Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 108 Night Talk
"Mr. Will, you're the one who made the mistake, so why am I being punished by kneeling?"

Lori looked blankly at Havent, who was kneeling next to him in the same position. Havent seemed unfazed, watching as Ms. Suelin, who was supervising them, talked to the maid. Havent quickly stood up, stretched his knees, and then quickly knelt down again.

“We are good brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. My mother said that adopting you means that we are now brothers of our adoptive parents. So it’s not a bad thing for you to accept punishment with your older brother.”

Lori nodded after hearing Haven's words and prepared to continue kneeling as punishment, but then she felt something was wrong and turned to look at Haven again.

“Mr. Will, that’s not right. I feel like I’m being dragged into this because of you. Ms. Louise didn’t say I should kneel as punishment.”

"Oh, don't worry about the details. Don't be fooled by my mom's good looks; she's actually a very scary person. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, such a thick book."

As he spoke, Haven stretched out his two hands and gestured to Lori to show him.

"It was like a brick, and he wanted me to finish reading it in two days and memorize everything inside, or I would be severely punished."

Seeing Haven's emotional state, Lori guessed it must be a bad memory and couldn't help but feel sorry for Haven's tragic childhood.

"Judging from your appearance, Mr. Will, you must have been punished many times before. I was the same way. My mother would teach me things, and if I couldn't learn them, she would get very angry."

Unexpectedly, the scene of Lori and his fellow sufferers embracing and weeping did not occur. Instead, Havent said with a smug look on his face:

"No, I've never been punished. Actually, I could memorize those books in just a few hours, but to have more time to wander around, I always finish them at the last minute."

Lori looked at the smug Haven and silently cursed him in her heart. He was too shameless. No way, Ms. Louise would make him kneel down.

Just as the two were kneeling so low they could feel their knees, Ms. Su Lin walked over, looked at their worried faces, and smiled, saying:

"Young Master Haven, Young Master Lori, you may rise now. Your punishment time is up."

Hearing that it was finally over, Haven's body went limp, and he plopped down on the ground, rubbing his sore knees and complaining:

"Honestly, I only arrived today and I'm already being punished. I'm her beloved eldest son; she shouldn't be showing me such extra affection and tenderness just because she hasn't seen me in so long."

Ms. Su Lin couldn't help but laugh again as she watched Haven sitting on the ground, constantly complaining. As the housekeeper who had served Louise since she was a child, she had watched Louise grow up from a little girl, give birth to Haven, and now Haven had grown up so much. Her heart was filled with happiness.

“Young Master Haven, if you weren’t so mischievous and full of all sorts of strange ideas, Miss Louise wouldn’t keep restraining you. After all, Miss Louise just wants you to become an outstanding person.”

"Okay, okay, I know, my mom has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Haven casually waved his hand, patted his backside, and stood up from the ground.

“Young Master Havent, now that you’ve arrived in the capital, I hope you can say fewer of these strange things. This is not like Whiterun City. Your every word and action represents the White Lion family and the Cavendish family.”

"Okay, okay, can we go and rest now? To be honest, I'm exhausted from walking all day."

Faced with Ms. Su Lin's rambling, Haven nodded perfunctorily, then let out a big yawn.

“Young Master Lori can go and rest now. As for you, the Marquis and Miss Louise are waiting for you in the study. You need to go there now.”

"Huh? Now?"

Haven wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes and looked at Su Lin with a helpless expression.

"Can't it be tomorrow? Staying up late is bad for the growth and development of teenagers, and I won't grow tall."

Seeing that Su Lin stood there unmoved and showed no sign of compromise, Haven yawned again and followed behind her.

In the study of the Marquis's manor

The two women sitting face to face had very serious and solemn expressions, each holding several sheets of paper and quickly browsing through them.

"Louise, go back as soon as Benjamin's wedding is over. Actually, I'd prefer you go back now, but that would give our enemies some information."

Louise, sitting opposite the old Marquis, did not answer immediately. Her long nails, painted with light pink nail polish, glided lightly across the surface of the paper, making a soft rubbing sound.

"Then what about our subsequent plans? I'm afraid my brother doesn't have the extra energy to do those things anymore."

The old marquis picked up the steaming teacup, which contained milk mixed with milk from the level four magical beast 'Ania Grassland Cow'. As he gently stirred the teacup with a silver spoon, a faint aroma wafted out.

