Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

Chapter 890: Plans of the Independent Son II

CH890 Plans of the Independent Son II

***

Alex looked at his father boldly.

“A philosopher of old once said, ‘If you must strike, strike decisively and all at once.’ Since I am aware that attacking any one of the three means antagonising their individual Houses—or worse, all three Houses—then I would rather wait until I have a plan to strike all three and their Houses decisively, all at once.

“As another philosopher says, ‘A gentleman’s revenge can wait a hundred years.ʼ”

Alex’s crimson eyes receded back to their natural ruby-red.

“For now, I will only take small actions in order to position myself and my growing forces to be ready to pounce when the chances arise. I won’t need the clansmen to fight my battles for me,” he added.

Drake looked at his son with a deep gaze. Once again, the man didn’t voice his opinion on Alex’s decision and merely accepted it with a nod.

Alex smiled faintly. He was aware his decision wasn’t one Drake wanted. However, he believed this was the best course for him.

Sure, it could hurt his standing in the eyes of many people, but he didn’t really care too much.

In his eyes, his opponents weren’t Erman Machholt, Otto Reichert or Alric Wastelander; it was the Duchies and Grand Duchies behind them—monstrous Houses that had held the power and reins of the Empire alongside the Imperial family.

A virtual oligarchy that had remained unshaken for a millennium.

There were many ways he could kill the three scions responsible for his interplanar incident—assassination, direct attack, a scheme, a duel… Alex had thought up many scenarios in the last two years or so in Verdantis. However, the Duchies and Grand Duchies remained a mountain he could not overcome.

And, to be honest, Alex’s hatred for the three had diminished significantly in that time. After all, while it was not their intention, they had actually done Alex a favour.

They had stopped him from going to a Class 3 plane with limited opportunities and instead sent him to a Class 6-7, potentially Class 8 plane with great potential. The two were so vastly different that they couldn’t be compared in the same breath.

Of course, this didn’t mean he had forgiven them. It just meant he wouldn’t be rash when taking his revenge.

‘Revenge is a dish best served cold, after all,’ Alex thought to himself. ‘I don’t like publicity anyway. Let them call me a coward. More opportunities will reveal themselves the more they underestimate me.

‘And when they do…’

Alex’s eyes flashed coldly.

As for the bad reputation that might come from him not immediately seeking revenge like most people expect, especially since he was the son of the Mad Earl, there were many ways to mitigate or even remove the bad reputation without getting into a battle he was not yet ready to win.

While Alex was lost in his thoughts, he happened to catch a glimpse of the fiercely tightened fist behind Drake’s back.

It dawned on Alex that Drake might consider his decision not to take action a representation of his own weak strength.

Perhaps the man was thinking that if he were stronger, Alex would be willing to take revenge immediately without fail.

‘That’s true and false at the same time. Sure, if Father was stronger, and the opponent were weaker, I might have considered revenge now. However, the strength of the opponent is also significant. For one, they have multiple Legends. Even if Father can defeat all of them individually, working together, they will be able to wear Father down.

‘However, a greater problem is the Clan. If the Legends split up and attack the Clan from multiple fronts, there’s little Father can do.’

Alex looked at the man and said, “Father, I am reminding you again. This is my fight, and they are my prey. Keep your hands off. In fact, don’t even think about it.

“You have your own plans and your role in the Clan—those should be your priority. The scheme you have been working on for a decade now, focus on that and don’t butt into my business.

“Likewise, don’t make any rash moves on my behalf. You are the protector of our Clan by acting as a deterrent. A deterrent loses its effect if it is used. So, continue being the big boss behind the Fury Clan that everyone refuses to mess with, and I will clean up my own messes.”

Drake stared at the youth poignantly for a moment, then he shook his head.

“Fine,” he said.

It was a simple word, but one that carried deep meaning and intent.

‘That’s one problem down.’ Alex sighed in relief.

Alex looked at his hands. Although he said he was going to put Erman Machholt, Otto Reichert and Alric Wastelander aside for now, it didn’t mean that if an opportunity presented itself, he wouldn’t take it.

While Erman Machholt and Otto Reichert might remain quiet in the wake of the news of his return, Alex was almost certain that Alric Wastelander would react to his return in some way.

If an opportunity arose for him to strike Alric without the Wastelanders knowing, or having a cause to respond, Alex planned to take it without hesitation.

‘Thinking about it, from my schedule during this return, I have a lot of opportunities,’ Alex mused to himself.

And Drake just happened to bring up one of those potential opportunities in the next moment.

“Hurry up and settle the matter with your marriage from within the Clan. Don’t forget that you need to hold a proper grand wedding ceremony worthy of the status of the women you’ve married,” Drake reminded him.

“It will be easier on you if you hold the grand wedding for all four women together,” he advised.

“I did not forget, Father. And it is also something I plan to do before my return if possible,” Alex replied.

Technically, he had until five years from the marriage date to hold the ceremony. Fortunately, it was just over a year and a half since the marriage by Pangean time, which meant he had ample time to hold the ceremony.

However, the biggest problem would be the Ludevicus Imperial House. It was unclear if the Imperial family would be willing to wait that long, or if they would impress upon him to hurry the ceremony now that he had returned.

If that didn’t happen, he might try to delay the ceremony for longer, thus allowing him more breathing room to hold something befitting of the women, as he viewed them.

“Are you done with your conversation, my liege?” Jared suddenly asked.

“I am,” Drake nodded.

“Alright, Young Master Alex.” The Dark Knight turned to Alex. “Let’s get back to your training. It seems your weapon mastery has gotten better, especially towards the sword. Let’s improve it further.”

“About that, Jared… I happen to have some things I want to do—”

“I will keep the same conditions while allowing you to use spells as well,” Jared said, cutting Alex off.

“Really?” Alex’s expression lit up.

“Really. This training space can withstand spell splash as well. So, let’s make the most of it,” the Dark Knight said.

Alex grinned.

‘Finally. I will wipe that smug off your face,’ Alex thought, though Jared had more of a stoic expression than a smug one.

Drake looked between the two, and knowing what the result would be, he didn’t bother watching and returned up the stairs to his office.

Like Alex said, he also had his own plotting to do.

***