As they got to the manor, the maid led him. Despite the fact that according to the story they were a near-ruined barony house, the manor was still pretty decent.
There were a few maids here and there cleaning, and he had spotted some knights as well.
Raze walked, he looked at everything around and was committing it to mind. Peter had been addicted to reading, and after doing that for over twenty years, he had a memory so sharp it could be written off as photographic.
Raze had also been a lover of books, and he also had an immaculate memory, one that was even better than what Peter had. So now with the combination of the two, it was very unlikely that Raze would forget anything that he committed to mind.
Finally, they arrived at a wooden door, a polished one with a golden knob. It was similar to many things he had spotted as they came here, a lot of gold and silver-plated items.
His family was doing their best to look wealthy even when things were not so good for them.
’They are spending what little money they have on things when they could find ways to invest and make better returns,’ he thought. He clicked his tongue before walking to the door and knocking twice.
"Come in." A deep voice came from behind the door. Raze twisted the knob and walked into the room. The fresh smell of a scented candle reached his nose first, it smelt herbal with a flowery touch.
That was the only special thing inside the room, as beyond that, it was bland. A simple table stood at the center like the average office, books and paper covered the table and that made Raze twitch.
The sight of something, especially books being unkempt, crawled under his skin.
There were some bookshelves in the office and a scanty amount of books lined up inside, beyond that there was nothing of much interest.
His father sat on the chair behind the desk, a piece of paper in his hand. He was a well built man with jet black hair and sharp eyes.
He looked up the moment Raze entered, slowly dropping the paper in his hands. Raze walked up and gave a respectful bow, his face looking right at the ground and his hands behind his back.
"Greetings father," he spoke. As someone that had read the entire book, it would be pathetic if he couldn’t even know the greetings.
"Have a seat, Raze," his father said. He got up and walked to one of the chairs, sitting down.
His father was silent for a bit, then he spoke, "Your brothers, Michael, Andrew, and Riker have been training all their life.
Michael and Andrew have practiced with the sword daily since they were five, they swung until their hands grew calloused. They toned their bodies to withstand blows that could bring down a man.
Even now, they are training, they have become weapons. Andrew became a mage, his talent for magic has been trained extremely, and he is going farther and farther.
"Your eldest sister married into the family of the Count, and your youngest sister is also coming of age soon.
All your brothers and sisters are playing key roles in order to ensure that this family doesn’t fall. The situation is hard and we are barely standing like the way we did before. Thɪs chapter is updated by n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net
All hands are on deck to ensure that we keep the family standard. And then there is you, my son, the one who brings me the greatest pain," he said, and his eyes closed into slits. A sudden pressure slammed on Raze, he felt sweat trickling down his brow.
"You have done nothing to help, enjoying a peaceful life when everyone is placing their neck out there for the sake of the family.
You have no talent whatsoever, and even then you refuse to try. I handled this long enough, but you are fourteen now, a young man, you must become of use to this family one way or the other," his father said.
’This man, was this how he treated his own son? Tsk, I guess meatheads can’t see the importance of someone that reads.
I should just let him talk, when I leave I can plan what I need to,’ Raze thought.
"I have arranged something for you. Since you want to read all day, I have prepared a friend of mine. He is a viscount and he wants a literate assistant.
I’ll send you to him when the time is right, and then you can be useful in bringing me a good connection at least. You may go."
His father ended the discussion as soon as he was done speaking, not leaving any room for Raze to argue. Raze got up without saying a word and walked out of the room.
His father watched with a little bit of confusion, his brows raised. Raze left like that, without trying to beg or change his mind.
Raze, on the other hand, walked out and the maid was still there.
"You are still here?" he asked.
"Yes, young master, would you want to be left alone?" she asked.
"No no, it’s fine, let’s just go to my room," he said. She nodded and walked beside him.
"Do you want to know?" he asked.
"About what, young master?"
"About what he said to me," Raze said.
"Young master, that would be wrong of me," she said.
"It doesn’t matter. He said he’d make me an assistant to someone, a viscount," Raze said.
Her eyes widened like she knew something. Raze noticed it but said nothing.
"Young master, you have to do everything possible not to do this," she said.
"Normally, I would say I have no choice, but I do, and I’ll not be going," he said. They finally arrived at his room, he opened the door and walked in, leaving her outside. She bowed before the door closed.
She lingered outside the door for a few seconds and then walked away.