Chapter 11: The Brave Bran

Chapter 11: The Brave Bran

Because of the pestering from his little sister, the loli Xirui, Bran could not escape the notice of the Duke and Duchess. Soon after breakfast, he was called into the Duke’s study. This actually came as a relief to both the boy and the cat; even though the loli was young, she was annoying. Well, actually, they were now facing a much greater crisis—a beast known as parents was staring them down. Whether you liked it or not, they were always around you, watching over you, gloriously named: motherly love, fatherly love.

Staring at his son, the Duke spoke unhurriedly: “Alright, child, so where do you want to independently pioneer?” The Duke emphasized the words “independently” and “pioneer.”

Bran looked at his father speechlessly…

“Alright, no need to hurry. We have a whole day to consider the specific location.” The Duke’s voice carried a hint of mockery: “First, we need to consider what you can obtain. According to the tradition of the Northlands, weapons are personal property. Let’s see your weapon—a practice Wooden Sword. Don’t worry, it will always belong to you. Oh, and armor. You are still too young to have your own armor…”

Bran now lowered his head, looking at the Black Cat Huahua standing faithfully by his feet. The Mana vortex formed by the Mana Resonance triggered between the boy and the cat stirred up some dust in the air, twisting and changing under the sunlight. Suddenly, he felt like a mouse under a cat’s paw.

His father’s voice seemed to come from a great distance, gradually growing fuzzy. Bran activated his Idiot technique, wearing a blank expression as he lowered his head and began to space out.

When he snapped back to attention, his father had already finished his long lecture. Normally, Bran should have shown that he understood the hardships of the world, immediately admitted his mistake and tried to please, then agreed to a few humiliating treaties to get through it. But Bran, having just come back to his senses, was a bit disconnected. Years of receiving special treatment as an Idiot made Bran fail to grasp the serious nature of the situation. After raising his head, he subconsciously bared his teeth at his father…

Then, under his mother’s helpless gaze, Bran successfully ignited the Duke’s anger. Bran finally experienced the Northlander man’s correct way of expressing fatherly love. He was lifted up and pressed onto the table, and instantly, his butt made intimate contact with the Duke’s palm countless times…

And his former, close, inseparable little companion, the Black Cat Huahua, fled the study at the first opportunity, disappearing without a trace…

Now, Bran silently chanted to himself: don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. He also understood that he was no longer that speechless Idiot. He was a child of the Northlanders, and he would receive a proper Northlands-style education. Thinking of this, he finally shed sad tears, a grief from the depths of his heart making Bran wail loudly.

Your pettiness, your little schemes, and so on, and so on—everything would be laid bare under the father’s tall figure. All your resistance would turn to nothing under the halo of motherly love. Perhaps it was this desperate sadness that touched the mother’s soft heart. The Duke’s violent parenting behavior was stopped promptly and effectively.

When Bran was set down on the floor to stand steadily, the Black Cat Huahua reappeared by his feet like a ghost. Thus, their former intimate relationship returned. The Mana between the boy and the cat began to Resonate again. Perhaps it was the excitement of reunion, as the moment the Resonance began, it formed a powerful Mana vortex, sweeping dust from the floor towards the Duke’s face…

Following the principle of a slap followed by a sweet date, Bran, limping out of the study, received his first piece of Territory. Just a hundred meters outside the Castle gate, adjacent to the east side of the main road, a tiny patch of land was marked off for Bran to play house. From today on, Bran could lead his life-and-death companion Danny to pioneer their Territory, but he had to roll back into the Castle before sunset.

Bran decided to share this “joy” with Danny immediately. And so, Bran, determined and limping, searched throughout the Castle for Danny, who was hiding who-knows-where…