Cedric crouched down and hugged his son. "Aiden, I know we had a deal, but I'm a bit tired and I need to talk to Elyndra for a while."
Elyndra, an elf taller than the average human, had silver-white hair that shimmered beautifully under the moonlight, and violet eyes that radiated a sense of safety and deep wisdom. Her beauty was exceptional, thanks to her race—elves were naturally more graceful and attractive than humans. Her figure also reflected her elven heritage—slim, with smaller breasts and more prominent curves in the back, forming harmonious and aesthetically pleasing proportions. And the most recognizable trait of her race—long, pointed ears, three times the length of a human's.
Aiden's smile faded, but he kept speaking without pause. "But take care of your siblings."
Sebas, who had opened the carriage door for everyone to exit, walked over to Cedric, who continued, "Go with Sebas and look after Caerador. And find someone with him to take care of Aurelienne."
Caerador, their son, was three years old and resembled his mother greatly—shoulder-length silver-white hair and violet-tinted eyes. This was due to elven genetics, which were dominant over human ones, so children born from both races usually resembled their elven parent, regardless of gender.
Aurelienne was five and also looked like her mother. She had long, silver-white hair, and her eyes were green. Due to her young age, it was hard to determine whom she would resemble in figure, but she seemed to be growing into the slim build typical of elves.
Both children had ears longer than those of a human, though not quite elven. They were more pointed than human ears but rounder than elven ones—fitting for half-elves.
Aiden nodded sadly in understanding but didn't argue. Together with Sebas, he found someone to care for Aurelienne and looked after his little brother with the help of other servants.
Walter then left with Cedric and Elyndra.
…
The next morning, rays of sunlight pierced through the tall, wall-sized windows and fell upon Aiden. Although it wasn't yet warm outside, the light still gave off a comforting warmth that stirred him from sleep and filled him with energy. Still, Aiden wrapped himself in his blanket, annoyed at the sun for shining in his eyes.
After a while, Walter came to wake him up and urged him to eat something.
He dressed in light-colored clothes and left his room, walking through the corridor until he reached the door to his father's office.
He told Walter to bring some tea and stepped inside. Cedric sat behind a fine wooden desk, reviewing documents. When he noticed his son, he smiled, set the papers aside, and asked, "So, what do you have to tell me?" He gestured for Sebas to pull up a chair.
Aiden sat down and shared how things went in the city—what he liked and disliked—and recounted what happened while Cedric was away, omitting the part about training.
"And how about the story of the tree you were telling me?" Cedric asked.
Aiden realized he had completely forgotten about that. "Ahh, I'll ask Vivienne to finish it for me later."
They chatted for a while and drank the tea Walter had brought.
Walter was then sent to fetch Sebastian, and he returned with him after a short while.
Curious, Cedric asked, "What's going on, Aiden? Why did you want Grandpa to come?"
Aiden just looked at his grandfather with a sheepish expression, unsure of what to say next. Sebastian sat beside his grandson, smiled, and declared in his usual authoritative tone—a voice that brooked no excuses or objections—"I've enrolled the boy in training."
The room fell silent. No one said a word for a moment until Cedric finally spoke in a neutral tone—devoid of anger, happiness, sadness, or any other emotion—yet not cold either. "I see. What prompted this sudden decision?"
If Sebastian was surprised by his son's reaction, he hid it well. He replied plainly, without trying to hide anything, "When you left, I took the opportunity to sign him up for training and settled it with the rest of the family. Usually, you and Vivienne were against it, but I managed to convince her—if you can call it that."
He raised his shoulders and made a strange face. "Actually, I sort of pressured her into agreeing, but the outcome's the same."
He took a deep breath and continued, "You two usually said no, while the others were either indifferent or wanted him to start training like a normal boy. So I figured that if she agreed and enrolled him, you'd accept it too. Though I didn't expect this kind of reaction from you—I thought you'd argue a bit and then give in."
Cedric leaned forward in his chair and responded calmly, "I saw this coming. I've lived with you long enough… So, how's he doing?"
Sebastian's face lit up with a victorious and joyful smile, and he began, "Well, there's not much to tell yet—it's only been a short time—but he's catching on quickly and doing really, really well for a beginner. No other kids have such posture after just a bit of explanation and correction. If he keeps progressing like this, he might even get a double promotion before the school year starts—but let's not get greedy."
Cedric smiled. "Let's not get greedy? Am I really talking to my father?"
He looked at his son, pleased. "Good. If what you said is true, then I'm proud of you."
Aiden, who had been listening and watching his father and grandfather, asked, "Will you come see my training?"
Cedric almost answered "yes" right away with joy, but he held himself back. He knew his time was limited—but that wasn't the point. What mattered most was to give Aiden something that would motivate him. He thought over his words for a brief moment and said, "I'll only come when you reach a higher level—maybe when you're about to be promoted. Then I'll see how the training's going. How does that sound?"
Sebastian smiled, pleased with his son's answer.
Aiden, now motivated, replied happily, "Okay!"
"What do you mean, 'okay'?" Cedric asked.
Aiden didn't understand the question. "I'll train really hard!"
Cedric smiled, satisfied, and walked over to hug his son. "Then train hard and show me results."