TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 5

Edward was momentarily stunned.  

He had been prepared to charge into a horde of monsters, slaying his way through while backing Zeman up. Yet, he was instead being told that Zeman’s rare request for help was simply to have him babysit a child?  

The mental image in his head shifted abruptly from a bloody, warlike scene filled with cries of “Kill! Kill! Kill!” to a cozy, bright image of himself wearing a sky-blue apron, coaxing, “Come on, little one, time to drink your milk!”* 

Shaking his head to banish the fantasy, Edward agreed immediately. “No problem. Where’s the child? And how long do I need to take care of them?”  

If Zeman was personally asking him, it probably wasn’t for a brief stint of babysitting.  

“The child has been targeted by monsters,” Zeman explained, “but I’ll handle that. I just need you to look after him until he comes of age.”  

“Alright,” Edward said with a laugh, agreeing without hesitation.  

He was deeply intrigued by the child being targeted by monsters.  

With his status and ability, taking care of a child until adulthood—or even for a lifetime—was no problem. No monster would dare to extend its reach into the sanctity of the temple.  

Zeman led Edward back to the hunting lodge. Before they entered, Edward’s gaze swept over the corpses of the monsters scattered on the ground. His usual carefree smile disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.  

Something was off…  

Although these monsters were killed with powerful, single strikes, the methods were different from Zeman’s usual style.  

Zeman’s magic control was extremely precise; it shouldn’t have been this rough.  

But he had probed earlier and confirmed that the person before him was indeed Zeman.  

So, what had changed with Zeman?  

They followed different gods, belonged to different faiths and nations, and only occasionally crossed paths. Detecting subtle changes in Zeman was difficult for Edward.  

Mulling it over, Edward suddenly asked, “Has something happened to your Holy Pontiff?”  

“I foresaw a sunset that day,” Edward explained, “a dual sunset, with the sky ablaze, as though consumed by fire. I feared it was an omen for trouble in your Sun Temple, so I sent word. The next day, I heard that both you and the old Pontiff had disappeared.”  

Edward’s precognition came in two forms: active and passive.  

The passive visions often related to extraordinary events, so even a seemingly ordinary sunset required careful interpretation.  

Anything symbolizing the “sun” could only refer to four entities:  

– The Sun God,  

– The Sun Temple,  

– The old Pontiff, or  

– The Holy Son, Zeman.  

The Sun God could not possibly fall, the temple showed no signs of destruction, and Zeman appeared unharmed. That left only the old Pontiff, whose absence was unaccounted for.  

Thus, the sunset likely symbolized the old Pontiff’s demise.  

But what about the dual sunset? Perhaps it hinted at Zeman’s peril at the time?  

Walking ahead, Zeman paused but did not deny it.  

Edward sighed, “My condolences.”  

He knew Zeman had been chosen as the Holy Son at the age of four and raised by the old Pontiff, whom he regarded as a father figure.  

Perhaps the death of his foster father had profoundly affected Zeman’s state of mind, leading to less precision in his magic.  

“What exactly happened back then?” Edward asked.  

The old Pontiff’s power was formidable; Edward couldn’t fathom who could have killed him.  

“Was it…a demon dragon?” Edward murmured in thought.  

Zeman turned slightly to look at him, his expression shadowed by the trees, his dark eyes filled with complex emotions.  

“A demon dragon?”  

Edward nodded. “In addition to the sunset vision, I also saw another precognitive image that day—a silver-white demon dragon of unparalleled strength, unlike any monster I’ve ever heard of. It’s rare for two visions to be so closely linked; they’re usually connected events.”  

Even a brief glimpse of the demon dragon in the vision had left Edward shaken by its overwhelming power.  

The dragon was possibly even stronger than the King of Monsters they had faced six years ago.  

This was why, when Zeman sought his help earlier, Edward assumed it was for a dragon-slaying mission.  

Zeman stood tall and still, his lips parting slightly.  

He wanted to tell Edward the truth: that he *was* the demon dragon. That he had killed the old Pontiff. That he had slain the Sun God.  

He wanted to ask Edward to kill him.  

But as his consciousness weakened, he could no longer suppress the curse and dark energy within him.  

If he lost control, he would transform into the rampaging demon dragon.  

Not only would Edward, standing before him, fall victim, but so would Albin, waiting in the hunting lodge.  

Alone, Edward would be powerless to stop the dragon’s devastation.  

It would spell disaster.  

So, after a long silence, Zeman said nothing, retreating further into his silence.  

He needed to find a way to die without releasing the dragon—or find someone capable of killing it.  

Edward sensed something was amiss with his friend. But since Zeman refused to speak, Edward assumed he was grieving for the old Pontiff. His shadowed eyes indeed brimmed with sorrow.  

The two walked in eerie silence toward the lodge. Edward led his horse, which dared not make a sound to break the quiet.  

At the hunting lodge, they found a white-haired boy crouched by the house, fiddling with something.  

Hearing their footsteps, the boy flinched like a child caught misbehaving and turned around, hands clasped behind his back, red eyes blinking innocently.  

White hair. Red eyes…  

Edward was startled and whipped around to stare at his friend, shock written across his face.  

“Zeman! Since when do you have a child this big?!”  

Edward, two years older than Zeman, was still single!  

How could *he* lose to this cold fish? Was there no justice in the world?  

The boy looked about seven or eight. Doing the math, Zeman must have had him right after coming of age!  

A love child? No wonder Zeman didn’t entrust the boy to the Sun Temple and instead sought Edward.  

Edward’s mind raced, wondering who Zeman could have fallen for.  

