Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 4: Meeting the family (2)

All occupants of the room whipped their heads toward the doorway, spines stiffening rigidly. Drowsy folks and those in foul moods alike snapped to attention.

Theo mirrored the action, directing his gaze to the entrance with fitting poise.

A figure draped in radiant golden armor strode into the chamber, his robe sweeping behind. His gait remained leisurely, but every footfall dispatched tremors along everyone's backs.

Not dread caused Theo and the rest to stiffen, but the immense aura his father radiated merely by advancing.

This was the Baron, the castle's unrivaled overlord.

The Baron progressed unhurriedly to the chair positioned at the table's head. Only after settling in did he cast his eyes upon his wife, then the gathered assembly.

Upon settling on Theo, his stare held a beat longer before drifting away.

"Good morning, my children," the Baron declared in a profound timbre. Serene and seasoned, his words nonetheless wielded crushing authority.

Theo saw his father turn his eyes to Lucien, scrutinizing his garments.

In mere heartbeats under that mute examination, sweat broke out on Lucien.

"Have you just returned from the forest, Lucien?" the Baron inquired, locking eyes with him squarely.

"Yes, Father. This training session was fruitful. I've brought some souvenirs for you and Mother. They will be delivered soon," Lucien answered, holding his father's stare.

"There was no need for that, my child. Just knowing you are safe and strong is enough for this old man." A smile cracked the Baron's features for the first time.

That grin softened the room's strain just a touch.

Like a fleeting phantom, the Baron's smile vanished as swiftly as it emerged. Still, for everyone present, that brief shift sufficed—the pressure lightened somewhat, yet all held postures erect, vigilant, and deferential.

"Good," the Baron intoned, tone grave and even, yet brimming with might. "Training in the forest holds great worth, Lucien. But recall, rest and self-care matter as much as building power." He allowed the words to linger.

Lucien dipped his head, the fire in his gaze flickering low as he absorbed the lesson.

"Theo," the Baron addressed calmly. Theo met his look.

"Yes, Father?"

"Your awakening ceremony looms just a week off. Word is you haunt the royal library multiple times daily," the Baron stated, face immovable.

'Oh, no,' Theo inwardly groaned, bracing for another reprimand.

"Your nature sets you apart from every other Merrick. All that studying and book-reading... it's a tough path," the Baron's voice softened, laced with faint wistful undertones.

"Pft…"

The Baroness erupted in laughter at that, swiftly drawing chuckles from the other children.

"Hahaha! I don't know how the dining hall stayed so serious till now!" Cedric bellowed, guffawing loudly.

Lucien's prior sullen expression lifted too, as he chimed in with the mirth.

The elder siblings savored the levity, while the juniors puzzled over the jest.

Theo let out a laugh as well; such was the castle's typical vibe. It explained why the Merricks clung to baronial status without climbing higher—they behaved more like wildfolk than nobles.

"Ah, fetch me some booze! I've endured a grueling night!" the Baron boomed, baring his teeth in a massive grin.

"Not in the morning, honey." The Baroness objected, but too slowly—the servant already hovered with a flask, routine clearly ingrained.

The Baron seized the bottle mid-pass, popping the cork with his chompers.

He guzzled mighty swigs, treating the liquor like plain liquid.

"Haaa… Home is the best. Alright, brats! Spill what you've been up to this week while I was gone!" the Baron hollered, assaulting his meal ravenously.

"I've been venturing into the middle forest to level-up my new Fire Bear," Lucien proclaimed with a beaming smile before attacking his plate voraciously.

"I'm preparing my Iron Boar for the 'Young Miss of the Month' tournament, Father. I'll defeat them all again," Elara declared, her poised air flashing to arrogant heiress for an instant.

"Good, good! Make me proud. And what about you, Isolde? Any new deals?" The Baron's expression twisted into a mischievous smirk, nearly mocking.

"Haha, you think I'll fail every time, Father? I got fifty demon toad eggs for a thousand gold coins this time!" Isolde, the charming 19-year-old, boasted with a cocky grin.

"Fifty demon toads for a thousand? Who was foolish enough to make that deal?" the Baron demanded, jaw dropping in astonishment.

"Hahaha! A new trainee merchant representing his family. A bit of negotiation, and the amateur agreed!" Isolde giggled, hand veiling her delighted mouth.

"Hahahaha—! At last, that merchant license is bearing fruit! Proclaim this across the training grounds, Alfred. This month, the top fifty knights in performance shall each get a demon toad egg."

"Immediately, my lord," answered the fellow positioned at the Baron's right side.

The sudden emergence of the butler didn't faze Theo in the least; Alfred excelled at fading seamlessly into the shadows.

"Cedric, and what of you?" inquired the Baron, pride already coloring his tone prior to Cedric's reply.

"I took down a Cinder Wolf all on my own, without relying on tamed beasts, Father. Plus, I got an invitation from the Knight's Academy—though I figure you were already aware," Cedric responded, flashing a faint smile that seemed to beg for commendation.

"Naturally, I knew. You're our family's first budding knight since my own days."

A hint of jealousy flickered in everyone's gazes toward Cedric; he occupied a cherished spot in their father's affections by favoring the blade over dependence on tamed beasts, viewed by him as nothing more than playthings.

"I've successfully tamed the Thunderhoof Ox cub you gifted me, Father," declared a girl beside the Baroness, beaming with pure innocence. Around thirteen years old, she ranked among the younger siblings, much like Theo.

"Excellent work, Rowena! Ensure you raise its level to 2 before the week ends, got it?" the Baron replied with a gentle grin, his focus on the little ones dipping just a bit.

"I will! Count on me!"

"Gideon and Celeste, what progress have you made?" the Baron questioned. Just three offspring were left to report.

"Father, the beasts you assigned us are far too fierce! Give me a new one," whined Gideon, the nine-year-old boy.

"I can handle mine fine, Father—only swap out his," Celeste chimed in from nearby.

"You sneak! That scheme was yours!" Gideon yelled, acting as if his twin sister had stabbed him in the back.

Among all the Merrick children, Gideon and Celeste stood as the sole twins—and the biggest headaches by far.

"You little rascals, those beasts are the finest, tamest matches for your affinities that I could procure! Tame them by next week, is that clear?" Though the Baron rebuked them sharply, his eating never paused.

"But…"

"DO IT," the Baron commanded with a scowl, prompting the twins to bob their heads. Detached though he might be, he ruled as baron over expansive lands. His decree was absolute, known to every soul there.

"Theo, you're granted leave to linger in the royal library the entire day right up to your awakening rite. I'll notify the librarian." The Baron announced abruptly; Theo froze mid-chew like he'd been struck by lightning, eyes bulging as a grin exploded across his features.

"Thank you, Father!" Bursting with thrill, he sprang to his feet and wolfed down the rest of his meal in frantic swallows, sans any mastication.

The whole table stared in stunned silence—even the Baron appeared shocked.

"Ahem, breakfast is done for me, Mother and Father. Might I take my leave?" Theo inquired politely, neatly wiping his lips with a napkin in composed fashion.

"…Go ahead," the Baron permitted, and Theo dashed from the chamber in an instant.

"You had it wrong, dear. He's the truest Merrick of all your kids," the Baroness remarked with a light laugh.

All present nodded assent; Theo proved as peculiar as the others in their quirky bunch.