"Sigh~ As people get older, their energy is not as good as before. Five years ago, I didn't need this to maintain my mental strength, but now I can't sleep well if I don't have a cup every night."

He brought the teacup to his lips and took a small sip. The faint sweetness that entered his mouth made the old marquis's tightly furrowed brows relax.

"Let the younger generation handle the follow-up arrangements. Haven isn't here, so let him take care of this."

Louise was stunned for a moment upon hearing her father's words, then quickly said:

“Havent is too young, he can’t do it. This is a very important matter, not something a little kid like him can mess around with.”

The Marquis Cavendish ignored his daughter's objection, finished his teacup of milk, placed it on the desk, and let out a soft sigh.

“Louise, Haven is about to become an adult. Although I can understand how you feel, he is no longer a child. Moreover, his birth means that there are some things he cannot avoid. Even if he doesn’t do them, they will still come to him.”

Since this is the outcome, it's better for him to face it sooner rather than later, living under our protection and having to face it alone someday. Besides, he's far stronger and smarter than you imagine. These aren't peaceful times, and certainly not peaceful times for the Empire. Since he could come all the way from the North to the capital alone, this little guy isn't so pathetic.”

"But~~~"

Although Louise felt that her father made a lot of sense, her maternal instincts prevented her son from facing these difficulties too early.

"Alright, there are no buts. You, Kevin, your older brother Sieg, your second brother Benmo, and many others, our ancestors all went through this. Some of them were even younger than Havent when facing problems. You must have faith in your child, Louise."

Wearing a fitted nightgown, Louise bit her rosy lips and, after some internal struggle, nodded.

"That's right. The wheels of time are rolling forward with great momentum and unstoppable force. And on the road ahead, the wheels of time will not stop or change their defenses because of anyone's actions, willingness, or unwillingness. All we can do is go all out to meet every challenge that comes our way."

Just as the father and daughter were having a late-night conversation by candlelight, Su Lin brought Haven to the study door. The housekeeper then turned around and repeated her words to Haven once more:
“Young Master, I know that you are just a romantic person by nature, but you value your family very much. Whether it is your mother, Miss Louise, your maternal grandfather, Marquis Cavendish, or your father, Earl Hyland, they all love you very much, and of course, I do too.”

That's precisely why, and because you are so intelligent and talented, our expectations of you are always high. I hope that your family's expectations won't cause you stress or unhappiness. I sincerely hope you are happy every day.

Looking at the old woman who had raised him, Haven's nonchalant expression vanished, and he nodded solemnly.

"Ms. Su Lin, thank you. Don't worry, I will do my best to protect all those who love me and those I love."

Looking at Haven, who was now almost as tall as her, the housekeeper was filled with emotion. The young master with a spirited face was no longer the child she had to help cover up.

Boom ~ boom ~ boom ~
"Is this Little Vent? Come in."

Haven, who had secretly drunk a bottle of psychic potion at the door, pushed open the wooden door and went inside. The entire study was illuminated as if it were daytime by the milky white glow emanating from the magic chandelier.

The Cavendish father and daughter sat at the desk, both looking up at Haven. Louise raised her hand and waved for her son to sit down. "What brings you here so late? Do you adults like to discuss things in the dead of night?"

Upon hearing Haven's words, the old Marquis paused for a moment, then smiled and said:

"What, little Vent, did your father and the others discuss things at this time in Whiterun?"

Haven pulled up a chair and sat down next to his mother, saying with a hint of complaint:

"Not really, it's just that I participated twice after the ghouls attacked the city, both times at this time. This time is not scientific. Although the cerebral cortex is particularly active at night, which is conducive to thinking, staying up late really does cause hair loss, makes people age faster, and is not good for the development of teenagers."

Hearing her son say such strange things again, Louise raised her hand and smacked Haven on the back of the head.

“Havent, if you keep saying such strange and nonsensical things, your grandfather and I have something to say to you.”

Haven rubbed the back of her head, annoyed by the slap. "Always getting handsy, not ladylike at all."

"Alright, alright, you adults are really no fun at all. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Looking at Havent, whose eyes were practically rolling to the sky, the white-haired and white-bearded Marquis Cavendish felt a surge of pleasure. He had to admit that his grandson was indeed very energetic, much more outgoing than his own grandson.

