Lucen was standing face to face with Vardon in his father’s study. The father and son looked at each other without saying a word for several seconds. It was Vardon who broke the silence and spoke first.
"You have returned earlier than expected."
Lucen sighed in his mind when he heard what Vardon said. ’Heh, as expected of the stoic father figure, even with this much, he won’t praise his son.’
"Some unexpected variables have occurred," Lucen replied calmly, keeping his posture straight.
"I have heard... To think you would encounter a wounded young dragon. I do not know if that’s a blessing or not."
"Since I was victorious, isn’t that a blessing then?" Lucen responded.
"... I guess it is..." A small smile appeared on Vardon’s stony face. "I have also heard that you took some mercenaries under your command, and those mercenaries were hired to kidnap you," Vardon spoke while observing Lucen.
"That is correct," Lucen replied with the same flat tone as his father.
"To make enemies into allies is no easy feat," Vardon finished, his gaze sharpening. "It requires insight, leverage, and the willingness to take risks."
"I was simply lucky to have met such honorable mercenaries."
"... I guess for soldiers of fortune they are quite honorable, but as for you being lucky... Is awakening your Aura also considered luck?"
Vardon, who had been staring at Lucen, had already realized what every other person hadn’t. That Lucen had already awakened Aura.
’As expected of the Iron Duke.’
"It is as you said, Father, I have awakened Aura, and it is also due to luck."
"Is that so... You are the second Thornehart to have ever awakened both Mana and Aura. The first Thornehart to achieve such a feat was the original Duke of Stellhart, the sword of the king, Duke Erdric Thornehart."
"It is my honor to be spoken in the same breath as the Ancestor," Lucen replied almost immediately.
"It seems that everyone was wrong about you. Even I had failed to see your potential." Vardon admitted without any fluctuation in his tone. There was another bout of silence before Vardon continued speaking.
"So what are you planning to do with the mercenaries who came under you?"
"I wish to make them into my own private squad."
Vardon’s eyes narrowed slightly at Lucen’s declaration.
"A private squad," he echoed. "You intend to retain command over men who were once hired to take you?"
"They’ve proven themselves loyal," Lucen replied. "Even in a dire situation, they had stood by me and achieved victories with me. Also, I had promised them in my name and honor that I would show them a grand dream."
"You’ve convinced mercenaries who only value coin to join you for something as ludicrous as a dream." Vardon paused as he looked at Lucen’s eyes. "It seems that you are more charismatic than I thought."
"Despite them being soldiers of fortune, each one has a reason why they need the coin. For their families, their friends, and for themselves."
Lucen’s voice was slowly rising as he continued to speak.
"I simply showed them that they could have much more than that. I offered them a place they can return to, and a place where they can die with blades drawn and their heads held up high. Like I said to them, I gave them a future where they can choose why they live and why they die."
Vardon was once again silent. For a long moment, only the faint ticking of the old clock in the corner of the room filled the space between them. That was when Vardon spoke.
"To think you would mature this much from a single trip outside... Very well, I approve of you creating your squad with those mercenaries. I shall give you a budget to do as you please."
"So, tell me what will you call this squad of yours?"
"I decided to name this squad Thornefang."
"It seems that you have been thinking about the name for quite some time now. Very well, let me see how far you can go with Thornefang."
"I have one more request, Father."
"Please give me your permission to grant knighthood to those men."
"... Being a knight of Stellhart is the highest honor one could give a soldier. Unlike other places in the kingdom, the requirements to become a knight of Stellhart are higher. Your men might have proven themselves loyal to you, but for now, it is not enough. I will grant you the authority to knight them once they have proven more of their worth."
"Very well, I will make sure that they can prove their worth. I will train them to create a legend that will be told for a long time."
In Vardon’s sight, he saw Lucen’s ruby red eyes shining brightly as if he was looking at something beyond what could be seen.
"That would be quite the sight to behold."
Lucen gave a slight nod, the moment of silence between them no longer weighed down by tension, but something quieter, perhaps recognition.
Then Lucen straightened once more and spoke with measured formality.
"By your leave, Father, I wish to meet with my men and tell them the news."
Lucen gave a knight’s bow, turned crisply, and headed for the door. As he opened the door and was about to leave, Vardon spoke.
He stopped and glanced back at Vardon. "Yes, Father?"
There was no change in Vardon’s expression, but the weight behind his next words struck like a hammer.
Lucen blinked, caught off guard for a heartbeat. This might be the first time his Father, the Iron Duke, said something like that so straightforwardly. Then, a smile, genuine and faint, touched his lips.
He exited the study with silent footsteps, the echo of those two words warming something in his chest.
And behind him, the Iron Duke watched the door close, his gaze lingering, distant. Once his son’s presence was far away, Vardon stood up and looked out the window towards the city.
"A grand dream was it?... I wonder if I could see it too, what kind of grand dream is it that you’re looking at?"