The Knight of Light plants the sun in the eternal night.

Chapter 89 Father, You're Getting Old

The Baron is at home today.

Neanderthal, the eldest brother, wasn't home.

Mrs. Sandra made a brief appearance, greeted Leo, and then went off to attend to her own business with her son, Lipton.

She couldn't treat the three Leo siblings as her own, and she was also wary of the Evening Primrose Earl family bloodline they carried. Therefore, a cold and distant attitude, treating each other with the utmost respect, was the best approach, showing the same courtesy as a guest.

"What brings you here today?" The baron looked at his increasingly mature second son with great satisfaction.

He raised all three children.

I have no reason not to have failed my responsibilities as a father.

"I've come to see you," Leo said with a smile.

The baron raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "Your father is in excellent health, so there's no need to worry all the time. Focus on developing the territory and don't stop your personal cultivation. That's what a noble lord should be concerned about."

"But," Leo said, sitting on the sofa and looking at Baron Lenard, who looked to be in his thirties at most, before changing his tone, "Father, you're getting old."

The baron was displeased: "What nonsense are you spouting? Your father is a Beast Knight, I'll never grow old! And even by actual age, I'm not old at all, not even fifty!"

Leo maintained his smile: "Really? Father, you haven't aged, but why do I feel that you have?"

"You brat, what's with all this cryptic stuff?" The baron frowned. "Speak your mind."

"I don't see any respect for you in those knights. I thought it was because you're getting old and the knights are all busy looking for new patrons." Leo said in a nonchalant tone, but with a sarcastic veil.

The baron frowned even more deeply: "Leo, what do you mean?"

His expression also began to show dissatisfaction.

Leo stopped being too provocative and explained his situation: "I just want to ask the Glowing Town government to send me a few clerks. Swamp Manor is in dire need of rebuilding, and Professor Franken can't handle it all by himself."

Then Falcao made excuses and refused to provide support.

Leo described this as the other party being two-faced: "The administrator of Glowing Town should be absolutely loyal to you, Father, but I see his betrayal in Falcao. Perhaps the object of his loyalty has changed to someone else."

"Don't talk nonsense!" the Baron shouted.

His expression shifted several times before he sighed and said, "Falcao is loyal to me, don't talk nonsense—I understand your needs, I will personally send someone to the town government to assign you five clerks."

"Ten, Father. The swamp manor is too overpopulated, and I will be buying more serfs in the future."

"Don't be greedy. If you can't feed them all, do you want the serfs to starve? Don't ruin the family's reputation."

"Don't worry, I'll starve myself, but I won't let the serfs go hungry," Leo assured him.

The baron then agreed: "Alright, I'll assign you ten clerks."

Butler Vincent came over: "Master, young master Leo, lunch is ready, you may eat."

There were quite a few people at the table.

The Baron and Mrs. Sandra sat together, with his sister-in-law Olive Starstripes on one side and Lipton on the other. After Leo sat down, he busied himself with eating and drinking, and stopped talking.

He always felt out of place.

It's not that his family or servants mistreated him; his current behavior is already enough to warrant attention.

Instead, he felt uncomfortable. The thought that Mrs. Sandra might be the mastermind behind "himself's" death made him uneasy. After all, he was an ordinary person in his previous life and not someone who was good at enduring hardship.

Fortunately, his aloofness was his usual persona, and he didn't speak at the dinner table, so no one thought anything was wrong.

After lunch.

Leo didn't go back because he hadn't yet found an opportunity to talk to the maid Alice and ask if the evidence had been found.

Seeing that he wasn't in a hurry to go back, the baron said, "Since you became a knight, my son and I haven't trained together. Leo, come to the training ground, I'll test your current level."

"OK."

Leo decided to "shock" his father one more time.

Keeping a low profile isn't in his nature. He feels stifled by always concealing his fighting strength, so he'd rather intimidate those petty villains.

Maybe it can even force Sanchez and the others to make some foolish moves and expose their weaknesses.

Therefore, facing the father of a Tier 3 Phantom Beast Knight, Leo exerted all his energy, fully displaying his surging fighting power, and occasionally unleashing his secret technique—Sharp Light Slash.

Of course, in the Baron's eyes, that was a family secret technique—the Glimmering Light Slash.

The subtle differences are not apparent without careful observation.

"Not bad, not bad!" After a moment, the Baron laughed heartily. "Leo, your training speed is quite fast, very good, exceeding my expectations. This Glimmering Slash is also quite decent; it looks like you've practiced a lot!"

"I can't let my guard down for even a day," Leo lied through his teeth.

"Very good." The baron added a bit more force, knocking the longsword out of Leo's hand with a single strike, thus ending the trial.

Just as Leo was about to pick up the longsword.

The baron abruptly asked, "What happened to Vanessa?"

"Hmm?" Leo paused for a moment, then replied guiltily, "Was it Lord Rhodes who reported this to you?"

The Baron looked Leo up and down.

After staring at Leo's face for a while, confirming that it was virtually flawless, he exclaimed, "Your mother gave you a handsome face—but I never imagined that this face could even attract a Phantom Beast Knight."

"Father, it might not be what you think."

"What am I thinking?" the Baron laughed. "I know you and Vanessa are just good friends. I understand, I understand."

""

After the teasing, he suddenly became serious and said, "Originally, your grandmother wanted to help you find a wife, but since you have the opportunity to marry a Beast Knight, you can't miss it. You must win Vanessa over."

Fearing Leo might not understand, he emphasized: "For the family to progress, knights are indispensable, especially high-end combat power like Phantom Beast Knights—and you, too, need Phantom Beast Knights to fight for you and accumulate merits."

He paused for a moment.

The baron revealed a piece of information: "I hope you will not be content with being a manor lord. You must strive when it is time to strive. Only if you strive will the Holy Light favor you. If you do not strive, no one can help you."

Leo understood the subtext.

This means that once Baron Linard makes a great contribution and is promoted to Earl, he will have the power to grant titles of Baron.

In the White Rose Kingdom, titles of nobility can be granted in a hierarchical system.

The king can bestow titles of duke, earl, and baron; dukes can bestow titles of earl and baron; and earls can bestow titles of baron.

Once a baron is appointed, he can only be granted the titles of lord or knight.

However, if Leo proves unworthy, Baron Lenard would not waste the family's resources on granting a title to an incompetent second son. It would be better to concentrate resources on supporting Neander and ensuring the family's continued existence.

"Father," Leo replied solemnly, "I have my own thoughts about my marriage, so please wait a moment and don't rush to interfere."

"What do you mean by 'interfering'!" the baron protested. "As your father, it's my duty to decide your marriage! And from the moment you were granted your fiefdom, you have been obligated to serve the interests of the family!"