Chương 684: Chapter 682 – A Childhood That Never Was.

'He is looking rather cheerful… almost childlike…' Roland stood by and watched as Julius knelt beside Agni with absolutely no concern for how undignified it looked. The potential future duke of one of the kingdom's most powerful houses had abandoned every trace of noble restraint the moment the sunlight wolf allowed him closer. One hand carefully buried itself in the burning mane while the other scratched beneath Agni's jaw with unconcealed delight. Agni responded by leaning harder against him.

It was clear he was thoroughly enjoying the attention. Not many people possessed enough strength to properly scratch a massive flaming wolf like this, but Julius certainly did.

"Ha! So even divine beasts enjoy this?" Julius laughed quietly as Agni's tail swept across the stone floor with enough force to rattle the nearby furniture. The sound echoed through the garden courtyard, sending several birds fleeing from the surrounding trees in alarm.

"Woof." It was honestly difficult to process. A grown man who commanded knights, negotiated with high nobles, and wielded immense political influence in both the kingdom and the church was now acting like a child playing with a puppy for the very first time.

"Ha ha…" Arthur laughed quietly beside Roland.

"I didn't know my brother had this side to him. It's actually quite refreshing." Roland did not respond. He continued standing like a proper knight, though to him this behavior was not particularly unusual. He understood what growing up in a rigid noble household could do to a child. Even he had been forced to fight goblins before reaching the age of ten. He could only imagine the harsh training Julius must have endured.

That impression only intensified when Roland glanced at the image of Aurelia displayed on his helmet screen. The woman appeared deeply devoted to her faith. Even now, she faced in Agni's direction with her hands clasped in prayer. Roland was not a particularly religious person, but he understood how demanding such devotion could be. True believers were expected to memorize prayers, legends, and ceremonies from an early age.

He could easily imagine Aurelia drilling those teachings into her son throughout his childhood without ever allowing him to truly experience one. Julius had become the perfect heir, a man fully qualified to inherit a duchy, but perhaps he had sacrificed his childhood in the process. That lost part of himself now seemed to surface through this simple interaction with Agni.

"I probably wasn't the only one that…" Arthur let the sentence trail off, but Roland understood the meaning well enough without hearing the rest. Both brothers had suffered through difficult upbringings, though from Arthur's perspective, Julius likely had the easier life. Arthur was still the bastard son of an elven outsider, a status that had shaped his entire childhood.

'It's not strange for a relationship to be built on shared trauma…' Roland remained motionless beside Arthur while Julius continued scratching Agni beneath the jaw like a man who had forgotten the weight of his title. It was strangely humanizing to witness, but Roland knew better than to waste the opportunity. One person still stood apart from the moment, so in an effort to help the two brothers grow closer, he stepped forward and spoke quietly.

"Lord Arthur, perhaps you should join your brother? You know Agni quite well yourself."

"..." Agni let out another pleased rumble and leaned his massive frame against Julius hard enough to nearly knock the noble off balance. At that moment, Arthur finally found the courage to step forward.

"Careful there, brother Julius…" Arthur reached out instinctively, placing a hand on Julius's shoulder before he could topple backward. For a brief moment, the two brothers froze at the contact. It was such a simple gesture, yet Roland immediately noticed the hesitation between them. Neither was accustomed to casual affection between siblings, which was hardly surprising given their circumstances.

"My thanks."

"It's fine. Agni is a very active beast. He can be a handful." Julius let out a quiet laugh as he steadied himself.

"I can see that." Agni barked proudly as if pleased by the compliment before shoving his head beneath Julius's hand again. The paladin noble nearly stumbled a second time, forcing Arthur to grab him more firmly by the arm.

"Sir Wayland and the church spoil him quite a lot." Roland said nothing as he quietly moved away from the brothers' bonding session. Both of them were smiling now as they continued talking. Agni had initiated the interaction, but after a while, the two drifted away from him and began discussing other matters, including the current state of the kingdom and several future projects.

"I've heard you've been planning something grand beneath the island. An underground railway, was it?"

"Oh, you heard about that? Yes, though it depends on whether Father agrees to it." While they spoke, Roland turned his attention back to the city around them. There did not appear to be any assassins lurking nearby, which left Aurelia as the only real concern during this visit. The woman had already proven herself somewhat unreasonable, though whether she was merely a devout follower of the church or something more remained unclear.

Roland was still trying to determine who was responsible for the incident involving Arthur's mother and the loss of her eyesight. For now, he had little to go on besides the group of assassins discovered within the dungeon. The captured member had already been interrogated, and even with the aid of spells and potions, the information they extracted revealed little beyond the structure of the organization and a handful of minor details. What they really needed was a connection to the person giving the orders.

