Jason watched as Nox picked up the wooden box and then left without saying anything, not even a glance back. 'Say thank you at least,' thought Jason with mild irritation. He shifted in his seat and looked at his father, studying his expression. "What do you think father, can we really cure him? His problem is too complicated."
Godric frowned, his brow furrowing deeply as he looked at Jason. "His problem is really complicated, I have never heard about anyone else having this problem in my entire life. I even read the old books left behind by our ancestors, dusty tomes that haven't been opened in decades, but they don't have anything related at all. I can't understand what is wrong with him at all."
Jason frowned as he noticed his father didn't reply to his question directly, but moved around it instead. Jason wanted to ask something, but he hesitated at first, weighing his words carefully, but eventually he opened his mouth. "Should we talk to grandfather about this?"
His father looked at him, his gaze steady and unreadable. "No, now is not the time, I will take Nox there myself in the future."
Jason nodded in understanding. "When is mother coming back?" Jason asked his father, changing the subject.
His father opened a book on his desk and said simply, "Soon."
Jason felt frustrated by his father's vague answer to his every question. 'He is always like this, when is he gonna change, does he even want to change?' Jason thought with internal exasperation.
"Go, keep an eye on Nox," said Godric as he was flipping through his book, not looking up.
Jason frowned, confusion crossing his features. "Why, he is probably going straight to the meditation room for refining the elixirs. I don't think there is a need to watch him."
Godric looked at Jason for a second, his eyes sharp and knowing. "He will try to refine all the elixirs today if the first one didn't work."
Jason frowned, doubt in his voice. "You think he will do something this foolish?"
Godric frowned, his expression hardening. "I don't think, I know, he will refine all the elixirs back to back, if the first two didn't work. You spent so many years with Nox but you still can't judge him properly." Godric paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "And you spent even more years with me, but you still can't tell that I don't make assumptions without proper understanding and information."
Jason felt embarrassed, heat rising to his face. He forgot for a moment that his father doesn't make groundless assumptions. "Okay, I will keep an eye on him," Jason said as he stood up to leave, pushing his chair back.
"If you know he will try to take all the elixirs today, then why you gave him all four elixirs at all?" asked Jason, turning back at the door.
"Well, there is no reward without risk, his situation is not changing, we have almost tried everything. Now we have to take some risks," replied Godric in a flat tone, his attention already back on his book.
Jason sighed but didn't say anything more. He can understand it, its been years since they are trying to heal Nox but to no avail. Its time to take some risk or he will be stuck here for the rest of his life, trapped in mediocrity.
"How is your son doing," asked Godric, glancing up briefly.
"He is doing fine, he trains regularly and his swordsmanship is also progressing fast," replied Jason with a hint of pride.
"Hmm," said Godric as he opened a drawer and took out a letter sealed with wax, he placed the letter on the table. "Send this letter to the city governor in Blackspire City."
Jason picked up the letter, examining the seal briefly, nodded and left the room. He made his way through the corridor, his boots echoing softly on the polished floor. He walked past some maids who were dusting paintings and guards standing at attention. After reaching the courtyard where sunlight filtered through the trees, he turned right, he entered the corridor that led outside to the main gate.
'I should send this letter first, Nox can wait, it will take him some time before he refined two elixirs.'
In the corridor there were lots of guards standing on both sides in perfect formation, they bowed to him as he walked past them, their armor clinking softly.
'Hmm, their posture is good, they are alert of their surroundings, good,' thought Jason, satisfied with their discipline.
He left the corridor and the house through the main gate, which was flanked by two stone pillars. The whole house was surrounded by a big garden filled with flowering plants and trimmed hedges, and the garden was surrounded by a high wall from all sides for security.
As he walked through the garden, he can see all the guards that were stationed around their house at strategic points. These were no ordinary guards, they were all knights under their family. All important places in their estate were protected by these knights in black armor.
As Jason walked the streets of their estate, he was enjoying the hustling and bustling streets of their estate filled with activity. He walked by some houses of various sizes, buildings serving different purposes, and training grounds where warriors practiced. All the people that walked the streets were bowing and saluting him, they were making way for him to pass. Almost all the people who watched him were showing the expression of awe and respect on their faces.
Among these, lot of people were warriors of their family or their vassals who had sworn oaths. There were also guards here, watching their surroundings with vigilant eyes. These guards weren't knights, they were just ordinary guards in simpler armor.
