Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

Chapter 9 - 6: World Famous Paintings, One Filial, One Joy_1

Chapter 9: Chapter 6: World Famous Paintings, One Filial, One Joy_1

For a moment, the study was silent.

From the atmosphere between him and his father, Lanci guessed that this conversation might be significant to them both.

Looking at his father's expression, it was going to be a discussion about the future, responsibility, and family honor.

So, before his father speaks, he decided not to say anything first.

His gaze slowly roamed the room, and Lanci noticed the butler smiling at him.

A smile as cunning as ever.

Lanci felt slightly uneasy and quickly averted his gaze.

His eyes fell upon the neatly arranged books housed on massive bookshelves, and the oil painting hanging on the wall.

It was said to be a treasured ancient masterpiece of the family, bathed in the elegant glow of the magic lamp. It infused the entire study with an artistic atmosphere.

However...

His painting somehow competed with it.

At length...

Noe, as if he had finally gathered his thoughts, spoke up:

"Lanci, you've been an adult for a month now... During this time, the family has solved numerous problems for you. I think you can no longer continue to live so recklessly."

Following this, there was another brief silence.

Or perhaps, a momentary wait.

Noe wasn't sure if Lanci would become outraged due to the revelation of his act and throw a tantrum.

Because changes in Lanci over these two days have seemed to him more like a temporary acting strategy.

He might have realized that the family would begin to curtail his wasteful expenses and impulsive behavior.

So, he seemed to be fighting his ill habits, planning to weather this storm by briefly behaving well.

However...

What Noe did not expect was...

Lanci's eyes remained clear and calm.

After reflecting on the problem, he earnestly nodded his head.

His reply was:

"I'm truly sorry, and I promise I won't do anything to tarnish our family's reputation ever again."

This response somewhat stunned Noe, and he crinkled the corner of his eyes.

He took another look at Lanci.

No matter how you looked, he seemed to be a good child.

For a moment, Noe felt proud to have a son who was knowledgeable and had bright eyes.

This young man either truly realized his mistakes or was only acting stubborn.

While Noe wished for the former, he also knew the latter was more likely.

Could it be that this silly son had a complete change in his mental state due to some opportunity?

Regardless...

Whether Lanci is acting or not, Noe had a way to determine how to treat Lanci fundamentally.

"Er-hem."

Noe cleared his throat, straightened up, and fixed his gaze on Lanci, asking,

"How are you preparing for the entrance exam of the Alchemy College?"

Although his tone seemed to soften, the underlying meaning was much harsher,

"You must bear in mind, just because I need to work on international trade and am usually in the Empire, it doesn't mean I do not care about you. My leniency toward you is only because I think you are living earnestly."

"Hmm, hmm..."

As soon as Noe finished speaking,

The butler, standing behind Noe, revealed a slight smile.

Noe raised his eyebrows. He didn't pick up on Lanci's filial thoughts at the moment and doubted Lanci's confidence in applying for the Academy.

He thought that his son, who behaved like a punk, would have exposed his true colors by now.

Unexpectedly, in addition to frowning, Lanci was still being stubborn.

Lanci's reactions today were indeed beyond Noe's expectations.

Although Noe didn't have much energy to keep an eye on Lanci's daily life, every time he asked the butler and maid about Lanci's situation, the two tried their best to protect Lanci.

However, Noe wasn't a fool. He roughly knew what kind of life Lanci was leading.

"Since you say so, if you pass the entrance exam successfully, I will admit I was wrong about you and apologize..."

Noe said solemnly, probing Lanci's bright green eyes with his own torch-like eyes,

"But if you fail the academy exam, does that prove you have been fooling us with our trust in you?"

"Of course, honestly,"

Lanci answered leisurely.

"Then I won't disturb you any longer. Continue studying. I will buy your train ticket to the royal capital in advance. You don't need to worry about this."

Having received Lanci's forthright promise, Noe was finally satisfied.

Since Lanci wanted to remain stubborn,

Noe didn't mind using this as a justified reason for punishment, once Lanci met with some setbacks and willingly accepted it.

Noe really didn't think Lanci could pass the Alchemy College exam.

Or to be exact, it was simply impossible.

Given the complexity and number of subjects in the Alchemy College exam, as well as its high pass threshold, one would need at least two or three years of serious preparation.

And the entrance exam for the Ichrite Academy was only three months away.

Even the least demanding Alchemy College was impossible for Lanci to tackle,

It was only when he went to the royal capital and met the gifted peers from the other three colleges that he would realize how foolish and pitiful his laziness, arrogance, and short-sightedness were.

"I understand,"

Lanci replied confidently.

His father had always been doubting him deep inside, yet he always came across as high EQ and wanted to send him to the royal capital. Lanci felt respected.

So, he would definitely live up to his father's expectations.

"As long as you believe you can send me to the royal capital, I promise you will receive good news of my successful admission to the Ichrite Academy at the royal capital,"

"...Huh."

Noe almost burst into laughter.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip, barely suppressing the smirk threatening to appear on his face.

Showing off his prowess, huh?

You're merely getting admitted to an academy, can you even make a big show for me?

Noe didn't expect the conversation to go so smoothly. He was originally prepared for a rather unpleasant exchange between the father and son.

Punishing Lanci was inevitable as Noe intended to teach the arrogant and overly confident Lanci to pay the price for his mistakes.

Instead, due to Lanci's sincerity, they had reached a peaceful agreement unexpectedly.

For Noe, the only difference was allowing Lanci to visit the royal capital before punishing him.

After all, Lanci was just going to embarrass himself in the Ichrite Academy entrance exam.

As for letting Lanci go to the royal capital, Noe was not at all worried that Lanci would become a runaway horse.

In this frontier region, Lanci, who was unworldly, could be arrogant.

But in Capital City Ekrite, the real big stage of the South Continent where influential figures were everywhere, this son of his definitely couldn't stir up any waves.

After all,

Noe understood Lanci very well. Lanci was just a paper tiger type of blockheaded spoilt kid.

And absolutely not a devil incarnate that would evolve uncontrollably when given the right environment.

This was quite reassuring.