A/N:
I panicked yesterday. I'm sorry. I've edited the previous chapter.
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"Then tell me, Nathaniel. What was your purpose in establishing this agency? Is it for personal gain? A path to the throne, perhaps?"
Nathaniel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to make sense of his father's words.
Of all the possibilities, he couldn't fathom why the man before him would suspect him of planning a revolt.
Perhaps Arthur believed that the agency was a means for him to gather soldiers and support behind his back, a potential path to the throne.
However, the truth was far from that assumption.
Nathaniel had never entertained such thoughts, not even for a moment.
With his soul trapped within his young body, he was well aware of the limitations of his movements and actions.
His primary focus was on tracking down the shitty organization and the scattered 'items' across the continent.
Drawing from his memories of the previous timeline, Nathaniel recalled the existence of a renowned and powerful mercenary agency.
Having conducted thorough research in the past, he later discovered that the agency had started from scratch before eventually achieving a renowned diamond rank.
Seizing the opportunity at hand, he quickly sought out this agency and immediately made a substantial investment.
He had high expectations, and true to his hopes, the mercenaries swiftly rose from a lowly bronze rank to a diamond rank in less than three years.
Unbeknownst to Nathaniel, time had flown by, and he had been running the agency for seven years now.
To him, the mercenary agency was akin to a second family, and he was willing to go to any lengths to ensure its continuous operation.
"I have no interest in the throne; it belongs to Adrian."
Arthur raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sudden declaration.
"Why? Doesn't your mother and grandfather desire the throne?"
Nathaniel shrugged nonchalantly.
"It may be their desire, but I have my own perspective."
"I see."
Arthur nodded in acknowledgment and after a brief silence, he posed another question.
"So, why did you establish this agency?"
"Is it wrong to invest in securing my own future?"
Nathaniel retorted and Arthur inquired further.
"There's nothing wrong with that. But why did you choose to establish a mercenary agency?"
"As I mentioned earlier, Father, I established it for my future. I have no interest in the throne. If you still doubt me, we can perform a 'Mana Oath'."
Nathaniel stated indifferently.
He knew his father didn't trust his words, so the only way to convince him was to wager his Mana Pool.
"Haa…"
Arthur let out a frustrated sigh, massaging his furrowed eyebrows before speaking again.
"Nathaniel, my son, it's not that I don't trust you. I trust you wholeheartedly. I understand your desire to secure your future. But why didn't you discuss it with me or your mother first? I could have given you one of my diamond mines instead of resorting to secretive actions."
"…"
Nathaniel chose to remain silent, realizing that continuing to lie would only make his deception more apparent.
With a deep sigh, Arthur elaborated more.
"I'm not against your idea; it shows maturity in your thinking. However, you must remember that we live in a world where politics revolve around us. If other factions were to discover your mercenary agency, they could frame you as gathering soldiers to overthrow the throne. You need to be aware of the potential consequences."
"I'm… sorry."
It was only then that he truly understood what Arthur meant.
Well, he had never considered the political implications before.
'So, Arthur just… worried, huh?'
Soon, the white-haired man retrieved a document from his Magical Sphere and handed it to him.
As Nathaniel read through the document, Arthur began to provide further explanation.
"Even though you've used a pseudonym on the document of ownership, there is still a chance that a powerful noble could discover it. So, I changed the ownership to my name."
His golden eyes focused on a specific page, confirming his father's words.
"But you don't need to worry. I won't involve myself or interfere with your business. It's still yours; it's just my name on the document. If you agree, you can sign it. If not, that's alright too."
As a thought kicked in, Nathaniel asked.
"Does this mean my Mercenary Agency will not face a ban?"
Arthur let out a chuckle before answering.
"Why would I do that? Corbenik Agency is one of the top 10 diamond agencies that has made significant contributions to the Empire. It would be a waste to simply ban them."
"Thank you so much for your kindness."
"Just be more cautious in the future."
Arthur advised him and Nathaniel nodded his head.
"I understand."
With that, Nathaniel signed the document, and Arthur concluded the conversation.
"I've taken up so much of your time. You must be tired."
"No. I'm all right."
They both stood up, and Arthur opened his arms wide, beckoning to his son.
"Come."
Confusion washed over Nathaniel as he stared at his father, unsure of what to do.
As Nathaniel remained motionless, Arthur eventually asked.
"You don't want to hug me?"
Reluctantly, Nathaniel approached his father, and as soon as he reached him, Arthur enveloped him in a warm embrace.
A sense of warmth spread through Nathaniel's heart.
For him, Arthur had never been a bad father.
He had always treated Nathaniel and Adrian with equal love and care.
However, Nathaniel couldn't shake the strange and mixed feelings he had when it came to being close to his father in this timeline.
Because back in the previous timeline, Nathaniel had done something that made his father extremely angry, and—
Arthur almost killed him that day.
After that incident, their relationship shattered, and they became like strangers to each other even until he died.
Shortly after their embrace, Arthur released Nathaniel and gently cupped his face.
"Be kind to you brother."
"I will."
Even without Arthur reminding him, he would do it regardless.
A smile of satisfaction appeared on Arthur's face as he patted Nathaniel's head.
"Have a good rest."
"Thank you."
With that, they bid each other farewell, and Nathaniel left the room.
Upon leaving the Sun Palace, Nathaniel couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows when he noticed a familiar figure standing not too far from his carriage.
Arriving before his mother, Nathaniel spat his mind.
"You're still here?"
"I'm waiting for you."
Lucia offered him a smile and Nathaniel rolled his eyes in boredom.
"You should have gone back to your Palace. Also, I don't bring any gifts for you. Sorry, not sorry."
Despite her son's poisonous tone, Lucia maintained her gentle smile.
Considering how she had treated him in the past, Nathaniel's reaction was understandable, and she was willing to accept the consequences of her actions.
"For me, your safe return is the best gift I could ask for." "…"
A strange mixture of emotions swirled inside him and ignoring his mother, he boarded the carriage.
Lucia followed suit, but instead of sitting across from him, she chose to sit next to him.
Nathaniel stood up, ready to change seats, but Lucia grabbed his wrist.
"Please."
"Tsk."
Nathaniel clicked his tongue in annoyance and begrudgingly complied.
The coachman urged the horse forward and the carriage began its journey.
—Neigh!
Silence enveloped the carriage as no one seemed willing to engage in conversation.
However, after mustering every ounce of her courage, Lucia finally broke the silence.
"Nathan."
Reluctantly, Nathaniel turned his gaze from the scenery outside to his mother.
"What?"
Lucia's lips curled up into a smile and spoke.
"I've been thinking about this lately, and I wonder if we can… start over?"
"…"
Stillness hung in the air, with no immediate answer from Nathaniel.
He just stared at her, his face devoid of any expression.
Eventually, Lucia continued.
"I understand that what I've done to you is unforgivable, but I genuinely hope that we can start over, rebuilding our relationship as a mother and as a son."
Lucia pleaded, her voice filled with remorse.
"…whatever."
Nathaniel responded dismissively, returning his gaze to the window.
He tried to ignore the pang in his heart and the warmth that was growing within him.
"Thank you."
Lucia whispered softly, resting her head on Nathaniel's shoulder.
The situation felt strange, but Nathaniel tried to accept it, pushing aside his reservations.
Nevertheless, despite these seemingly positive developments in almost every aspect, a sense of uneasiness lingered within him.
He couldn't shake off the fear of what might be waiting for him in the future.
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