Chapter 34: The Gathering

Chapter 34: The Gathering

Today was a good day. Early in the morning, Bran was to return to the Castle with his mother. At Bran’s desperate request, Danny needed to accompany him for the entire journey this time.

On the road, facing his mother’s half-smiling expression, Bran couldn’t hold back anymore and said, “Don’t think I really don’t know.”

“Know what?” his mother retorted.

“If I were truly an Idiot, even if I showed just a little bit of abnormality, such treatment would be acceptable. You wanted to cast me out of the Northlands to let me live a peaceful life. It’s just a pity that by the time you discovered your son wasn’t hopeless, the news had already been spread for years.”

Having said that, Bran suddenly showed a mischievous grin. “Since childhood, I suffered the least. As a Northlander, I never even entered a blacksmith’s shop, never saw an anvil, never saw a furnace, and many other things that are secrets in our Northlands. Even the foals in the Mountain Villa would kick at me when they saw me.

The White Wolfs of the Mountain Villa were guarding me, but I knew they were actually guarding the Mountain Villa. They wouldn’t leave the Northlands with me; they were never my companions.

But, even a salted fish can turn over. My usefulness means nothing across the entire Northlands, but within a small scope, I can still be quite helpful to some high-level combat abilities.

So, your act of selling off your useless son is becoming a bit troublesome.”

Then, Bran started laughing smugly. After laughing, Bran continued:

“No one pays attention to an Idiot, but I am the only one who has lived this long in the Northlands. Now, this Idiot is quite attractive to some people. Whether it’s Bloodline or other extras, even just the possibility is enough to tempt many with what the Northlands truly covet.

So, I should keep working hard to maintain this Idiot image, and make it even more idiotic. Scare away as many as possible, just like how Danny hacked down the Caravan guards. If they don’t run, at least make them behave.

The Knights from my family probably think the same way, right? Otherwise, why would they so easily send their own kids out to follow me in this mess?”

“It wasn’t exactly a mess. At least some rules were set. You surprised a lot of people by sending the confiscated items to the Castle, and there were quite a few things.”

…

Danny stood by Bran’s side. That was enough. After all, it hadn’t been long since she cut down people like vegetables, and her fearsome reputation hadn’t faded yet. Some brats from other families didn’t dare get too close. Just being watched wasn’t a comfortable feeling either. So, Bran activated his Idiot Method. It was the easiest state to enter. Just think about: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why do I exist in this World? What’s real and what’s fake in this World?

So, Bran began to wear an idiotic expression, tilting his face up slightly, his gaze becoming unfocused. This scene made the young men and women nearby feel a wave of boredom and deep scorn.

In this World, there are always many who aren’t afraid to die for family or group interests. The harsher and more backward the environment, the less an individual seems to matter. Group interests naturally surpass individual interests, which is also a necessary choice to ensure one’s own and Bloodline’s survival.

So, young men and women kept approaching him, trying to strike up a conversation. A few livelier ones even waved their hands in front of Bran’s eyes. But Bran’s eyes were vacant, showing no reaction to any external stimuli. Some bolder ones prepared for physical contact with Bran, but with Danny standing nearby, Bran remained in a look-but-don’t-touch state.

Bran’s behavior also confirmed a rumor that various families had heard from the Delegation: this Idiot child never spoke. But another question gradually arose in people’s minds: Why was an Idiot so clean, with no physical awkwardness? If they hadn’t already known he was an Idiot, and without that expressionless pale face and empty eyes, this child could be considered cute. But now, he seemed to have lost his Soul, so everything appeared hollow.

Also, it seemed a few days ago this child was sitting at his own door, spacing out… he looked quite normal then…

Regardless of what outsiders might think, Bran’s authentic performance won the silent approval of the Northlanders. Bran’s sister couldn’t contain her excitement either. She ran to his side, tugged at Bran, and watched his eyes shift from hollow to blank. Then, leaning close to his ear, she whispered with a sigh, “What a waste. It’s a shame you’re not an Idiot.”

