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Chapter 2: Old Man, I’m Back for the Feast.

However, these memories also provided Ryan with many useful insights.

Just when Ryan believed he was a child of destiny who could defy fate with those memories, he was adopted by a count’s butler.

The butler, who became Ryan’s foster father, was named Lamb and had spent nearly his entire life in service as the count’s butler.

When Lamb had first adopted Ryan, he had been kind to him, but after some time, that changed…

Swordsmanship, martial arts, horsemanship… it was a disastrous period during which Ryan was trained to the brink of collapse every day.

Apart from arranging training and meals, Lamb never so much as glanced at Ryan again.

When Ryan turned fourteen, Lamb sent him off to the knight order, and Ryan could never understand why an old butler insisted on pushing him into knighthood.

At twenty, Ryan joined the Darkbite Knight Order; at twenty-two, he became its Captain; and at twenty-four… now… he had led the order to repel the demon race.

Then Ryan received word that Lamb was gravely ill.

Ryan’s feelings toward his foster father were extremely complicated.

In terms of attitude alone, Ryan had never once called him “father” and harbored a deep resentment toward his foster parent.

Yet on an emotional level, Ryan had always been mindful of the debt of gratitude for that upbringing.

Otherwise, Ryan would not have hurried back at the moment he received the news.

Before he knew it, Ryan had arrived at an estate.

The count whom Lamb served naturally had his own fiefs, but not in this area, so the family’s purpose in establishing an estate here was clear.

That institution was Alcot Academy, the top noblewomen’s school in the Hedley Empire, directly overseen by the duke of Art City.

This academy was special… not only noble daughters but also commoner girls could enroll, and beyond that, girls of the beast race, the elf race, and even the demon race were all eligible to attend.

The count’s family did have a young daughter, but she had been born while Ryan was serving as a knight, so he had never met her.

The reason for establishing the estate here was likely to have their daughter attend this prestigious noble academy.

Dismounting in front of the estate, Ryan was approached by a guard who asked, “Are you Mr. Ryan?”

“You know me?”

“My lord said that a black-haired, black-eyed man wished to enter, and that must be Mr. Ryan.”

Ryan: “…”

That black hair truly made him instantly recognizable.

Ryan did not know who his biological parents were, nor did he understand where his hair color had been inherited from.

West of the Hedley Empire, Ryan had heard of an empire where everyone had black eyes and black hair.

And in the memories of the fallen transmigrator, Ryan found that everyone in that person’s homeland also had black eyes and black hair.

Ryan speculated whether that transmigrator had chosen him specifically because of his hair color when there were so many others to choose from.

Following the guard, Ryan arrived at a room in the estate, where two knights stood watch in front.

At that moment, a frail old man lay in the bed inside the room, his face creased with wrinkles.

A blond couple stood at the head of the bed, their faces filled with worry.

The man of the couple was the estate’s master, Count Horace Axi, one of the Hedley Empire’s counts.

At the sound, the Axi couple turned their heads and their eyes met Ryan’s as he approached.

Ryan nodded in greeting. “Your Excellency the Count, it’s been a long time.”

Horace appraised Ryan from head to toe, and at last forced out a smile on his worried face. “You’ve grown taller…you’ve grown up…”

Although he wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries with Ryan, Horace stepped aside so that Ryan could come forward and see Lamb, thinking of the old man behind him.

Ryan silently moved forward, looked at the old man who was halfway in the grave, gripped his hand tightly, and said with deep feeling:

“Old man, I’ve come back for the feast.”

“Cough, cough, cough!”

Lamb suddenly coughed several times and then drew in two deep breaths. “You brat…”

Seeing this, the count and his wife finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, just moments ago, Lamb had struggled to draw breath.

But Ryan’s expression was not a happy one.

According to the transmigrator’s memories, in such cases it was usually a dying person’s final revival, and once the old man had finished giving his instructions, he would pass away.

Raising his clouded eyes, Lamb first looked at Ryan with relief for a moment and then turned to Count Horace and said:

“My lord, regarding Ryan…”

“Old Lamb, rest assured.”

Horace nodded solemnly. “I will treat Ryan as my own son and take good care of him.”

Obviously, at this point Horace did not yet know Ryan’s true identity and saw him merely as an ordinary noble knight.

Horace was thinking of having Ryan join the knights under his command and granting him the position of knight captain.

The position of knight captain under the count was already quite prestigious.

“No…”

But Lamb shook his head. “I hope…that Ryan can take my place and care for the young lady instead of me, otherwise I won’t have peace of mind…”

At these words, Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly, and Horace looked at him in astonishment.

“My lord, is that possible?”

“It’s possible, yes. I’d feel at ease leaving Nanali in Ryan’s care, but he…”

“I promise you.”

Ryan calmly interrupted Horace’s words and looked at Lamb:

“After adopting me, you sent me to be a knight, and now you want me to be a butler… I really don’t understand what you’re thinking.”

Lamb grinned and turned his gaze to the ceiling. “I want to hear you, as a knight, make your oath.”

“You old fool really leaves me no choice…”

Ryan sighed, stepped back two paces, then drew his sword from its pure black scabbard at his waist, knelt on one knee, and laid the sword across his knee.

“I, Ryan, in my capacity as former captain of the Darkbite Knight Order, hereby swear that until Count Axi finds a new guardian I will temporarily take care of his only daughter and stand as her shield and sword to protect her.”

After making the oath, Ryan stood up and saw that Lamb had already closed his eyes and passed away.

“Rest in peace.”

After bowing slightly to Lamb, Ryan turned around.

He saw that the count and his wife, along with the knights at the entrance, had all knelt on one knee.

Clearly, the position of captain of the Darkbite Knight Order still carried considerable prestige.

Ryan shrugged. “Stand up. I already told you I’m just the former captain with no title… hardly worth this.”

Hearing Ryan say this, the others finally rose to their feet.

Horace gave a bitter smile. “Ryan… I never expected…over ten years, you actually…”

The ten-year term was up… welcome the Dragon King’s return?

A wry joke from the transmigrator’s memories bubbled into Ryan’s mind, and he cracked a slight smile.

“It’s mostly due to coincidence.”

After composing his expression, Ryan sighed. “Before that, Your Excellency, please take me to see Miss Nanali.”

“Very well.”

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