How should Leonard be dealt with?
Veylin already had an answer.
Execute him outright?
That was the simplest option, and the most foolish.
It would create a rift between him and his uncle that could never heal.
Let him off lightly? That would be asking for ruin.
Showing mercy to someone like Leonard meant being cruel to himself.
Not only would Leonard feel no gratitude, he would take it as weakness, then wait like a venomous snake for his next chance to strike.
So he had to be given a hope he could see, but never reach.
"Give him a knight's title."
"Send him to a remote fief and let him manage it through his own abilities."
If Leonard could accept reality, he could spend the rest of his life as a country knight in some impoverished backwater.
If he still refused to behave...
Well, plenty of down-and-out nobles died in "accidents" every year.
Lyman understood Veylin's meaning almost instantly. A genuine smile spread across his face, carrying even a hint of relief.
Excellent.
This boy possessed political acumen far beyond his years, and enough restraint to match.
He knew how to balance interests against personal feelings, resolving trouble at the smallest possible cost.
As for Leonard? Every member who enjoyed the family's glory also had to be prepared to contribute to it.
"You've uncovered a genuine gold mine for the family this time. As its head, I must give you a fitting reward."
Lyman walked over to Veylin and rested his left hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"Tell me, what do you want?"
Veylin raised his head.
There really was something he wanted, something money alone could not buy.
"Uncle, I want a flying magical beast."
The smile slowly faded from Lyman's face, replaced by a trace of surprise