Bran lowered his head, resentful, and said in a strange voice, “Don’t mess it up. I’m getting into character.”

“You fooled everyone back then just like this. I’ve figured it out now. Not everyone could tell those stories.”

“You misunderstood. Back then, I was a real Idiot. I knew nothing.”

“I don’t believe you. Teach me how to act like an Idiot.”

“With the excessively high muscle content in your body, this kind of Idiot-acting activity isn’t suitable for you.”

After a short pause, Lily finally reacted. “Are you calling me stupid? All muscle, no brains?”

“Hold it in. Don’t start a fight. So many people are watching. We can’t mess up this act. Yes, take a deep breath. Relax… In… Out…”

“I’ve had enough of you!” Lily finally couldn’t control her temper. She jumped up, pinned Bran down, and started pounding on him.

Bran, with the resilience characteristic of a Northlander, didn’t make a sound. He stretched out a hand towards Danny for help. Danny grabbed his hand, pulled him out from under his sister, held him in her arms, and quickly left the crowd.

…

Bran sat on the third floor of the Mountain Villa, feeling relaxed. The experience of being watched wasn’t pleasant, especially after living nearly three years of a normal life.

Facing his sister, who still looked rather displeased, Bran repeatedly expressed his gratitude. Thanks to big sister’s beating, he was freed from his misery.

“Is acting like an Idiot really fun?”

“Hmm, very fun. You can see many people clearly. Their front, their back. Even if I am an Idiot, I am a Northlander Idiot. So, they wouldn’t dare do anything out of line in front of you all. But what about when you’re not around?”

“Did anyone dare bully you?” Lily raised her voice.

“No. At least, not the people in the Castle. They looked down on me, got used to not looking at me directly, but no one bullied me. It’s just that no one paid me any attention.” Bran felt his sister put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a tight squeeze.

“Don’t be like that. Too mushy. Actually, I couldn’t be bothered with them.”

Bran continued, “But the people from the Delegation were interesting. The Knight captain of that Delegation, Ryan, is a very cautious man. He handles everything thoroughly, and even when alone with me, he maintained proper courtesy. But people like that often don’t live long.”

“Why?”

“Worry too much.” Bran laughed, but facing his sister’s lack of reaction, his laughter soon faded.

“That man among the Knights who looks a bit like us Northlanders—if not for his hair color, he’d blend right in with Northlanders. Such a big, burly man, yet quite gentle.”

“How so?”

“Every time he saw me, his sigh came straight from the heart.”

“And then, Luo Bo is a real jerk. Years ago, when he passed the Castle gate with a group of Knights, he used the Knights as cover to kick me. He probably never imagined that, even though there were many people, the shoes the Knights wore were completely different from those of a weak Noble like him. Too easy to tell apart.” Bran gave a cold laugh.

“When Gazi beat people up a few days ago, he was one of them, right?” Lily asked.

“He was in charge of liaising with the Caravan. If there was trouble, he had to step up. Given our Northlander temperament, he was definitely getting beaten along with the others. Also, being sent to do such thankless tasks in the first place means he’s there to take the blame when things go wrong. With his character, his relationship with the Knights couldn’t be good. Among the Knights in the Delegation, some are loyal, some are treacherous. Although their combat skills can’t compare to us Northlanders, they have their own pride. How could they have any good feelings for someone who bullies even an Idiot child? So, when he got beaten, those Knights were mostly just watching. Otherwise, when he came to request mediation after the beating, the two accompanying Knights wouldn’t have had perfectly neat clothes and armor.”

“That’s too sneaky.”

“Hey, whose side are you on?” Bran complained, then continued, “If my Idiot act could make those Dragon Knights careless too, and I managed to snatch one of their swords, they probably wouldn’t have the nerve to ask for it back, right?”

“You’re just dreaming!”

“One must have dreams, Sister. That’s a group as famous as us. If my name could spread among them…” Bran’s face showed a look of reverie.