Chapter 94: An Uncontrollable, Changing Era (1)

As expected…
Something really happened to Grandfather…
Old Black’s silent silence struck at Scott’s heart like a giant hammer.
Since he was old enough to understand, his upright and resolute grandfather had always been his role model. He had sworn countless times to his own soul that he would become someone like his grandfather. But now…
He couldn’t accept such a cruel truth. Overwhelmed with emotion, he began to tremble uncontrollably.
“Scott?” Lisa was the first to notice something was wrong with Scott.
“That can’t be…” Scott shook his head repeatedly, looking around in confusion. He seemed to want to head to Grandfather’s room, but accidentally stumbled over Allen’s foot. Fortunately, Allen reacted quickly and caught him.
“Hey, buddy…”
“What a loss of composure, Young Count!” Old Black interrupted Allen, addressing the distraught Scott in a stern voice. “As a man of the O’Gil family, how can you behave so poorly?! Do you still remember the family motto? Resilience, perseverance—nothing can bring us down! As the future head of the family, you’re truly failing…” His last words were laced with deep sighs—perhaps not because of Scott, but because of the old count.
Scott shuddered, suddenly coming to his senses. Suppressing his inner pain, he gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, you’re right, Mr. Black—men of the O’Gil family must always keep a calm mind, no matter what…”
Seeing Scott’s serious expression mixed with sorrow, Old Black nodded in approval. “If you can do that, I believe the old master would be pleased too…” He raised his right hand, clad in a white glove, and said to everyone, “It seems you’ve gone through a lot. This blizzard really came out of nowhere—please, have a seat. I’ve already ordered snacks prepared… Please!” Then, glancing at Bernie and Reid as if surprised, he added politely, “If I’m not mistaken, these two must be the national mages from the Magic Division. If you don’t mind, please join us. I’m quite confident in my ability to brew New Philie black tea… Please, have a seat!”
“Uh…” Bernie was at a loss under Old Black’s calm expression. He exchanged a glance with his companion Reid and said awkwardly, “Well… then, we’ll trouble you then!”
“Please!”
After everyone sat down, Old Black had snacks served.

For those exhausted in the blizzard, a cup of rich red tea was the greatest pleasure, but due to the old count, the atmosphere in the hall was somewhat oppressive.
“Really…” Lisa whispered, glancing secretly at Old Black, “Did someone really try to… hurt the count?”
Seeing everyone present glance at her from time to time, especially young master Scott, Old Black sighed slightly and nodded. “It was three days ago in the evening. After handling military affairs, the old master planned to inspect the barracks nearby. As you know, the situation in the northeast has been very unstable lately. Apart from the harsh environment of Altak, the rebels from Jacosenbu have been moving more toward Glon and our Galic. Cornered by the Royal Knights, they tried several times to attack the border defenses and hide in Galic… After the lords of Jacosenbu, Count Jonny Adolphus, and Brownhill, Count Casimir Sakison, were killed one after another, it shouldn’t have happened again… Ah, it’s my failure! An arrow shot from somewhere unknown mysteriously pierced through the guards and wounded the old master…”
Frowning, Scott instinctively asked, “An arrow?”
“Yes!” Old Black nodded firmly and said in a deep voice, “The person who shot this arrow must be the culprit behind the assassination of the two counts—this is definitely not just an ordinary rebellion; it’s a conspiracy! A conspiracy targeting the entire northeast, even the empire!”
Glancing hesitantly at Scott, Lelira asked carefully, “So, how serious are the count’s injuries?”
Smiling at Lelira, Old Black nodded and said softly, “The old master’s injuries aren’t severe, but…” At this point, his face showed uncontrollable anger as he gritted his teeth and said, “The problem lies in the deadly poison attached to the arrow. That damned guy was so despicable as to coat the arrowhead with poison! A deadly poison!”
“What?” Scott’s eyes widened sharply as he asked in a trembling voice, “Poison?”
“Yes!” Calming himself slightly, Old Black glanced at Bernie and Reid and said softly, “Icabod Wes, the head of the branch and the national mage, also came to check on the old master’s injuries after learning about this…”

