Kian Goldmaul POV

  “Thaddeus is going to adopt you.” Father said.

  The moment those words left his mouth, my thoughts froze for a split second before turning into confusion.

  Adopt me?

  Why would that even be necessary?

  “Why would I need to be adopted?” I asked, genuinely baffled.

  Father sighed softly and paused, clearly organizing his thoughts before speaking, as if choosing the safest words.

  “It’s quite a complicated matter,” he began slowly. “As to why this needs to happen… when you get older, you’ll understand more. For now, I’ll explain what I can.”

  He looked at me seriously.

  “I was given a mission by the country—this country—to remain hidden, and Thaddeus adopting you would help with that.”

  He stopped for a brief moment, then continued.

  “You should’ve noticed that whenever we go outside, I hide my horns. This situation has something to do with that.”

  After Father finished explaining his part, Thaddeus spoke almost immediately, his tone calm and reassuring.

  “You don’t have to worry about anything,” he said. “This won’t affect you in the slightest. I’ll be opening a portal that directly connects your bedroom in my house to your parents’ house.”

  Father nodded in agreement.

  “It’s just like Thaddeus said. You’ll continue living normally. The adoption is merely for appearances. It’s mainly so you can enter the academy later, and possibly the military after that, without anyone knowing you’re related to me.”

  He added, “And with Thaddeus adopting you, you won’t lose any of your birth advantages. You gain nothing less. This is simply to hide my name.”

  I nodded slowly, then asked the question that had been bothering me.

  “If that’s the case, why do I need to be adopted now? If I’m not mistaken, I can only enter the academy after I turn twelve, which is still six years away.”

  This time, Thaddeus answered.

  “Adopting you early allows people to become aware of you early on. I won’t be introducing you as my adopted child, but rather as my biological son.”

  He continued, “Because of that, you’ll need to spend those six years at my place, at least publicly. It’s mostly to deceive certain individuals. And don’t worry—no harm will come to you.”

  “I see,” I said, then frowned slightly. “But how will you hide the fact that I’m adopted and not your biological son? Wouldn’t official documents show that I was adopted?” I asked, voicing my suspicion.

  Thaddeus stared at me in surprise, clearly caught off guard by the maturity of my question.

  “There’s no need to worry about that,” he replied. “The country itself will handle it. To everyone else, you’ll be seen as my biological son, both officially and unofficially. Even your birthplace was registered under my name instead of Ronan’s.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  My father smiled faintly.

  “It’s also a good thing. It’ll help you adapt more easily. And besides, who would ever say no to free connections?” he added jokingly.

  “Teaching your son to build connections for benefits this early, huh?” Thaddeus teased with a smirk.

  “Of course,” my father shot back without hesitation. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s not bad for him, and it’s not like I’m handing him over to some random stranger.”

  The two of them continued arguing back and forth for a few minutes until both my mother and Ophira fake-coughed at the same time, effectively cutting them off.

  “Oh, right,” Father said, clearing his throat. “Do you have any more questions, Kian?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “It’s about how I should act. Is there anything I need to change? The way I eat, talk, or even move? I’ve seen nobles on television, and they behave very differently.”

  After hearing that, both of them shook their heads at the same time.

  “There’s no need to change your behavior,” Thaddeus said. “My family is no different from an ordinary one. The nobles you see on television aren’t the same as us. I’m an Imperial Count, not a regular Count.

  There’s a difference between the two, which you’ll learn about later.”

  Satisfied, I nodded and asked no further questions.

  …

  …

  …

  A week passed after that discussion.

  This time, Thaddeus came alone, without bringing anyone else with him. After entering the house, he spoke with my parents about his plans. They talked for several minutes, and when they finished, my father turned to me.

  “Follow whatever Thaddeus tells you,” he said. “And like we’ve said many times, you don’t need to worry about anything. Just think of him as your uncle.”

  “Oh, and make sure to come back for dinner. You’ll be eating lunch at his house.”

  After giving me a few more pieces of advice, Thaddeus opened a portal, and in an instant, we appeared inside his house, right next to the front door.

  “Well then,” he said, “come with me.”

  “Okay,” I replied, following behind him.

  We walked for a short while before stopping in front of a door. We entered together.

  It appeared to be his office.

  “Go sit on the couch,” he said. “Make yourself comfortable.”

  As I sat down, I watched him open a closet and take out several candies and neatly wrapped cookies, placing them in front of me.

  “Go on, eat. Don’t be shy.”

  I unwrapped one of the cookies and took a bite.

  “I heard from your father that you’re a genius,” Thaddeus said. “And from the questions you asked last week, it seems he wasn’t exaggerating.”

  I scratched my cheek, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise.

  Noticing my reaction, he laughed.

  “Oh? Embarrassed? I also heard from Niko about your talent and how quickly you’re improving in real combat training.”

  He continued teasing me in a way that would have calmed down a normal child who felt anxious or intimidated.

  “Ahem. Anyway,” he said, clearing his throat. “There are some things you need to keep in mind from now on.”

  He paused briefly before continuing.

  “Your name will now be Kian Balburg. Only your family name changes. If anyone asks who your parents are, you’ll say it’s me and Ophira.”

  “As for some basic information about me, I’m a Supreme Close combat Mage—Supreme is the rank. I’m currently forty-five years old. The same goes for my wife and your real parents. We’re all the same age.”

  Forty-five years old?!

  Seriously? None of them even looked thirty, let alone forty-five.

  “Ophira is a Sword Master,” he continued. “And speaking of swords, your training with Niko will resume. It’s been a week since you last trained, correct?”

  “Yes,” I nodded.

  “Good. Niko will continue teaching you, but he’ll no longer be your main instructor—only an assistant. Your primary teacher will be someone I appoint, someone more qualified.”

  “For magic and control training, your father will remain responsible. As for academic subjects, they’ll be handled by me, your parents, and my wife.”

  Once I finished eating, he stood up.

  “Alright, Kian. Follow me. I’ll show you your room.”

  We arrived at the room, and he opened the door.

  It was about the same size as my original room, just slightly bigger.

  “This will be your room,” he said. “You can decorate it however you like.”

  Then he walked to the closet and opened it.

  “Come here, Kian.”

  I stepped closer, and he moved aside so I could see. He placed his hand on a flat surface located on the far left, and a hidden door silently slid open.

  “The portal will be here,” he explained. “Always make sure to close the closet when you enter. No one should come into your room, but it’s better to be careful.”

  “For now, let the scanner memorize your fingerprints and handprints. Only you and I will be able to open it. After that, you’ll be able to move between the two houses whenever you want.”

  Chapter End