CHAPTER 224: 224. DO I WANT THE MERRICK HEAD SEAT?

Theo stayed there to take in the information; what Lucien was speaking, it was almost treasonous.

"Elder brother... do you trust me this much?" Theo asked with a frown. The things he just said, they were goals Lucien had made for later on, and if Theo were to leak them to the higher nobles, then Lucien was done.

He was not going to do it, but even he knew that this noble world was cold.

Their family was different, but still, there were little amounts of politics in the things the elder heirs did.

"I have been with you long enough to tell that you don’t care about those things, Theo. But the things you don’t like... might be pushed on you if things keep going like this."

Theo kept silent; he didn’t want to assume the things Lucien was explaining.

"Your unique affinity is unlike the other ones, or it’s the opposite... you’re different than the unique grade tamers in our history, Theo. You’re growing at a pace I wished I had gone through at your age, but I can’t change the past." Lucien diverted to the topic but came to it again while looking at Theo with a piercing gaze.

"Your entrance exam that determines the class you’ll be in will reveal everything about you to the world, Theo. You’re at a level of threat that Father and Mother don’t want to talk about with you right now. They will be protecting you from the sidelines, and so will I."

"But I want you to confirm to me something... I will be asking you this last time. Asking this from a 10-year-old seems unreasonable, but I know you’re mature for your age, and this decision has to be made in the next few years anyway... so..." Lucien stopped and asked with a determined face.

"Are you going to join the fight for the Merrick Barony’s head seat?" Lucien asked, and Theo’s mouth opened only for nothing to come out.

"... I need time to make the final decision, elder brother..." Theo spoke while looking at him, which made Lucien nod and smile in understanding.

"But where my mind is at right now... the decision... It’s definitely going to be no." He gave a statement right away, making Lucien shocked for a moment before his eyes became excited.

"If that’s your decision for now, I will protect you with all the contacts I have in the academy, Theo. You will need it." Lucien spoke and started moving toward the castle.

Theo stayed there for a few seconds before an annoyed expression formed on his face.

"What if I had decided to join this fight for the seat, elder brother? Would you have helped me then?" Theo asked, making Lucien look back and watch his expression.

His mouth was agape right now as if not expecting to be confronted like this.

But soon, a small smile formed on his face, and he started walking again, keeping the question unanswered.

’What the hell... Are they all going to be the same after all?’ Theo asked himself.

Finally, when he had thought that he was able to experience a family that cared for each other, Lucien did something like this.

It boggled Theo’s mind in the wrong way.

He had really thought of the guy as a sibling, at least if not fully loved him.

Theo felt questions forming in his mind, but he shook his head to get them out for now.

’Now is not the time to think about this. He was right about one thing... I really need all I have to fight the world in the academy...’

He found what Lucien said to be compared to abandoning him if he took the fight on, but only time could tell if it was really that.

Theo moved toward his room, where he found Elias at the halfway point.

"Have you stocked the ingredients?" Theo asked with a serious expression, making Elias feel confused first before he nodded in agreement.

"Everything is as you asked, young master."

"Great job," Theo stated in a cold tone that felt distant at the same time.

He went inside to find all the ores, seeds, and everything to evolve the ants there on the floor all organized.

The mantis jumped in to eat some of it, but Theo told him to break it into pieces first.

When that was done, he helped convert many of the Shardjaw ant workers into Aquamandibles and Embermaw worker ants.

The queen kept bringing more and more brood, and many were added to the workforce soon enough.

It took time to level and evolve them, but Theo was looking at things in a broader perspective.

He went and did some things for the spider that had now become level 3 after all the hard work.

Theo passed his time like that, and after a few days, he found out the admission dates of the academy entrance exam.

Theo was sent a letter from the academy with the information about what he had to do, and finally, it was time he left for the entrance exam.

He renewed all the information about the history and the concepts that he needed to know for the entrance exam, and when he found that it was enough, Theo went on to practice his swordsmanship as much as he could, as Rhys was not going with him.

When only two days were left before he went to the academy, Theo went to the town again, and this time, people didn’t seem to interact with him as much.

They recognized him and only greeted him before moving forward, which made Theo sigh in relief.

Theo went to Clara’s house and had some tea there with her parents and grandmother, who were on their toes the whole time.

He thanked them for letting Clara be his attendant, which made them feel like it was a dream.

Finally, when Theo asked if he could take Clara to the academy location as his second attendant, they were not only happy to send her for this opportunity but also grateful toward Theo.

It became awkward very quickly, but they were able to go past that, and with a single permission from the Baron and the Baroness, Theo was able to make Clara his second attendant before making preparations for leaving.