Mystery: But the Witch's Path

Chapter 3 Uncle Rafe

Not being good at socializing to begin with, dealing with the talkative Grynter was truly a nightmare.

As the surrounding conversations gradually subsided, the black dot in the distance turned into a huge airship, with the insignia of the Rune royal family prominently displayed.

Lucius was seeing an airship for the first time. To him, airships were outdated. He wondered if they would suddenly break down and crash.

Ever since the royal family disembarked from the airship, the surrounding nobles have been constantly gathering around them.

Seeing the way those nobles looked, Lucius said directly, "Grelint, aren't you going over there?"

Upon hearing Lucius's words, Grynt immediately replied, "Me? I'm not officially an adult yet, I'm not qualified to go over there."

"And why don't you go over there?"

Upon hearing Grynter's answer and question, Lucius said, "Do you think I'm an adult?"

Upon hearing Lucius's answer, Grylint said seriously, "I feel like you've 'grown up.' The profound look you gave me during our conversation wasn't like that of a young person; it was more like you'd prematurely entered adulthood."

Upon hearing Grynt's words, Lucius thought to himself...

"...Perhaps."

......

After most of the people nearby had left, Lucius heard...

Lucius Sheffield

Upon hearing his name, Lucius looked directly at the source of the voice and said...

"Yes, sir."

The man opposite him said directly...

"Please come with me, your father's friend needs to see you."

Upon hearing that someone was looking for him, Lucius politely replied to Grylint, "It seems I need to attend to other matters. See you later."

Grylint then went straight to the point.

"Okay, see you in a bit."

......

Following the officer out of this "outer area" and continuing forward, Lucius noticed a significant change in the attire of the people around him. He knew where he was most likely headed, but he still needed to inquire further. Speaking of which...

"What is your name, sir?"

The man in front, upon hearing Lucius's words, casually remarked...

"Marin Westalia, just call me Marin."

Upon hearing the man's reply, Lucius immediately asked, "Mr. Marin, are we heading to the Army headquarters?"

Marin didn't hide anything and said directly...

"That's right, Mr. Lucius. You should know about your father. Most of the people you're meeting this time are your father's comrades-in-arms, a few friends and superiors. Don't be afraid. Although you are more or less unfamiliar with them, Lieutenant General Rafe Strauss is also here."

Upon hearing Marin's words, Lucius recalled through his memories that "Rayle Strauss was the original owner's father's uncle. In the original owner's memories, the two families were extremely close. The reason was that he wanted a grandson to raise, but his own son had never married, and because of his birth, he doted on him."

But based on my memory, my impression of him wasn't as simple as wanting a 'grandson'; it was more like wanting a 'granddaughter'.

This "uncle" bought me many "skirts" when I was a child, saying that I should wear such clothes, even though my father was mostly at home at that time and I didn't get to wear them.

While Lucius was still pondering, Marin said...

"When you get to Mr. Lucius, you can go in by yourself."

Lucius looked at the door in front of him and said politely...

"Thank you, Mr. Marin."

Then, looking at the door in front of him, he had no choice but to open it and go inside.

"Lucius over here."

As Lucius looked toward the source of the sound, he saw a tall, elderly man in the uniform of the Kingdom of Loen's army. Perhaps because he was a soldier, this Uncle Rafe was completely different from the other elderly "gentlemen" outside; for example, he was "more spirited and did not have any of their large bellies."

Looking at the person in front of him, Lucius spoke politely.

Good morning, Uncle Rafe.

Good morning, Lucius.

After the greetings were over, Rafe pulled Lucius aside and said, "Come on, let me introduce you to them. This is Colonel Karel Duart, your father's direct superior."

Lucius could only greet him with "Good morning, Colonel Karel Duarte."

Good morning, Lucius.

Karel then said directly to Lucius, "I am truly sorry about what happened to your father..."

......

"These men are Wyatt Pass, Burke Gilbert, Tim McDonald... all your father's comrades."

"Good morning......"

"Good morning......"

......

After the introductions, Uncle Rafe said directly, "Lucius, the main reason I called you here is to introduce you to these people. Most of them are like us, professional soldiers of the kingdom."

"That Karel Duart just now took your grandfather's place. Most of us have had a place in the army of the Kingdom of Rune since birth, so you need to get to know him to some extent."

After saying that, he patted Lucius on the shoulder and said, "Let's go, let's talk alone."

