"You don't have to cry for a useless of a Father, Egon. You're a Noiré, and you will act as such. From today onward, you're Egon Noiré. Now, let us depart."
Before they knew it, Egon, Luminaire, and Catherine appeared in a highly polished mansion. The same symbol on Cardigan's chest was proudly engraved on the pillar and walls: The Noirés.
Even Egon, as the writer of the novel had no information of the Noiré house. Most probably they weren't able to survive for long, forever getting erased from history. Nonetheless, their current resources and influence seemed pretty noteworthy.
Egon and his mother were taken to a wider hall. Along the way, the Noirés and servants were casting strange glances in their direction. Egon even heard: "Hehe, the disgraceful Princess is back."
They were openly humiliating Luminaire, but she didn't seem to care much. Her attention was elsewhere.
Arriving at a bigger Inner Courtyard, she saw an aged couple with refined temperaments seating at an ornate table sipping tea.
As soon as the old lady noticed Luminaire's figure arriving, she instantly dropped the cup onto the floor.
"Lumina!"
The elderly lady rushed forward and hugged Luminaire, tears streaming down her aged face.
The reunion was loud and tearful, a clash of melodrama and high-stakes politics. The elderly lady was Luminaire's mother, Egon's grandmother. She held her long-lost daughter tightly, completely ignoring the scandal and the gathered family members who had been whispering about the "disgraceful Princess."
Egon watched impassively. He knew this emotional display was genuine, yet temporary. The Noiré family had accepted them only because of his A-Rank awakening.
The elderly man—his grandfather—rose more slowly, his expression complex. He first looked at Luminaire, then his eyes settled on Egon, the A-Rank anomaly.
"So this is him? The boy who awakened the Blood Berserker Grimoire? That low life's son?"
Before Egon or Luminaire could respond, the old lady shot back instantly:
"Shut up, you old geezer. He is our grandson, don't compare him with that person."
She stood up, her gaze was gentle and protective as she looked at Egon's handsome profile. He did have similarities to their facial structure, but the black hair stood as a sore thumb to the old man.
"Lumina, I don't mind accepting your son, but he should dye his hair to Silver immediately. Otherwise, wherever he goes, he will attract trouble."
Though the old man sounded harsh, Egon also agreed with the fact. He honestly had no problem with temporarily changing his hair color. But that didn't mean he agreed with the old man's attitude. He was one heartless old bastard.
"Egon, come here. Let me see you, grandson!" the old lady eagerly opened her arms for a maternal hug.
Luminaire's gaze was encouraging him to go forward, thinking he might be able to score some brownie points for them.
Helpless, Egon could only go forward, keeping a straightforward face. He wasn't able to act all lovey-dovey with family members who couldn't understand their daughter's happiness while trying maintain their old-fashioned beliefs.
"That's enough pampering, Minable. Tell him to show his Grimoire so that we can confirm it to the House Leader and let them decide where he should enroll," the old man said, annoyed.
The old lady snorted.
"Hmph, look how handsome he is. He surely has the Noiré bloodline in him. And you still doubt his A-Rank Grimoire?"
"I know that. Why else would I tolerate him?"
Egon, bored by their quarrel, finally raised his hand, summoning the Blood Berserker Grimoire. Even he hadn't gotten to study it properly, but its authenticity was real. The book that materialized was dark red and pulsed with raw, visible energy.
The old couple's eyes shone with mad fervor.
"So, It's true... The Blood Berserker Grimoire has returned," the old man said.
"True. I still remember the tale of the Blood Emperor, who ascended to the throne using his unparalleled physical strength. Our grandson is surely going to embark on his path. He is going to make us proud."
"Don't give him so much credit just yet. There are many talents like him, and not all could live up to their potential."
"Hmph, old geezer, you just don't want his potential to be better than yours. I am confident, once my grandson enrolls at the Royal Academy, he will make us all proud. Aren't you, Egon?"
The old woman looked at Egon for confirmation.
Under their stares, Egon finally spoke up.
"No. I don't wish to enroll at the Royal Academy, Grandma."
Their brows furrowed.
"See, Minable... how disrespectful this brat is. Ask him why doesn't he want to enroll at the top Academy of the Kingdom? Does he not have any spine or ambition at all?"
"Son, why don't you want to enroll in the Royal Academy? Are you still afraid of other people hurting you? If so, don't worry. The Noirés will protect you," his mother said.
Egon looked at their faces, then said in a determined voice,
"Because, I want to get admission to the Imperial Academy of Beliath Empire."
It wasn't the voice of a ten-year-old speaking, and they were shocked by his maturity and ambition.
His mother and grandmother were speechless.
"I was wrong, boy. You're too overambitious. You think getting into the Imperial Academy is that easy? Then I should tell you, every year about 100,000 applicants apply for those precious seats, and only 1,000 are accepted each year. Their admission procedure is very difficult. Written test, Mana Affinity test, and Practical Test. None of them are easy. Just having an A-Rank Grimoire wouldn't cut it."
Egon already knew this, so he wasn't too surprised.
"Are you saying I shouldn't even try? That's not me, Old man. I will prove my worth at the examinations. All I hope from an old man like you is to give me the initial funding. Once I am grown up, I will repay my debt by a hundred times. Or do you not even have the guts at all?"
He looked at the old man with a sneer of disdain.
"Damn brat, you're too arrogant. Who are you calling 'Old man'? Fine... Since you want to learn it the hard way, I will give you the chance. But you have to promise once you fail, you will always listen to our words. All your life's decisions will be taken by us. Understand."
"Yes. I promise. If I fail, I will be a slave to the Noiré House."
Inside, Egon was laughing. This old man didn't know whom he was playing with.