Aiden's Request

Ross made a quick stop at their residence, which was much smaller than their 30-room castle in Thornfield. In Loth, they had a five-room duplex with a humble garden and a pretty small compound.

All the extravagance ended in Thornfield—-thankfully, they never planned to stay in the first place. 

The carriage rode off the noble quarters and headed towards the hilly range in the southern part of the capital—home to the Loth Kingdom Magic Academy.

Silas sat still as the carriage rolled forward, his suspicious gaze fixated on the coin pouch on his lap—sizable and heavy. 

"Education is costly, and If you want to advance fast, you need a lot of resources, and to get those, you need money," Aiden said in a low tone.

Silas said nothing and opened the pouch—with a glance, he easily counted up to 30 gold coins. 

THIS WAS A SMALL FORTUNE!

It is said a peasant could work from his mother's belly till his dying age of a hundred years and even then, he wouldn't make up to a gold coin.

{Valgard Empire Currency rates}

{100 copper coins→1 silver coin.}

{100 silver coins→1 gold coin}

The House of Ross's monthly revenue from their businesses and territory was roughly 50 silver coins a month, and it was rated the wealthiest Baron noble family. 

Many people envied them for that and patiently waited for their downfall, in hopes of taking their lands and properties—And then, Silas happened.

"I have been putting aside some spare coins and storing them in our capital residence in faith that one day, I will have a grandchild with the talent for magic, and today I'm giving it to you." Aiden continued in a low and heavy tone.

Silas could feel the emotion in this man's eyes, and he wondered why.

*Why?" He asked.

"Because I'm not dragging you into this, hoping to milk you until your magic consumes you like other Necromancers." 

Aiden shot a glance at Kar before returning his gaze to Silas.

"I pray you are as special as you say you are. I want you to live a long life as the Patriarch of the Ross family and protect it like I did." Adin said while looking into his eyes.

The sincerity in his voice was the purest Silas had experienced—second only to his sister, Ruth. However, Silas was not naive enough to believe this coin pouch was free. 

Good people hope for something in return, and bad people demand something in return—that is the only difference between the two.

"Nothing is free." Silas tied the coin pouch and shoved it into his pocket. "What do you want in return?"

The question was met with a deafening silence—Aiden was shocked.

There was no malice behind Silas' voice, so he couldn't take offense. The boy just knew that all acts of kindness are always expected to be returned, even from the purest of hearts.

Aiden fell to his knees—his action caused Silas' eyes to dilate slightly.

"Please, marry one of my granddaughters! Keep the throne of the Ross family in the Ross bloodline and bring back our glorious days!" Aiden begged with his head lowered.

"Ooh." Silas' shock was expressed in that word.

The request made sense—it seemed simple, but it meant the heavens. That explained why he gave him so much money. With 30 Gold coins, Silas could buy a home for himself in the noble quarters and a stall—this could set him up for a comfortable life if he decided to leave the Ross family.

"Shameless old fool. I can't believe he sold his granddaughters for 30 gold coins!" Ruth was burning red with anger, and Silas squinted in discomfort.

'Don't scream so close to my ear' Silas told her, before returning his attention to Aiden.

"I will agree to it if your family makes the request themselves when your granddaughters are old enough. If it doesn't come from them, I'm not interested." He responded dryly.

In the end, he was already 18 years old, and he wasn't sure if he would live long due to his Necromancy magic. He was too awkward around women, so he was never lucky with them. 

If those girls were willing to marry him, it would be much more convenient for him.

"Shameless!" Ruth yelled at Silas and vanished with a plume of crimson smoke.

He blinked in confusion, wondering why Ruth was pissed with him, while Aiden thanked him repeatedly.

'She was the one that said I need to get married soon.' he mumbled

The journey continued, and when they approached the academy, Silas' curious gaze shifted to the window. The academy gates loomed ahead—tall iron bars lined with silver etchings, forming strange symbols he didn't recognize. 

Two armored guards stood at the entrance, their polished chest plates reflecting the scorching afternoon sun.

The carriage slowed. A guard stepped forward, raising a gloved hand. Adin sighed and pulled out a neatly sealed letter. He passed it through the small opening in the window. The guard inspected it for a moment before stepping aside with a nod.

As they passed through the gates, the academy revealed itself in full. Courtyards filled with trimmed hedges, a fountain, and statues of past scholars standing tall on marble pedestals. 

Silas' eyes lingered on a massive tower in the distance—its black stone surface gleaming like polished black glass. It stood apart from the rest of the academy, shadowed even under the clear sky.

The carriage turned down a narrow path, heading straight for the administrative building. It was larger than the others, its doors carved from heavy oak, with a crest of the empire engraved above the entrance. 

The wheels rattled to a stop, and Adin stretched before stepping out first.

"Welcome to the magic academy. Let's get you registered." 

Silas exhaled quietly while glancing out the window. He had been indifferent on the way here, why was he nervous now?