The Baroness and Her Cheap Father

As the convoy settled into the logistics compound, Ye Weian led Kane into the mansion.

The interior of the mansion in Firefall Keep is in typical Cormier noble style:

The heavy, dark oak floors were polished to a spotless shine, and the brass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, inlaid with expensive fluorite, emitted a soft light that made the entire mansion appear solemn and dignified.

Further ahead is a long corridor, with a half-length stone statue every few meters, the base of which is inscribed with an inscription praising the noble goddess Shinworth.

On the walls of the corridor hang huge portraits, each of which is a member of the Xia Xing family, allowing visitors to see the entire glorious history of the Xia Xing family in one walk.

Ye Wei'an suddenly recalled how the original owner of the body had been taught family history by his adoptive father when he was a child, and how he had to identify each ancestor one by one.

The painting at the very front depicts a man with a small mustache dressed as an adventurer. His name is Grosgam Xia Xing, the first head of the Xia Xing family. Centuries ago, he was granted the title of nobleman, making him the first person in the family to hold a noble status.

The second image depicts another ancestor following King Galaghad in his fight against an evil sorcerer lord;

The third image is a portrait of a nobleman and his wife;

……

In the original owner's childhood memories, his adoptive father would often ask him who he liked.

Perhaps because of his early childhood in ancient times, the original owner disliked those rigid portrait paintings, finding them too boring.

He particularly liked narrative paintings, whether they depicted knights slaying monsters or generals leading troops into battle.

In retrospect, the original owner's intuition was correct.

The ancestors who were able to hang the second type of painting in this corridor were basically those who made achievements that are recorded in the history of the Purple Dragon Kingdom.

If an ancestor can only be depicted in a portrait, it only proves that apart from his noble status, his life was unremarkable.

"Every portrait reminds me that real knights and heroes once lived here." Ye Wei'an paused for a moment in front of the fourth-to-last painting in the corridor.

This is a portrait of Lord Aslan Summerstar—in which Lord Summerstar is battling an evil sorcerer.

According to family history, his great-uncle Aslan perished in battle alongside a mage, and Firefall Fortress was destroyed on the spot, with heavy casualties among the nearby residents. This marked the beginning of the decline of the Xia Xing family.

But it was his sacrifice that protected the northeastern region of Cormier from the evil wizard.

It can be said that Aslan Xia Xing is a hero in every sense of the word.

He remembered that his adoptive father had said that his lifelong wish was to become a hero who protected the region, just like his great-uncle Aslan.

That way, he could hang a narrative painting in this corridor after he dies.

However, throughout his life, he possessed neither strong personal martial prowess nor outstanding command abilities.

Now that he is over fifty and suffering from a serious illness, it seems that this long-cherished wish will never be fulfilled.

"But even heroes can have their descendants turn out to be cowards." Ye Wei'an continued walking, looking at the last few portraits. "I think if Aslan's ancestors saw their descendants playing with assassination and land rent, they would probably be so angry that they would crawl out of their graves."

As Ye Wei'an walked through the corridor, he encountered a maid who was rushing over.

She had a head of moonlight-like gray hair and a delicate face.

She was taller than the average Cormier woman, and her tight-fitting maid outfit couldn't hide her extremely eye-catching curves.

That was Lina, the head maid of the mansion, who was four years older than Ye Wei'an.

In the original owner's dark memories, she was one of the few people who had ever shown him some warmth.

"You are... Lina. You look more energetic and more beautiful than you did four years ago." Ye Wei'an stopped and nodded slightly, his tone unusually gentle.

Lina recognized the person and her eyes flashed with extreme shock. "My goddess Serene... it really is you, young master Ye Wei'an? Welcome home."

Ellen, unable to contain herself any longer, tugged at Ye Weian's sleeve. "Young Master, I... I want to talk to Sister Lina for a bit, is that alright?"

"Go ahead, don't neglect your business." Ye Wei'an's lips curled into a rare gentle smile.

Ellen cheered and ran lightly to Lina's side like a little girl who hadn't grown up yet, took her arm and began to ask her about her well-being.

After calming Ailian down, Ye Weian continued upstairs.

On the third-floor corridor, he encountered Lady Serena, who had been waiting for him for a long time.

She changed into a dignified dark purple dress, and the pearl necklace around her neck shone brightly.

Their gazes met in mid-air, and for a moment, the air seemed to thicken with intense hostility.

But just a second later, that tension vanished instantly.

"Oh, Yevian, my dear child, you've finally returned." Lady Serena wore an impeccable, benevolent smile. "Thank goodness, seeing how well you've grown in Susar, my four years of prayers have not been in vain. Look at this robe; you've become a respectable spellcaster."

As she spoke, she stepped forward and reached out her hand, seemingly wanting to touch Ye Weian's face.

"I heard you encountered robbers on your way back to your hometown? I prayed for you at the shrine all night, fearing something might have happened to you."

