Chapter: 860
This time, I rushed to the lake at my father’s summons.
“Ah, you’re here, big brother?”
“What? You came too?”
The surprising detail this time was that Erich was also present. The three Krasius men had gathered in one place.
I was slightly taken aback by this unexpected combination. They say family gatherings are normal, but ever since Eduard was born, Erich’s outings had drastically declined. No matter how much support the spirits provided, Eduard’s liveliness didn’t allow for Erich’s absence.
Moreover, Serah was lying in bed while her husband, Erich, comes fishing? No matter how mild-mannered, kind-hearted, and compassionate Serah is, she would have grounds for fury. Therefore, it was only natural that Erich himself restrained from going out, not to mention neither my father nor I prompted him to come. I would rather go to the mansion instead.
‘What’s going on?’
I found my father already seated, staring not at the fishing pole but seemingly at the empty air, which raised questions.
If he’d gathered us all together like this, especially to a place where no one else could eavesdrop, it couldn’t be trivial. But since retiring, could anything particularly important happen to my father? Honestly, it seemed unlikely.
‘If something were to happen, it would surely happen to me.’
The responsibilities that my father, the patriarch of House Krasius, and the Count of Tailglehen had shouldered had now passed on to me. If something were to summon the family, it would be due to my circumstances, not my father’s.
“…Sorry for the sudden summon. It’s something important I need to tell you.”
“It’s fine. We’re family; there’s no need to apologize for a meeting like this.”
Even so, it would take an incredibly devoted son to say such things considering my father’s perplexed demeanor. As I sat down on the foldable chair to his right, I shook my head to keep the mood light.
“I’m okay too. The spirits you sent are taking good care of the kids, so I can step out for a bit.”
“That’s a relief.”
Once Erich, who should be the busiest among us, nodded along, my father’s expression finally softened somewhat.
“Right. Since you all took the time to come, I won’t keep you long. Let’s get straight to the point.”
With that, my father fiddled with his fishing rod and said, “What do you think about meeting your uncles, aunts, and cousins?”
“Huh?”
With his words, Erich tilted his head as if trying to decipher what was said.
If I hadn’t raided the Narzen Count’s residence, I wouldn’t have known that my father had been getting closer to my youngest aunt bit by bit. Since that reunion, I had anticipated such a day would come eventually, so I could stay composed.
In fact, it was surprisingly quick, though—this was one of those situations where the sooner, the better—
“I met with your uncle at the military academy.”
‘Oh.’
That was an unexpected development that surprised even me.
I had heard the Vice Commander was selecting suitable candidates for teaching, but I never expected one of my uncles to be involved. Who would have thought?
‘Which uncle is it?’
However, aside from the shock, I quickly recalled information about my three uncles.
Thank goodness I’d recently updated my knowledge about them after the judicial inspections. It would be embarrassing to find out “Another incident occurred involving the Lord’s kin” from my minister’s secretary without any prior warning. I needed to catch the signs beforehand to avoid an awkward scenario.
Besides, as the head of the Krasius household, I had an obligation to keep an eye on those who carried our bloodline. It was a duty I should have been shouldering much sooner.
‘It must be the eldest uncle?’
After mulling it over, I was able to identify a strong candidate right away.
The first uncle, August Deaest. He’s the one who married into the Deaest family located in the eastern part of the Empire. It was a political marriage, but fortunately, their relationship seemed to be decent, and they were blessed with many children.
However, this diligent albeit publicly reserved man was now turning into a teacher at the military academy? One of the first faculty members to shape the future of the academy?
‘Compared to the other uncles, he might have a shot, at least.’
It’s hard to believe, but my second and third uncles were from the literary side of things, not military. They had changed their surname from Krasius to something else, so they’d be honing their skills as scholars, not warriors.
That left my eldest uncle—the one who bears the blood of Krasius and the duties of Deaest.
“It sounds like your eldest uncle has been focused on academics during his time at Deaest. If you earned recognition through your experiences, then he must be recognized for his exceptional knowledge.”
“You’re right. It seems August has worked hard as the head of the family.”
While my father smiled faintly, Erich still wore a confused expression.
I could guess why. That kid probably just learned that the first uncle’s name is August and that he’s currently living at Deaest.
“If it hadn’t been for your youngest aunt, I wouldn’t have known either. I would have realized only after the military academy’s establishment.”
“Your youngest aunt… was the one who informed you?”
