Chapter 2: Mentor Jon

More than twenty years ago, the brothers' father, Noah Pat, rescued Jon, who was lying at death's door outside the estate. After Jon recovered from his injuries, Viscount Noah, learning that he was homeless, felt a pang of sympathy and took him in, offering him a generous job as a fruit farmer.

Why Jon was injured and lying outside the estate, as well as his background, remains a mystery to this day; he has never spoken of it to anyone. He always claimed to be from another "planet," but he never explained where this country called "planet" was located.

Jon was a silver-tongued man with a knack for farming and construction. When they were children, both brothers loved to visit Jon to hear him tell magical stories. In the worlds of his stories, there were buildings that reached into the clouds, iron machines that flew in the sky, and even gardens built on the moon.

As a child, Lyon listened with delight, yearning for the worlds in Jon’s stories, believing that once he grew up, he would be able to visit the lands Jon spoke of. But as time passed and Lyon grew more mature, he realized that everything Jon said was merely a fabrication. This feeling of childhood dreams being shattered was hard for Lyon to accept, and from then on, Lyon always treated Jon with disdain and anger.

Lyon was actually quite furious that Angel trusted Jon so deeply, even taking him as a mentor. Yet, no matter how he tried to dissuade him, Angel would only respond with a smile, neither refusing nor refuting him.

Angel’s way of dealing with people was very similar to Jon’s. He appeared calm and gentle, yet he was immovable.

...

Lyon picked up the parchment on Angel’s desk, staring at the dense, cramped text, his eyes instantly spiraling like mosquito coils.

"You have perfectly good common continental script, yet you insist on using the writing that old man taught you. Isn't writing meant for others to read? Unless... it’s some unspeakable secret." Lyon was muttering to himself, but then, as if remembering something, he hooked one corner of his mouth in a wicked smirk and looked at Angel. "My dear brother, won't you explain it to me? Could it be that you're recording... the little troubles of puberty? You might as well tell me; big brother can help you solve them."

Angel sighed helplessly and pointed to a corner of the paper. "These are Chinese characters, taught to me by Mentor. They are the common script of Mentor’s hometown. What is recorded here are the meanings of several physical constants that Mentor calculated."

Angel then pointed to a few symbols that looked like tadpoles. "These are Arabic numerals, similar to the units of measurement in our Golden Bird Empire, only this method of recording is simpler and more intuitive. The meanings of these numbers correspond to the physical constants above. You can record many things with this."

Lyon didn't understand a single word of Angel’s long-winded explanation. However, he didn't care; he just assumed that the old man Jon’s ability to bluff had increased, and his cute, naive brother’s brainwashing had deepened.

Whatever sympathy and concern Lyon had originally felt for Jon’s health had now vanished completely.

Waving his hand, Lyon stopped Angel’s rambling and pulled a beautifully wrapped envelope from the inner lining of his armor.

"Alright, alright, stop talking. I don't understand it anyway, and I don't want to hear it. Here, take this. It’s an invitation from the City Lord. Since I am inheriting Father’s title this time, I need the notarization of the City Lord and Marquis Merlin. We set off in half a month. Haven't you always wanted to hear Master Mejeff’s solo concert? Once we get to Waterford and finish our business, I’ll take you to the Ocean Theater so you can listen to your heart's content!"

Angel took the invitation, his expression slightly jubilant. He had long heard that there was a world-renowned musician in Waterford, whose compositions and lyrics were both top-tier, but he had never had the chance to meet him. Now, taking the opportunity of his brother inheriting the title, he would have the honor of listening—how could he not be happy!

Seeing Angel trying his best to suppress his excitement and act calm, Lyon couldn't help but reach out and ruffle Angel’s golden hair.

Unsurprisingly, his action triggered a glare from Angel.

"I told you, don't touch my hair! This is a man’s dignity; I will never back down!"

Hahahaha! Lyon was stunned for a moment before throwing his head back in laughter, only stopping after a long while. "You just turned fourteen; you don't fall into the category of a man yet, just a boy who hasn't grown up."

The brothers scuffled for a bit. Angel was still in his growth spurt and naturally couldn't compete with Lyon, who was as burly and sturdy as a tiger. In the end, Angel could only glare at Lyon resentfully and bury his head back into the homework Mentor Jon had assigned.

Lyon couldn't do anything about his younger brother, who was throwing a tantrum and ignoring him, so he could only rub his nose and leave on his own.

About half an hour after Lyon left, Angel finally returned to shore from the ocean of numbers.

Looking at the empty room, Angel knew Lyon must have been gone for a long time. Checking the time, he realized it was about time for lunch. He opened the door and, sure enough, saw two lunch boxes placed on the stone table in the courtyard. Head Maid Mana was taking the dishes out of the boxes one by one.

Seeing that it was vegetable soup with bread and fruit again, Angel felt a bit dejected.

He missed the food Mentor used to make. Even a simple fried rice seemed to contain magical power that made him unable to stop devouring it.

Ever since Mentor’s health began to deteriorate, Angel hadn't eaten such delicious food again.

Last time, Angel asked Mentor to teach the cook, but the final product was simply unbearable.

Sigh... Now that Mentor’s limbs were nearly atrophied, he figured he would never be able to eat Mentor’s cooking again.

Mana carried the soup upstairs to feed the ailing Jon, while Angel remained immersed in his sorrowful reminiscence.

After eating, Angel went inside and happened to see Mana coming down from the second floor.

"Aunt Mana, is Mentor awake?"

"Second Young Master, Mr. Jon is awake." Mana shook the clean porcelain dish in her basket. "Mr. Jon had a very good appetite today; he drank all the soup."

"That’s good. I’ll go up and see Mentor."

Watching Angel run upstairs in a rush, Mana looked down with a doting smile. The Pat estate was now managed by the two young masters. To the outside world, the eldest was cold and arrogant, and the second was gentle and quiet. Little did people know that these two young masters were still children who hadn't grown up. No matter how tough they appeared on the outside, they both harbored softness within. Only in front of their personal servants would they drop their guard and show the liveliness appropriate for their age.

"Mentor!"

As soon as Angel pushed open the attic door, he saw an old man half-lying on a lounge chair on the balcony, with a mute servant standing respectfully behind him.

The old man’s complexion was sallow, his skin withered. His appearance was completely different from the locals, carrying a rich, exotic feel. His eyes were somewhat cloudy, but one could still see the black pupils.

He was the elder Angel respected most after his father’s death, and his life mentor, Jon.

(End of chapter)