother can be, but there are limits to everything..."

Exhaling a weary sigh, Paul admitted, "We kissed and held one another, but I eventually came to my senses before things could get too far out of hand. We may not see eye to eye on everything, but I still respect you as my Father..."

"Mmm...then we'll leave it at that..."

Though he suspected there were details Paul was glossing over, Amarant wasn't particularly interested in hearing the specifics. Instead, he moved over to his liquor cabinet to retrieve a bottle of vintage wine before filling two glasses as he remarked, "Getting the Water God pregnant...even now, I still find it difficult to believe. However, when I see those two children..."

Handing one of the glasses to Paul, Amarant narrowed his eyes as he said, "It's only a matter of time before the truth comes out. When it does, the First Prince's Faction won't remain idle. Given your presence here, I'm assuming you have a plan...?"

Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul downed the entire contents of his glass before going on to explain, "I have no intention of staging a coup or trying to destabilize the Kingdom. However, I'm not going to keep sitting on my hands as the First Prince continues making things difficult for the people I care about..."

Meeting his Father's gaze directly, Paul narrowed his eyes as he said, "I intend to crush the First Prince's Faction. Not directly, at least not at first, but by collaborating with the Factions who oppose him. I plan to weaken them as much as possible so that when the 'rightful' heir appears, we'll be able to support them to the best of our ability..."

"Mmm...and what about the twins? I can protect them for the time being, but their talents are too great to remain hidden for long."

Though the expression on his face soured noticeably, Paul revealed, "We have already considered that..." before going on to lay out the plan he and Ningguang had hammered out over the past five weeks...

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"That woman never ceases to amaze me..."

Smiling wryly in response to his Father's words, Paul appended, "I know what you mean. There are times when it feels like she has the entire world in the palm of her hands. If I were a little more ambitious, I have no doubt she could have placed me on the throne years ago..."

Furrowing his brows, Amarant gave Paul a sidelong look as he asked, "Is that such a bad thing? I'm still loyal to the Crown, but I've come to realize how truly 'stagnant' the Kingdom has become in the absence of your little friend. With someone like her helping to manage things, the Kingdom may have been able to enter a new Golden Era..."

Instead of refuting his Father's words, Paul nodded his head and replied, "You're right. Unfortunately, I can't help being a little selfish. If I were to aim for the throne, I would want to acquire it with my own power. Since I know better than anyone just how much I'm lacking, I would rather focus on growing strong enough to protect my way of life and the people I care about..."

Since he couldn't really argue with Paul's words, Amarant just hummed in response. In truth, he wanted to say that his son was more than qualified to be a King. He had capable subordinates and, more importantly, knew when to delegate responsibilities to people more qualified than himself. In the grand scheme of things, the only traits a King genuinely needed were a decisive nature and the ability to judge one's character. Paul had shown a remarkable talent with the latter; the only thing he still lacked was self-confidence...

Shaking away his treasonous thoughts, Amarant began to pour himself another glass as he said, "I have viewed you as the Lord of this Region since the eve of your tenth birthday. Your younger brother, Philemon, is of a similar opinion but is doing his best to ensure he is qualified to hold the position should you choose to abstain from it. Regardless, know that we will continue to support you no matter which path you choose..."

Holding up the glistening, leafy-green Vision Paul had given him near the start of their discussion, Amarant's expression softened in a fatherly smile as he expressed, "Ensuring my children are able to walk the path of their choosing....that is my ambition..."

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With newfound respect for his Father, Paul departed Amarant's study with a pensive expression on his face. The man's parting words had given him a lot to think about, particularly in regards to his own status as a parent.

If Paul went with the plan Ningguang had devised, he would spend the next 2-3 years gaining the King's trust. Then, once Ariel was born, they would convince him to let her attend the Milbots Academy with his kids acting as her Guardians.

Though there was a lot more to the plan, everything hinged on whether or not Paul was willing to consign his children to a life of servitude. Ariel was a decent Master to serve, and the title of Guardian was one of the highest a person could attain, but it didn't change the fact they would be servants for life...

With his Noble status and title revoked, Paul's best options to protect his children were to secure them a protective status, hide them away like birds in a cage, or to 'full nuclear' and basically declare war on the entire 'civilized' world. He would start with the Asura Kingdom, but there was no way the rest of the world would sit on the sidelines as the most powerful nation collapsed from the interior. In other words, destabilizing the Asura Kingdom was the same as instigating a global power struggle that would likely result in the deaths of millions...

Reaching the outside of his Mother's room, Paul hesitated for a moment before knocking. When it finally opened, he was greeted by the smiling face of Ganyu as she asserted, "You're going to adore them. Their auras are nearly as bright as Masters..."

Returning a somewhat wry smile of his own, Paul replied, "I'm sure I will." before making his way into the aromatic antechamber. Inside, he found his Mother, each of the girls that had accompanied him, and two adorable little kids with hazel-brown hair and leaf-green eyes.

Though there were some obvious similarities between the two, Paul took note of the fact that Aiden possessed windswept hair reminiscent of his own while Aria's was sleek, slightly curly, and had been allowed to grow past her shoulders. Both had gender-specific clothing, but the thing that stood out the most, at least to Paul, was that they had tiny moles under opposite eyes. Aiden's was on his left, similar to Paul's, while Aria's was on her right.

As Paul took notice of them, Aiden immediately took notice of him. The young boy had been sitting atop Ei's lap and reclining against her with a contented smile on his face, but the moment he saw Paul, his expression immediately formed into a frown. As for Aria, she was currently engaged in a staring contest with Ghislaine, so she had yet to notice someone new had entered the room.

"You've finally arrived. I trust you were able to work things out with your Father...?"

Though he nodded his head in response to his Mother's question, Paul's focus was on the twins as he asked, "Are these really my kids? I know I'm handsome, but it's almost unfair how cute these little brats are."

Turning her eyes up at Paul, Valentine was tempted to chastise him for referring to his kids as 'little brats,' but quickly decided against it. Instead, she earned a disproving pout from Aria as she picked up the little girl and handed her over to Paul, saying, "Look, Aria, it's your father."

As if she had only noticed Paul's presence upon being handed to him, Aria visibly recoiled as an even poutier expression marred her face. She didn't wriggle around too much, but it was apparent she didn't enjoy being held by a 'stranger.'

Just as Paul was about to try and coax the two-year-old into giving him a chance, Aiden abruptly stated, "Aria, it's our Father. Remember? The one Big Sis Lilia and Grandmother are always telling us stories about. He isn't a bad person."

Though he was a little taken aback by how articulate Aiden was for a two-year-old, Paul was even more surprised by Aria's response. The moment Aiden assured her he wasn't a bad person, a faint smile developed across her face as she stopped leaning her upper body away from him.

Demonstrating a marginally more normal vocal range, Aria tilted her head to the side as she inspected Paul's face and questioned, "Aria's Father...?"

Adopting a wry yet affectionate smile, Paul softly cooed, "That's right. It's good to meet you, Aria. Sorry it took so long for me to arrive..."

As if responding for his sister, Aiden stated, "Don't worry, we know it wasn't your fault." before adopting a friendly smile and adding, "All that matters is that you are here, now. Welcome home, Father."

Emulating her brother's greeting, Aria nodded her head and said, "Nn. Welcome home." before surprising Paul with a kiss on the cheek. Then, as if her previous apprehensions were an illusion, she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and gave him a surprisingly firm hug...

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