Chapter 239: Breton's Gift
Brayton's parents were not particularly well-qualified.
Needless to say, Wiggins only became a senior knight in his forties or fifties. It is nearly impossible for him to make further progress in strength in this lifetime, as senior level is already his limit.
As for Diane, although God granted her beauty, she lacked the talent for cultivation and is just an ordinary person.
Brayton's exceptional talent for cultivation is likely inherited from the previous generation. After all, both his grandfather and grandfather-in-law were exceptionally talented.
That being said, talent is only one aspect of the equation. The key to Brayton becoming a mid-level knight at the age of fourteen is his persistent attitude toward practice, coupled with the strict requirements and teaching from Diane since childhood.
Without these two factors—especially a persistent heart—talent alone would not be enough.
There are many geniuses in the world, but many of them end up being mediocre.
"If he maintains this mentality, he should be able to become a senior knight by the time he's sixteen or seventeen, right?" Roning said, watching Brayton walk over with admiration. "What incredible talent!"
"You're no slouch either," Lu Lans smiled and said. "You're only eighteen years old, and with your current strength, you're a rare genius anywhere."
In fact, the old man never fully understood why Roning had suddenly transformed into not only a magician but also a knight, with one foot in the bronze level.
But he didn't press the issue too much.
Everyone has their own opportunities—just like how the other person happened to find magical items like space rings.
Lu Lans looked at Brayton with satisfaction in his eyes.
However, when comparing these two half-brothers, he still hoped that Wushanling would be inherited by Roning in the future.
Because Brayton is entirely focused on cultivation and has little exposure to other pursuits, he seems more suited to being a supporter.
But in the short term, things could remain as they are; he wasn't in a rush to change anything.
"Grandpa, brother, Mother asked me to let you know that lunch is ready. You can start eating anytime."
Roning stepped forward and patted Brayton's arm. "Congratulations on becoming an intermediate knight."
Brayton scratched his head, modestly replying, "Compared to you, brother, I'm still far behind!"
As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger about ten centimeters long from his pocket and handed it to Roning.
"This is the birthday present I prepared for you. I hope you like it."
"Oh?" Roning took it, surprised. He hadn't expected Brayton to prepare a gift for him.
Come to think of it, he couldn't even remember when Brayton's birthday was.
The dagger was made entirely of wood—both the sheath and the blade.
In his hand, it looked like a toy for children.
The words "Happy Birthday" were engraved on the scabbard, and the pattern of the Wushan family was etched on the blade, though the coloring was a bit off. It wasn't the pure golden mountain range design that the family emblem usually carried.
Roning examined it closely. He had initially thought there might be a hidden magic array on it.
But alas, it was simply an ordinary wooden dagger carved by Brayton.
Not only was it lacking in magical features, but it probably wouldn't even be functional for something as simple as cutting meat.
Roning smiled and tucked the dagger away. Even though it wasn't valuable, it was still a thoughtful token.
"Thank you, Brayton. I really like your gift!"
"Heh-heh..." Brayton felt a little embarrassed. After hearing that Roning was going back to Wushan Castle to celebrate his birthday, he had started to think about what gift he could prepare.
The first thing Brayton thought of was weapons, but after seeing the Liuyan Sword and realizing how extraordinary it was, he decided against buying any weapons.
Moreover, purchasing a weapon would not reflect his personal feelings.
After thinking it over, he decided to make something himself and ended up crafting a dagger.
Despite carefully polishing it for a while, it still looked a bit rough around the edges.
Fortunately, Roning didn't comment and happily accepted the gift.
Lu Lans watched the scene with a smile. He hadn't expected the relationship between the two brothers to be so good. This was, in part, thanks to Roning's open-mindedness and Brayton's lack of obsession with the inheritance rights.
If it had been anyone else, after what Lu Lans had done, even brothers might have become enemies.
"Maybe I should have waited," Lu Lans thought. If he hadn't been so quick to act against Roning at the beginning, and instead waited a few months to observe the situation, perhaps none of these problems would have arisen.
In hindsight, his actions had been too hasty.
"Let's go, we shouldn't keep Diane waiting too long," Lu Lans said. "Is Wiggins back?"
"No, he probably won't return before noon, so there's no need to wait for him."
Lu Lans hummed indifferently.
Luo Ning smiled and said, "Father is so concerned about the stability of the border. With his support, there shouldn't be any issues over there, right?"
"Oh, concerned about the stability of the border? He's not that enthusiastic!" Lu Lans sneered. "The reason he doesn't want Chishan Town to fall is because he has a stake in the iron mine there."
Luo Ning's expression became strange.
He had thought Wiggins was simply defending a rare victory in his life, but he hadn't realized there was such a reason behind it.
No wonder Diane had seemed hesitant when he mentioned the issue to her earlier.
The Wushan family owned Wushan Ridge, but that didn't mean every penny would go into the pockets of Wushan Fort.
A lot of money was required for the upkeep of the castle and the expenses of the knights, each of which amounted to a considerable sum.
After all these expenses, it was unclear how much money would actually remain to benefit Wushan Fort.
Moreover, even if the money did end up at Wushan Castle, Lu Lans was the one in charge, and Wiggins would receive even less.
In this case, earning "extra money" became more important.
Just like how Wiggins had a share in the iron mine in Chishan Town, the profits from that naturally went into his own pockets.
Now, with the Polante Bandits eyeing Chishan Town, it was clear they wanted to seize Wiggins' private property. Naturally, Wiggins wouldn't agree to that.
Lu Lans also turned a blind eye to such matters.
As long as they didn't threaten Wushan Fort's status or disrupt its operations, the people below could do whatever they wanted.
He didn't have much energy to manage these issues, nor did he have much interest in them.
Without Wiggins, the atmosphere at lunch was more cheerful.
As the official manager of the castle, Diane was particularly attentive to Roning today.
Not only had she ordered the kitchen to prepare many of his favorite dishes, but she had also specially arranged exquisite pastries and rare mead for him at lunch.
Despite people expecting the conversation to be dull, Diane showed genuine concern for Roning, asking about the development of Wu Bei Ling and his life. She even inquired about his personal emotional matters.
Brayton was full of questions, silently wondering: What happened to my mother?
No wonder he was confused.
Earlier in the year, Brayton had wanted to practice swordsmanship with Roning, but Diane had opposed it.
Today, however, not only was she being kind to Roning, but she also encouraged Brayton to practice and interact more with his brother to improve his swordsmanship.
This unusual behavior made Roning feel a little awkward. He focused on eating, responding only with occasional hums and "ah"s.
Among the people present, probably only Lu Lans wasn't surprised. He continued eating the steak cut by the servants and took a few sips of delicious beer.
In Lu Lans's opinion, Diane's change in attitude was entirely normal.
All of this, ultimately, stemmed from her recent trip to Black Python City.
---------
Hey guys, VerseX here :)
If you want to support me and the work that I am doing, you can support me on pâtreon. It costs 1 dollar a month, and you get six early-access chapters. I know that it isn't much of an advantage, but I would love your support.
Thank you for enjoying my translation and enjoy.
The link to my pâtreon is: https://www.pâtreon.com/VerseX
You just have to change the â to a