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Chapter 177: Convince Eleine
King Douwin, understanding Aldrian’s situation, nods. He, too, doesn’t wish to add unnecessary trouble for Aldrian. If Aldrian truly is the son of two conflicting families, then it might be better for him to remain silent.
"So, you’re going to the front line? But aren’t you trying to hide your existence from the Rivas family? There’s a high chance that if you go, someone there might connect you to your mother."
"To be honest, I don’t care about my mother’s family, I only care about my mother, and truthfully, my mother doesn’t even know I’m here—in fact, she’s never known where I’ve been all this time."
King Douwin and Mardred raised their eyebrows in wonder. Aldrian’s situation was clearly more complicated than they’d realized, but neither wanted to become too involved in his family’s problems.
"Anyway, I have to go now, Your Majesty. I need to be by my mother’s side as soon as possible," Aldrian said.
King Douwin nodded. "You can use the royal family’s teleportation station to go directly to the capital of the Rivas Grand Duchy. It’s more advanced and robust, capable of storing more destinations than any other teleportation station on the continent. This means you won’t need to transit along the way. One of its destinations is Rivas City, which will save you both time and resources compared to using a common teleportation station," he explained.
Aldrian cupped his hands. "Thank you for your help, Your Majesty. I will never forget your generosity."
"What are you talking about? It’s my pleasure to help you. Besides, we’re the ones who’ve gained so much from you. It’s only right that I repay you, at least in this small way, though I still feel indebted to you, to be honest," King Douwin replied with a smile.
"Then I’ll gather my group first, Your Majesty." With that, Aldrian vanished from the throne hall, leaving the two dwarves alone to ponder what the future might hold.
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Inside the inn where Aldrian’s group was staying, Eleine sat on a chair in her room, looking troubled. For the past month, ever since the devils’ sudden attack, she had felt increasingly anxious about Irene’s situation. She was torn, unsure of what to do. Should she leave Aldrian and go help her master on the front line? Or should she stay here?
If she went to the front line, Aldrian would undoubtedly be able to track her with his mysterious abilities. She didn’t underestimate his resourcefulness. But if she stayed, she would be plagued by worry and unable to concentrate. She wanted desperately to help her lady, leaving her in a true dilemma.
Suddenly, Eleine sensed a presence outside her room. After hearing a knock, she opened the door and was stunned to see Aldrian standing there, smiling. Quickly, she composed herself, putting away her anxious expression.
"You’re already back? How did it go with the sword? Did you succeed?" she asked with a smile.
"Of course I succeeded. His Majesty and Sir Mardred even gifted me the sword as a reward," Aldrian replied, smiling. But despite her efforts, Aldrian could sense the anxiety behind her smile and knew the reason for her unease.
Eleine widened her eyes, but before she could ask more, Aldrian spoke. "Anyway, let’s get ready. We’re heading to our next destination." She nodded, but his next words took her by surprise.
"To the Rivas Grand Duchy."
Eleine widened her eyes. How had the Rivas Grand Duchy suddenly come into the conversation? Seeing Aldrian’s smile, a wave of nervousness washed over her. She hadn’t even noticed that they were already inside her room with the door closed, and his smile seemed somehow different.
"I already know, Eleine. So you can tell me," Aldrian said.
Eleine was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant. But as she thought about how Aldrian had brought up the Rivas Grand Duchy, her eyes widened in realization. She took a step back, her gaze trembling as she looked into Aldrian’s smiling eyes. Though she tried to act oblivious and keep her composure, she knew it was impossible, her body’s reaction was all too obvious to him.
"You don’t have to be anxious or nervous, Eleine. I already know about the origin of father and mother, so you can act normally. There’s no need to hide it anymore. I understand why you kept it secret, and I appreciate your effort. But now that something has happened to mother, we need to help lighten her burden."
Eleine fell silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Since when did you know, young master?" Her eyes cleared, and she calmed after hearing Aldrian’s admission.
"I’ve known about father since we were still in the Ivory Empire. As for mother, I only found out recently," Aldrian replied.
Eleine was silent again, but it seemed like she had made a decision. She looked directly into Aldrian’s eyes.
"Young master, even though you know about Lady Irene, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go there," Eleine said, her eyes filled with determination. Aldrian looked into her eyes, unoffended by her words, and simply asked,
"Why?"
"Because it will complicate things, young master. I know you’re already strong enough to help the Doria Empire handle these problems, but the real issue isn’t the devils—it’s the situation within their own empires, especially within their own families. Believe me, young master, they’re a stubborn bunch. If they find out who you are, I don’t know what will happen to Lady Irene or Lord Aldrey. Even though the old master loves Lady Irene dearly, he won’t be able to protect her from political pressure. The Rivas family will face setbacks, and Lady Irene will bear the full weight of it all."
Aldrian knew that what Eleine had said was reasonable and the most likely scenario if others in the Doria Empire learned of his identity. Sometimes, the most bothersome issues weren’t related to strength, but to politics. Once people discovered that he was the son of a couple from two conflicting families and different empires, any other families with grudges against his parents would eagerly exploit it to their advantage.
Many would start doubting the loyalty of Aldrian’s father and mother, despite their fame and the great merits they had earned for their empires. Their status would fall, and their family would be affected. The family, renowned as the guardians of the North, would come under scrutiny from many, and that wouldn’t bode well for their relationship with the empire. Even the imperial family would be dragged into the situation.
That was the fate of a famous family like the Rivas family—if his connection to his father and mother were known to the world. However, despite all of this, Aldrian simply smiled as he looked at Eleine. He then spoke to her.
"Yes, that’s true. I agree with what you said, but in this situation, with the Doria Empire’s position on the border so uncertain, we can take advantage of it. Do you think the Rivas family or any other families in the empire will be looking for trouble in the midst of all this? I doubt they’ll have the time to do so." he said.
"Unless those families are stupid, they won’t touch the Rivas family, especially with the devils on the front lines. The only scenario I can think of where some families might still choose to offend the Rivas family, even in the midst of this war, is if they have connections to the devils. Do you know why I came to this conclusion?" he added.
Eleine thought for a moment before raising her eyebrows.
"Because the devils are the ones who benefit the most from this?"
"Bingo. The Rivas family will face two kinds of pressure—one from the war and one from those families within the empire. We can’t expect the Doria Empire to be free from the devils. We’ve already seen what the devils have planned throughout our journey, and I suspect the Doria Empire has many devil infiltrators, even among the nobles," Aldrian replied.
"Anyway, all of your worries and these scenarios can only happen if someone connects my relationship to my mother. If they simply consider me an unrelated man, outside of the Rivas family or Flamecrest, then these scenarios won’t happen, right?" he added.
Eleine pondered for a moment, and she had to admit that she agreed with Aldrian’s opinion. Most of her worries applied to a normal situation, but they were at war, and that changed everything. She couldn’t rebut Aldrian’s analysis. Still, she remained concerned about the unknown aspects of their journey to the Rivas Grand Duchy.
"Eleine, please trust me, trust in my abilities like you always have. I know you’ve always been watching over me, and I understand your worries. But even if somehow people come to know about my existence, mark my words, I will not let anyone sully my mother’s honor, nor will I allow the burden to fall on her shoulders. I’m her son, and I’ll take care of it."
