World-Famous Painting: One Filial Son, One Happy Father

For a time, the study fell silent.

The atmosphere between him and his father made Lanchi guess that this conversation might carry great significance for them both.

Judging by his father's expression, this was a conversation about the future, responsibility, and family honor.

So before his father spoke, he did not feel it was appropriate to say anything first.

As his gaze slowly wandered, Lanchi noticed the Butler smiling at him.

It was that same fox-like smile as always.

Lanchi felt slightly uncomfortable and promptly looked away.

The only places left for his eyes to rest were the neatly arranged books lining the towering shelves, as well as the oil paintings hanging along the walls.

It was said to be an ancient masterpiece that the family had treasured for a long time. Bathed in the soft light of magical lamps, it filled the entire study with an artistic air.

But clearly.

It was no match for Lanchi's painting.

After a long while.

Noe finally seemed to have found the right words and spoke:

"Lanchi, you've been an adult for a month now... The family has cleaned up far too many of your messes lately. I don't think you can keep living so recklessly."

Another brief silence followed.

Or perhaps it was a period of waiting.

Noe was unsure whether Lanchi would fly into a rage and throw a tantrum after having his act exposed.

To him, Lanchi's changes over the past two days seemed more like a temporary performance.

Lanchi had most likely realized that the family would begin restricting his extravagant spending and unrestrained behavior.

So he was probably suppressing his bad habits, hoping to weather this crisis by pretending to be obedient for a while.

However.

Contrary to Noe's expectations.

Lanchi's eyes remained clear and calm.

After reflecting on the matter for a moment, he nodded seriously.

Then he replied:

"I'm truly sorry. I promise I won't do anything that damages the family's reputation again."

That caught Noe off guard, and he could not help narrowing his eyes.

He examined Lanchi again.

No matter how he looked at him, he seemed like a good young man.

For a moment, Noe even felt that he ought to be proud to have such a sensible son with such bright eyes.

Either the brat had genuinely turned over a new leaf, or he was still stubbornly putting on an act.

Although Noe hoped it was the former, he knew the latter was far more likely.

It was impossible for this foolish son of his to suddenly undergo a complete transformation in his state of mind because of some opportunity, wasn't it?

But it did not matter.

Whether Lanchi was acting or not, Noe had a way to determine from the root of it how he should treat Lanchi from here on.

"Ahem."

Noe cleared his throat, sat up straighter, and looked at Lanchi.

"How is your preparation for the Alchemy Institute's Entrance Examination going?"

His tone seemed to have softened somewhat, but his words became even sterner.

"You should know that although I need to stay in the Empire year-round for cross-border trade, that doesn't mean I neglect you entirely. My tolerance toward you has always been based on the premise that you were living seriously."

"Heh heh..."

As soon as he finished speaking.

The Butler standing behind Noe could not help letting a faint smile curl across his lips.

Thirty percent of it was schadenfreude over the Young Master's predicament, while the remaining seventy percent came from finding it interesting to see how the Young Master would respond.

"..."

Lanchi did not say anything for the moment, but his heart sank at the question.

In the memories of his predecessor, he really had never studied at all!

The Alchemy Institute Noe referred to was a branch of Iketerite Academy, the oldest academy in the Hutton Kingdom, located in the kingdom's royal capital.

Every year, the academy admitted promising youths of the proper age from the Hutton Kingdom and its neighboring nations. It was well-known across the entire Southern Continent.

The Alchemy Institute was one of its four institutes.

Renowned for its alchemical techniques and theoretical research, the Alchemy Institute's Entrance Examination was so difficult that his predecessor had given up before even trying.

His predecessor had also constantly lied about studying hard to get into the Alchemy Institute, tricking his parents into trusting him and giving him peace of mind, then squandering huge amounts of allowance on having fun all day.

Damn it, that damned predecessor.

He got to enjoy all the benefits, and now I'm the one taking the blame!

Lanchi cursed inwardly.

However, in the original course of events, his predecessor would never have encountered his current problem.

Because Talia would have helped this foolish rich Young Master end all of life's troubles.

At that thought, Lanchi suddenly frowned.

"Father, are there any other companies in this world with the same name as the Wilford Merchant Guild?"

Lanchi asked.

"Hm?"

Noe seemed puzzled by Lanchi's abrupt change of topic, but seeing the serious look in Lanchi's eyes, he still answered rather proudly:

"I can't say for certain whether there are small businesses with similar names, but among large trading enterprises that conduct business across the Hutton Kingdom and the Krui Di Empire, there is only ours."

After Noe finished speaking, Lanchi's expression did not change. He simply nodded silently.

Since he had changed his fate of "being killed by Talia" and survived, he would naturally have to face circumstances that the foolish rich Young Master would never have encountered.

Lanchi had long felt that his surname, "Wilford," sounded familiar, but he could not remember where he had heard it before.

After hearing Noe's words, Lanchi finally recalled it. In the game's main storyline, set two years ahead of the current timeline, there had been a side quest called the "Wilford Tragedy"!

The quest description stated that a multinational trading company had suddenly collapsed overnight for unknown reasons, while people connected to its upper management had been murdered one after another. Players could choose whether to investigate, and the quest level was extremely high.

His surname was Wilford, the family business was also called the Wilford Merchant Guild, and there was only one such large multinational company...