"I will never forget your concern, Madam." Ye Wei'an grasped her fingertips in return, his smile equally radiant. "I have been thinking of Father and you day and night, and even caught a few ungrateful bandits on the road. I originally intended to hang them, but considering that this is your territory, I specially brought them back to ask you to 'deal with' them in person."

"Oh? That's so thoughtful." Serena's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly. "Seeing you become so sensible, I think the Baron would be so pleased that he would shed tears."

The two smiled at each other, their gazes locked in a fierce battle, as if the surrounding air itself were about to burn in their feigned warmth.

Kane, standing at the back, felt a chill run down his spine.

Although he was a veteran of countless battles in the Purple Dragon Knights, he felt like a greenhorn in these bloodless social confrontations.

After bidding farewell to the Baroness, Ye Wei'an continued walking forward.

An elderly man wearing a red and white robe and a sunrise emblem on his chest walked out of his father's room with his head down.

Ye Wei'an recognized him; he was none other than Orion, the bishop of the Losanda Church in Firefall Valley.

This bishop has been in Firefall Valley for many years and has a good relationship with the Xia Xing family. The original owner of this body has known him since childhood.

"By the grace of Losanda, young master Yeweian, welcome back." Bishop Orion stopped in his tracks, his tone heavy.

"Your Excellency," Ye Wei'an nodded slightly, "what is the state of my father's condition?"

The bishop shook his head regretfully: "The dawn of Losanda will eventually set, young master Yevian. The Baron's life force is irreversibly slipping away. I have done everything I can these past few days, and all I can do is ensure that he will not feel physical pain in his final moments. May the Lord of Dawn guide his soul."

After saying that, he sighed and left the corridor.

Ye Wei'an pushed open the door, and a strong smell of herbs mixed with the stench of decay hit him.

There was no one else in the room. The heavy velvet curtains blocked out the sunlight. Baron Harlandir was slumped in the velvet cushions, his face sallow, his once broad shoulders now hunched and frail.

The old baron struggled to open his eyes, and his cloudy gaze brightened slightly when he saw the magnificent mage's robe that shimmered with silver light.

"Father," Ye Wei'an called softly as he approached the bedside.

"You're back..." The old baron struggled to lift his eyelids, his cloudy gaze lingering on Ye Weian's mage robes for a long time.

"Was the journey back smooth?"

"Have a safe journey, Father," Ye Wei'an replied calmly, as if the bloodshed of that day had never happened.

"That's good, that's good." The baron coughed twice with difficulty, then asked, "How are your studies in Susar? Are you getting along well with your classmates?"

"You've achieved academic success." Ye Wei'an sat down beside him and calmly began to recount his experiences at the Susar Mage Academy. He described the magnificent mage tower, the mountains of books and scrolls piled up in the library, and the various magical arcane rituals.

The old baron listened intently, a long-lost smile appearing on his aged face, before he suddenly coughed violently.

"Are you alright? Would you like some water?"

Ye Wei'an reached out and supported his back, then snapped his fingers with his right hand.

The empty teacup on the table first floated up and flew to the Baron's front. Then, it was filled with water out of thin air, and then, wisps of steam rose from the cold water.

The old baron was dazzled by this move and couldn't wait to drink the water that represented "magic".

"I heard you were ill, so I've been diligently studying some healing spells at the academy," Ye Wei'an continued after he finished drinking the water. "If you'd like, I'd like to try them on you."

The old baron's eyes widened in surprise, then a satisfied smile spread across his face. "Of course, my child. With Sheenworth's blessing, let me see what you've got."

Ye Wei'an stretched out his hand, his fingertips twitching slightly, and he muttered an obscure incantation.

A pure and warm green light flowed from the palm of his hand.

"Inferior Restoration Technique!"

As the magic flowed into the old baron's chest, his previously rapid breathing became much more steady, and a sickly flush appeared on his face.

"This feeling... is truly magical." The old baron let out a long sigh, his voice gaining strength. "May Sheenworth bless you. I knew those slanders were false. They always whispered in my ear that you were a mediocre talent who couldn't even perform magic tricks, and even wanted me to cancel your tuition... It seems that sending you to Susar to study magic against all odds was the best decision I ever made. The descendants of the Xia Xing family... should not be confined to this land."

The baron gazed at Ye Wei'an, reaching out a trembling hand as if to touch Ye Wei'an's cheek, his eyes revealing a sense of longing.

"You've grown up, Ye Wei'an... You're more of a man and more handsome than you were four years ago." The Baron's voice softened as he said this.

At that moment, he seemed to see the shadow of another person through Ye Wei'an's face, "especially your eyes... they are so similar, exactly like your mother's."

As he said this, the old man's eyes welled up with tears.

At this moment, he seemed to be simply indulging in the lingering warmth of his old dreams, muttering to himself.