The blood was cooling.
This was the feeling of everyone in the Greyrat family. Sylphy looked at Philip in front of her with a pale face.
Paul, Ceness, Lilia, Rudy, and Sylphy all subconsciously wanted to look at Allen.
But before they could even turn their heads, they heard Allen's leisurely voice.
No hesitation.
"My name is Allen."
The air froze for a moment, but it seemed to be just an illusion.
Everyone's eyes turned to Allen. His smile didn't even waver. He answered calmly.
You asked me if my name is Allen?
Yes, that's right, my name is Allen.
This was a sentence that could be said without thinking.
But the problem was—Philip's son was also named Allen.
Rudy looked at Allen, pupils trembling. He didn't understand what Allen was trying to do. Although they had never deliberately hidden his name—since "Allen" was too common—he was now directly facing his own father. Wasn't he afraid of being recognized on the spot?
Philip, who stood nearby, paused slightly at Allen's words, then quickly resumed a neutral expression. He looked at Allen's calm smile with interest, like admiring a fine piece of art he'd crafted himself.
"Allen? That's a good name. What a coincidence, my eldest son is also named Allen."
Allen patted Rudy on the shoulder, as if telling him not to worry, and said with a smile:
"What a coincidence."
Philip looked into Allen's dark gray pupils—quite a common eye color in the world of swords and magic—and smiled.
"I 'know' you."
Sylphy's white hair was gently combed by Allen's hand. Her heartbeat, in the "sensation flow," gradually calmed under his touch. He responded indifferently:
"I've heard your name many times."
Philip seemed surprised. He reached out and stopped Paul, who was about to speak, with a hand on his shoulder and a silencing gesture.
"Oh? Really?"
Allen glanced at Paul and the others. His relaxed gaze swept away their tense expressions.
"The mayor of Roya is a well-known name."
Their exchange continued quickly, words flowing back and forth with barely a pause, echoing across the courtyard.
"Haha, I didn't expect to be so famous. Aren't you curious how you've heard of me?"
"Not curious."
"Why?"
"Because you have many eyes and can see far, right?"
"Many eyes? Can see far? That's an interesting way to put it."
"Didn't you bestow the title of Knight on Master Paul as the mayor? Naturally, I'd be aware of his employer's family."
"So you're saying I sent people to Buena Village to monitor him?"
"With many eyes and far sight, it's not just Buena Village. It should include all the villages under your jurisdiction."
"Then shouldn't I have known about you long ago?"
"Information doesn't always transmit accurately. Your 'filter' probably sorted relevant details as irrelevant. For example, it's common for a knight's family to hire a tutor. Because there were others before, it didn't trigger any alarms, right?"
"You don't seem like the reckless adventurer described in the rumors."
"Not all adventurers are reckless. You're joking."
"Then do you know why I'm here?"
Allen responded quickly, under the shrinking gazes of the Greyrat family:
"To find me?"
"Yes. Aren't you curious why I'm looking for you?"
"Not at all."
Allen fell silent. Paul, sweating profusely, glanced anxiously at Philip—whose eyes were now fully open.
"It must be because I dealt with the monster tide last year. The news probably reached Roya. As the mayor, you got curious about the prey and came to Buena Village to see me, the one who made a name for himself, right?"
"Can't there be another reason?"
Allen smiled gently.
"There can be, but there shouldn't be."
Across from him, Philip's admiration burned brighter than the midday sun.
"How old are you?"
Allen didn't answer.
Because it wasn't a question—it was an exclamation.
Philip then turned to Paul and said:
"What do you think about the letter I sent? I think Allen is quite good. Last year, I heard a young man from Buena Village single-handedly stopped the Snow Valley monster wave. I thought he was impressive. Don't you want to consider that offer?"
Paul looked at Philip, then at Allen, completely confused.
Right before his eyes, a system notification reappeared out of nowhere:
[Assessment (1/2) complete. Time: 4 minutes and 57 seconds.]
[A dilemma of the heart: Unable to enter the tutoring period. At this time, an 'external force' presents an opportunity. How should it be handled?]
[Exposing your identity? That would be the worst outcome. Recruitment Bureau! Take it!]
[Philip has already pieced together your identity from clues. But with James's spies still watching, he cannot recognize you openly. His official reason for coming to Buena Village must be the monster incident last winter. He cannot reveal the real purpose.]
[Why did he come to Buena Village? Officially, it was a 'recruitment.']
[And you—without any secret prompts—fully inferred Philip's intentions from prior intelligence and mutual signals in just a few exchanges. You both conveyed your thoughts clearly.]
[This exceeded all of his expectations.]
[As for the name Allen? It must just be a coincidence.]
[In a world without photography, even if you return to Roya, how could they match your current appearance with the sharp-featured child from James's memory?]
[You didn't wait for Philip's planned 'assessment'—you directly revealed your value.]
[It saved time.]
[You passed one of Philip's assessments early—'capability'. To a seasoned politician, your grasp of information demonstrated judgment, your calm showed adaptability, and the affection from the Greyrat family showed your charm.]
[You fulfilled his image of a perfect political talent.]
[And all of this—while you're only eleven years old.]
[And his biological son.]
[Task reward: Participation Score +5]
[Evaluation: Opportunity lies before you. If you can't seize it, it's worthless. And you—you're someone who can.]
A breeze passed over Paul's still-stiff face, climbed through the window, and rustled open a letter lying in the master bedroom:
Paul, long time no see.
I heard that the monster tide in Buena Village last year was resolved smoothly?
Paul is indeed reliable.
However, I heard that the key to resolving it was an adventurer who passed by. Is he currently tutoring at your house?
To be honest, I'm very interested in that kind of talent and intend to recruit him.
Also, I heard your son has excellent magical talent. He's already a Saint-level magician at a young age.
Since he's being taught by this tutor, I won't steal your teacher. But I think it'd be best to bring your son to Roya.
I get the talent, and your child gets a better education. I'm willing to pay two gold coins per month.
He would just be doing some simple tasks. Don't worry, nothing dangerous.
Please consider it.
I'm writing to you—
(the end of the handwriting is smudged with ink)
Oh, by the way—
I heard the adventurer may be related to something I asked you about before.
His name sounds familiar.
Haha, there are so many people named Allen.
—Philip