Neither Scholar Nor Warrior (Part 1)

Neither Scholar Nor Warrior (Part 1)

Day of Triumph.

In complete contrast to the jubilant atmosphere filling every street and alley of the Imperial Capital, the count's residence was utterly silent.

There was no grand banquet, no celebration ceremony, not even a simple reception.

After leaving the docks, the originally planned ceremony—where a thousand soldiers drawn from the expeditionary fleet would march into the city for the citizens to review—was left in the hands of a deputy. The count hurried back to his residence and turned away several visitors. His public excuse was that, after years of military campaigns, the count needed some private time to soothe the lonely heart of his beloved wife at home.

Though this disappointed many people who had painstakingly prepared to flatter the Empire's new hero, the high-sounding excuse immediately won everyone's approval.

At this moment, inside the luxurious count's residence, the triumphant hero of the Imperial Navy was staring at his own son.

His gaze was deep, melancholy, and complicated.

Had he not firmly believed in his wife's chastity... Count Raymond's first reaction upon seeing the child before him was: Is this really my seed?

Because the child looked far too different from him!

The men of the Roland Family had always been renowned for their powerful, masculine appearance! The standard image of a Roland man should have been tall and broad, with a wide chest, thick arms, a square face, a straight nose, and the bearing of a valiant hero!

At the very least, Count Raymond himself was like that. He was powerfully built, exceptionally handsome among the Imperial nobility, and had been a famously imposing man in noble circles when he was young.

But this little runt before him...

Though he was only three, for the Roland Family, which was known for producing fierce, hardy men, he was simply too fair and frail... Hmm... He had heard the child had suffered a serious illness a month ago. Perhaps that was why he seemed so weak.

The future heir to the count's title, three-year-old Du Wei Roland, merely stared back at his father with an indifferent expression. He did not cry loudly and forcefully like children his age, which displeased the count greatly. By tradition, the louder a child cried, the healthier he was!

The child before him was far too quiet. He simply sat on the bed with his hands resting on his knees, lifting his head to stare at him. His eyes seemed curious, yet also seemed to be judging him.

The count decided he must have been mistaken.

How could the gaze of a three-year-old child contain such complicated emotions?!

And while the count was depressed, Du Wei Roland's feelings were undoubtedly even more complicated.

The beautiful, mature countess had already softened Du Wei's heart with her maternal love and everything she had done a month ago.

But this "father" who had suddenly appeared...

Hmph, where the hell had he come from!

"He... really still can't speak?" The count looked grave as he glanced at his wife. Yet when he saw the tears in her eyes, his heart softened. He remembered that he had gone to sea for three years, neglecting his wife at home. He had not even been by her side when she was about to give birth, when a woman needed her husband's comfort most. Now their only son had become like this; he truly could not blame the poor woman. His tone softened somewhat. "All right, my dear. If the child cannot speak, we'll hire the most learned teacher in the Empire to instruct him. He'll speak eventually. But his body is far too weak. Our Roland Family has always established itself in the Empire through military merit. My son will naturally follow in my footsteps and become an Imperial general. He cannot be this frail... Hmm, he is already three. I think it is time to find him a tutor. With several years of training, a weak body will naturally become strong... What do you think of Alpha? He is my most loyal captain of guards, highly skilled in martial arts and utterly devoted to the family. Starting next month, Alpha can teach Du Wei some basic training methods."

Hearing that her poor son would have to begin training at such a young age, tears spilled from the countess's beautiful eyes. "But... he is still so little."

"It is precisely because his body is too weak that he must begin strengthening it early! Otherwise, how will he inherit the military glory of our Roland Family?" The count, who had spent years on campaign, was resolute on this point. With a wave of his hand, he made the decision.

The next day, after meeting His Majesty in the palace and receiving his third Imperial First-Class Heroic Merit Medal, personally awarded by His Majesty before the public at the victory ceremony, the emperor publicly announced Count Raymond's promotion to Deputy Commander of the Imperial Command. This made him the second most important military official in the Empire.

After speaking privately with His Majesty for a while, Count Raymond voluntarily relinquished his title as a first-class general of the Imperial Navy and handed over his military authority. When he left the palace, he once again declined congratulations from his colleagues and countless banquet invitations. He even politely refused invitations from several high priests of the Temple of the Goddess of Light before hurrying home.

That Count Raymond of the Roland Family had an idiot son was no longer a secret in the Imperial Capital.

Seeing the faint melancholy that lingered on the count's face even during his medal ceremony, many colleagues friendly with the Roland Family could not help feeling some sympathy for him. Of course, it was unavoidable that some political rivals secretly rejoiced at his misfortune.

At home, the count faced his son once more. This time, however, the beautiful countess was not at his side. Standing beside him was Alpha, his loyal captain of guards who had followed him for nearly twenty years—an Imperial first-class swordsman whose Flowing Flame Sword had earned him recognition as one of the foremost masters of swordsmanship in the Imperial Capital.

For some reason, Count Raymond had always found himself somewhat displeased with this son. He felt that the look in the child's eyes was not merely blankness; it seemed to contain a faint trace of resistance. Still, he thought he was likely overthinking it. What could a three-year-old possibly understand? Besides, he had been away on campaign. From the child's birth until now, he had never held him even once. It was only natural for the boy to be unfamiliar with him.

The captain of guards first performed the standard salute of a family retainer, kneeling on one knee before Du Wei's bed. Then he lifted Du Wei with both hands, removed all his clothes, and carefully felt over his entire body from head to toe with one hand. Du Wei struggled during the process. He clearly was not used to being touched all over by a man, but the strength of an Imperial first-class swordsman was not something he could resist.

"Haa..." Alpha looked grave. He sighed, set down the count's heir, then lowered his head in salute to the count before rising and saying in a deep voice, "My lord, I..."

"Alpha, you are the person I trust most. Do not worry about saying too much. Just tell me what you think." The count sighed.

"Young Master Du Wei's body is very weak, and he seems to be somewhat... constitutionally deficient. His bones are slender, and his heartbeat is irregular. His physique is even worse than that of an ordinary person. If he wishes to learn martial arts in the future, I fear..." Alpha gritted his teeth. "I fear he will not achieve much."

"Then what do you think?"

"I think martial arts are not a good choice for the young master. It would be better to see whether he has any talent in other fields."

After Captain Alpha finished speaking, the count's expression had already darkened.