“Deputy head?” Bernie and Reid exchanged a surprised glance. As magicians, they had hardly ever entered the inner city, as the old count was a true knight who despised magic. Now that even the deputy head of the magicians was allowed in, it meant the old count’s condition was extremely serious…
Sure enough, after a brief pause, Old Black sighed and said, “…According to him, it’s a very strange poison. We won’t be able to create an antidote in a short time…” With that, he let out a long sigh, seeming to age significantly in an instant.
“What does that mean?” Scott stared at Old Black in shock, unable to believe it. “Can’t create an antidote… Then… then…” His right hand, holding the teacup, trembled uncontrollably, causing the black tea inside to shake violently and nearly spill over.
Scott…
Seeing Scott’s sadness, Lailira showed a hint of pity in her eyes and gently said, “The count will be fine, Scott…”
Scott remained silent, head bowed, as if struggling to hold back something.
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy again. Not only were the children staring at their cups in confusion, but even adults like Bernie and Reid felt the oppressive mood. Meanwhile, the old butler Black continued to carefully prepare black tea beside a cart.
“Are there any more guests coming?” Lisa couldn’t help asking after watching Old Black’s actions for a while.
“Oh,” Old Black smiled faintly and shook his head. “No, this is a snack I prepared for the old master…”
“Huh?” Lisa was surprised and tilted her head. “Isn’t the count injured? How…”
Old Black smiled calmly, standing straight beside the cart. Looking at the children, especially Scott, he said seriously, “The old master is the pillar of the O’Gill family. As I said before, no danger or difficulty can defeat a man from the O’Gill family…” He took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, then picked up a small hourglass from the cart and placed it on the long table. With confidence, he said, “Every day at around one o’clock in the afternoon, the old count takes a short nap. At two o’clock, he comes downstairs for afternoon tea before continuing to handle military affairs… Exactly at two o’clock five minutes—never later!”

Watching the fine sand in the small hourglass keep falling, everyone present held their breath. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe Old Black’s words, but it seemed simply unbelievable—after all, the old count was in extremely serious condition. How could it be possible…?

They watched the sand fall grain by grain, focusing on their breathing. Finally, when the last grain settled, steady footsteps echoed in the hallway on the second floor. Soon after, they heard a deep and powerful voice.

“Hm? Is Scott back? I thought you remembered—I only gave you a day off…”

“Grandfather…” Scott instinctively looked up and was stunned to see the old count standing upright in the hallway, leaning on the railing.

“Huh?” Lisa widened her eyes in surprise. To her, the old man standing by the stairs on the second floor was wearing a military uniform, his chest wrapped in white bandages from which black blood seeped through.

The old man’s gaze was as sharp as ever, so piercing that it made one afraid to meet his eyes. His hair was as neat as usual, without a hint of disorder, along with a tidy beard and a straight posture. If not for those bandages, one would never have guessed that this spirited old man’s life was being threatened by poison.

Was this a true knight? Allen stared at the old man in disbelief. He felt his own beliefs as a knight were far too childish compared to him. Yes, only such a person could be called a true knight!

“Old master,” Old Black said with a slight bow, hands crossed in front of him, “afternoon tea is ready…”

“Hm,” the old count nodded and stepped down the stairs steadily, smiling. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Though these white hairs really don’t need combing, it still took some time!”

“I understand!” Old Black bowed his head with a smile.

“Hehe.” Upon reaching the long table, the old count frowned at the children sitting there, seemingly dazed.

Instinctively, Scott quickly stood up and called out respectfully, “Grand… grandfather!”

Surprised by Scott’s reaction, the children also snapped out of their daze and stood up, saying respectfully, “Our apologies… It’s an honor to meet you, Count!”

Bernie and Reid also stood up in confusion, as they had long heard about the old count’s stubbornness and conservatism.

“Please, have a seat!” The old count smiled satisfactorily and invited everyone to sit. Then he took a cup of black tea from Old Black, took a gentle sip, and said with a smile, “What a refreshing aroma…”
“Thank you!” Old Black bowed slightly and smiled. “I got these tea leaves from the merchants in New Philly. Compared to previous tea leaves, I feel that those from the New Philly region are made more carefully, resulting in a stronger aroma…”
“Hmm, indeed!” The old count nodded in agreement and took another sip, leaving everyone a bit puzzled.
How could such calm and casual conversation occur at a time like this? After all, he was still suffering from severe injuries that were hard to heal…
Watching the old count’s composed expression, Allen’s body trembled slightly.
“Allen?” Lisa asked softly.
Allen held the teacup with his trembling right hand and murmured, “This is what a knight should be like… This is the true demeanor of a real knight!”
“What’s wrong, kids?” The old count looked at the distracted children and said with a smile, “Are you not satisfied with the black tea brewed by Black? I’ve always thought his tea is the best…”
“No, no…” Allen instinctively shook his head, and the others immediately understood.
“Well then…” The old count smiled at Allen before finally turning his gaze to Scott. Frowning slightly, he said in an unyielding tone, “I’m very disappointed that you broke our previous agreement. I assume you realize now—any missed lessons must be made up twice as much! Do you understand?”
“Yes, Grandfather!” Scott replied in a deep voice, as if holding back something.
“Very good!” The old count gave a mild approval before setting down his teacup and glancing at Bernie and Reid.
Seeming to notice the old count’s gaze, the two immediately stood up and said respectfully, “Hello, Count. We are members of the Magic Division—Bernie and Reid. It’s an honor to meet you!”
“Oh, so you’re magicians from the division…” The old count nodded and said gravely, “Your division leader has been running back and forth for my sake these past few days. Please convey my thanks to him!”
“We wouldn’t dare…”
“Yes, we will pass on the Count’s words to the division leader!”

