"Talisman… Talisman… not bad at all." Galan repeated the word slowly, savoring it. His lips curved into a grin. "This invention of yours will change the course of future wars. Young man, you've every right to be proud." He even patted Robin lightly on the shoulder.
"It's only the beginning," Robin replied with a knowing smile. "But I do have a request. I hope everything between us remains confidential—at least for the time being."
"That's normal," Galan nodded. "Don't worry. No one will breathe a word. I'll personally ensure it. But tell me… what about your family? What about the Duchy of Alton? I don't want them knocking on my gates and giving me a headache."
Robin smirked faintly. "That's easy. I'll announce that I'm content staying here in your institution. As long as people see me publicly, healthy and unharmed, my family won't have an excuse to interfere. But…" he leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a veiled warning, "I'll also keep cordial ties with my family—just in case you decide to play any tricks on me."
The boldness of his words made the room stir. He spoke to the Duke of Bradley as if to an old acquaintance!
"Haha! Honest to the point of rudeness, as always," Galan laughed, shaking his head. "So be it. I can accept those terms. And as for Marquess Rufus—don't trouble yourself. I'll speak with him directly and end that little quarrel after what Caesar did to his son."
"Excellent." Robin rose, then added slyly, "One more thing… I expect our allowance raised to one thousand gold coins per month. I'll need it to continue my research freely."
"Argh… Fine!" Galan gritted his teeth, but agreed.
Robin gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave, Caesar following close at his heels.
While Galan and the others pondered the implications of what had just transpired, Mila's gaze lingered on Robin's back. He's not an ancient sage, nor some immortal legend. He's just a boy—my age. And yet already, he's contributed to our armies more than I ever have… perhaps even more than all my predecessors combined.
"Big Brother," Caesar asked cautiously as they stepped outside, "why did you tell them it was rabbit hide? Won't they try to replicate it—buy hides themselves, redraw the flame pattern, and steal your invention?"
Robin chuckled. "That flame drawing? Let them waste their time. It's meaningless—just a random sketch I drew to distract them, and also to mark the type of talisman. What makes it special can't be seen with the naked eye."
"…Invisible? You mean the real pattern is hidden? Could it ever be discovered?" Caesar pressed.
"Perhaps," Robin admitted with a shrug. "Maybe the Flame Emperor himself—or one of his direct descendants—could unravel it if they devoted enough time. But by then, I'd already be several inventions ahead. Hehe."
Caesar sighed, relief flooding him. Of course—how foolish to think his brother hadn't already accounted for such things.
Back at the institution, Robin found that Peon had already cleaned out House 208. Without hesitation, he ordered, "Caesar, Peon—move in there. That'll be your base from now on. Theo will join you when he emerges from seclusion.
As for Zara, she'll stay with me during the day to practice drawing, but she'll return each evening to sleep beside her brother. I want peace and quiet in my house at last."
And with that, Robin finally enjoyed some solitude. Seated in the silence, he began to plan his next steps.
The events of today had compressed his timeline dramatically. His earlier plan of keeping a low profile was gone, shattered the moment the Talismans appeared before the Duke and his commanders.
After reviewing his priorities, Robin decided the first order of business was to prepare the month's quota of Talismans.
To outsiders, the process looked impossibly complex. In truth, it was laughably simple for him. He only needed to inscribe a fragment of the fire pattern—the section responsible for controlled explosions—then weave in a subtle trick derived from his Perfect Law of Fire to hide the pattern within the hide itself.
The result? A deadly weapon, finished in minutes.
In reality, Robin could have produced a hundred Talismans in two or three days. But he deliberately restricted the number he sold. The Duke must remain hungry, eager, addicted. The less he had, the more valuable they would seem.
Within days, the story of Caesar Burton spread like wildfire across the duchy, then across the entire kingdom.
A boy of thirteen years, already at the eighth level. A genius who leapt two levels to defeat a tenth-level noble on the stage with ease.
The age, the speed of cultivation, the sheer combat power—together, they built an aura of mystery and prestige around Caesar. He wasn't merely a prodigy. He was the greatest genius of the past two centuries. Greater even than Lady Mila Bradley.
And when news spread that Caesar had been nothing but a mortal only eighteen months ago, his legend grew into myth.
Rumors multiplied like sparks from a fire. In taverns, academies, and noble courts, wild tales sprang up.
"I heard Caesar Burton's mother was a goddess and his father a demon!"
"Rubbish! Everyone knows his mother carried him for five years in her womb and fed him beast blood instead of milk."
"No, no—you're both wrong! He was trained by an ancient hermit who descended from the heavens!"
Laughter, speculation, and awe filled the kingdom. Yet none of the storytellers knew that, at that very moment, the so-called legend was snoring in House 208, drooling on his pillow.
But in the Duchy of Alton, the name Burton stirred other memories.
"Wait—Burton? Did you say Burton?" one man asked sharply, his voice cutting through the chatter.
"Yes, brother," came the reply. "A youth named Caesar Burton. Legendary! They say when a tenth-level noble provoked him, he coolly set the duel for one year later… and when the day came, he crushed him. Defeated him brutally. And then—haha!—shoved an iron staff right up his ass in front of the entire crowd!"
The table roared with laughter and applause. But the man who had asked for the name did not laugh. He slipped away silently, heart pounding.
That man's name was Jule Burton.
And the news he had just heard was too great to ignore. This was something the elders of the Burton family must hear—immediately.