Uncle Leif

Socializing was never his strong suit, and dealing with Grellint, a chatterbox, was pure torture.

As the surrounding chatter gradually died down, he looked toward the distant sky, where a black speck had turned into a massive airship, the emblem of the Royal Family of Ruun glaringly conspicuous.

Lucius was seeing an airship for the first time. To his current self, such vessels were relics of the past—he couldn't help but wonder if it might suddenly break down and fall.

Ever since the King and his family descended from the airship, the surrounding nobles had swarmed around them.

Watching those nobles, Lucius said directly, "Grellint, aren't you going over?"

Hearing Lucius's words, Grellint replied flatly, "Me? I'm not officially an adult yet. I don't have the right to go over."

"Besides, why aren't you going?"

At Grellint's response and question, Lucius said, "Do I look like an adult to you?"

Hearing Lucius's answer, Grellint said seriously, "I think you are 'grown up.' From our talk just now, that deep, brooding air of yours isn't something a Young Person should have. It's more like you've stepped into adulthood early."

At Grellint's words, Lucius thought to himself, "...Maybe so."

After most of the people nearby had drifted away, Lucius heard, "Lucius Sheffield."

Hearing his name, Lucius looked directly at the source of the voice and said, "Yes, sir."

The man across from him said directly, "Please come with me. A friend of Your Father wishes to see you."

Hearing that someone was looking for him, Lucius politely said to Grellint, "It seems I have other matters to attend to. See you later."

Grellint replied directly, "Alright, see you later."

Following this officer away from the "outer zone," they walked forward steadily. Noticing the clear shift in the attire of those around him, Lucius knew roughly where he was headed, but he still needed to ask. He said, "May I ask your name, sir?"

The man ahead, upon hearing Lucius's words, replied casually, "Marlin Westalia. Just call me Marlin."

Hearing the man's reply, Lucius asked directly, "Mr. Marlin, are we heading toward the Army headquarters?"

Marlin didn't hide it and said directly, "That's right, Mr. Lucius. You should know about Your Father's situation. Most of the people meeting you today are his comrades-in-arms, with a few friends and superiors. Don't be afraid—though they may be strangers to you, Lieutenant General Leif Strauss is also here."

At Marlin's words, Lucius recalled from his memory: "'Leif Strauss'—the original owner's maternal uncle. In the original owner's memories, the two families were extremely close. The reason was that he wanted a grandson to raise, but his own son never married. Then I was born, so he doted on me."

But based on those memories, his impression wasn't that he wanted a "grandson" so simply—it was more like he wanted a "Granddaughter."

Because this "Uncle Leif" had bought him plenty of "dresses" when he was young, saying he should wear such clothes. Though back then, his father was mostly at home and never let him succeed.

While Lucius was still thinking, Marlin said, "We're here, Mr. Lucius. You can go in on your own."

Lucius looked at the Main Door before him and said politely, "Thank you, Mr. Marlin."

Then, staring at the door, he had no choice but to open it and enter himself.

"Lucius, over here."

Following the voice to its source, Lucius saw a tall, elderly man in the uniform of the Kingdom of Ruun's Army. Perhaps due to his military background, this Uncle Leif was completely different from the elderly "gentlemen" outside—for instance, he was more spirited and lacked the potbellies most of them had.

Looking at the man before him, Lucius said politely, "Uncle Leif, good morning."

"Good morning, Lucius."

After the greetings, Leif directly pulled Lucius along and said, "Come, let me introduce them to you. This is Colonel Karel Duarte, Your Father's direct superior."

Lucius could only offer his greetings: "Colonel Karel Duarte, good morning."

"Lucius, good morning."

Then Karel said directly to Lucius, "I am deeply sorry about Your Father..."

"These are Wyatt Pass, Bork Gilbert, Tim McDonald... all Your Father's comrades-in-arms."

"Good morning..."

"Good morning..."

After the introductions, Uncle Leif said directly, "Lucius, the main reason I called you here this time is for you to get to know these people. Most of them are the same as us—professional soldiers of the Kingdom."

"That Karel Duarte just now is taking over your grandfather's position. People like us have had a place in the Kingdom of Ruun's military since birth, so you need to know them at least a little."

With that, he patted Lucius on the shoulder and said, "Come on, let's talk alone."

"Lucius, what plans do you have for the future?"

