Chapter 39: The Covered-Up Truth
Linley returned to the Earl's estate. However, he shut himself inside his courtyard, refusing to see anyone. Wharton and Nina had just been married, but knowing that Reynolds had died in battle, they understood their eldest brother's current state of mind.
Within the Earl's estate, no one dared to disturb Linley.
The courtyard gate was tightly shut.
Linley sat by a stone table. On the table were a bottle of wine and two cups. One cup was placed before Linley, and another cup was set opposite him. But... the seat across from him was empty.
He filled both cups with wine. Linley raised his own cup.
"Little Fourth—" Linley gazed ahead, his eyes seeming to pierce through the void, but they were already red-rimmed. "Go well."
Linley tilted his head back and drained the cup in one gulp.
Little Fourth was dead.
Linley's heart was filled with unwillingness.
But after interrogating His Majesty Johann, and then questioning the Dunstan family, even carefully observing the expressions of the Dunstan family members, Linley finally concluded—
Perhaps Little Fourth truly had died a glorious death in battle, unrelated to anyone.
What Linley didn't know was that only three or four core members of the Dunstan family knew the truth. Nien Dunstan, knowing that Linley would observe others' expressions, had not told anyone else the truth.
There was one other person who knew the truth: Reynolds' mother!
She was also the so-called 'Madam' under guard. Reynolds' mother was deeply grieved. Nien understood that before Linley, Reynolds' mother couldn't hide her feelings, so no women were present in the living room. Naturally, Reynolds' mother wasn't there either.
"Little Fourth, you were the youngest of us four brothers, yet I never expected you would walk ahead of us all." Linley's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife. Two streams of tears flowed uncontrollably down his face.
Linley grabbed the wine bottle beside him, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one breath.
"Cough, cough..." Drinking so rapidly made Linley cough, but after just two or three coughs, he tilted his head back again and drained the bottle dry.
Bebe and Blackcloud crouched in a corner of the courtyard, not daring to disturb Linley.
"Boss, this is the fourth time he's been this heartbroken," Bebe thought to himself. The first time was when he broke up with Alice. The second was learning of his father's death. The third was Grandpa Doehring's death...
One by one, family and brothers departed.
It pained Linley, but he knew... he had to be strong, because he still had other family and brothers. Whether for the dead or the living, he had to be resilient.
"Let me indulge in decadence for three days."
Linley smiled bitterly even as he opened his mouth. He had no reservations—crying, drinking, laughing loudly, talking to himself, reminiscing about the past, or conversing with Reynolds...
Three days later!
"Creak—" The courtyard gate opened. Delia had been outside the courtyard these past few days. She had simply had someone place a stone bench there, and she sat on it reading a book, quietly guarding Linley.
Three days!
Linley's courtyard gate had been closed for three days, and Delia had waited outside for three days.
Hearing the gate open, Delia turned her head in surprise. At this moment, Linley wore a deep blue robe, his back as straight as a spear, showing no signs of decadence.
"Linley—" Delia joyfully rushed to meet him.
Linley looked at Delia, a surge of emotion welling up in his heart. With his level of cultivation, how could he not know someone was outside the courtyard? Delia had been there for three whole days.
Although he was inside the courtyard, separated from Delia by a door, Linley had felt her presence the entire time.
Suddenly, Linley reached out and embraced Delia.
Delia froze.
Linley had never actively embraced her before!
Holding Delia, Linley lowered his head, the fresh scent of her hair filling his nostrils. It was so enchanting. Smelling it, Linley felt his heart grow calm.
It was like a solitary boat finally returning to its harbor.
"Delia, thank you!" Linley's voice sounded by her ear.
Hugging Linley, burying her face in his chest, Delia felt an unprecedented happiness. The years of longing at the Academy, and the ten years of waiting... now, it seemed her ideal was closer than ever. After Linley left the courtyard, his relationship with Delia grew closer. Sometimes, a single glance between them conveyed each other's thoughts, but Linley didn't break that thin barrier, and Delia didn't take the initiative either.
"How is the master?"
In the training ground at the back of the Earl's estate, Gates quietly asked Wharton.
Wharton showed a slight smile: "After my big brother left the courtyard, he walked with Miss Delia for a long time. When I saw him earlier, there was even a trace of a smile on his face. I guess he's in a decent mood."
Gates nodded slightly: "The master not coming out for three days really had me worried."
"Little Five, do you think the master is like you, so quick to give up?" another burly, terrifyingly large man beside him laughed.
"Second Brother, why are you picking on me?" Gates said discontentedly.
Life at the Earl's estate was peaceful. Linley continued to train quietly as before, while also preparing to set off for the Chaos Territory.
"Your Majesty, Master Linley is still training as usual, with no other actions. Of course, except for the day of Lord Wharton's wedding banquet, when Master Linley visited the Dunstan family," the palace attendant reported respectfully.
His Majesty Johann had a satisfied smile on his face.
"Alright, you may withdraw," Johann said indifferently.
Johann was relieved that Linley hadn't made any other moves: "Good, good. It seems Linley truly believes what I said."
"And the Dunstan family knows their place," Johann thought with satisfaction.
He knew that with the Dunstan family's influence in the military, they would certainly know the truth, and likely faster than he, His Majesty Johann, had.
But Linley had clearly gained nothing from the Dunstan family and still believed that Reynolds had indeed died in battle, with the soldiers of Nier City unable to rescue him in time.
