(An Hour Later)
Andrew and Edgar stood in the garden of the mansion. In front of them was a Porsche 911 with its front trunk wide open.
Edgar placed an urn in the trunk, and then the trunk automatically closed. He turned and looked at Andrew who was gazing at the mansion.
"Are you ready to leave young master?"
Edgar walked to Andrew's side and stared at the mansion that had changed the lives of the Waynes. Maybe the mansion was cursed.
A seemingly long time passed after Edgar asked his question, but he was not in a hurry for his young master's reply. If his young master wanted to stand for another hour or two without replying him, he could wait.
"I wished I didn't have to cremate Esther. I wanted to bury her whole."
Andrew finally spoke, and Edgar glanced at him.
"I also wish we could bury the young miss in the most fitting manner." Edgar turned to look at the mansion, "But this is not the main mansion, and we can't transport her body from here to the main mansion."
Edgar looked at Andrew, "It would make our journey much more difficult."
"I know." Andrew nodded without taking his eyes off the Wayne mansion.
"What of my parents' bodies?" Andrew asked.
"I made some calls and their bodies will be found and retrieved." Edgar's fists tightened. "They would also be given appropriate burials."
Andrew nodded with hollow eyes.
"If I'm to guess… The death of my parents would cause waves of panic and shock amongst the upper echelons of Technotopia. It would also shock some commoners."
Andrew turned and walked to the Porsche 911, and Edgar followed.
"You're absolutely right young master."
Edgar replied with a surprised tone. He couldn't believe his young master was already thinking about the consequences of his parents' deaths.
"Although your parents were not the richest and definitely not among the most popular amongst the commoners. They had a name, and their name carried power."
But who was to say that Edgar was against the current thoughts of his young master?
Edgar smiled.
"Hmm."
Andrew reached the car, and then he opened the door to the passenger's seat. Edgar also reached the car.
"If I'm to guess… some people would see this as an opportunity to try and take control of my father's companies and businesses"
Andrew said, and then he looked at the mansion.
"... They'll try to manipulate, threaten, and possibly kill me to get some sort of control over my father's enterprises."
"You're not completely wrong young master…" Edgar sat in the driver's seat with a light smile. "... But you're wrong about one thing."
"Oh? And what would that be?" Andrew tilted his head.
"They wouldn't try to kill you." Edgar gestured at his young master's arm, "They don't see you as a threat. In their eyes, you're just an eight year old kid who can do nothing and can also be easily manipulated."
Andrew frowned.
"Killing you would give your father's enemies more issues than solutions. So… they'll most likely try to manipulate you using your emotions, or they'll try to threaten you."
Andrew remained silent for a seemingly long time, and Edgar waited. He knew that his young master would need some time to process what he just said.
About fifteen seconds later, Andrew finally spoke:
"So what would be your advice Edgar?"
Andrew looked at his hands, and then he clenched them. His hands were trembling.
"I'm still very young. I lack experience, knowledge, and power."
Edgar smiled.
"You don't have to be afraid young master. I'll make sure to advise you to the best of my abilities."
Andrew glanced at Edgar, and then he nodded.
"My first advice would be for you to gain power and a reputation that can protect you in the future.
"Power?"
Andrew furrowed his brows, and a thought came to his head.
"Do you mean I should join the military?" Andrew asked, and Edgar nodded.
"Yes."
"But why?" Andrew asked with a confused expression.
"Why do I need to join the military to gain power when I can gain power from my father's companies? I know my father produces nanomachines, mecha-robots, and so on. Why do I need to join the military to gain power when I can get it easily from one of my father's companies?"
"Why do I also need the military for reputation? I'm the son of Tion and Melinda Wayne. Isn't that enough reputation?"
As Andrew asked all of these with a genuinely confused expression, Edgar could not help but shake his head with a light smile.
"Do you think just because you can gain power from your father's companies you'd become the strongest in one day?"
Edgar asked, but Andrew remained silent. His brows were furrowed as the gears in his tiny little mind spun.
"You won't be the strongest just because you can obtain one of your father's experiments. You need training, and the military is the best place for that."
"Also, nobody is going to ever respect you or listen to you just because you're the son of the Waynes. Do you think people who are way older than you and have as much power and authority as your father would respect you?"
"You're just a kid. You're just eight years old."
"Think of all the things you've done to me before today. What do you think an outsider would have thought of you if they saw the way you behaved around me? Do you think they'd respect you?"
"Did your father ever behave like that?"
With every word that Edgar said, Andrew trembled, and his face became paler and paler. He clenched his fists tightly while looking at his trembling legs.
"I… I'm sorry."
Andrew's arms shook.
"I'm very sorry for all I did to you… So please…" Andrew's eyes became wet. "... please don't abandon me. sniff."
Just as the tears in Andrew's eyes were threatening to spill out, he felt a hand on his head, and he turned his head.
"I forgive you, young master." Edgar smiled softly. "Although, I deserved some of it if I'm being honest."
Edgar chuckled softly, and Andrew wiped his ears with the back of his arms. Just as Andrew was wiping off the tears from his eyes, Edgar's voice flowed into his ears.
"Also, save your tears for another day. Save it for either when you avenge your parents, when somebody you care about dies, or when you feel incomparable joy. You shouldn't cry over every single thing."
Andrew felt his body tremble slightly. He closed his eyes, and then he nodded.
"Good." Edgar smiled. "After we reach the main mansion, I'll teach you some things. Especially about the military."
Andrew nodded once more, and then he looked at the sixth mansion his father owned.
"If I join the military and I perform very well. It'll be difficult for my father's enemies to hurt me right?"
Andrew asked, and Edgar nodded slowly.
"Difficult… But not impossible.
Andrew remained silent for a seemingly long time, and then he spoke:
"I'll make sure to do my best. But…" Andrew paused, and then he stared at the mansion that would most likely haunt him in his dreams. "Can you burn down this mansion?"
Andrew asked, and Edgar's eyes widened slightly. He chuckled softly, and then he turned the key, starting the car's ignition.
"Sure thing young master. Sure thing."
The Porsche 911 roared to life, and then it zoomed out of the sixth Wayne mansion, leaving only a creepy silence that engulfed the sixth mansion of the Waynes.
Approximately ten seconds after Edgar and Andrew left the Sixth Wayne mansion, multiple beeping sounds disrupted the silence of the mansion and its beautiful garden.
And then,
BOOOOOOOM!!!
The sixth mansion of the Waynes was no more.
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{END OF VOLUME 1- THE WAYNES AND THE BEGGAR}
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[A/N: This is VERY VERY IMPORTANT. Read the author's note below BEFORE READING the next chapter so as to not get confused.]