"Lucius, what are your plans for the future?"

At this moment, Lucius, who had no ideas yet, said directly, "I don't have an uncle yet. My father's passing was too sudden, and I haven't thought about my future plans yet."

Hearing Lucius's answer, Uncle Rafe said helplessly, "Yes, you are too young. Lucius, don't be too sad. Your father was a great hero."

"This war happened so suddenly that no one anticipated it. You are now not only the son of a war hero but also the head of the Sheffield family. Excessive grief will cloud your judgment..."

Upon hearing Uncle Rafe's advice, Lucius immediately replied, "I understand, Uncle."

"For you, becoming an Extraordinary is the only way to prevent the Sheffield family from disappearing completely..."

"But given your situation..."

Hearing the topic turn to himself, Lucius asked curiously, "Uncle, what's my 'situation'?"

Seeing Lucius's confusion, Uncle Rafe explained directly, "Well, when we found out about your father and her affair, it was too late. We also discovered the extraordinary characteristics she had left on you. We tried to remove these characteristics from you, but all our attempts failed."

"Based on our subsequent investigation, the extraordinary characteristics remaining on you originated from at least a Sequence 5 individual, and those extraordinary individuals along that path are..."

Witch!

Rafe was surprised to hear Lucius's words.

"? You found out? Who told you that 'they' have approached you?"

Lucius explained, "No, I found out by chance."

Hearing this, Rafe was relieved and said, "Well, it's good that you know. As long as they don't contact you, remember not to have any contact or cooperation with them. They're not quite normal. After what happened to you, we originally wanted to secretly purge all their members in Backlund, but for some reason the royal family intervened, and it was all dropped."

"You know that the high-ranking officers in the military are all extraordinary individuals. Because of your characteristics and the fact that we don't have the follow-up formula, you will most likely not be able to enter the advancement sequence. This means that if you join the military, you may not be able to reach the position you should be in. However, you can choose to cultivate some trusted confidants like the 'Clayton family' and let them develop in the military in your place. Once the next generation of Sheffield is born and has grown up, you can take back what belongs to the Sheffield family."

Lucius, however, questioned, "? Is this even possible? Could other unforeseen circumstances arise, such as...?"

Before Lucius could finish speaking, Uncle Rafe bluntly asked, "For example, a fledgling bird might grow strong enough to fly solo, or refuse to give up its place?"

Seeing that Uncle Rafe had directly stated what he was considering, he answered truthfully, "Yes, Uncle."

For some reason, Rafe Strauss burst into laughter and posed a more realistic question: "Hahaha...."

"You don't need to consider any of these things. If it's really as you think, then there's only one possibility: the people in this room will suffer heavy losses. This kind of situation is practically impossible unless it's a large-scale war of annihilation."

"Besides, we all protect each other, so the things you're thinking about are basically impossible. We didn't become 'aristocrats' by donating money."

"Of course, there is another possibility: that these families are planning to divide up 'your family' together."

"As for the length of time and the issue of sharing it with 'them', don't worry. Your grandpa is about to advance to demigod. At that time, not only will my strength increase further, but my lifespan will also increase greatly. With me watching over things, there won't be any accidents."

Hearing this, Lucius felt more confident about his future and happily said, "Isn't this too much trouble for you?"

"What's so troublesome about this? Your grandfather and I were sworn brothers, we came from the same trench. Later, your grandfather married my sister and had your father. I watched him grow up. Now, you're the only one left in your family. If I don't take care of you, how can I face the Storm God's kingdom after we go there?"

However, Lucius, who knew some secrets, countered, "Uncle, are you confident in advancing to demigod status? I remember the royal family issued an order that no one could advance to demigod status without 'their' consent. And I remember my father saying that the royal family made everyone take an 'oath,' and because of that 'sealed artifact,' no one has successfully advanced to demigod status for many years."

"You're right, but something happened recently and the royal family relaxed their requirements, allowing a certain number of people to become demigods. However, there are 'limited spots,' and there's even a price to pay. I agreed to the royal family's request." Rafe sighed at this point.

"The royal family's actions have become increasingly bizarre over the years, but don't worry. I wouldn't be preparing to advance to demigod without the royal family's permission this time. After all, your 'uncle' still wants to live a few more years. There are quite a few people who have been stuck in my field due to that 'sealed artifact' over the years, and quite a few should agree to the royal family's request."

......

Let's go, the "memorial service" is about to begin.