The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] Chapter 1278: Like Father, Like Son

Duchess Amelia merely smiled and reached up to gently pat her son’s head.

"Luca, how many years do you think you’ll actually get to spend as a student?"

"Eh?"

The golden-eyed cadet blinked up at her.

"And how often do you think something like this will come along?" Amelia continued, smoothing down a few strands of his hair. "There’ll always be more work waiting for you when you come back. So while you still have the chance, shouldn’t you enjoy these things too?"

Luca’s lips parted slightly.

"But the CP..."

Of course.

Amelia’s smile immediately turned helpless.

Her son’s concern wasn’t even about falling behind on his studies. Then again, unless he suddenly had to take art classes, there probably wasn’t much they needed to fear when it came to Luca making the grade.

No. Even at this young age, their son was already far too concerned with responsibilities, sometimes acting as though he were personally expected to sustain an entire civilization.

So how could Amelia not worry?

As far as she was concerned, Luca had already contributed enough that he could’ve retired months ago and still done more than anyone could reasonably ask of him. Of course, knowing her son, there was little chance of him actually doing that.

Which meant the least she and Leander could do as his parents was pull more of their own weight and reassure him whenever they could.

"Your father and I aren’t sitting around doing nothing, you know."

"I know that, Mom, and you really shouldn’t have to—"

"Now, now. How can you say that when everyone is more than excited about the new containment cubes?" She gave his head another affectionate pat. "If we could do it without attracting too much attention, we would’ve cleared even more areas right away."

Granted, House Kyros wasn’t doing all that purely to indulge their son’s fascination with Corruption Points.

With the increasing number of facilities and machines they now had running, their energy crystal consumption certainly wasn’t getting any smaller. The additional resources they could obtain through the dungeon space had become increasingly useful for keeping everything supplied.

But Amelia didn’t think Luca needed to concern himself with any of that while he was supposed to be packing for school.

"We’ll keep working while you’re gone," she reassured him. "So you don’t need to worry about every bit of CP yourself."

Luca’s golden eyes brightened.

And somewhere beside them, Duke Leander immediately straightened with renewed determination.

Of course they’d work!

They’d work even harder!

If his precious boy liked watching those balances go up, then what kind of father would he be if he couldn’t help make those numbers climb?!

It certainly didn’t hurt that Leander already had something of a personal grudge against corruption after everything that had happened to his family and his people.

Now he had reasons to enthusiastically participate in every cleanup operation available to him.

Unfortunately, all that enthusiasm had suffered a devastating blow after the Duke realized one particularly terrible detail about the upcoming Academy activity.

His precious boy was going away.

For several days.

Because of

Worse?

Apparently, parents weren’t invited!

"What do you mean they don’t need chaperones?"

Amelia slowly turned toward her husband.

"Leander."

"What? I’m only asking."

"You’ve asked three times."

The Duke’s shoulders visibly wilted.

By any reasonable standard, Luca was more than old enough to look after himself. In fact, by noble standards, he was old enough to inherit and rule an entire dukedom if circumstances demanded it.

Leander knew that.

He really did.

But knowing it didn’t somehow erase all those years he’d missed.

Other parents had gotten to complain about packing their children’s bags, seeing them off for school activities, worrying about whether they’d remembered everything, and perhaps even volunteering for those ridiculous trips when their children were still young enough to need adults hovering nearby.

Leander hadn’t gotten any of that.

So was it really so strange that, now that his child was finally here, some part of him wanted to cram all those missed years into whatever opportunities he could still get?

Unfortunately, his wife knew exactly what was happening.

"Dear."

Leander glanced at her.

"You can’t tell me you don’t know what this is about," Amelia reminded him gently. "You enjoyed this sort of thing quite a lot yourself, didn’t you?"

The Duke’s mouth tightened.

"Back then, no one could even stop you. And if you’d been given the option to stay longer, wouldn’t you have taken it?" Her brows rose. "So what more could you expect from your own son? I thought it was like father, like son?"

"!!!"

Sure enough, Amelia knew exactly which buttons to push to both settle and unsettle the sulking Duke.

"O-of course! We’re father and son! And as for the past..." Leander grumbled. "I know that."

"Then stop looking like you’re about to ask the Academy whether they have room for one more adult."

Leander immediately looked away, his lips somehow lengthening enough that they looked like they could be tied into a ribbon.

Amelia narrowed her eyes.

"You were actually considering it?"

"I was only thinking about it." The Duke cleared his throat. "Besides, I bet they could benefit from some additional sponsorship—"

"Leander."

The Duke sighed.

Then Amelia delivered the one argument capable of destroying every remaining objection he had.

"If you keep making such a miserable face, Luca might think you don’t want him to go."

"!"

Leander froze.

"And knowing that child, what do you think he’ll do if he believes staying behind would make you happier?"

The Duke looked as though he’d just been struck head-on by a cargo hovercraft.

His gaze immediately snapped toward Luca.

Sure enough, from where Amelia had dragged him aside for a private conversation, Leander could already see his precious boy watching him carefully, those golden eyes carrying the slightest hint of uncertainty.

Leander’s heart nearly stopped.

What was he doing?!

So what if he didn’t want to be separated from his child for several days?

Was he seriously going to let Luca miss something he’d been so excited about just because couldn’t handle watching him leave?

After everything his boy had already missed?

The Duke visibly gathered himself.

Then, with the solemn determination of a man preparing to make the greatest sacrifice of his life, he walked over and placed both hands firmly on Luca’s shoulders.

"You should go."

Luca blinked.

"Really?"

"Of course!" Leander declared, forcing every ounce of paternal heartbreak somewhere deep inside where his child couldn’t possibly see it. "Go with your friends. Enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about anything here. Your papa will take care of it!"

For a brief moment, Luca simply stared at him.

Then his entire face lit up.

"Really? I can go, Papa?"

"..."

Oh.

That smile was

Leander felt whatever remained of his resistance collapse so completely that it might as well have never existed.

Forget a week-long Academy trip.

If his precious child looked at him like that and asked permission to travel to the very edge of the known universe, Leander had the horrifying suspicion that he’d personally start mapping the safest route there.

He’d probably prepare supplies too.

Maybe escorts.

Several fleets, just in case.

All for another one of those smiles.

Amelia watched her husband’s expression change and knew immediately what had happened.

There it was.

The absolute defeat of one father.

And, judging by Luca’s delighted expression, the ultimate victory of one son.