Chapter 43: Red Star
What Elreth never anticipated, however, was that Nero would head to the academy, aiming to become a student. Not only did he succeed, but he also performed exceptionally well—better than her direct brother, who had been nurtured and supported, unlike Nero, who had received no resources. It was truly ironic, and Elysia was completely caught off guard.
"Elysia, do you think he might compete with you now that he’s in the spotlight?" Emily posed the question, uncertain herself but hoping to spark a conversation.
Elreth chuckled, "Hell no. But if it does happen, it would be entertaining. Still, I doubt he has any intention of competing with me. Even though we haven’t interacted, from the information I’ve gathered and what I know about him, I can say with about 70 percent certainty that he never considered becoming the patriarch. After all, he must really dislike this family. Why would he bother becoming its patriarch? For revenge? Nah! Completely leaving the family and becoming someone great will make them regret not nurturing him. If they had, he would have remained loyal to them. That’s the greatest form of revenge—slapping them in the face and making them regret their choices. If I were in his shoes, that’s how I would approach it."
After hearing Elreth’s explanation, Emily felt it made sense; the second option would inflict far more damage.
"Aren’t you curious about how strong he will become once he can use primordial energy? And if, by some miracle, he could wield Law?" Elreth said, amusement sparkling in her eyes; she found the whole situation quite entertaining. Imagining such a future sent a chill down Emily’s spine. Nero would become extraordinarily powerful if that were to happen. While he might never be able to use Prana or Law—there was that possibility—Emily had a sense that such a scenario was unlikely. When asked why she felt this way, she simply shrugged it off, attributing her certainty to a woman’s intuition.
"Information must have reached the family, and knowing my father, he would likely just decide to watch. If Nero continues to shine and proves to be worth recruiting, he would want him back. His previous action of leaving the family would be seen as a tantrum to raise his value. Those old fogies would come up with various reasons to make him submit, just to achieve their goals," Elreth explained matter-of-factly.
Emily nodded, thinking it made sense, but then her curiosity piqued.
"What if he refused to comply?"
Elreth’s previously easygoing expression vanished, and the air thickened with a palpable killing intent.