What a rebellious son I am!

Mount Odin lay beyond the forest where Long Haoyu and his brother often gathered wild vegetables.

With Long Xingyu leading them, the two brothers had an easy time of it. They crossed Odin Town without taking too long and eventually reached the summit of Mount Odin.

Three simple little wooden cabins stood across the mountaintop. The fresh timber showed that Long Xingyu had built them not long ago.

"Find a place and sit down first."

Long Xingyu pushed open one of the cabins and spoke calmly.

At the moment, he was unlike how he acted at home. He carried a little more of the air of a strict teacher.

Long Haochen obediently sat down. Long Haoyu casually sat beside him, not choosing this moment to show off his individuality.

Seeing that both brothers were being so well-behaved, especially Long Haoyu, Long Xingyu could not help showing a pleased expression.

"From now on, I'll divide each day into three parts!"

"In the mornings, I'll teach you two various kinds of knowledge here. In the afternoons, I'll guide your cultivation. At night, we'll go home!"

"If you forget even the slightest thing... I'll..."

Toward the end, Long Xingyu suddenly furrowed his brow and ultimately swallowed the rest of his words.

"I know you've already learned plenty of basic knowledge at the Odin Sub-Temple. Now, I'll take you through real history."

"From the ancient era thirteen thousand years ago, we humans..."

"Six thousand years ago, the Glorious Era was destroyed by the arrival of the Demon Race..."

"The sun and moon appeared together, nine stars aligned, and seventy-two Pillars of Demon Gods descended from the heavens, bringing a plague-like demonic aura."

"All living beings, whether wild beasts, Magic Beasts, or us humans..."

Long Xingyu got going.

Toward the Demon Race, he felt nothing but heartfelt hatred and loathing.

As his emotions gradually rose, Long Xingyu's voice grew increasingly impassioned, and dazzling brilliance shone from his eyes.

Long Haochen listened with his blood boiling. At only nine years old, hearing of humanity's resistance against the Demon Race and the sacrifices of their forebears one after another, he was deeply fired up.

Long Haoyu's expression remained utterly calm as he watched Long Xingyu grow so worked up. It was not that he disagreed with the harm the Demon Race had brought upon humanity.

He simply had no interest in hearing things he already knew all over again, especially with Long Xingyu's explanation mixed with so much personal emotion and carrying a hint of indoctrination.

His eyelids drooped slightly, and Long Haoyu fell asleep with his breathing perfectly even.

He had spent the entire previous night busy in Shadow Space and was still exhausted. This was a good opportunity to recover.

Long Xingyu's tone grew ever more impassioned, and his eyes were even filled with bloodshot veins.

Only Long Xingyu's impassioned speech remained in the cabin, punctuated now and then by Long Haochen's responses.

After an unknown amount of time, Long Xingyu finished speaking of these matters, and his emotions gradually came under control.

Long Haochen's occasional responses also let him know that he had explained the hatred between the Demon Race and humanity quite thoroughly.

But...

He was somewhat disappointed not to hear Long Haoyu's voice.

Yet when he saw that Long Haoyu had already fallen sound asleep, his adrenaline suddenly surged.

"Brother, brother, wake up." Seeing that Long Haoyu had fallen asleep, Long Haochen hurriedly nudged him with his elbow.

Long Haoyu woke up. After resting for a while, he felt as though his body had come back to life.

Long Xingyu's gaze was cold. Long Haoyu's behavior had stirred up inexplicable anger within him.

"Haoyu, the Demon Race are invaders to us humans. There is true, deep-seated hatred between us!"

"I was explaining these records to you, yet you fell asleep. Do you have even a shred of a Knight's pride in your heart? Do you have even a shred of human pride?"

His low shout echoed through the cabin.

Long Xingyu was truly angry now.

If he could, he wanted to tell Long Haoyu to get out immediately. But when he saw that Long Haochen, the most obedient one, had all his attention fixed on Long Haoyu—

All his fury seemed to have rushed to a riverbank, unable to keep burning no matter what.

In this state, he did not dare drive Long Haoyu away. If Long Haoyu left, Long Haochen would certainly leave without a word as well.

Long Xingyu had never felt so stifled. He was in charge of slaughter and had always simply crushed everything with brute force, yet he had repeatedly been frustrated by Long Haoyu.

Long Haoyu understood the meaning in Long Xingyu's eyes. Even Long Xingyu's fleeting stray thoughts had not escaped his notice.

His tone icy, he answered stiffly, "I've already read about the hatred between the Demon Race and humanity countless times in the library of the Odin Sub-Temple."

"If any demons threaten the safety of those around me, I'll kill them without hesitation. But if you intend to keep wasting time here, then I think I'd rather return to the Odin Sub-Temple and continue studying!"

"I know you want to repair the relationship between father and sons, but there's no need to force yourself too much."

"When you've made up for enough, I'll call you Father. But not now!"

Long Xingyu went numb, taking huge breaths as Long Haoyu's words rang in his ears.

I don't have a better training method here?

I'm only using this method to repair our father-son relationship?

I, Long Xingyu, a dignified Divine Seal Knight, am actually being looked down on by a nine-year-old child?

Long Haochen's eyes widened in disbelief. He could not believe his older brother actually dared to directly defy their father.

Long Haoyu, meanwhile, watched Long Xingyu's furious, glaring expression.

Looking at his bargain-bin dad, he felt a little strange inside.

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm playing the role of a rebellious son?

Still, considering his distrust of Mother and his ulterior motives toward Haochen and me, I might as well be a rebellious son!

Long Haoyu felt that he was simply rotten to the core. He clearly knew the whole truth, yet he refused to tell Long Xingyu.

Of course, he knew very well that even if he were willing to tell him, Long Xingyu would have to be willing to believe it.

Given his bargain-bin dad's habit of imagining himself cuckolded, before the right time came, it seemed impossible to reason with him.

Long Xingyu suppressed his turbulent emotions and took a deep breath. "Since you know this history so well, I won't blame you for falling asleep just now."

"A truly powerful Knight needs both knowledge and strength. Learning is naturally indispensable."

"Today's lessons will end here for now. After we eat, I'll have you begin today's real training!"

At that, Long Xingyu paused. He straightened his back, clasped his hands behind him, and assumed something of the bearing of an aloof master.

"Haoyu, I know you want to begin training as soon as possible."

"But becoming a truly powerful Knight is far from as simple as you imagine!"

"When the time comes, don't blame your father for being too strict with you two!!"

With that said—

Long Xingyu seemingly pulled a full meal out of thin air.

Only after heating it did he call the brothers over to eat. Watching them eat—

The pride of a Divine Seal Knight slowly revived within him. He refused to believe that he could not win over one little brat.