Proposal from Clump

Clump's proposal, in short, was to hand over his son. However, it was not necessarily a bad offer.

There was no need to ask which was better—being the son of a hunter or being the son of the prestigious Ozent family.

Yet, the reason why he couldn't bring himself to respond easily was none other than the issue of blood ties.

Vincent looked at Shirone.

Annoyingly enough, his son's expression remained indifferent.

Was it because he expected him to accept it naturally? Or did he think it was too absurd to consider? Vincent couldn't tell.

Bischof continued speaking.

"We had a family discussion, and this seemed to be the best option. There is a cousin of ours who is still young and childless. If Shirone is registered under his name, he will also become a noble and will be able to enroll in the academy without any issue. Of course, we have no intention of taking your son away from you. This is merely a legal formality, and nothing will change."

A mere legal formality? Was it really that simple to say?

In this world, everything came down to legal paperwork.

Honestly, he wasn't confident.

Could he watch Shirone, now registered under another family, without feeling heartbroken?

'Shirone, please say something. What decision should this father make? What do you truly want?'

Vincent looked at his son in despair.

Shirone furrowed his brows. Vincent instinctively knew it was because he was frustrated at being unable to respond.

As the matter was sensitive, everyone remained silent until Reyna finally spoke up.

"Shirone, what do you think? It's just paperwork. You'll become a noble and be able to pursue your dreams. Of course, we will always consider your current parents as your real parents, and nothing will change."

Shirone's brows furrowed even deeper. Then, as if he couldn't comprehend the situation, he finally spoke.

"That is absolutely ridiculous. I am my father's son. I will never become the adopted son of someone else."

"S-Shirone."

Vincent was moved.

His words carried not a shred of hesitation, and instead, they carried a tone of displeasure.

The members of the Ozent family were visibly taken aback, while Clump asked coldly.

"Are you sure about this? This is an opportunity to become a noble. Not everyone gets such a chance."

"If it means changing my father, I would rather remain a commoner."

"Commoners cannot enroll in the magic academy."

"Then I won't enroll in the magic academy."

"If you don't enroll, you cannot become a mage."

"Then I will not become a mage."

"Shirone!"

Clump shot to his feet.

He was frustrated by Shirone's stubborn attitude.

Normally, Shirone was a quick thinker, yet why was he being so stubborn about such a simple matter?

"Is it because of guilt? The world is not so kind. There are things you must sacrifice for success. Or was your dream never that important to begin with?"

Though Clump's imposing figure made him intimidating, Shirone calmly replied.

"Perhaps you're right."

"What?"

"No matter how great my dream is, it is something I inherited from my parents. My parents are the roots that provided me with nourishment and allowed me to dream. The reason I was able to get an opportunity from the Ozent family, the reason I was able to work as a servant before that, and the reason I could even learn to read before that—all of it was possible because my parents were my roots. Compared to the infinite opportunities they have given me, this one opportunity is nothing. If I were to sever my roots and take nourishment from another, it would be no different than telling me to wither and die."

Silence filled the room.

It wasn't just because they were impressed by Shirone's words—it was because they had been forced to rethink their own beliefs.

Clump's eyes wavered.

'It's not guilt. This boy understands the essence of cause and effect on an instinctual level.'

Even if he lost this opportunity, there would be countless more in the future.

But if he denied everything he had achieved thus far, he would lose everything.

Suddenly, Clump had a thought.

Had he been thinking about this the wrong way from the beginning? Perhaps, even without anyone's help, this boy would still become a mage.

'Rian, maybe you were the lucky one after all.'

If even the honor of the Ozent family was merely one passing opportunity for this boy…

'No one can tie him down.'

Not until Shirone reached out his hand first.

As the silence stretched on, Shirone finally smiled.

"I appreciate the offer. However, I cannot accept it. My parents are the two people standing right here."

Vincent clenched his fists.

How shameful. He wanted to crawl under his chair in embarrassment.

How could he feel hurt over something as trivial as legal paperwork? His son believed in him so wholeheartedly, yet he had almost let his emotions cloud his judgment.

"Please accept Shirone as the adopted son of the Ozent family."

"Father."

Vincent bowed deeply.

"Please, I beg you!"

No one thought of Vincent as a pathetic father. They all had families of their own, after all.

But stubbornness alone wouldn't change anything.

"I understand how you feel, but there is no other way. How can we disregard Shirone's wishes?"

"…Shirone is not actually my biological child."

"Dear!"

Everyone's eyes widened in shock, but the most surprised person was Shirone.

It wasn't because of a hidden birth secret. Most of the people in the room had likely suspected it.

Just by looking at his appearance and physique, it was clear Shirone and his parents were completely different.

But this was an entirely different matter from legal paperwork.

Vincent was truly ready to give up everything for his son.

"We were never able to have children. Shirone came to us by chance. As you may have noticed while living with him, he is surely of noble birth. He is a son far beyond what I deserve. If he becomes an adopted noble, it would simply be him returning to his rightful place. It wouldn't mean he is denying his roots."

It was a reasonable argument, and the room fell into deep thought.

But Shirone, looking deeply hurt, shouted.

"Dad!"

"Sh-Shirone."

"What are you doing? How could you say something like that without even discussing it with me? You never mentioned this before!"

"I'm sorry, Shirone. But now that you're older—"

"Do you know why I never asked? Because everyone only has one father. And one mother. How many parents are you planning to give me? Thanks to you, I already have six now!"

Vincent was stunned.

Two birth parents, two adoptive parents, and two more if he were adopted again—six in total.

Realizing the absurdity of what he was doing, he was at a loss for words.