As Ashton led Adrian down the corridor toward their father's study, Adrian glanced at him curiously. "Do you know why Father asked for me?" he asked.
Ashton shrugged. "I'm not sure," he replied. "He only told me to come get you."
They continued walking through the quiet halls of the estate. Sunlight filtered in through the tall windows, casting long streaks of light across the polished floor. A few servants passed by and quickly stepped aside, bowing slightly as the two young masters walked past.
As they turned a corner, they came across a woman walking toward them. She was beautiful, with a gentle and graceful presence. Compared to their father, whose stern expression made most people uneasy, she had a much warmer and more approachable air about her. When she saw Adrian, her expression immediately softened with concern.
"Adrian, are you feeling better now?" she asked.
"I'm fine, Mother," Adrian replied politely. Though she was technically his stepmother, she had always treated both him and Ashton with fairness and courtesy. She wasn't particularly affectionate, but she had never been cold or unkind either.
"That's good to hear," she said gently. "Your father is in the study."
Adrian nodded. "Thank you."
The brothers continued down the hallway until they reached the large wooden door of their father's study. Ashton knocked lightly before opening it.
Inside, Baron Taylor Silversail sat behind a heavy desk covered with several thick account books. He appeared to be writing something carefully, his pen moving steadily across the page. His expression was serious, as usual. When the two boys entered, he briefly looked up. His sharp gaze settled on them for a moment before he spoke.
"Ashton, resume your training." The instruction was simple, but it carried the quiet authority that their father always had. Ashton straightened immediately. "Yes, Father."
He glanced at Adrian before turning and leaving the room. The door closed softly behind him, leaving Adrian alone with the Baron. For a moment, Adrian simply stood there, observing the man sitting behind the desk.
Baron Taylor Silversail had not been born a noble. He had started his life as a commoner. Yet somehow, through talent and determination, he had risen to the rank of Baron. According to the memories Adrian had inherited, the Baron's first business had been quite modest. He began with a small trading company dealing mainly in grain. At the time, the profits had been decent but nothing extraordinary.
However, the Baron quickly realized something important. Trading goods could make money. But controlling trade routes was far more valuable. Safe and reliable routes connecting cities, markets, and ports were limited. Whoever controlled those routes controlled the flow of trade. And where trade flowed, wealth naturally followed.
Of course, for a commoner, gaining influence over trade routes was far from easy. Baron Taylor had faced countless obstacles along the way. Still, he slowly expanded his business. Grain trading was only the beginning. Soon, he began dealing in more valuable commodities such as metals, ores, and eventually even weapons. But as his business grew, he came to understand another harsh reality of the world. In a land ruled by nobles, wealth alone was not enough. Noble families had private armies. Knights possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary soldiers.
A wealthy merchant without protection could easily be crushed. Realizing this, Baron Taylor began forming alliances.
He offered generous benefits to attract capable fighters.
One of them was Knight Blake, who now trained the estate's guards and personally instructed Ashton in swordsmanship. At the same time, the Baron strengthened his connections with nearby noble families. The most important of these connections was with the Silverlake family.
Both Adrian's late mother and his stepmother had originally come from Silverlake County. Through those ties, Baron Taylor had gradually built a strong relationship with Count Theodore Silverlake. It was Count Theodore who supported Baron Taylor's rise to nobility. Thanks to that support, the former merchant had been granted the title of Baron, along with a territory he could govern and develop.
For a man born as a commoner, it was an extraordinary achievement. Adrian quietly studied the man sitting before him. The Baron finished writing a final line in the account book before closing it slowly. Then he lifted his head and looked directly at Adrian. His sharp eyes seemed to weigh him carefully.
"Sit," the Baron said. It seemed the real conversation was about to begin.
"How's your condition?" Baron asked
"It's improved," Adrian replied honestly. "But I still have frequent headaches."
He didn't bother hiding it.Even though his own theory suggested the headaches were tied to something far stranger than a normal illness, he still believed it was better to be truthful. If there was even the slightest chance that someone could help him, he was willing to try.
The Baron listened quietly. After a moment, he let out a slow sigh and leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Tell me something," he said. "What do you think of our family and this territory?"
The question caught Adrian slightly off guard. Still, he answered after a brief moment of thought. "Our territory is prosperous," he said carefully. "Controlling the port alone brings considerable profit. Under your leadership, the family has grown quickly."
He paused before continuing.
"And with the way things are developing, the territory could become even more prosperous in the future. Silverlake County has also been supportive, so maintaining stability and development shouldn't be too difficult."
For a moment, the room fell silent. Then the Baron suddenly laughed. The sound wasn't loud, but there was a hint of amusement in it. Adrian frowned slightly, unsure what he had said wrong. The Baron shook his head.
"You're still too naive," he said. "Everything you just described—prosperity, support, cooperation none of it exists on its own." He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the desk.
"It's all just carrots and sticks. If we stopped providing benefits tomorrow, do you think those same people would remain loyal?" The Baron's eyes hardened slightly. "They would turn their backs without hesitation."
He paused before adding in a colder tone, "And some of them might even be the first to devour us." Adrian remained silent. The Baron's gaze remained steady. "In this world," he continued, "everything revolves around two things."
"Benefits."
"And power."
"If you can offer enough benefits, people will gather around you." "If you possess enough power, people will fear betraying you."
"But if you have neither…"
The Baron let the sentence hang unfinished. Adrian understood the meaning well enough. Their family had risen quickly. But rapid growth also meant fragile foundations. After a brief pause, the Baron continued.
"Our situation will only truly stabilize once this family produces someone powerful. That is why I've been investing so much into Ashton."
Adrian listened quietly.
"If your brother can ignite his life essence and become a knight," the Baron said calmly, "our foundation will become far more solid." The room fell silent again. Adrian finally began to understand the weight of the expectations placed upon his younger brother.
For a moment, he wasn't sure why they were having this conversation. According to his memories, they never had such conversations in the past. So for his father to bring it up himself felt… unusual.
A faint sense of unease crept into Adrian's chest.
Baron Taylor Silversail looked at him steadily from across the desk. His sharp eyes seemed to study Adrian carefully, as if weighing something in his mind.
The room fell quiet. Then the Baron finally spoke. "I might have something to do with your fragile constitution."
The words landed heavily in the air between them. Adrian froze for a second. He hadn't expected that.
His father had said it calmly, almost matter-of-factly, but the meaning behind those words was anything but ordinary.
Adrian instinctively straightened in his seat, his confusion deepening. "What do you mean… Father?" he asked cautiously.
The Baron did not answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression growing more thoughtful, as if recalling something from many years ago. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter than before.
"Your weakness… it may not simply be something you were born with."