Hugo regained his composure as he said, "So! What do you want as a reward?"
"Reward? But I already got the best reward possible…" replied Kyle.
"No, no, I mean a reward from me personally, or you can just call it an investment,"
"What options do I have to choose from?"
"Are you testing my patience, son of Fowler? JUST HURRY UP AND CHOOSE" screamed Hugo, yet this time he clearly wasn't mad and just wanted Kyle to hurry up because if killing Kyle half-dead was a mere joke who knows what would happen if he really got angry.
Although Kyle knew that, he still didn't want to take any chances and quickly replied, "A decent martial technique would be enough, sir"
"You took all that time and just chose a 'decent martial technique', Do you really think I'm that stingy?" asked Hugo, once again frightening Kyle.
"Brother, please stop toying with this child and give him what he wants," commented Theodore, sympathizing with Kyle, as he was once in a similar situation
"Okay, okay just stop nagging me!" Hugo thoughtlessly threw a 'decent marital technique' towards Kyle which made him think 'If I knew it was that easy, I would've asked for more'
"Hey, you're not going to take back your words now, are you?" asked Hugo. Kyle felt that this might also be some type of test and if he chose the wrong answer he would not be published lightly.
"N-No sir, I'm more than satisfied with your gift"
"HAHAHA, Good, very good. Now you can go back!"
"But I don't know my way around the palace, your imperial majesty"
"You don't need to worry about that! Riley gave Kyle a tour around the castle before sending him to the Academy" replied Hugo.
Riley, Hugo's personal butler instantly appeared and gave a gesture to make Kyle follow him.
Kyle was speechless, even his father had a mage butler, but he was only a 3-circle mage despite Kaden being a 6-circle mage. That was because mages rarely ever want to work as butlers, working hard their whole life to walk on the path of magic just to end up doing housework in another's house. The only reason why Kaden could keep his butler was that he took him in when he was a child and took care of him, so seeing a 7-circle master mage working as a mere butler was surprising even if it was for the Royal Palace.
After Kyle left, Theodore created a simple sound-proof barrier covering the room and said, "Brother are you sure it's alright to give him THAT technique?" Hugo's gaze suddenly seemed sharper and as if decades' worth of wisdom were oozing out of his eyes as he said, "Don't worry, that child has great potential and has a good heart. He won't bring harm to us and might grow up to become a 9-circle mage just like me, in the near future."
"What do you mean 'near future'? It takes at least a century for a mage to become a 9-circle mage..." Theodore was not wrong 9-circle is a nigh impossible level that only a few could hope to reach in their lifetime, and the higher a mage's rank is, the longer their lifespan becomes, so a century to a 9-circle mage is less than 10 years to a normal person, so seeing Hugo say that Kyle would reach the 9-circle rank in the 'near future' was nothing less than extraordinary.
As Kyle was walking alongside Riley he put the martial technique Hugo just gave him away and started looking around at the beautiful view he was being subjected to in the Royal Palace.
They first walked through a big, fancy hall in front of the private office. There he spotted multiple rooms and a big window at the end of the hall looking over the whole capital city.
As they continued to walk through this unending hall, they reached a myriad of stairs that led down. The private meeting room was located on the second floor with many other similarly functioning rooms, while the personal rooms of The Emperor and other important members of Royalty. Riley led Kyle downwards, where the maids' rooms, the training grounds, and the garden where the queen and princesses hold tea parties.
First, they went to the training grounds where many trained guards that form the special force under The Royal Family, the Imperial Guards were found training. Riley then led Kyle to the garden that was filled with all types of aromas being emitted by multiple types of flowers there, there was also a table in the middle of the garden, with a couple of chairs around it, making it a place where tea parties go down.
Riley then led Kyle to a couple more unimportant rooms and then out of the castle, once they were out of the castle Riley carried Kyle and flew straight to the Academy. Upon reaching the still-evacuated Academy, Riley turned away and flew back to the Royal Palace, while Kyle was led by the Assistant Professors who were waiting for him there to the Headmaster's office.
There, Theodore was waiting for him as he asked, "Do you want to keep your identity a secret?"
"'Identity'?"
"I mean as the person who found the inheritance not as Kyle Fowler!" replied Theodore.
"Is there any problem with me not hiding my identity?"
"Yes... There might be some greedy individuals who will try to steal it from you"
"But I already told you I don't have it in a physical form anymore"
"Yeah, I know that, they don't. Who knows what might happen to you outside of the Academy, outside of my protection"
"Okay, but then who will you announce as the inheritor?"
"The crown prince!" replied Theodore as if he's already planned everything. Kyle felt chills as he'd have put his own nephew in danger just for keeping one secret, but then he realized that Theodore couldn't have made this decision without discussing it with the Emperor and seeing how he was telling this to him, The Emperor must've agreed.
"I agree as well, then!"