Lucius, having no ideas yet, replied directly, "Not yet, Uncle. Father's death was too sudden. I haven't figured out what to do next."

Hearing Lucius's answer, Uncle Leif sighed helplessly. "True. You're still too young. Lucius, don't grieve too much. Your father was a great hero."

"This war came out of nowhere—no one saw it coming. You're not just the son of a war hero now; you're also the head of the Sheffield Family. Excessive grief will cloud your judgment..."

At Uncle Leif's consolation, Lucius said directly, "I understand, Uncle."

"For you, if you don't want the Sheffield Family to vanish completely, becoming an Extraordinary is the only choice..."

"But your situation..."

Hearing the topic turn to himself, Lucius asked curiously, "Uncle, my 'situation'?"

Seeing Lucius's confusion, Uncle Leif explained directly, "Yes. By the time we found out about your father and her, it was already too late. And we discovered she had already left Extraordinary Traits on you. Later, we tried to remove them, but every attempt failed."

"Based on our subsequent investigation, the Extraordinary Traits left on you come from at least a Sequence Five. And the Extraordinary along that pathway will become a..."

Witch!

Hearing Lucius say that, Leif was startled.

"? You know? Who told you? Have 'they' contacted you?"

Lucius explained, "No. I overheard it by chance."

Hearing this, Leif relaxed. "Mm. It's good that you know. As long as they haven't reached out to you, that's fine. Remember, don't contact or cooperate with them. They're all unstable. After what happened to you back then, we wanted to secretly purge their members in Bexland, but for some reason, the royal family intervened, and it fizzled out."

"The high-ranking military officers are all Extraordinaires, as you know. Because of your Trait's influence and our lack of subsequent formulas, you likely won't be able to advance to High Sequence. That means if you enter the military, you probably won't reach the position you should. But later, you can choose to cultivate some trusted subordinates—like the Clayton family—and let them develop in the military on your behalf. Wait for the next generation of the Sheffield Family to be born and grow up, then take back what belongs to the Sheffields."

Lucius questioned, "? Can it really work that way? Won't there be other complications, like..."

Before Lucius could finish, Uncle Leif cut straight to the point: "Like the fledgling's wings getting too strong and wanting to fly solo, or refusing to give up the position?"

Seeing Uncle Leif directly voice his concerns, Lucius answered honestly, "Yes, Uncle."

For some reason, Leif Strauss burst into laughter and laid out an even harsher reality: "Hahaha..."

"You don't need to worry about any of that. If what you're thinking actually happened, there'd only be one outcome: everyone in this room would suffer heavy losses. That kind of situation is basically impossible unless it's a Large Scale war of national annihilation."

"Besides, we all watch each other's backs. What you're imagining basically can't happen. We didn't become 'nobles' by donating money."

"Of course, there is one scenario: these families might decide to carve up 'Your Family' together."

"As for the timing and the issue of 'them' carving things up, rest assured. Your uncle here is about to advance to demigod. When that happens, my strength will increase, and my lifespan will greatly extend. With me watching over things, nothing unexpected will happen."

Hearing this, Lucius felt a newfound confidence about his future and said happily, "Won't this be too much trouble for you?"

"What trouble? Your grandfather and I were brothers in arms, crawled out of the same trench. Later, he married my sister, and your father was born. I watched him grow up. Now your family has only you left. If I don't look after you, how will I face them when I go to the God of Storms' divine kingdom?"

But knowing some hidden knowledge, Lucius countered, "Uncle, are you sure about advancing to demigod? I remember the royal family decreed that no one is allowed to advance to demigod without 'their' approval. And Father once said the royal family made everyone swear an 'oath,' and because of that 'Sealed Artifact,' no one has successfully advanced to 'demigod' in many years."

"You're right. But some time ago, for some reason, the royal family loosened the restrictions. They're allowing some people to become demigods, but there are 'limited slots,' and you even have to pay a certain price. I agreed to the royal family's terms." Saying this, Leif sighed:

"The royal family's actions have been getting stranger over the years. But don't worry. If the royal family hadn't permitted it this time, I wouldn't be preparing to advance to demigod. After all, your 'Uncle' still wants to live a few more years. Plenty of people have been stuck at my level because of that 'Sealed Artifact.' Quite a few will likely agree to the royal family's terms."

Come on. The "Memorial Service" is about to start.