'Their posture is bad, they are far below those knights, they need more training,' thought Jason while looking at the guards with a critical eye.
As Jason walked by a school surrounded by a big and beautiful garden with flowering trees, he looked towards it and saw lots of kids were studying in the garden under the shade. There were lots of groups, all of them have at least one instructor teaching them different subjects. Jason enhanced his ears with mana to listen, focusing his energy.
"Our Silverblade family have two kinds of people under it, first ones are of course the Silverblade family itself and the second ones are its vassals, its those people who joined the house from outside through multiple ways."
"The Blackspire City is very close to us. The city and the surrounding area is under our Silverblade family. Its not just one city we own but the whole island is under our rule."
"There are three kinds of knights under our family, first ones are ordinary knights, second ones are called black knights, they are the second strongest. You can see them guarding important places in our estate. Last ones are red knights, they are the strongest. Their number is also small compared to other knights, not just anyone can become one."
'Hmm, these instructors are good,' thought Jason, pleased with how the instructors were teaching the children. Instead of confining them in closed rooms, they are studying in nature, breathing fresh air.
After some time Jason reached his destination. It was a square building many stories high, its walls made of dark stone. It was also guarded by knights in black armor. When the knights saw him they bowed deeply. After nodding to them he entered the building through heavy wooden doors. The interior of the building was rather simple and functional. There was a reception desk at front made of plain wood and some rooms further down the hallway. There were some warriors of their family walking in and out, carrying documents and reports.
This building was the office of the intelligence agency of their family. It gathers information through spies or other methods for the family. It also aids Silverblade warriors by providing general information about certain locations or certain organizations that might pose threats.
Jason walked by the desk and some rooms, he entered the last room without knocking, pushing the door open confidently. Nobody stopped him, well nobody here can, given his position. The room was an office belonging to one of the officers of the agency. The man was in his late forties with graying hair, he was sitting behind his desk writing something in a ledger.
The man abruptly looked up to see Jason entering, his pen pausing mid stroke. His eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, sir Jason."
He stood up from his chair quickly, nearly knocking it over. "Sir, why did you bother to come here, I would have come there myself," said the man, trying to hide his nervousness.
Jason didn't reply back, he took out the letter and placed it on the desk with a soft thud. "Send this letter to the governor of the Blackspire City."
"Yes sir, I will send my best men immediately," the man tried to flatter Jason, bowing slightly. But Jason didn't reply, his face impassive. He turned around and walked out of the office without another word.
'We should station someone from here near our house,' thought Jason as he made his way outside the building, the afternoon sun warming his face.
Jason didn't waste any time, he made his way back home with purposeful strides. As he went into the corridor leading to Nox's room, the knights standing there saluted him sharply. "Sir, young master Nox is in the meditation room, he said not to disturb him," said one of the knights, his voice respectful.
Jason nodded but didn't say anything, he walked past the knights. He stood near the meditation room door, pressed his back against the wall, he enhanced his hearing and senses with ki and waited patiently.
He can feel Nox sitting in the center of the room cross legged on the mat. 'It looks like he already refined the first elixir, thats fast considering his level,' thought Jason with slight surprise. Jason sensed Nox was circulating his ki quite fast, the energy flowing rapidly through his channels.
After some time Nox refined his second elixir completely but his ki was still circulating quite fast. 'It looks like he is thinking about taking the third elixir. The first two must have failed to awaken his ki,' Jason thought grimly.
After what looked like contemplating for some time, his energy fluctuating with indecision, Nox picked up the third elixir and downed it. Jason shook his head in disappointment, but watched calmly. Currently he is using a special technique, with this technique, he can sense very large area around him through the atmosphere, even behind walls and through solid objects. Right now he can sense Nox's veins bulging and slowly turning red, he was gritting his teeth in pain.
After some time Jason sensed that Nox stopped circulating his ki abruptly. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving with exhaustion.
"No no, this can't happen, I can't fail. Why is this happening to me, why?" Jason heard as Nox said those words out loud, his voice filled with anguish. Jason stepped even closer to the room, his concern growing.
Jason saw that after some contemplating, his energy shifting uncertainly, Nox decided to drink the fourth elixir. Jason shook his head, a gesture of resignation. He was hoping Nox would not do that. But he saw Nox picked up the fourth elixir with trembling hands and downed it in one gulp.