Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

Chapter 213: Mapping The Future [4]

"Come on, take a seat," Soren said, gesturing toward the sofa.

"Oh, o-ok," Ryan stammered, clearing his throat before carefully sitting down.

’Even after seeing the grand scale of the Sunless Reliquary, he still reacted like this. I guess he’s still a kid at heart,’ Soren chuckled inwardly, noticing Ryan’s eyes darting around the room. Then again, looking back, Soren knew he hadn’t been that different.

"Brother Soren, have you really recovered completely?" Ryan asked, breaking the silence. "And what about sister-in-law?"

"I’m indeed better," Soren replied with a reassuring nod. "Ethea is resting in the other room right now, but she’s doing fine too. What about you? How are you holding up? We didn’t really get a chance to catch up yesterday."

"I’m doing well. And I already took care of that matter you mentioned. Is that why you wanted to meet up today?"

"Oh, that’s good. Good job on that," Soren said, leaning forward. "But no, I actually called you because there’s something important we need to discuss."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. He shifted in his seat, settling comfortably to listen.

"Ryan..." Soren took a brief breath before laying it out straight. "We’re leaving Kalmira City soon."

"We... as in you and sister-in-law?" Ryan asked, his brow furrowing with doubt.

Soren gave a confirmatory nod.

"Could it be..." Ryan paused for a moment before making another guess. "Does this have something to do with the Gate incident?"

Soren nodded again, his expression turning solemn. "What I am about to tell you is a secret, Ryan. I hope you can keep it between us."

"Of course, I won’t tell anyone without your permission." Ryan nodded immediately, his posture stiffening as his mind began to race with the implications.

"The truth is... That Gate didn’t manifest naturally," Soren started, keeping his voice low. "Some people artificially forced it open, and those people are Ethea’s enemies who’ve been hunting her down. Even the incident that left her crippled in the first place was their doing."

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He closed it, his eyes squinting as he tried to grasp the scale of the threat. After a long moment of silence, he looked up, his voice hushed. "...How powerful are they?"

"At least the Eighth Circle," Soren said grimly. "And there are probably a dozen of them."

"I see..." Ryan muttered, his gaze dropping back to the floor as he fell into deep thought.

Watching him, Soren could easily guess what was running through the kid’s mind. Ryan was likely agonizing over whether he even had a place in a conflict of this scale or how someone at his level could possibly offer any support.

Soren’s intuition proved exactly right. A moment later, Ryan raised his head, looking Soren dead in the eye. "Brother Soren, is there any way I can help you guys?"

"Thank you, Ryan. I appreciate that more than you know," Soren said, his expression softening slightly. "But before we get into any of that, there’s something I need to ask you first. It might be a bit personal."

Ryan nodded without a second thought, leaning forward to show he didn’t mind.

"What are your plans for the future?" Soren asked. "What are you aiming for next?"

Ryan hesitated, looking down at his hands as he formulated the words. "Actually... I was planning to apply for a transfer to the Etenia Academy once this semester ends. I even planned to take my family with me. My parents said they would think about it, but only if I actually pass the transfer exams."

Soren watched him closely, noticing the lingering weight in the boy’s posture. "...But?"

"But the Gate incident changed my mind," Ryan muttered, his voice dropping as his grip tightened on his knees. "It made me realize just how weak I really am. I know everyone says I’m now a genius, and I’ve been progressing rapidly over the last couple of weeks, but to me, it still feels agonizingly slow. Because... Knowing what awaits me in the future, I just don’t have the luxury of time."

He looked up at Soren, a sudden wave of raw frustration breaking through his usual quiet demeanor.

"Etenia is an excellent place, and I believe I would learn a lot and enjoy my time there. However, it’s still a school that requires years to complete. I feel like I’m wasting my days at my current academy, and transferring might only lead to more of the same. That’s why I’ve begun exploring other options. I’ve even considered dropping out altogether to become a full-time hunter."

"But I know my parents would never agree to that," Ryan added, his shoulders slumping as the frustration gave way to reality. "And I don’t blame them either. They just want me to be safe and enjoy my life. They want me to be happy. Honestly, I’d love nothing more than to just do that, but it feels impossible now. And... If something dangerous happens like the other day, I’m terrified I won’t be able to protect them. That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you, but couldn’t find the chance till now. Brother Soren... I need your help... and your advice on what I should do."

Hearing him, Soren fell silent.

He looked at the boy sitting across from him, the weight of a hidden truth pressing heavily on his mind. Just like him, Ryan was also frustrated by his current pace, but he had no idea what truly lay ahead of him. Ethea’s enemies were terrifying, yes, but Ryan was bound to face an even worse storm. Considering how unfathomable the Sunless Emperor was, and factoring in Ryan’s unique Two-Faced Fortune ability, the hardships waiting for him in the future would likely dwarf anything they were dealing with now.

Moreover, it was an incredibly heavy burden for a kid to carry, and it was also unfair. Yet, the moment Ryan became the successor to the Sunless Emperor, this reality became his inescapable fate.

’...’

Soren then recalled the solemn promise he had made to the Sunless Emperor, a vow to help and guide this boy through the shadows ahead. It was a duty he had no intention of breaking.

"Ryan..."