Admit Defeat

Ready gazed at the snow-covered mountain peak and suddenly sighed. Then he raised a finely crafted silver flask, drained half of it in one go, and let out another long sigh.

"What are you doing? Sighing like that..." Doles, commander of the Flying Tiger Legion's Armored Ballista Corps, lowered the map he had been sketching and asked curiously.

"Nothing. I suddenly started missing my son." Ready gave a bitter smile. "Sunilulu sent me a letter saying that he's almost three years old, yet he's barely seen me, his father, a few times. Apparently, the little rascal is incredibly mischievous and looks exactly like me. I don't know what came over me just now, but I suddenly wanted to go back, see him, and hold him..."

Sunilulu was Eldest Miss Dina Yalidoli's personal maid and Lorist's lover. Whenever Lorist and Yalidoli met in secret, Ready had not been idle either—he had managed to win Sunilulu over. The problem was that the rascal had enjoyed himself and refused to take responsibility. He had gotten Sunilulu pregnant but refused to marry her, resulting in an illegitimate son.

Yalidoli was furious and went to complain to Lorist. When Lorist asked Ready what he intended to do, Ready had argued righteously that he needed to focus on his cultivation, and that romantic entanglements would only wear down his resolve. Only if he advanced to become a Sword Saint like Lorist would he consider starting a family...

Lorist had no way to deal with him and could only let matters take their course. However, Ready brought Sunilulu and their son to the estate Lorist had bestowed upon him and put Sunilulu in charge of managing his fief. In truth, aside from never holding an official wedding, Ready and Sunilulu were just like husband and wife. Even