To get that, they would likely need to capture someone higher up in the organisation or raid one of the locations where the assassins were hiding. Something like that required time, research, and specialised forces. It was also the kind of task Mary and her group were responsible for, as they handled intelligence gathering beyond Albrook's borders. Roland's focus was on providing proper equipment and helping them grow stronger.

By acquiring undead lesser dragons that could be controlled through his necrotic energy manipulation, it would be possible to raise their tier three skills rather quickly. Before that part of the plan could begin, however, he first had to endure this day of brotherly bonding.

'Sometimes, I hate this job…' For someone who worked endless shifts and rarely slept, standing at attention in a peaceful garden was painfully dull. No attacks were emerging from the shadows, no cultists to defeat, only the tedious task of pretending to be a proper knight while serving as Arthur's personal bodyguard. The two brothers spent their time wandering through the garden, talking about both the past and the present.

Julius brought up old hunting trips organised by the duke, though from the way he described them, they sounded less like recreation and more like military exercises disguised as family outings. Of course, Arthur had never been invited, but judging by Julius' description, there was little reason to envy those trips. They had apparently been quiet affairs, with the duke delivering long monologues while the younger participants were expected to listen rather than speak.

Even so, Julius still seemed rather fond of his father. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Father is strong and just. I only hope I can live up to even a fraction of that image." Julius let the words linger as he held a cup of tea. The group had long since stopped playing with Agni, who was now lying beneath a tree, lazily drifting off to sleep.

"Well, brother Julius, you can always leave the duchy to me if you ever grow tired of it." Arthur said it jokingly, and both brothers laughed.

"Mother would never stop complaining if I did that, but I'll think about it." Their relationship seemed to have improved quite a bit if they could joke about matters like that. Julius appeared unusually relaxed, though eventually they had to move on, as he had not arrived alone.

"Speaking of Mother, I think she might be getting worried." Despite everything, she was still Julius' mother. Even if she had overreacted when she saw Agni, he clearly could not stay angry with her for long. Julius glanced toward the manor, the brightness in his expression fading slightly as responsibility settled back onto his shoulders. His posture straightened, and he carefully set his teacup down before rising to his feet.

"I should go see her soon. If I leave her alone for too long, she'll interpret it as disrespect." Arthur nodded lightly.

"She is your mother. It is natural to worry." Roland remained still, his attention split between the conversation and the garden perimeter. His helmet display continued to sweep for movement, but nothing unusual appeared. Even so, his earlier impression of Aurelia had not faded. If anything, it had only reinforced his belief that she was capable of treachery.

"Please don't blame my mother. Her devotion to the sun has always been strong. I'm sure she'll come to understand in time."

"It's fine, brother. I think nothing of it." Roland wondered how far that devotion truly went.

'I wonder what she would do if she knew that Agni regularly visits dungeons and is treated like a tamed beast instead of being worshipped at an altar.' He knew that if the church had its way, his wolf would never progress beyond his initial evolution. They would probably lock him away somewhere secure and keep him under constant guard. It was not a fate Roland wanted for his canine companion. Agni was meant to run free.

'I wonder how much of a fuss they'll make when he evolves again.' After spending so much time in the dungeon, their levels had risen steadily. Roland had already done the calculations and knew that if they maintained their current pace, Agni would evolve within the next few months. His own level had also increased, though he was uncertain whether he would obtain his next class before the magic school competition began.

"There are still other things I wish to show you. People do not call this the City of Runes for nothing."

"Oh? Do they now?" Arthur spoke as the two moved away from the garden and headed back into the mansion. Roland followed behind him, and before long, they arrived at the guest room where Aurelia had been escorted earlier. She had not caused much of a scene. At least outwardly, she carried herself like a proper noblewoman, though the displeasure in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"Julius, I wish to leave."

"But mother, we haven't even…" The golden-haired man stopped himself as the woman turned a sharp gaze toward him. Arthur and Roland noticed it immediately. It was the look of a stern parent who had instilled obedience from an early age. Julius closed his mouth at once before turning back toward Arthur.

"My apologies, brother. I wished to stay longer, but it seems Mother is feeling unwell. Would it be too much trouble to activate the gate again so we may return?" The original plan had been for Julius to stay the night. They had even prepared fireworks, something still uncommon in this world, but it seemed the visit was now coming to an early end. Arthur's smile faded slightly after Julius spoke, and the atmosphere in the room shifted at once.

Only moments earlier, the brothers had been laughing together over tea while Agni slept lazily beneath the garden tree.