“Very good!” The old count smiled faintly, then picked up his teacup, about to bring it to his lips, when he suddenly set it down again. He glanced at the children present and said to Scott with a hint of confusion, “I remember you have more than just them as friends, right? There are two others, too?”
“Well…” Scott hesitated slightly before whispering, “Thors and Sister Dia got separated along the way…”
“Hm? Is that so?” The old count was taken aback and frowned. “To come back alone and leave your friends behind—I don’t recall teaching you that!”, he said, then turned to Old Black. “Have Rick take some people to look for them—it’s extremely dangerous in such a blizzard!”
“Yes, old master!” Old Black nodded, about to speak when Scott interrupted him.
“No need, grandfather. Thors and Dia will be fine. Our academy’s head, Archmage Gret Kaines, as well as Father Andrew from the Church, have already gone to look for them…”
“Archmage Gret Kaines?” The old count showed surprise on his face. “Has that archmage also come to Galic?”
“Yes, grandfather.” Scott glanced at the old count, seemingly holding back something, then lowered his head and said with hope, “I believe the head will find a way. As for your injuries, grandfather…”
After staring deeply at Scott, the old count’s eyes softened with affection. Following his grandson’s words, he said, “I hope so!” Then he turned to Old Black. “Since that archmage is on his way, as masters, we must not be rude. Get ready, Black. And as for those two children, have Rick take some people to search outside the city… I’ve always believed that magic isn’t omnipotent. In such a blizzard, an individual’s strength is minuscule—just like in war!”
Old Black nodded slightly and said gravely, “Rest assured, I’ll take care of everything!”
“Good!” The old count finished his black tea, wiped the tea stains from the corners of his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and said, “I’m sorry, little ones. I must leave to handle some matters. Scott, take your companions to the room we were in earlier. You can rest there for a while—skip class today. Starting from tomorrow, you must make up for the missed lessons by double the amount each day. Understood?”
“Yes! Grandfather!”

“Very good!” said the old count, giving a slight nod to everyone before heading up the stairs to the second floor. As he walked, it seemed he remembered something; he turned around and said to Scott, “There’s one more thing. I wrote a letter home yesterday and had it sent to your father in Sassen. Perhaps he’ll come to Galleck in the next few days…” The old count sighed slightly and said in the tone typical of an elderly man, “I can understand, but your attitude toward him… Even if we ignore the fact that he’s a noble, even in an ordinary family, your behavior is quite rude. He’s your biological father!” With that, the old count went straight up to the second floor.

He… that man would also come?

Unreasonably, a long-suppressed anger gradually appeared on Scott’s face. He instinctively raised his head only to find that his glasses had shattered earlier.

Suppressing his anger, Scott said in a low voice, “Mr. Black, could you please take my friend to a resting room? I… I’m a bit tired and want to rest.”

“Of course—please rest assured, young master!” said Old Black, extending his hand to the children with a smile. “Please!” Then he glanced at Bernie and Reid, as if wanting to say something.

“Well…” Before Old Black could speak, Bernie stood up and spoke first, “I’m sorry, but we’ll take our leave now. There are many things we need to report to the branch leader. Besides, if Archmage Keynes has already arrived in Allicok, I think he’ll definitely go to the branch first…”

“Then we won’t insist. Thank you very much for escorting these children back to Allicok. By the way, please convey my thanks to your branch leader on behalf of the old master!”

“You’re too kind…”

“Okay, okay!”

Watching Bernie and Reid leave, Lisa turned and said in surprise, “Where’s Scott? Has he gone back to rest?”

“Hehe,” Old Black smiled inexplicably and raised his hand. “Perhaps. Please go rest too. I’ll wake you up before dinner… Please!” He casually glanced up at the second floor, as he had clearly seen Scott heading that way earlier.

