novelzi Chapter 7 - You Will Be His Teacher
Chapter 7 - You Will Be His Teacher
The banquet lasted for another two hours before the slightly drunk nobles finally left the Duke’s mansion.
As the servants began cleaning up the dining hall, Orson felt a hand tap him on the shoulder.
“Orson, come with me to the study. I have something to discuss with you privately,” Lucius said as he began walking upstairs.
—
In the study, Lucius sat behind his desk while Orson stood respectfully in front of it.
“Orson, how old are you this year?” Lucius asked casually while flipping through a book.
“Father, I am eighteen this year.”
“Eighteen... eighteen... What a fine age...” Lucius sighed wistfully. “Time really does fly.”
“If I may ask, Father, why did you call me here?” Orson leaned forward slightly, a hint of curiosity in his tone.
“Orson, what do you think of Litte?” Lucius asked.
“It’s just the two of us here—there’s no need to hold anything back. Speak freely and honestly.”
“...” Orson pondered for a moment before replying, “To answer Father, in my opinion, Litte is a good child. At the very least, he is kind-hearted and considerate of others’ feelings.”
“A good child.” Lucius couldn’t help but chuckle at Orson’s choice of words. “You say ‘a good child’ as if you’re a generation older than Litte. Don’t forget, you two are the same age.”
“I’m asking—do you think Litte has the ability to inherit my position?” Lucius shifted the discussion, his sharp gaze fixed firmly on Orson.
“He does.” Orson replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Litte absolutely has the ability to carry on Father’s legacy.”
On this point, Orson was absolutely sure. After all, the protagonist’s halo guaranteed it. In the original story, after inheriting the title of Duke, Litte had managed the territory exceptionally well.
“Oh?” Lucius raised an eyebrow, surprised by Orson’s immediate and confident answer.
He had expected Orson to respond positively, but he hadn’t anticipated him to reply so quickly and with such certainty, as if he had complete faith in Litte’s capabilities.
“Tell me, why do you think so? You saw for yourself that Litte’s performance today was far from satisfactory.”
“Well, since you’re asking, I’ll explain,” Orson said with a smile before continuing. “A fledgling phoenix remains a phoenix, even if it falls into a flock of chickens. Its inherent qualities do not change.”
“Litte has lived in the countryside for many years, receiving an extremely limited education. Considering this, what kind of mindset do you think he’d have upon entering our family? Most people in his position would have the mentality of a nouveau riche, basking in sudden wealth and status. But Litte isn’t like that—he remains composed and calm.”
“Moreover, I’ve always considered myself a good judge of character. While Litte may not know much right now, given time, his achievements will undoubtedly surpass my own.”
“Surpass you...” Lucius repeated, falling into deep thought.
This son of his, who shared no blood relation with him, was already widely regarded as the strongest and most talented young man in the Empire. Yet here he was, claiming that Litte would one day surpass him?
Lucius found it hard to believe.
“Orson, are you serious?”
“I have no reason to deceive you, Father.”
“Alright.” Lucius nodded.
If Orson, who had no blood ties to Litte and even stood as a potential rival, held such high regard for him, then as Litte’s father, Lucius could not afford to neglect him either.
The most immediate priority was to find Litte a good teacher.
“In that case, Orson, I plan to find a teacher for Litte—someone to guide him in noble etiquette, culture, combat, and magic. Do you have anyone in mind for the role?” Lucius asked, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
“A teacher?” Orson paused,