"My lord... are you sure?" asked Alfred, breaking the silence in the study.
Zephyr did not immediately look up from the documents. He continued writing for a few seconds, as if the question did not deserve a hasty response.
Finally, he put down his pen on the table and looked up at the butler who had been with him since the day he received his noble title.
"Of course," he replied calmly. "He's my son. How could I not trust him?"
He leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers in front of his chest.
"Besides, this also serves as a test," he added. "If he really brings that herb... I'll be able to retire with peace of mind."
Alfred frowned slightly. His hands tensed at his sides, an almost imperceptible gesture, but one that betrayed his unease.
"Do you really believe in the Mana Dragon Lotus herb?" he asked. "It could just be a lie. Something they told you in the city of Calic to take advantage of you."
Zephyr shrugged nonchalantly.
"The demonic forest is one of the least explored areas on the continent," he said. "Some ancient maps even mark it as a forbidden zone. Whether that herb exists there... or not... is something we still can't confirm."
He paused briefly.
"Adam may be telling the truth," he continued. "Or he may have been misled. I don't know."
Then a crooked smile slowly spread across his face. It was neither cheerful nor kind, but sharp, charged with ambition and dangerous expectation.
"But that doesn't matter," he added. "The simple fact that he wants to venture into the demon forest on his own says enough."
His eyes shone with an unsettling intensity.
"Courage, determination... or recklessness," he chuckled softly. "Whatever the outcome, he will emerge from there transformed."
Alfred swallowed hard.
Because they both knew.
If Adam returned alive, he would become someone worthy of the Hall name.
And if he failed...
Zephyr already knew what to do: he would increase the intensity of the torture-training.
After all...
He is a loving father.
...
With his father's permission to mobilize the knights, on the condition that he extract the mana stones found on his previous trip to the demonic forest, Adam had one less problem to worry about.
Now he could plant the Mana Dragon Lotus crops.
He just needed a solid plan to ensure everything went smoothly.
Not long after, he arrived at the dining room, accompanied by some maids.
Dinner was already waiting for him.
The dining room wasn't full. Some seats remained empty.
Only his mother was there. His father was still working in his office; Adam assumed he wouldn't be coming down to dinner with them.
He sat down next to his mother.
Alisha stared at him. "How did the conversation with your father go? Lydia told me she had called you."
Lydia was his mother's personal maid. Adam had already been offered one, but he had refused—too many secrets. Having someone follow him around all the time was not an option; he had more than enough of Asterin.
Adam replies to his mother.
"Fine, Mother. I chatted with him for a while, nothing out of the ordinary, just that in two days I plan to re-enter the demonic forest."
"Again, son? Why do you worry your mother so much? You can't be like those other nobles who sneak peeks at the maids while they bathe."
Alisha shakes her head with a sigh.
"..."
Adam didn't know how to respond. He ended up sighing just like her.
They really were mother and son.
"Hahaha," Alisha laughed, her voice echoing through the dining room. "Your face was too funny, son. I wish we had an artist to paint it."
Adam shook his head.
Was his mother really only thirty-five years old?
He sighed again.
"Mom, how's business? Did you tell my future mother-in-law?"
"Heh~ future mother-in-law…" she replied with a smile. "I already sent her a letter and some of the perfume sample you brought me, so she shouldn't take long to reply."
Adam nodded. It was good news. One less thing to worry about, especially when it came to money. That way, he could focus on growing the miracle herb.
He continued chatting with his mother about trivial matters or simple gossip that Agnes had shared with him.
The servants began to enter quietly, serving the dinner dishes. The air filled with the warm aroma of roasted meat, fresh herbs, and spiced broths.
Meat soup, stews, poultry browned in its own juices, roasted root vegetables, still-steaming rye bread, glasses of dark red wine.
The soft clinking of cutlery and the murmur of quiet conversations gradually dissolved the tension that still lingered in the room.
Adam let himself be carried away by the relaxed atmosphere. His gaze swept across the table, and a satisfied smile spread across his lips.
...
The clouds drifted heavily across the sky as Adam looked up. They frayed into shreds that capriciously hid and revealed the pale glow of the moon.
He remembered seeing that sky full of stars on other nights. Now, one by one, the constellations were fading, shining for the last time before yielding to the darkness.
Then the sun came up.
Its first rays forced him to squint. The moon became a mere reflection, a ghost that eventually disappeared.
The distant song of a bird and the cold breeze brushed against his skin.
The Hall territory was waking up.
Adam wiped the sweat from his forehead on the training ground. The system's daily mission had just been completed.
[Daily Mission #52]
Push-ups 250: Complete (260/260)
Sit-ups 250: Complete (260/260)
Squats 250: Complete (260/260)
Pull-ups 250: Complete (260/260)
Burpees 100: Complete (110/110)
30 km run: Complete (40/40)
[You have completed daily mission #52.]
[You received 1 stat point.]
[You received 1 EXP]
Finishing his stretches, Adam walked over and picked up a wooden sword. Asterin floated beside him, arms crossed. Something was shining in her eyes that he couldn't quite figure out.
That wasn't important.
Adam began to circulate his mana throughout his body, just as he had learned from the Gallant doll, and showed it to her.
He performed a series of movements and, after a few minutes, stopped.
"That was the fencing I used in the dungeon. What do you think?"
Asterin put a hand to her chin. Her tone was neutral.
"It's perfect fencing. I've never seen anything like it. However, I noticed some mistakes that could make it even more dangerous... and lethal."
Adam watched as she began to manipulate the mana in the air, shaping it into a doll identical to him.
As expected of a queen of knights... incredible.
He remained fascinated by the way Asterin controlled mana. He could do something similar now, yes, but not like that. Not with that precision. Not with that ease.
He was becoming increasingly aware of the gap between them. Even at his best, he would not have been able to face her.
"Why are you so distracted? Watch."
Asterin's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Adam fixed his gaze on the mana doll as he listened to her explanation.