"Of course. The gate can be prepared immediately." Arthur answered politely, though Roland could tell he was disappointed. The meeting had gone far better than expected until the very end. If Julius had stayed through the evening, there would have been more opportunities to strengthen the fragile bond between the brothers. Aurelia slowly rose from her seat with all the grace expected of a duchess. The earlier fanaticism had vanished completely.

Her expression was calm, her posture elegant, and her movements controlled. If Roland had not witnessed her behavior outside with his own eyes, he might have doubted it had happened at all.

"My apologies for causing a disturbance earlier." She lowered her head slightly toward Arthur before looking at Roland, though she did not bow to him. The gesture clearly reflected the difference in status between them.

"I allowed my emotions to overcome my reason." Roland gave a respectful nod but said nothing. He did not trust her enough to engage further. After observing her over the last hour, he trusted her even less. The woman's composure felt practiced rather than genuine. Julius, however, seemed relieved by the apology.

"I told you Mother would understand. Perhaps we can visit some other time, but for now, we should depart. Those cultists will not wait for us to defeat them."

"There is no offense taken, and I wish you luck in your endeavors." Aurelia's eyes shifted briefly toward the garden. Just as they were about to leave, she spoke again.

"Perhaps the divine beast could assist us in cleansing the northern catacombs of the undead gathered there?" For a moment, the room fell silent. Roland immediately understood what she was trying to accomplish, and after her earlier outburst, he could not trust her not to attempt something underhanded. If he lent Agni to them, even if he accompanied the beast himself, he could easily find himself imprisoned for defying someone like a bishop while Agni was confiscated by the church.

Worse still, they might attempt to sever the bond he shared with the wolf. Fortunately, Arthur knew better than to give her even a sliver of hope.

"I'm afraid that will not be possible." Arthur answered before Aurelia could continue, but the woman was not quite finished.

"The northern catacombs grow more dangerous with each passing month. A divine beast blessed by the sun itself would surely prove invaluable in purging such corruption." Arthur kept his tone polite, though irritation was beginning to show.

"Agni is not a tool of the church, Lady Aurelia, nor is he a military asset to be borrowed whenever convenient." For a brief moment, Aurelia looked stunned. However, her expression quickly shifted, as though she had faced similar refusals before.

"Is that so… regrettable." Roland could already see where this was heading. Aurelia's voice remained calm and measured, and it was clear she was deciding whether to press the matter further. However, Julius was still present, and this time he stepped forward to stop her once again.

"Mother, you were feeling unwell, right? Why don't we return and have the priests look after you?"

"... Very well, let us depart then. But if you find it in your heart, please reconsider allowing the divine beast to aid the faithful. Even a brief appearance within the catacombs would inspire countless people." Arthur's expression shifted slightly as he tried to maintain his smile.

"I'll think about it... But the holy beasts rarely like to move at the desires of others."

"I see..." Finally, after a short exchange, the woman looked to the two attendants at her side and turned to leave. Julius wore a somewhat apologetic expression and, after inclining his head slightly, followed after his mother to their personal carriage and the men stationed outside.

"Sir Wayland, why don't you help our guests return?"

"Yes, my lord." Arthur had been there to greet the two nobles, but he was not their subordinate, so there was no reason for him to accompany them further. Roland, on the other hand, needed to be present if they wished to activate the gate again and to ensure nothing happened to the high-profile visitors. The return trip to the gate was rather silent. The citizens who had gathered earlier to witness the nobles' arrival were certainly confused when they saw the carriage moving through the streets once more.

Roland walked several steps behind the carriage while the escort knights maintained formation around it. The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the streets of Albrook, and the noise of the city had dulled compared to earlier. Most people had already returned to their work after the excitement of seeing high nobles pass through the district. Soon, the gate was activated once again, and the two nobles departed in silence.

The childish glint in Julius' eyes had vanished, and was replaced by a more stern demeanor. Before leaving, Roland noticed him glance toward Arthur's manor, as if reminiscing about what had happened within the garden. However, he quickly turned away and stepped through the gate, making way for his mother, who followed behind him.

'Well, that was underwhelming... but we did seem to have made a slight dent.' As the light of the gate faded, Roland reflected on the previous hours. Julius had not stayed long, but that did not mean he could not return later. Judging by how his mother had reacted, perhaps next time he would keep the meeting secret. A reason for another visit could easily be arranged, especially since Agni's next evolution would certainly be enticing.

'Hm... what will we do about those fireworks, though...' After turning away, he looked toward the gathered citizens. An announcement had been planned for later in the day, telling everyone to look toward the noble estate where Julius was meant to receive a light show. Everything had already been prepared, but the guest of honor was gone. Still, that did not mean the day was over just yet.