It’s been more than ten days.

The blizzards and frost forced people to hide in their homes, but even that couldn't save them from misfortune. Some drank, others sought adventure — and found death in the cold embrace of snow, becoming ice sculptures. During this time, dozens died: fifty-eight men, seventeen women, and two teenagers. Families were left without breadwinners, and there was no help to be found.

A few days ago, my uncles, Edan and Agro Remire, stopped by.

Edan was short, always neat, with an unreadable face and a haughty look. Agro, on the other hand, was striking in his roughness: tall, with a square face and almost animal-like eyes. Their appearance always scared the locals.

After they left, I decided to ask my father why they reacted the way they did when they saw me.

— Damn! Even this worthless weakling turned out to be stronger than my idiot. — Agro hissed.

— And mine too, — Edan added with a cold smirk.

Agro narrowed his eyes at what he heard. — Did you say something?

— Yes, but not for your ears, — Edan casually waved his hand and continued. — For now, he’s not a threat. I only took advantage of the situation when he came to our estate.

— Hm! It would be nice if we had taken care of him by now. The sooner, the better.

— We’ll leave that for later. I’m more concerned about something else. Why are you provoking the Terran family? Don’t tell me you don’t understand what this could lead to?

— Haven’t you heard? There are rumors that the family is severely weakened after the attack by the forest monsters. I even sent my men, and they confirmed all the rumors. Their main entrance and military structures were destroyed, and their warriors looked weakened and even seriously injured.

— I’m more than sure they won’t survive this winter. I’m already planning to attack them and seize their land, thus expanding our holdings and gaining an advantage. But what interests me the most are the Terran family's savings.

— Just imagine how much stronger we’ll become with their help. We have every chance of making great progress in combat development! — Agro said eagerly, barely containing his nature.

Agro’s words made Edan pause in thought. Of course, he wasn’t too interested in increasing the overall strength of the family. What drew him more were the Terran family's treasures, where various combat skills or rare spell tomes could be found. He knew how limited the Remire family was when it came to building a foundation for both warriors and mages.

Meanwhile, Aenari was asking his father.

— They were clearly surprised. Dad, did you hide something from them?

— I needed to make sure of something, so I told them you were in a near-death state with almost no hope.

After a pause, he added:

— Ao, there’s something important I need to tell you, — Akano’s voice softened as if he were speaking to himself. It’s a long story, but you only need to know the main points.

— Our father had two wives and three concubines. Between two of the concubines, there was constant infighting. As a result, they’re both gone. The third one was Edan’s mother. She died from a hereditary illness, and even healers couldn’t help.

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— What happened to grandmother? — I haven’t seen her yet.

— You’ve met her, though you were too young at the time. One day, she disappeared after a quarrel with your grandfather.

— Ao, I just want to say, keep your distance from your grandfather. Even I can’t predict what he’s capable of. He’s a cruel man, you should be wary of him.

— Understood.

While Akano was deep in thought, Ao, noticing the scars on his hands, couldn’t help but ask.

— Could it be... are these scars your doing? — I asked, not taking my eyes off his hands.

— Unfortunately, yes. In fits of madness, he locked me in a prison cell and tortured me with cold instruments. That's why these scars remain with me to this day.

Seeing his son’s gloomy look, Akano decided to comfort him.

— You shouldn’t worry. It’s all in the past. Can’t you see? I’m in good health now.

— If you say so, then fine.

Though he wasn’t my biological father, I still felt uneasy about so many scars.

— I forgot to mention, I have a biological sister named Tsuna. She now has a daughter, whom you’ll meet very soon. Oh, and she’s a beauty! I recently saw how all the boys were going crazy over her. Don’t miss your chance, — Akano winked. I could only shake my head.

— Ao, I want to ask you something, — are you angry with me? — Akano’s voice was controlled, but there was a certain heaviness in his tone.

— Why do you think that?

— I want you to learn this lesson. In this cruel world, there will always be those who want to take from you, and they will take if you’re weak. You need to understand that I won’t always be able to protect you. Thankfully, you didn’t die that day. If you had, I would have cut down your uncles’ sons right before their eyes so they could feel it for themselves. Now, it’s not too late, but I leave them to you.

I need your answer — can you handle it?! — Akano asked with a determined gaze.

Could it be that my son is truly this kind-hearted? Does he not understand that they tried to kill him?

Under Akano's unwavering gaze, he hid the doubts that plagued him.

— I’m only concerned about one thing. You won’t mind if I go too far, will you? — Ao asked, smiling, waiting for Akano’s response.

At these words, Akano closed his eyes and frowned.

Ao continued to stare directly at him, ready for any answer.

— My son, I expected to hear those words from you! — Akano replied, unable to hide his smile.

— I’m almost certain, with this mindset, you’ll survive in this world.

— Actually, after the misfortune that happened to you, I was already planning to kill them, no matter the cost. But Tina stopped me, tearfully telling me that you were alive. I decided to take one last look, and suddenly, you woke up. That shook me, because I was sure that in 9 out of 10 cases, you would’ve been dead. I decided to keep it from Tina, and I hope you do the same, — Akano sighed heavily.

— I understand.

— That’s why I decided to hire more guards around the yard and the house. I probably wouldn’t be able to handle another such incident. Miracles don’t happen twice, and the fact that you’re still breathing is the best miracle I’ve ever experienced.

— Dad, I’m fine. Don’t I look fine in front of you?

— Ha-ha! You’re right, we really do look rather gloomy. Let’s eat, I’ll personally prepare something for you.

— Really? What exactly?

— Shh, heh-heh, it’s a secret.

Clicking my tongue, I climbed up the stairs and lay down.

My parents had noticed that I was different from before, but they didn’t blame me for it. Sometimes, I had to act like a child to avoid worrying them too much about it.

A couple of hours later, there was a knock from Alicia.

— Young master, Lord Akano is calling you.

— Alright, I’ll be there soon.

After washing my hands, Ao went down to the main hall and was caught off guard.

The table was completely filled with salads, wild chicken dishes, stew made from a two-headed snake, and something resembling barbecue made from fire lizard meat, topped with a medium-spicy sauce.

Seeing how stunned I was, Akano broke into a satisfied smile.

— Well? How do you like my cooking? Tina wouldn’t have made this!

— Father, you know that Mom is here?

— What?.. — He slowly turned around and met Tina’s fierce gaze.

— Dear, how long have you been here? — He asked with a forced smile.

— Since the beginning, — she answered calmly. But in her eyes, it was clear she thought he was taking on too much.

While Mom gave Dad a death stare, I quickly finished eating, grabbed a cup of strawberry-flavored herbal tea, and quietly ran to my room, mentally wishing Dad good luck with this mess.

Soon after, loud noises and crashes began downstairs, and I immediately congratulated myself on my cleverness.

At that moment.

— Dear.

— Yes! I’m listening.

— Should I cast that spell again? — She said with a hard expression.

— Nooo! Not that! Aennarii!

I shut my door, trying not to hear the noise downstairs, and soon fell asleep, hoping my father would survive the storm.