“I came to see if my son struggled with his fate, but he seemed fine. He even left the seat. I almost wanted to go see my nephew, but lately, it seems like he’s busy being caught by Libne.”

“So you came to find me?”

“We’re in similar situations, aren’t we?”

“Who says we’re in similar situations?”

While Arpeggio bit his tongue, he greeted Alten Lianster with a nod. After Arpeggio took a seat first, Alten sat across from him and poured a drink.

“You’re drinking expensive stuff as if you’re rich.”

“Haven’t I learned the taste of Echion’s master?”

“Yeah, he also had unnecessarily refined taste.”
In response to Arpeggio’s grumbling, Alten chuckled heartily and refilled his glass.

“Why do you still look so young over there?”

“Why are you aging so much?”

“I’m just normal. I didn’t have much innate mana to begin with, so I’m naturally aging for my age.”

“Still, at almost 70, you’re doing well.”

“Haha, it’s fortunate to be seen as a father to late-born children in old age.”

“After those late-born kids of mine are born, they rot my insides, my insides. None of them inherited my personality, and they’re all worthless.”

As Arpeggio bit his tongue, Alten hit him hard on the head.

“Why did you hit me?”

“Why are you cursing others’ children?”

“Both of their personalities are a disaster!”

“Youngsters may not inherit anything.”

“So, you admit your children didn’t inherit anything.”

“Cough.”

They clinked their glasses and drank. Using the old stories as appetizers made the alcohol go down more smoothly than usual.

So, one glass, two glasses, three glasses… as they emptied the sixth glass, Alten quietly spoke up.

“Do you still not want to talk?”

Arpeggio stopped moving.

“Riley Eadalin, that child is supposed to be your disciple.”

“Not a disciple. Just a vagabond, a vagabond.”

“The fact that the child is here means that the events of that time could repeat.”

“…Ha, why bring up that story when the taste of the alcohol is going down?”

“Do you know that Riley was attacked by a suspicious villain?”

“…He was severely injured.”

“Gibnen is supposed to announce his marriage at this year’s birthday party. It will be the day Riley’s existence is revealed to the world.”

“So what?”

“If they find out that Riley is a child of Lysten, the tragedy of that day might happen again. Shouldn’t we prepare for that in advance?”

Arpeggio, cursing under his breath, threw his glass away.

“What do you want me to do?”

“It’s not forcing, it’s a request.”

“…”

“I don’t want to lose my son or my friend’s daughter in my lifetime. We lost our master, Emily, Lysten… We don’t need a reason to experience that pain again, right?”

“I would have killed Lysten along with them if they had known Lysten had a child back then! They didn’t know about the existence of a child connecting Lysten and Emily! We just have to keep our mouths shut.”

Arpeggio slammed the table with all his might.

“From the beginning! It’s because of Yung’s sentimental feelings that this happened! If only we had killed the child right after Lysten died…”

“Can you do that?”

“…”

“Can you kill Riley with your own hands right now?”
“Ah, damn it. Fine, I get it. I couldn’t kill her either. But if that’s the case, at least I shouldn’t have done the stupid and reckless thing of entrusting her to Gibnen. Giving Riley Eadalin to Gibnen is his biggest mistake. It’s like releasing a butterfly into a spider’s web. It’s insane to put both the disciple you love and the daughter of your beloved friend in danger.”

“Anyway, a butterfly can’t survive alone. Eventually, it will die.”

“…”

“As long as the spider doesn’t eat the butterfly, life in the spider’s web might be quite comfortable for the butterfly.”

In response to Alten’s words, Arpeggio stuck out his tongue.

“The rich man has completely lost his mind.”

“Those kids might break the curse that we couldn’t break in our generation.”

“…You’ve also aged. What do you expect from those little brats?”

“So, are you planning to live alone, buried in the past, in this underground forever?”

“…”

“I’ll believe in my children and Yung’s intentions.”

“Leave me out of it. I don’t want to get involved in anything now. I’m sick of it.”

Arpeggio’s voice was filled with memories. But for some reason, his shoulders slumped. He bit his lip and covered his face with his hand.

Seeing him looking like he might cry at any moment, Alten got up. Then he patted his shoulders.

“I understand your fear.”

“The one who suddenly came to understand is bothering me?”

“I’m the one who hopes more than anyone that you can overcome that fear.”

“Bullshit.”

“Gibnen’s birthday party will be held at the palace this time.”

“!”

“…And I plan to be absent from that bastard’s birthday party. There’s something else I need to check separately.”

“Check?”

“Similar cases to that day have been discovered recently. We should check it out, shouldn’t we?”

“…”

“Anyway, I plan to leave my post. Just in case, please take care of my children. That’s why I came to talk to you.”

“Get lost. I’m not your children’s babysitter.”