That came as an unexpected piece of information from an unexpected source. I had heard that due to their grandfather’s activities, the Krasius siblings were scattered, and ever since my father became the head, they hadn’t even kept in touch.
But the youngest aunt gathering intel on the first uncle and passing it to my father? Was my father truly the only one who had been out of the loop? Or was the youngest aunt the sole sibling keeping in touch?
‘Both are kind of sad.’
If it’s the former, that means my father was isolated. If the latter, only one of the seven siblings seemed proactive, which was quite unfortunate.
“Don’t misunderstand. It seems the youngest had started meeting the others ever since she met me.”
“Oh, right.”
“Anyway, hearing about your uncle from her made me feel like the shadows hanging over us are fading. Or maybe they’ve been gone for a while, and we just didn’t notice.”
My father’s face wore a mix of bitterness and relief, while poor Erich still looked dumbfounded.
It was truly shocking that he knew nothing about his own uncles or aunts, but sadly, a little while ago, being unaware was the norm for the Krasius family. If there hadn’t been the judicial inspection, I would have been in very much the same boat as him.
When we return to the mansion, maybe I should give Erich a little crash course… It seems we’ll be seeing not just uncles and aunts but also cousins more frequently in the future.
“So, I thought we could take this opportunity to gather our siblings again. And since I will be meeting with my siblings, you two shouldn’t be left out. I wanted to check if you are okay with it.”
With that, my father looked at Erich and me with a gaze filled with nervousness. It almost seemed like he worried we would retort, “Meeting now might feel a bit awkward, you know?”
The tension was so thick that even Erich seemed to straighten his posture.
*
I felt the Krasius family, once rigid and cold, slowly transforming.
Perhaps from today onward, we might become an entirely different family. Parent-child relationships, in-law dynamics, grandparent-grandchild ties—now that they’re in harmony, even the former head of the family might restore his bond with his siblings.
After roughly twenty years of maintaining distance, perhaps it was finally time for us to reconnect as siblings, something that had been difficult even before that era.
“It’s only natural for you to visit with Erich and Teresa as I meet with my uncles and aunts. What could be uncomfortable about it?”
“It’s fine, especially since we already have Liriana among the cousins. The more, the merrier! I actually think it’s nice to have more people to dote on the kids.”
As I recalled Erich’s words from the lake, I smiled.
If we were to suddenly reunite with family, it would be disorienting, but to hear the children respond so easily, putting my mind at ease for my sake, meant everything.
I’m truly grateful. My children are astonishingly wonderful, far beyond what an inadequate father like myself deserves.
“Billy?”
“Oh, sorry! I lost my train of thought for a moment there.”
I hurriedly adjusted my mouth at my wife’s voice.
How embarrassing. As a noble, getting distracted during a conversation is quite unbecoming. I thought I had grown stronger with age, but I guess I still have a long way to go.
“It’s okay. It’s been a while since you’ve seen family, so it’s natural to be distracted.”
Even so, my wife smiled at my shortcomings.
“I’m also a bit nervous seeing you and the kids after a long time.”
“Sorry. Because of my stubbornness, you too—”
“In this situation, saying sorry isn’t right. It’s strange that we haven’t met until now; it’s only natural for family to gather, right?”
With her firm yet gentle words, I couldn’t lift my head any further.
Ever since I became the head of the family, we had all drifted apart; my wife hadn’t seen her siblings for twenty years either. Not to mention the children.
Yet I casually announced that we’d be meeting siblings without any prior signs. Since I’m the eldest, naturally, my eldest wife is caught up in the busyness too.
‘She’s too good for me.’
Following my amazing children, I’m blessed with an amazing wife. While I can’t claim I have luck in life with parental ties, the luck I have with my wife and children is unmatched.
It’s almost comical how I almost tossed away such fortune with my own hands.
“But what about the invitation, Billy? Where do you plan to host it?”
“Of course here, right? As the eldest, it would be odd for me to suggest another gathering place.”
“I’m glad you brought it up.”
With my answer, my wife sighed.
“Your uncles and aunts don’t have fond memories of Tailglehen. But asking for a reunion after decades to take place here? We’ll need to do this sometime, but it shouldn’t be the initial location for our first gathering.”
I nodded immediately in agreement with her words. It was certainly an oversight on my part.
“Then, dear, where do you think would be good?”
“How about the Krasius mansion in the Capital or Carl’s private home?”
Both locations come with their own pros and cons, leaving me in deep thought.
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