Sure enough, Scott arrived at the door of his grandfather’s office. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“It’s Scott, right?” The old count’s voice came through. Soon after, the door creaked open. The old count stared at Scott for a long time before saying in a deep voice, “You shouldn’t disturb me at a time like this…” He shook his head and sighed slightly, “Never mind, come in!”
“Yes, Grandfather. I’m sorry to disturb you…”
Glancing at Scott, the old count spoke in a rarely gentle tone, “There are only the two of us here, so let’s set aside all formalities for now. From childhood until now, you must have found it very difficult to deal with a grandfather like me…”
“How could that be? Grandfather, you have always been my role model. Even now, I still aspire to be an honest person like you…”
“Hehehe, I’m glad to hear that,” said the old count, patting Scott’s head kindly. He pointed to the sofa and said, “Sit down. Let’s talk while we sit.”
“Yes.” Sitting down on the sofa with his grandfather, Scott hesitantly looked at the bandages on his grandfather’s body and said awkwardly, “Um… the poison from the arrow…”
“Oh,” the old count smiled wistfully, shook his head, and said self-mockingly, “As expected, one must accept aging. According to Icabod Weiss, this kind of deadly poison is very rare, and it’s almost impossible to create an antidote…”
“So…?” Scott’s voice trembled slightly.
“That means this is my limit,” said the old count, stroking his grandson’s hair affectionately. “I’ve always hoped to raise you to be an outstanding noble, but sadly, I haven’t had enough time to spend with you. At least… let me take a good look at you now…”
“Grandfather…”

“In just a moment, you’ll be thirteen years old—seven years have passed. Grandfather still remembers the day he brought you here,” said the old count, extending his right hand to indicate Scott’s height at that time with a smile. “You were so short back then. Indeed, raising a child alone must have been very difficult for your mother. Grandfather has always wanted to make amends, but some things cannot be undone, like your hatred toward your father. So, at the very least, Grandfather wanted to raise you to be an excellent noble… I remember when I first saw you, it was as if a voice told me that this child would become someone great. But sadly, Grandfather won’t be able to see it. Though Grandfather really hopes to see you become a person of integrity, fearless, and unshaken by anything, but the deadly poison on the arrow…” He pointed to the bandage around his shoulder, from which black blood seeped from time to time.

“Icabod Weiss is right. This poison cannot be removed. He’s tried many times already…”

“But the dean is a great mage…”

“No, no, no,” said the old count, patting Scott’s head with a smile. “Regardless of strength, it’s like a weapon. No matter what kind of weapon it is—sharp or dull—it can still be used to hurt people. The same goes for magic. No matter how powerful it is, if it doesn’t work, it still doesn’t work. That’s why I’ve written to my wayward son—your father. Heh heh heh. When Grandfather is no longer here, he will take care of you…”

“That guy…” Scott snarled through gritted teeth.

“Heh heh heh. Don’t doubt it. Your father has always wanted to fulfill his duties as a father, but you haven’t given him any chance. I believe that after receiving that letter, he will immediately set off for Galleck…” The old count looked at Scott earnestly and said, “You’re excellent in every aspect, Scott. That makes me very pleased. The only thing is that you’re not tolerant enough. Perhaps it’s related to my past upbringing. Grandfather wanted you to become a perfect noble, and you’ve also been striving in that direction. So, your standards for judging things inevitably seek perfection, whether it’s for yourself or others. But Scott, no one can truly be perfect. So, you must learn to forgive and tolerate others’ flaws. It’s also a necessary courtesy for a noble. The world isn’t just black and white…”

“Grandfather, are you trying to make me like that guy?”

“No, no, no. My son went too far. Though I admit he holds considerable prestige among the Saxon nobility, I still can’t tolerate him associating with those nobles who only care about indulgence. Hehehe. Speaking of which, I can stay peacefully as a lord in Galic largely thanks to Yvonne’s influence… Scott, don’t underestimate your father. Your father, Yvonne, joined the upper echelons of the Saxon nobility at the age of nineteen. Could you do the same?”
“That guy… He just chooses to hang around with those boring nobles!”
“No,” the old count shook his head solemnly. “I remember teaching you, child, not to be deceived by appearances. If associating with those nobles can earn you some power in Saxon, well, that’s also a kind of talent. You should remember—you thought your father was just an ignorant, foolish noble, but in fact, he’s the best instructor for swordsmanship and horsemanship you could have. As a noble, your father is quite outstanding, aside from handling certain matters… Believe me, Scott, your father has always felt guilty…”
“I don’t care if he’s guilty or not! All I know is that Mother waited for him for so long, and even at the last moment, that bastard never returned!” Scott said angrily, clenching his fists tightly.
“Sigh!” The old count sighed quietly, patting Scott’s head silently. “Let your father make amends for this mistake himself. But, Scott, you must learn to forgive—something your grandfather couldn’t do in his entire life. That’s why your grandfather’s title remained only that of count, while your father is already a duke. Learn to forgive, both for yourself and others!” As he spoke, the old count’s expression froze slightly, and he frowned. “Alright, go back and rest. Your grandfather has unfinished matters to attend to—tell Blake that no one is allowed to disturb me while I’m working!”
“Yes, grandfather!”