Family

"Victor, are you all right? Let me have a look." Knight Ron strode up to Victor, grabbed him, and turned him around in a circle.

"Uncle, I'm still in a meeting," Victor said with slight exasperation.

"Not bad, no serious injuries. My sister worries about you and your father every day. I kept telling her that your father is an old fox, and little Victor is a young fox—a warrior trained by my own hand. There was no way anything could go wrong." Ron laughed heartily and slapped Victor on the shoulder.

"Fine, Uncle. Since you're here, tell me while you're at it—there aren't any problems with the territory's garrison, are there? Have any of the neighboring territories made unusual moves?" Victor continued.

"The lads are all doing well. They eat well and sleep well. They keep asking why they weren't taken to the battlefield this time, so I drilled them hard enough that they had no time to complain," Ron replied.

"Speaking of which, the surrounding territories all sent troops out as well. Thorne especially emptied his territory completely. And now karma has come knocking—bandits in the enclave east of us took advantage of the weakness in his territory and burned down two Green Oak manors. All the serfs fled. I heard they nearly took the castle too," Ron said mockingly.

Victor frowned slightly. For those bandits to make such a huge commotion, the plan to clear out the enclave might have to be postponed. They now had men and grain, and it would not be easy to force them into submission simply by cutting off their supplies.

"That's all for today. Everyone has worked hard. You may all go home early and rest," Victor announced, ending the meeting.

"Uncle, don't leave. Come back to the manor with me later." Seeing Ron preparing to leave with the supervisors, Victor hurriedly called out to stop him.

"Oh, all right. I can visit my sister while I'm at it. She's been worried sick about you and your father lately," Ron said with a nod.

Victor's maternal grandfather was Viscount Roy of Edelweiss in the eastern counties. His territory lay directly at the border between the eastern and northern counties. Whenever caravans from Golden Sunflower Territory traveled to the northern counties to trade, they would pass through there and deliver letters and gifts along the way. The two families had always been very close.

A few years ago, Victor's grandfather, Viscount Roy, fell into poor health and simply passed the title to Victor's eldest uncle, Soros Edelweiss. At the time, Ron had been serving as a knight in Edelweiss Territory and held part of its military authority. To prevent his elder and younger sons from developing a rift in the future, the old viscount sent Ron to Golden Sunflower Territory. It allowed Ron to earn a living under Baron Wembley while also betting on Golden Sunflower Territory eventually being promoted to a viscounty, where Ron could gain some merit as well.

Victor knew this story well. After all, Wembley often taught him about the various hidden secrets and tangled relationships among the nobles of the Vera Duchy.

As for Ron, Victor generally did not think he was suited to being a lord. He was better suited to being a general who charged into battle. Victor's mother, eldest uncle, and grandfather were all of average stature, but his younger uncle Ron was truly gifted. He stood a full 2.2 meters tall and weighed 210 kilograms. His entire body was packed with dense muscle. Combined with the physical advantages of this world's people, he was a true giant who could let a horse run across his fist and lift an ordinary warhorse to throw it.

Because of that build, although he was a knight, he rarely fought on horseback. There had simply never been a suitable mount for him. Victor's Black Wind was already large among Wind Howler Horses, with a shoulder height of 1.8 meters, yet Ron looked as though he were riding a donkey whenever he mounted it.

That was also why a caravan had been sent to buy horses before the war. Edelweiss Territory had sent word that the horse market in Brook City, the county seat of Bria County, had acquired an exotic barbarian warhorse—tall, handsome, and powerful. They had hurried to leave before the war in order to find Ron a proper mount.

Afterward, Victor left Stone Castle with Ron. This time, Victor did not ride horseback but took a carriage back to the manor with him.

Along the way, Ron kept asking about what had happened on the battlefield—how many people Victor had killed and what sort of opponents he had encountered.

Victor patiently recounted his experiences on the battlefield. Though Ron had a lively temperament, he was only twenty-seven, merely ten years older than Victor. Yet he had begun fighting in the north as a teenager, either against barbarians or other nobles.

The border nobles fought barbarians year-round. They were hot-tempered and preferred speaking with their fists over reason. Whenever nobles came into conflict with one another, they simply settled it with violence; whoever lost admitted defeat.

Under such circumstances, Ron could be considered battle-hardened and highly experienced in small-scale warfare. Although he seemed rough and believed only in strength, he had received a noble education from childhood. His understanding of warfare was uniquely insightful, and his battlefield instincts were exceptionally sharp.