Delia looked at the letter in her hand, then at Linley beside her, her expression rather grim.
"Delia, what's wrong?" Linley asked, puzzled.
Delia shook her head helplessly: "It's a letter from my parents. They say my grandmother is seriously ill and want me to hurry back. My grandmother..." Delia's face was full of sorrow.
Linley reached out, took Delia's hand, and gazed at her comfortingly: "Don't worry, your grandmother will be fine."
"Linley, I need to go back," Delia said reluctantly, looking at him. "I was going to go with you to the Chaos Territory, but now..."
Linley smiled reassuringly: "It's fine. Go back first. With our group's abilities, we'll quickly establish a foothold in the Chaos Territory. If you want to find me later, it will be easy."
Delia looked at Linley with reluctance.
But her grandmother was seriously ill, and her parents' description in the letter made her anxious. She had no choice... she had to return to the Yulan Empire immediately.
The next morning, Delia sat on the back of a Thunderbolt Wind Eagle and flew straight toward the Yulan Empire.
In a county city of the O'Brien Empire's Central Province, inside an independent courtyard of a high-end hotel, Yale casually took a letter handed to him by a servant.
"Hmm, about Little Fourth? What's he up to now? Promoted again for meritorious service?" Yale had a hint of a smile on his lips.
Among the four brothers back then, Yale and Reynolds were the two most womanizing ones, chasing girls and such—they were birds of a feather. George and Linley were more disciplined.
Opening the letter, Yale began to read.
As he read—
Yale's face instantly turned pale, and he involuntarily staggered. He covered his head, closed his eyes, and after a long time... he opened his eyes again.
His face was bloodlessly pale.
"Impossible!"
Yale's eyes visibly moistened, and soon reddened. Suppressing the grief in his heart, he kept reading.
When he finished—
"Little Fourth!!!" Yale's tears flowed freely.
If asked who Yale valued most as family, it definitely wasn't his older brother. His relationship with his brother was rather strained. In the Dawson Chamber of Commerce... such places were ruthless.
In the nearly ten years since leaving Ernst Academy, although Yale trusted some people, he hadn't regarded anyone as a sworn brother. In his heart, his only sworn brothers were the three from his youth.
George, Linley, Reynolds!
Yale stood still, his entire body trembling. Suddenly, electric light flashed from his palm, turning the letter to ash.
Yale was a lightning-element mage, the weakest among the four brothers in magic, now at the sixth rank.
"Yulin... Prince?" Yale gritted his teeth, his body shaking.
"You watched my brother die right before your eyes!!! No matter who you are, I will make you die!!!" Yale took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He tried to calm himself.
The Dawson Chamber of Commerce had strong influence among the common people. Border cities like Nier City were key targets for the Chamber. The merchants, nobles, and others there had deep ties with the Dawson Chamber.
That secret might be hidden from Linley, but it couldn't be hidden from the far-reaching tentacles of the Dawson Chamber of Commerce!
"Father won't use the Chamber's power to go against a prince for my sake. Besides, even if he wanted to, it would be hard to succeed," Yale understood in his heart.
Prince Yulin was the ruler of the Southeast Province, controlling a large army. How could the Dawson Chamber of Commerce fight him?
"Little Third!" Yale couldn't help but think of Linley.
"Little Third didn't avenge Little Fourth?" Yale knew very well the bond between the four brothers. He was certain that if Linley knew the truth, he would definitely take revenge.
"Little Third must not know the truth. The Dunstan family and the royal family must have covered it up. Little Third... was deceived." Yale immediately understood.
"Little Fourth, that kid who always followed me around, going to the Azure Water Paradise to drink and have fun..." Thinking of that cute young man, Yale felt a sharp pain in his heart.
"Little Fourth, Little Third and I will definitely avenge you," Yale muttered to himself.
Suddenly, Yale shouted loudly outside: "Someone, prepare quickly! I need to leave for the Imperial Capital immediately. Hurry, leave now!"
Just five minutes later, Yale mounted a fine horse and, with two guards, sped toward the Imperial Capital at full speed. Along the way, Yale traveled day and night, not eating a single meal, only drinking a little water.
On the road, he simply changed horses at various cities, constantly rushing toward the Imperial Capital.
After two days and one night, Yale and his men arrived at the Imperial Capital in one breath. At this moment, Yale's frantic pace had left his eyes bloodshot and his face as pale as someone just recovering from a serious illness.
"We're here."
From afar, Yale saw the gates of the Earl's estate. After two days and one night of desperate travel, Yale now felt a glimmer of hope.
"Lord Yale?" The guards at the Earl's estate naturally recognized Yale. He had often visited Linley in the past. Yale entered without needing to be announced, but the two guards wondered why he looked so disheveled.
"Little Third!"
Yale charged into the Earl's estate and shouted directly. "Little Third, come out! Little Third, hurry, come out!!!"
Hearing Yale's first shout, Linley immediately rushed out of his courtyard at top speed.
Seeing Yale in the distance, Linley was stunned.
Yale's face was deathly pale, his hair somewhat disheveled. Was this the handsome, polished Yale, the Big Brother?
Seeing Linley, Yale ran straight over, grabbed Linley by the shoulders, and looked at him with reddened eyes, sobbing: "Little Third, you have to avenge Little Fourth!"