Chapter 716 (Patreon)

Tom P.O.V.

A wave of satisfaction passed through me as I stood mere feet from the nobles who had stood across from me with haughty requests and an entitled attitude. Making me push as they argued for hours on end for every single point. The reasons why their noble blood had to follow the same rules in our new schools as the commoners. 

All those small battles had given me the social Skills to enjoy this moment even more. [Beneath The Mask] was an Epic Skill, one that even Lexi had not only been surprised by admitted to being a little jealous over. The Skill’s narrow focus on seeing through social Skills meant to hide one’s emotions made it powerful enough that I could see the fear behind the controlled facial expressions as the branches of nobles stood before Ajax, their eyes flickering to Aurexion every few seconds. 

It wasn’t hard to understand why they were afraid either. Sure Ajax had always been strong enough to be a threat to them but it was the hammer he was leaning on like a walking cane that actually brought out the fear. Ajax didn’t have the social Skills to mask a lie so they all knew it was the truth when he admitted to not only almost killing a king but to also grabbing his enchanted weapon that could use Space Mana as spoils from the battlefield.

“Thank you.” I whispered to him as we walked away from the nobles, his arm coming to hang around my shoulder breaking any noble decorum. At the same time that simple move hammered home just how little he cared about the silent rules of the games nobles played.

“Uncle Ajax, Uncle Ajax, do you think Aurexion can give me a ride.” My eyes immediately shot an apologetic look towards the dragon the Rare Skill [Transmit Intent] pushed as much as I could to convey not only my apology to the dragon for the rude comment but also that I would provide a suitable explanation. 

Jake had been ridden on Fluffy’s back before but both Kate and I had made sure he asked for permission from us first every time. My bond might be smart but she wasn’t sapient, at least not yet what Ajax mentioned of evolution might change that in the future, so the permission had to come from us and I planned to be fully up front about that with the dragon.

“Sorry to say but we can’t do that.” Ajax said as he and Aurexion traded a glance. I vaguely remember Ajax mentioning that Aurexion wouldn’t allow anyone but Ajax to ride him, everyone else would be carried at best. It was a dragon and bond thing. “You still don’t have your [Riding] Skill, what if you get [Dragon Riding]? You wouldn’t be able to get [Riding] afterwards.” 

That was a smart way for Ajax to push the conversation down the road to when Jake was more mature and able to take ‘no you can’t ride on the dragon’ as an answer. A few moments later Aurexion took to the sky to the chagrin of the rest of the children gathered around him while Ajax got dragged by Jake to the carriages there to pick us up. 

A slight spike of jealousy went through me as I watched my own son lavish Ajax with so much attention. There were obvious reasons why, he hadn’t seen Ajax in a while and even for the few days he was with us before he left for the war wasn’t enough for any of us to get used to the presence of a dragon. But as Lexi explained emotions weren’t always rational, all we could do was accept them, analyze them and handle them.

Looking at it being jealous of Ajax wasn’t really a surprise. Being immersed in noble culture over the past few years had made me inclined to it. I was trying to learn and play the game at the same time and unlike the united family upbringing we had growing up it was common for brothers in the same family to plot against one another among nobles. That Ajax was younger and the head of our House was only more of a reason. 

Kate’s reassuring squeeze on my hand brought me stability I needed to let the feelings of jealousy slide off me like the water off a ducks back. Through it all my beautiful wife had chosen me, had stuck with me, and even with a few offers she had gotten back in the capital when our house was only unlanded Barons she hadn’t wavered for a moment. 

“Hhhhrrrrrrrmmm” A purr from my bond she pushed her head under my hand was the final push I needed to follow behind Ajax and my son as we climbed in the large carriage that would take us to the estate. I knew the rest of our family couldn’t wait to see Ajax again.

“I take it prince Zilfallon already left to return to the Empire.” Lexi said as she stepped in line with us behind Ajax who was being dragged by Jake and closely followed by Jari and Nashara whose awe and admiration were an open book to me despite their best attempts to restrain it.

“He left a two days ago as soon as he got word that Ajax was in the capital.” I answered. “Didn’t want to risk Ajax coming straight here without a chance to calm down from the war and taking an issue with his advances towards Judy.” 

Zilfallon had done a lot to improve our entire’s family view of the Empire. Judy didn’t see him as a potential suitor due to the massive difference in age but more like a family friend. I had intentionally put more distance between myself and the royal but the rest of our family had actually grown to like him during his months spent as our guest. 

“What was the war like?” Jake asked as soon as we were all settled in the carriage with Fluffy escorting us from the outside and from the looks on the faces of the people we passed on the street Aurexion wasn’t too far above us. 

“That’s something that you’ll have to wait until we get back home to find out.” Ajax answered with a laugh. “I’ll have to retell everything once we get home anyway and I don’t want you to be bored.” 

Seeing the children deflate slightly was funny but I also doubted war was anything like they expected and I wasn’t sure how open Ajax would choose to be with them. The little war game we had played out back before Ajax started delving had shown us a mere glimpse of the terrors of war yet by the time Ajax took part in his first war he had already climbed to be a champion in it. The role Warden Grievous had played for us back then even if he never actually took to the field. 

“Did you bring back anything besides the hammer?” Jake showed how sharp he was at such a young age as he continued trying to get something out of Ajax. 

“Oh a few things here and there.” Ajax said with a little wink to his nephew. “Got a little something for you and Fluffy with the help of Aurexion. The Republic didn’t even know what it was.” 

Ajax took a small box out of his spatial ring and showed the twin fruits held connected by a stem, the Mana coming from the strong enough that my own [Detect Mana] could sense it. 

“You didn’t know what it was either.” Lexi laughed. “Aurexion knows a few things here and there. Judy is going to want to share this as a way to get people interested in buying Aurexion’s services for looking through vaults.” 

“What do they do?” Kate asked, her eyes thinning into slits a little as she focused on the box. 

“Well he and Fluffy will each eat one.” Ajax explained. “Fluffy should see a little boost to her Shadow Mana but the big reward is that by using the connection of your bond Tom should also have a very good chance of Unlocking Shadow Mana.” 

Kate and I both froze. Even if Shadow was the only Mana affinity I would ever use the amount of doors having access to Mana would open for me even if only for the status of having access to Mana which was still rare among humans. 

“But that can wait for now, what has happened here over the last few months?” Ajax asked. 

We spent the rest of the way to the estate boring my son with simple things he already knew, like the progress most students were making in school. How roads were starting to form. Judy’s spectacular rise through the merchant ranks using Aurexion’s treasure making it so she had actually caught up to me in Level.

“Oh yeah, one last thing.” I said right as we arrived and the carriage door was about to open. “During his visit here prince Zilfallon made a suggestion that is being considered. Mom and dad are thinking about maybe having another child in the near future.” 

I had to say I enjoyed the look of shock on Ajax’s face. The conversations had happened mostly in the last two weeks when Lexi was already in the capital so she hadn’t known about the possibility to warn Ajax in advance. There were a lot of good reasons for there to be another young child in the family besides Jake, ideally one of Ajax’s but he was too young for that as a Duke so one from our parents would actually work out best. 

“We’re here!” Jake opened the carriage door as soon as we stopped and he started trying to drag the shocked Ajax out but the difference in stats showed. I didn’t know just how strong my brother was but looking as how ineffective my son was at even getting him to notice his efforts let me know that he was at such a high level that I couldn’t even tell the difference. All those nobles that were scarred of him had a good reason to be.