Chapter 42: Somber Dynamics
"That was what he said?"
Guren nodded.
"Yes, High Patriarch."
Silence followed. The Patriarch sat on the dais leading to his forge platform, a newly forged light steel armor beside him.
Guren watched him.
The Patriarch’s eyes met Guren’s gaze.
"What is that look? Are you judging me?"
Guren lowered his head respectfully.
"I would never, High Patriarch."
He raised his head.
"But what do we do?"
The Patriarch studied him in silence. Then he let out a light laugh and leaned back on his elbow.
"I have to admit, I never expected he would choose... money... of all things?"
The Patriarch was suppressing his confusion.
He looked down, still in thought, then looked at Guren.
"Do you think he wants to start a secret cult with the sole purpose of destroying me? He’d certainly need substantial funding for that."
Guren’s hollow voice sounded matter-of-fact.
"You’re judging him based on his older brothers. I think Young Lord Kage is different—self-aware, greedy but pure. He’s too smart to use your money funding a cult meant to destroy you."
The Patriarch scratched the stubble on his jaw.
"Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right..."
He was silent for a moment before raising his gaze to meet Guren’s again, smiling.
"I see he’s won you over, huh?"
Guren grimaced slightly.
"What do you mean... High Patriarch?"
The Patriarch laughed playfully.
"Ever since Kazuto grew up, I’ve never seen you speak on behalf of any of the others. This one must have made a different impression."
Guren looked away from the Patriarch.
"I—I have no idea what you’re saying, High Patriarch."
The Patriarch grinned dubiously.
"You sly serpent."
Guren frowned and spoke sternly.
"Calling me a serpent is inappropriate, and you shouldn’t speak so casually to me."
He looked at him with absurd sternness.
"What? I’m not allowed to speak to my friend as I like, even in private? Even after fifty years, you’re only going to treat me as a master?"
Guren exhaled tiredly.
"We’ve learned the hard way."
He looked at the Patriarch evenly.
"High Patriarch, what should we do about the young lord?"
The Patriarch studied Guren keenly, then leaned forward.
"He’s right in a way. We’ve forgotten those things and have no present use for them. Let him have the money."
Guren’s eyes widened.
"High Patriarch, isn’t that too much for a child? He’s in his teenage years and will most likely squander such an amount!"
The Patriarch’s voice was even.
"Why should I care? He asked for it. Give it to him. What he does with it will be completely up to him. And you don’t need to monitor him. Whatever he does with that money will dictate his worth to me... if he has any beyond being a courageous weakling."
Guren suppressed another urge, only frowning slightly and bowing.
"Yes... High Patriarch."
***
After reaching his quarters, Kage ate his fill. He was first enraged when all he saw were vegetables and soups, but the servants told him his second sister had ordered what to serve him.
Kage had no choice but to dig into many leaves that were, for some reason, quite crunchy. He also drank the soup—made with the marrow of tenderized bones.
Sources of meat came from Impures and Pure Beasts. Although Pure Beasts were very rare, some were being genetically replicated. For example, cattle and lambs existed in abundance thanks to genetic engineering advancements.
As for sources from Impures, those went through extensive processing before being ready to consume. Having tasted both, Kage was still baffled how Impure meat was more enjoyable than these genetically engineered Pure beasts.
Afterwards, Kage went straight to bed and slept from that early evening until the middle of the night, when he woke and tried to cultivate.
Of course, it was the same—useless. So he stepped out very early in the morning and did light exercises that pushed his body to its limit without going to extremes.
After jogging five miles around his quarters’ section, he returned. Upon his return, he took a cold bath and picked up another book to read in bed.
While reading, at some point, he wondered aloud.
"I’m curious, Weaver of Sorrows... why are you always crying? Does it tie to the fact that you’re a Weaver of Sorrows? Wait, do you actually weave sorrows?"
Silence lingered for a while. Then Kage heard:
[The Weaver of Sorrows is deliberately silent]
"No fun."
Kage continued reading, enjoying his silence. Then after about half an hour, the silence was disturbed.
[The Heretic Inquisitor of Eternal Truth hesitantly asks, what do you want to use such a huge amount of money for?]
Kage responded without removing his eyes from the page.
"Things."
[The Heretic Inquisitor of Eternal Truth presses, what things?]
At that point, Kage found it very convenient to sleep because he didn’t want to think about that question.
The truth was they had uses—there were many events from his past life that would certainly turn things around for him now that he had such an amount of money. But since he’d discovered the Sovereign gods only had access to what he was actively thinking about, he’d been trying his best to think less.
He drifted off and woke late in the morning, roused by Guren, who had come to deliver the Patriarch’s response.
Guren had opened a depository profile for him with the Jade Vault Consortium and deposited the money under the clan’s name—the only way to avoid spooking the Aurelian Dominion. He provided Kage with a platinum-plated pass badge he could use to make withdrawals anytime.
The Butler left quickly. Shortly after, Kage wanted to train again but was interrupted by his second sister, who forbade it entirely and had dinner with him while lamenting how she hated helping people and making so much money at the age of twenty-nine.
Night descended quickly after that, and although the days were long, another three days flew by.
After the final checkup from Seraphine, he was finally cleared to go to the Golden Jade Academy.