After a long pause, Paul finally spoke carefully as Allen remained silent.
"Allen, um... that letter came last year. I know it might be hard to accept, but your father is actually—"
"I know James isn't my biological father."
Paul blinked and looked at Allen, whose face was calm.
"That's great. I'll write to Philip right away, let him know you've been found. You can return to Roa then—"
"That won't work."
Paul looked at Allen in surprise. Allen responded with a smile.
"Uncle, please sit down and hear me out."
Allen pushed Paul into his chair, then walked to the entrance to grab another one. Paul watched him, still a bit dazed.
"First of all, the disappearance story is true. But my so-called 'real father' left out the prelude."
Allen touched the back of the chair, feeling the coarse texture of the wood.
"When I passed through the Upper Jaw of the Red Dragon, I was ambushed."
Paul shot up.
Allen lifted the chair, turned, and faced Paul.
"The 'assassination' was arranged by me. I had long figured out I wasn't James's real son, based on my siblings' birthdays. I shouldn't have existed in the Boreas household. There was another younger brother in the same boat, but he died of illness at five. So, last year, I secretly hired a group of thieves to fake my death and escape the Boreas family, heading to Fittoa."
Paul exhaled deeply and sat back down. He had assumed Allen fled to return to his real father.
Allen approached Paul, his eyes narrowing.
"But something went wrong. The actual attackers didn't match the ones I hired. I expected five mid-tier swordsmen—just a light skirmish ending with a fall off a cliff. But instead, eight skilled swordsmen came for me. Two were advanced-level Water God Style users, plus a magician."
"They came to kill."
Paul jumped to his feet again.
Allen now stood right in front of him, smiling faintly.
"So, they died."
Paul exhaled again and sat.
Allen also sat, looking him in the eye.
"After that, I slipped into the forest from the Red Dragon's Jaw, faked tracks going north, then circled for over four months before arriving at Buena Village. I'd heard of your 'heroic tales' in the capital and figured you weren't fond of noble brats. Buena is remote and ideal for laying low, so I came to you. I only learned today that James spread the disappearance story. Looks like he assumed I left the Asura Kingdom successfully and used it as cover."
Paul blinked.
"Heroic tales? So, I've got legends in the capital now..."
Allen spoke rapid-fire.
"Graduated noble school at ten, fooled around with women, got hunted by exes, fought with your dad—"
"Stop!"
Paul jumped up and covered Allen's mouth. Allen chuckled and gently pulled his hand away.
"I suspect those thieves sold me out to James. James always distrusted Philip and probably thought I was going back to help him. So, he took the opportunity to kill me for good."
Paul's awkward face turned grim. He noticed Allen had never referred to James or Philip as 'father.' He sighed.
One father wanted him dead, the other never met him. Of course, he didn't feel any familial bond with either.
"Then... couldn't you sneak back to Roa? Hide your name and meet Philip in secret?"
"No."
"First, Sauros has deep control over Fittoa. He'd find out and disapprove. Most likely, I'd be sent back to James under Boreas tradition, which would be even more dangerous."
"Second, James definitely planted spies in Roa to keep tabs on Philip."
Allen lowered his head slightly.
"So, I humbly ask you, Uncle Paul, to shelter me. In return, I promise to watch over Rudeus's future. You can't always be by his side, but we're close in age. We might even become friends."
Paul looked at the letter on the desk and finally nodded.
Allen added,
"In two years, once the heat dies down and I grow a bit more, I'll trim my eyebrows to look softer, get bangs, and adopt a gloomier hairstyle. Even people who've seen me before probably won't recognize me."
Unlike the modern world, this one suffers from an information lag—which can be a good thing. Magic items that preserve appearance are rare. Even Ruijerd, the scary Superd, can enter cities just by dyeing his hair. Two years is more than enough for me to learn from Paul and reach advanced level in all three sword styles.
"Of course, James and those who raised me will probably recognize me. But as long as I avoid them, it should be fine."
Paul glanced at Allen and sighed. He knew Philip would likely recognize him, but didn't argue.
"True. And by then, your strength will be even greater. Outside of top-tier Sword Kings or Emperors, no one will threaten your life. Since you're officially 'missing,' they can't confront you publicly even if they suspect—it'd have to be assassination. That's Asura nobility."
Allen nodded.
"Exactly."
At that moment, footsteps echoed outside. Paul and Allen went silent. Three knocks followed.
Lilia peeked in, scrutinized Allen, then said,
"Master, dinner is ready. Come eat."
—
As expected, Zenith's cooking matched her SIZE.
Magnificent.
Allen gazed at the steaming hot stew and pizza-like bread on the table. A pot of tender meat released a rich aroma.
Rudeus sat across from Allen, watching him through the steam.
Allen instinctively smiled.
Rudeus immediately turned away.
Allen's smile twitched.
Paul tapped his finger on the table and cleared his throat.
"Alright. After our earlier talk, I've confirmed Allen is qualified to teach Rudeus. So, no trial period. From now on, he's Rudeus's sword instructor. Please treat him like family. Don't let my sword level affect how you see his role here."
Lilia clapped first. Though she thought hiring another sword instructor might be unnecessary, as the daughter of a dojo master, she had no doubts about Allen's Water God Style skill. He could easily serve as a royal guard—one of the elite ones.
Zenith folded her hands in front of her face and smiled warmly.
"If Master has decided, then of course we welcome Allen. I trust Lilia won't look down on him due to his age."
She busied herself scooping food into Allen's bowl.
Paul threw his arm around Allen's shoulder and cheerfully praised him in front of the family.
Zenith nodded repeatedly, her smile gentle and kind.
Completely different from the cold interactions back in the capital.
Having rarely experienced warmth from any family—this life or the last—Allen felt a little overwhelmed by their kindness. He instinctively lowered his head. The scent of food filled his nose.
Steam and faint smoke curled around his face.
[Current Phase: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 40. You've integrated into Paul's family, but Rudeus views you differently.]
[Ongoing Quest: Gain Rudeus's Favor.]
[Rudeus: Countdown – 77:38:47]
(End of Chapter)
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