By telling Ron about his own performance, Victor allowed Ron to analyze and review it for him, identifying the problems in it. Through that brief conversation and discussion in the carriage, Victor gained a great deal. Some truths could only be understood through personal experience; they could not be grasped through study alone. As a saying from his previous life went: "Education is long-term and delayed, like a closed loop. A sentence you once recited with your head swaying in your youth will become a bullet that strikes you squarely between the brows years later, when you experience the twists and turns of life."

Having been reborn, Victor relied on the experiences and understanding of his previous life. He disciplined himself with an adult's mindset and remained self-disciplined so that he could live without regrets. These new gains in knowledge and understanding filled him with joy.

After all, in this life, he did not need to worry about survival. Though pressure remained, Victor's true pursuit was exploring and understanding this new world. As a noble, a powerful territory and authority were the safeguards that allowed him to achieve those pursuits.

That was why Victor was so passionate about building and developing his territory. It was this belief that drove him to work so hard.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the manor, and the sun had begun to sink westward. The light near dusk shone upon the manor's white buildings, making them appear especially dazzling. Seeing the familiar sight, Victor relaxed. He was finally home.

Several servants were already waiting at the manor entrance. At their head was Downs, the old steward of the Golden Sunflower Baron's household. The moment he saw Victor step down from the carriage, he hurried forward to greet him.

"Young master, you've finally returned. The madam, the two young masters, and the young lady have been talking about you nonstop," Downs said, half delighted and half reproachful.

"Grandpa Downs, I'm back. I'll go see Mother right away. It's wonderful to see that you're in such good health," Victor replied.

Downs had once served as Victor's grandfather's attendant. Later, his right foot was crippled in battle, leaving him unable to return to the battlefield, so he became the steward who served the baron.

Victor's father, Wembley, had been raised under his watch, and Victor was the same. Thus, old Downs was regarded as a member of the baron's family. His status was far beyond that of an ordinary steward, and over the years, he had managed the baron's household in impeccable order, earning immense respect.

"The madam is already waiting in the dining room with the young masters and young lady. Young master, please hurry over."

After Victor and Ron entered the manor's main building, they went straight to the dining room.

Several people were already seated at the table waiting. A middle-aged noblewoman with blond hair sat in the seat of honor's right-hand position. Beside her sat two children, both with black hair and adorable, doll-like faces. They were Victor's twin younger siblings, Enrique Golden Sunflower and Wendy Golden Sunflower.

Victor also had another younger sister named Irene Golden Sunflower. She had previously been sent to study at the noble academy in Cambridge City, the county seat of Cambridge County, and had not yet gone on break.

However, considering the turmoil that was about to arrive, Victor planned to tell his mother to send someone to bring his sister home, lest they be caught off guard later.

As he was thinking, Victor suddenly felt a heavy blow strike his waist. The pain made him instinctively clutch his stomach and bend over.

The two little ones had charged straight into his arms, heads included. People in this world really were extraordinary—children of five or six already possessed such immense strength. The laws concerning juvenile crime in the territory would need further refinement as well. Even after suffering the blow, Victor could not suppress the urge to complain.

"Big Brother, I was talking to you, but you ignored me. Wendy is very angry."

"Me too. Enrique is angry too."

The two little ones spoke in unison from either side of him.

"Sorry, Wendy and Enrique. Big Brother was wrong. These are the gifts I brought for you." As he spoke, he took two toys from his pocket—identical little figures made of tin, exquisitely crafted. Victor had bought them while making purchases in Blackwater City. As someone with experience, Victor knew exactly how to handle children.

The moment the two little ones received their gifts, they cheered. They circled Victor from either side, thanking their big brother.

Victor hurriedly waved for them to play with their toys, then stepped away from the children and walked to the blond noblewoman. Bending down, he said, "Mother, I'm back." When he had first awakened the memories of his previous life, Victor had struggled to adapt. He could only fill his days with study and training to cover the turmoil in his heart. That had led to a riding accident, leaving him bedridden for half a month. It was his mother, Lady Ellie, who had cared for him and helped him accept the mother of this life.

"It's good that you're back. Wembley really is something else. Lords from other families did not even go, yet he insisted on taking you along. You're not even married yet. What would have happened if something had gone wrong?" Lady Ellie said as she stroked Victor's face, examining him for injuries.

Seeing that Victor was unharmed, Lady Ellie nodded in satisfaction.

"All right, everyone sit down. Ron, you sit as well. Uncle Downs, have the kitchen serve the food."

Ron quickly found a chair and sat down. With his build, he looked as though he were squatting in front of the table, making the sight rather comical. Seeing this, Downs quickly had someone bring over a low couch. Ron nodded gratefully. The two little ones also obediently returned to their seats and sat properly. Lady Ellie's authority was evident.