"Don't rush to tell you anything yet. Instead, your mother and I would like to hear your detailed account of what happened in the North a few days ago, although we have already exchanged some information through the letter your father sent and the Black Horse Express report."

However, we would still like to receive a more detailed description of the matter from you.

Hearing his grandfather's words, Haven was visibly stunned for a moment.

"You mean my father has already sent a message once?"

“Yes, little Vent, your father sent word about what happened over there on the third day after the siege of the ghouls ended.”

Seeing his mother's confident expression, Haven became even more confused.

"Why make me come to the capital with the letter when I could just send it directly?"

Upon hearing Havent's words, Cavendish and his daughter exchanged a glance, both sensing a hint of awe or trepidation in each other's eyes.

“Your father must have had his reasons for asking you to come here. You don’t need to think about it too much. Just tell me what happened in those few days.”

They didn't say much in the voice message about what had happened, saying they would explain everything to us when you arrived, so we've been waiting for you.

"Huh? Oh? Is that so? What are all these things?"

Havent stared blankly at the Cavendish father and daughter, who had transformed into riddle masters. He blinked repeatedly, indicating that he didn't understand, but the two showed no intention of explaining. Seeing that neither of them spoke, Havent had no choice but to begin recounting what had happened in those few days.

About an hour later, Haven was getting a little hoarse from talking. He took the teacup his grandfather handed him, drank it down, smacked his lips, and said with disdain.

"Why is this milk? I thought you drank alcohol."

Seeing Havent's disgusted expression, the old Marquis chuckled.

"I'm getting old. Alcohol, though good, is no longer suitable for me. But little Vent, you've gained a lot along the way. It's like fate has brought you to some crucial points in life."

Louise, sitting to the side, was also sighing over the events that had happened recently. She hadn't expected so many things to happen after she left the North. Although she had a premonition, she always thought that they would endure it for the sake of the bigger picture, but she never expected that they would ultimately choose to take action against the North.

Meanwhile, his son Haven, the boy he had always treated like a child, had used his wisdom and courage to break through the deadlock in Whiterun and even traveled alone from the North to the capital.

Seeing Haven's skin, which was still somewhat dark even after treatment, Louise's eyes reddened. Besides feeling sorry for the various difficulties her son had faced along the way, she felt even more proud from the bottom of her heart.

"Little Went..."

"what!"

Havent, who was holding a bottle of dark beer he had taken from his spatial ring and was about to have a good drink, suddenly looked up at Marquis Cavendish when someone called his name.

"What's the matter."

"You are going to meet His Majesty Frederick IV, right?"

“Yes, my father and Earl Morley wrote a letter for me to deliver to His Majesty the Emperor.”

“You are a smart child, you should know what you can say and what you cannot say.”

Tell your grandfather what you would say about Falling Moon Canyon.

Seeing Marquis Cavendish staring intently at him, waiting for an answer, Haven touched his chin and his eyes darted around.

"What Moonfall Canyon? I've never been there."

"Huh? Hahahahahahahahaha!"

Upon hearing Havent's answer, the Marquis Cavendish was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing until tears streamed down his face.

“Louise, look, look, this is your son. Now you understand why Kevin let him come alone.”

Louise, sitting to the side, also looked at Haven with a surprised expression, as if she were seeing her son for the first time.

"Alright, alright, it's getting late. You should go and get some rest. His Majesty will definitely make time to see you tomorrow. Be mindful of your manners when you meet him, and don't act as disrespectful as you would at home."

Clearly, the Marquis Cavendish was very pleased with his grandson's performance and decided to end the evening's conversation.

"How can you be so sure His Majesty will summon me tomorrow? I only arrived in the capital close to evening."

Faced with Haven's question, the old Marquis gave a meaningful look.

“This is His Majesty’s city; he should know everything.”

Completely bewildered, Haven didn't quite understand what was being said, and looking at the Marquis Cavendish who had stood up, he asked again:

"Hey, didn't you just say you had something to tell me?"

Louise stood up and gently patted Haven's head.

"You still have plenty of time in the capital, there's plenty of time to talk later. Now, rest, your grandfather is tired."

"Oh, okay, let's talk about it later."

(End of this chapter)