Apart from the hair and eye color, the boy didn’t resemble Zeman much. Strictly speaking, even the eye color was a little off—it was probably all inherited from the mother.  

This face… it did look vaguely familiar, though. Unfortunately, Edward had traveled far and wide, meeting countless people. He couldn’t pinpoint it.  

Zeman, noticing Edward’s wild expressions, shot him a cold glare.  

“Hello, Uncle!” Albin beamed, clearly fond of this perceptive “uncle.” “I’m Albin. I met Mr. Zeman just a few days ago. Are you his friend?”  

Edward, belatedly processing this, realized the two were not father and son after all.  

Ah, of course!  

There was no way he’d lose to Zeman!  

“Ha, ha.” Edward chuckled awkwardly, discarding his earlier assumptions. Scratching his head, he grinned at Albin. “I’m Edward. I’ve known Zeman for years.”  

Albin’s gaze flickered to Zeman, then deliberately shifted away.  

He had promised himself to ignore Mr. Zeman!  

Edward grabbed two rabbits from his saddle. “I came in a rush and didn’t bring gifts. These rabbits crossed my path, so I’ll add them to your dinner.”  

“Thank you, Uncle!”  

Albin glanced pointedly at Zeman.  

Hmph, Mr. Zeman had claimed he was going hunting, yet returned empty-handed. Just as expected, it was an excuse!  

Edward keenly sensed some tension between the two. Albin deliberately ignored Zeman several times, yet he clearly couldn’t stop paying attention to him.  

Edward casually shifted the topic. “What were you playing just now, little Albin?”  

Albin’s expression changed as if he had been waiting for this question. His lips curled up into a proud grin. “I was practicing magic! I’ve already succeeded in releasing magic energy. Look!”  

His hands were enveloped in a faint glow, even lifting a leaf into the air.  

Zeman’s gaze immediately shot over.  

Edward asked curiously, “Have you been tested at the temple yet?”  

Albin shook his head. “I was just bored and thought I might have magic energy, so I gave it a try.”  

Edward’s expression turned to shock.  

Especially when he noticed that Zeman seemed equally unaware of this development.  

Edward processed it aloud, “So… you’re saying you didn’t know you had magic energy before today, and when you tried, you not only felt it but also learned to release it from your body?”  

Albin nodded and added, “I practiced releasing it many times—it didn’t happen right away.”  

Thankfully, the snake gave him feedback; it would have been hard to grasp on his own.  

Edward rubbed his face.  

That wasn’t the point.  

From sensing magic to releasing it—this child did it all in less than a day?!  

Sensing magic energy alone takes even the most talented kids at the temple at least a month. The younger the child, the longer it takes; grasping the basic concept requires a lot of time.  

Releasing magic energy is even harder. Once a child masters it, they can start learning to chant spells.  

But magical talent doesn’t equate to understanding—some kids spend years stuck at the threshold of the magical field.  

And yet, this child achieved it all in a single day, directly stepping into the realm of magic!  

This child is undoubtedly a genius!  

The last time Edward had heard of someone so talented, it had been Zeman.  

Zeman’s exceptional abilities made him a constant topic of envy and comparison among the temples’ chosen children back in the day.  

Edward’s gaze shifted between the two, puzzled.  

Are they really not father and son?  

Albin couldn’t understand Edward’s strange expression and asked anxiously, “Did I do something wrong?”  

“No! Of course not!” Edward ruffled Albin’s hair. “You’re amazing—just as brilliant as Zeman was back then.”  

Albin, however, didn’t take it as a compliment at all.  

Mr. Zeman… isn’t he just a delicate, helpless beauty? Sure, he knows some magic, but he doesn’t seem competent at all.  

And now he’s being compared to Zeman? Doesn’t that mean he’s incompetent too?!  

Unconvinced, he tugged at Edward’s sleeve and said, “Uncle, you know magic too, right? Can you teach me?”  

Edward asked, “Why not let Zeman teach you?”  

Albin pouted, his lashes trembling slightly, and mumbled in a low, dejected tone, “Mr. Zeman seems to dislike me clinging to him.”  

Edward looked at him in surprise and turned his head toward Zeman.  

Although Albin thought he’d spoken softly, Zeman’s sharp hearing caught every word.  

A faint furrow appeared on Zeman’s composed face, even revealing a trace of unease.  

Edward took note of it.  

He readily agreed, “Sure, I’ll teach you. Let me have a word with Zeman first, and then I’ll demonstrate some magic for you.”  

“Yay!” Albin cheered, skipping obediently into the house so as not to disturb their conversation.  

Confirming that Albin couldn’t hear them, Edward turned to Zeman.  

“You’re really planning to send Albin to me? A child this gifted—I’ll definitely have him join the Temple of Love. Are you okay with that? You could keep him at the Temple of the Sun instead.”  

Zeman replied calmly, “Let him decide whether he wants to join the temple or not.”  

Edward raised an eyebrow.  

Zeman cares about this child more than I thought.  

If he cares so much, why not raise him himself?  

You two clearly care about each other—why involve me in this? To join your family?  

While he thought this, Edward maintained his usual breezy demeanor.  

“Of course. At the Temple of Love, we value passion over talent.”  

Then, with a hint of pointed curiosity, he asked, “Let me confirm—you’re not related to that child by blood, are you?”  

Zeman frowned at him. “Of course not.”  

Edward’s carefree smile took on a touch of mischief.  

“That child is very much to my liking. Since I’ll be taking care of him from now on, why not have him call me Father? You don’t mind, do you?”

Feel free to donate for earlier/bonus chapter releases! Thanks for supporting me and enjoy reading 😀