Chapter 182 Ch. 182: A Farewell [4]
Lying on his bed, Adrian stared blankly at the painting above the canopy bed. His last conversation with Nathaniel had left a great impact, and now it kept bugging his mind, preventing him from closing his eyes. With a long sigh, Adrian pulled the blanket to cover his body and forcefully shut his eyes.
However, the sound of a door creaking open successfully forced Adrian to sit himself at the intruder's rudeness. Peering out from behind the bed's curtain, his eyes met a pair of magenta orbs. The warm glow of the candles lining the walls illuminated the visitor's face, revealing a familiar figure.
Caught off guard by the unexpected visit, Adrian called out, "Your Majesty?"
Concern laced Arthur's voice as he approached Adrian's bedside. "Did I wake you up?" Initially, he intended to visit quietly, but it seemed he unintentionally disturbed his son's sleep.
Adrian shook his head, "No, I am currently unable to fall asleep."
As Adrian made a move to descend from the bed, Arthur quickly intervened, halting his son's actions. "It's alright, I won't take long. Besides, it's just the two of us here. You don't have to be so formal."
Adrian hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. After a brief pause, he finally acquiesced, "I... understand."
Taking a seat on the chair next to Adrian's bed, Arthur reached out and gently stroked his son's head. "How are you feeling?"
Managing a thin smile, Adrian answered, "I've been better."
Arthur reciprocated the smile. "I'm glad to hear that." After a moment of silence, he posed another question, "Have you heard about your punishment from your mother?"
Adrian nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, I have."
"Do you have any objections to it?" Considering how his son loved to object to every punishment given to him, Arthur thought that he might lighten up the punishment.
Adrian shook his head, "No, I'm content with it." After what happened between them, he didn't feel ready to engage in deep interactions with Nathaniel just yet. Somehow, he could imagine how awkward it would be between them.
Arthur couldn't help but be taken aback by his son's unexpected response. It was unlike Adrian to simply accept his fate without a fight. However, he respected his son's decision, even if it puzzled him. "I see."
As the silence stretched between them, Adrian couldn't help but notice the conflicted expression on Arthur's face. He sensed that there was more to his father's visit than met the eye.
After a moment, Arthur eventually opened his mouth, "Can I ask you about something?"
Bracing himself, Adrian responded, "Please, go ahead."
Taking out a Silent Magic Device, Arthur activated it and immediately a transparent dome enveloped them. And just as Adrian expected, this was not an ordinary discussion between son and father.
Arthur took out a small chest and opened it, revealing an orb emitting golden light. Fixating his sight on his son, he asked, "Do you know what is this?"
Adrian's gaze locked onto the orb, recognizing it instantly. It would be a lie if he said he didn't know what it was. As they had encountered the man—an Endless in the Forest of Death, so lying would be futile. With that in mind, Adrian admitted, "It's a Sacred Orb."
Satisfied with his son's response, Arthur closed the chest and stowed it away. He then proceeded to pose another question. "Where did you and Nathaniel learn about it?"
Upon noticing Nathaniel's name being mentioned, Adrian immediately responded, "Nathaniel didn't tell you about it?"
"No," Arthur shook his head, "At first, I didn't want to disturb you, but your brother assured me that you would fill me in on everything. So, here I am."
Annoyance flickered across Adrian's face, his lips involuntarily twitching. Here he thought that he could dump everything on his brother, but it turned out to be the other way around. 'As expected of my beloved brother. Now, I have to rack my brain in the middle of the night, good grief.'
Taking out a purple book from his Magical Sphere, Adrian handed it to Arthur, "We learn it from here. When we watched the video in the war room, we discovered that it was one of the Sacred Orbs, so we went to the Western Border to prove its existence."
Accepting the book, Arthur's curiosity grew. "Who gave you this book?" he inquired, his eyes searching for answers.
"Someone gave it to me when I and Nathaniel sneaked out to the square." Adrian lied.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Arthur's tone turned serious, "Do you know why this book is banned by the Empire?"
"To prevent people from seeking out the Sacred Orbs and potentially exploit their powers."
Arthur nodded, "That's right. The Empire intends to maintain balance across the continent, ensuring that people don't wage war recklessly, as many Endless have done in the past."
Despite the Empire's relentless efforts to destroy the books, they seemed to reappear endlessly. This was a source of frustration for the Empire, as the Elders believed that many people had been brainwashed by these books, leading them to join a cult that aimed to establish Chrono's honor and glory, while simultaneously framing the Empire for forgetting its founder.
In Arthur's eyes, that was a foolish endeavor, as those involved had no understanding of the true reasons behind the Empire's actions.
However, Arthur pushed these concerns aside and focused on the matter at hand. "Knowing that you are well aware of how dangerous an Endless is, then why were you engaged with him?"
"He was one of the officers behind the false flag on the Refugee Camp attack, so we instinctively pursued after him."
"For what?" Arthur snapped, his rage building up.
Adrian hung his head low and played a guilty tone, "To learn who was the true culprit behind the attack."
Arthur massaged the bridge of his nose in exasperation and let out a heavy sigh. He spoke in a low voice, attempting to control his anger, "Then why aren't you telling me? How many times do I have to remind you to let the adults handle these matters?"
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