The doors of the faction creaked open, revealing a head of white hair that resembled a bird's nest.The old man shouted at Adrian, “Why are you still standing there like an idiot?”“Step aside," Adrian responded, his patience wearing thin. “Johnny just accused me of things I didn’t do, so I need to set him straight."The old man's green eyes twinkled as he said, "The rabbit stew is ready, and I've just opened up a bottle of wine. Care to join me?"“Not in the mood!” Adrian replied gruffly, “Could you please not cause any more trouble?”“Fine.” The old man opened the doors fully, standing solemnly before Adrian. “Both of them have been punished. You should be satisfied now, right?”Adrian could not believe his eyes. The inside of the building was opulent, shining in golden splendor, almost blinding him. “The Ivory Clouds sure are wealthy. They’ve got such a grand building, yet they don't seem to care about the people at Greenhurst who are starving and frail."He then looked dow
Dieter became crestfallen. "If you're going to ignore me, I'll punish myself by banishing myself to the rear cliff for half a year. Throughout that time, I won't meddle in Ivory Clouds’ affairs.""Father, you can't!" Caroline panicked, looking toward Adrian pleadingly. "Please help us, Adrian. My father seems to have gotten Alzheimer's and has returned to being a child."Johnny was secretly delighted. Dieter, with his low intellect, was easy to manipulate and was protective of his apprentices and children. "I'll manage Ivory Cloud,” Johnny declared.Adrian frowned slightly, but Dieter did not object. Johnny was not a decent person and would surely bring chaos to Greenhurst, where the people there were already struggling to survive. "It's been such a long time, my friend. Come. Let's go have some rabbit stew. And some wine too while we're at it,” Adrian said."Okay!" Dieter's eyes lit up with excitement. He grabbed Adrian's hand and boasted, "I promise I'll manage Ivory Cloud we
Dieter burst into tears again, leaving Adrian flustered. Adrian, having blurted out his offer without thinking, quickly said, "Please stop crying. I shouldn't have interfered in your family matters."Dieter grabbed Adrian, tears still on his face. "You have to keep your promise and help me!" "But..." Adrian was utterly baffled, wondering why Dieter was crying even more than a woman usually did.Dieter quickly explained, "These are tears of joy. Finally, someone's willing to help me solve my problems. I'm on cloud nine right now. Well then, I'm leaving them in your care.""But I'll use force on them. They may not be able to handle it," Adrian stated bluntly.Dieter steeled himself. He thought everything would be fine as long as they remained alive. "Do whatever you wish,” he said.Caroline then appeared at the kitchen door. "Father, do you hate me or something?""Of course not," Dieter replied cheerily, "You're my precious little daughter, but I've already promised to let him
Dieter put down the wine bottle and removed the cracked crystal pendant around his waist and fixed it to Adrian’s belt.“Here. It's yours for the time being." He chuckled. "Return it to me when I wake up. That shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"Adrian was repulsed by the pendant. “But I don’t want it.”“Just keep it safe for me,” Dieter insisted, making sure it was securely attached. Johnny, witnessing this, was stunned and silent.Caroline objected, “Father! That's the symbol of Ivory Cloud’s leader! How could you give it to someone else so casually?!"Dieter, already drunk, collapsed on the table, oblivious to Caroline's protest.Adrian was shocked by this responsibility suddenly thrust upon him. He had no intention of becoming Ivory Cloud's leader. “What the hell is all this?” he grumbled.“What are your orders, sir?” Caroline said, bowing deeply in respect. Johnny followed suit, albeit reluctantly. “Sir, my only request is that you punish Sylvas. You can’t let him g
The men exchanged glances. They were all fighters who were unwilling to do such menial chores. Yet, they dared not disobey Adrian's command and reluctantly set about their task.The bald man, Sylvas' confidant, had returned and was blending in among the men. "How did he become our leader?" “Beats me! Maybe our leader has gone senile. It's just preposterous to hand over the pendant to someone else so casually."Baldy was frustrated. 'Dieter's becoming more senile by the day. Last time, he had me play a children's game with him and almost laughed his head off because of it.' He then asked, "Do you think Sir Dieter is faking it?""I don't think so. I think he's actually sick. He's been behaving more and more outrageously recently."Baldy almost laughed out loud, thinking how Sylvas would soon be able to become their leader at this rate. When that happened, Baldy would not have to grovel like a lowlife in front of Johnny.“Hahaha!” he laughed, unable to contain his excitement, w
"I can't do that.""Anyone who thinks they’re up for the task, step forth.” Adrian looked over the men in black. "Whoever does shall become the deputy leader of this mountain."Everyone became elated when they heard this. They knew that the fact that Adrian was following Dieter around and appreciated by the latter meant that he was of a much higher status than everyone else. "I'll do it.""No, I’ll do it!”"I promise to handle the task thoroughly.”Adrian looked at the previous man in black, whose face was now pale, and said, "You should learn who's the boss here."The man in black was confused by this and was not able to read between the lines for a moment. He only understood what happened when Johnny explained it to him, and he even got an earful."You idiot! I asked you to stir everyone's rage, yet you ended up getting stirred by the new guy! You absolute fool!" "Oh? You asked him to do that, huh? You're already in the hot seat, yet you were hoping to become everyone's le
Adrian fell into deep thought. He usually disdained those who liked to tattle and saw them as disloyal. But right now, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction inside.Meanwhile, Sans was nervous. Adrian and Sylvas were at odds, so this idea should pique Adrian’s interest. But yet, Adrian was silent.Sans wondered if he had read Adrian wrong and asked, "Did I say something wrong, sir?" "No, you haven't. However, I dislike resorting to tricks and prefer to be open and straightforward when dealing with problems. Let's not threaten anyone this time around."Sans agreed while inwardly questioning his life choices. He had been playing both sides, ready to switch allegiances depending on who had the upper hand. Thus, Adrian's straightforwardness left him at a loss for words."How will you deal with Sylvas then?" Sans asked.Adrian frowned. "Do you even hear what you're saying? He's a member of Ivory Cloud, so of course, he will receive the just punishment for his errors."Sans was utt
Sylvas decided that maybe being a bystander was not a bad idea.Caroline, who despised Adrian, only wanted to see the latter fail. "Ivory Cloud will be yours to command so long as you're willing to help, Sylvas."Sans panicked. It was clear that Caroline was seeking revenge for personal reasons, which made it difficult for him to decide who he should be helping. The bald man was confused too. He thought Caroline was here to pick a fight, yet it seemed like she was asking for help.The bald man whispered, "Sans, come here!" "What?" "Did you and Caroline get into a fight on your way over here?""No, we were sent by the new leader. He says he wants Sylvas to receive his punishment and that we should remain harmonious since we're a family." Sans added in that last bit, thinking this reflected Adrian's thoughts.The bald man frowned. "Is that man touched in the head? Why would anyone even listen to him?" Sans was embarrassed. Adrian was indeed a fool in these matters that could