That really did seem to be his own family.

It seemed he could not just lie flat whenever he pleased. At the very least, he needed to work hard for a year or so, investigate the family's hidden dangers in advance, and resolve them!

The family's money was what he planned to rely on when he retired at twenty. He absolutely had to protect it.

After recalling the information in his memories concerning Iketerite Academy.

"I guarantee that I'll pass the Entrance Examination."

Lanchi answered with apparent composure.

He did not actually mind attending the academy in the royal capital.

One could even say that, in his predecessor's memories, it had always been a dreamlike academy—

Not only did it possess the Hutton Kingdom's most cutting-edge Magical Engineering technology and countless advanced facilities and resources, it also provided exceptional protection.

He was currently only a Tier 1 unemployed person with no combat ability, no power to protect himself, and no status "important enough to make powerful figures take notice of him and protect him."

Rashly going to investigate the Krui Di Empire—the place most likely to be the root of the problem—would undoubtedly be suicidal.

It would be better to first develop his potential in the Hutton Kingdom.

If he wanted to rise to fame as quickly as possible.

Or even gain the favor of certain powerful figures or supreme experts in this world and build connections.

Then becoming a Card Making Master was undoubtedly the shortcut best suited to his talents.

Going to Iketerite Academy and making use of the Magic Engineering Institute's resources would be a hundred times more efficient than staying in this Border City-State and researching card making alone.

The royal capital was also a stage better suited for him to show off his abilities.

Even in the worst-case scenario, as long as he could make a fortune in Royal Capital Ikelite, he could find a way to personally bankrupt his father's Wilford Merchant Guild and thereby avoid the family's destruction!

"Hm?"

Noe raised an eyebrow. He had no idea that Lanchi was currently filled with filial thoughts, and merely doubted the confidence behind Lanchi's claim that he would enroll.

He had thought that his foolish son, who behaved like a street thug, would reveal his true colors by now.

Unexpectedly, apart from frowning, Lanchi was still stubbornly keeping up the act.

Every step of Lanchi's reaction today had indeed fallen outside Noe's expectations.

Although Noe did not have much energy to concern himself with Lanchi's daily life, and whenever he asked the Butler and Maid about Lanchi, both tried their best to cover for him.

Noe was not a fool. He could still roughly judge the kind of state in which Lanchi usually spent his days.

"Since you say so, if you successfully pass the Entrance Examination, then I will have misunderstood you, and I will apologize..."

Noe spoke in a deep voice, his blazing gaze probing deeply into Lanchi's emerald-green eyes.

"But if you fail to pass the academy's examination, will that prove that you have been deceiving us and betraying our trust?"

"Of course. That's fair."

Lanchi's reply remained unhurried.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer today. Go on and keep studying hard. I'll buy your train ticket to the royal capital in advance, so you don't need to worry about that."

With that, seeing Lanchi make such a straightforward promise, Noe was satisfied as well.

Since Lanchi was still insisting on putting up a front.

Noe did not mind using this opportunity to make him accept his punishment wholeheartedly after he suffered a few setbacks.

Noe did not actually think Lanchi could pass the Alchemy Institute's examination.

Or rather, it was simply impossible.

Given the complexity of the Alchemy Institute's examination, the number of subjects, and its extremely high passing standards, one needed at least two or three years of serious preparation.

And this year's Iketerite Academy Entrance Examination would begin in just three months.

Lanchi could not even handle the Alchemy Institute, which required the least talent.

Once he reached the royal capital and saw the exceptionally gifted peers from the other three institutes, he would probably understand just how foolish and pitiful his own laziness, arrogance, and narrow-mindedness were.

"I understand."

Lanchi said firmly.

His father clearly doubted him all along, yet he always phrased things with such tact and was even sending him to the royal capital. Lanchi felt respected.

Then he would certainly live up to his father's expectations.

"As long as you are certain you can send me to the royal capital to make my mark, I guarantee you'll receive the good news that I successfully enrolled in Royal Capital Ikelite's Iketerite Academy."

"...Heh."

Noe nearly laughed out loud when he heard that.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suppressed the mockery that was about to show on his face.

Make his mark, my ass.

He was just going to enroll. Could he really make some huge spectacle out of it?

Noe had not expected today's conversation to go so smoothly. He had already prepared himself for a rather unpleasant clash between father and son.

Punishing Lanchi was inevitable, because he needed to teach the arrogant and overconfident Lanchi to pay the price for his mistakes.

Unexpectedly, Lanchi's sincere attitude had allowed them to reach a fine peace treaty today.

But in Noe's view, the only difference was that before punishing Lanchi, he would let him go to the royal capital and see the world.

After all, Lanchi was only going to the Iketerite Academy Entrance Examination to embarrass himself.

As for letting Lanchi go to the royal capital, Noe was not worried in the slightest that Lanchi would become a wild horse breaking free of the reins.

In this small border town, the sheltered Lanchi could act domineering and arrogant.

But in Royal Capital Ikelite, where influential figures were everywhere, on the true grand stage of the Southern Continent, this good-for-nothing son would certainly not be able to stir up any trouble.

After all.

Noe knew Lanchi very well. Lanchi was merely the foolish, spoiled Young Master type—a paper tiger.

He was absolutely not some unruly demon king who would evolve beyond control the moment he found himself in the right environment.

That much was reassuring.