Chapter 46 Evaluation
As he led the two to his father's study, Silas continuously praised his father and his many admirable qualities. Nero listened carefully, but did not forget to appreciate the immaculate design and decor of the house.
People always said that the rich were gaudy and pretentious, but honestly, Nero would not mind living in such a place. But, to be fair, if he had this kind of money, he would probably be spending it on training equipment, supplements and teachers before he even began to consider something like this.
They reached deep inside the house before reaching the study, where the gap in the open door revealed Mr. Rodney could be seen studying something meticulously under a magnifying glass.
He seemed to be older than Nero was expecting, with trails of white hair above his ears. A few wrinkles had begun to develop beside his eyes, though that could have just been a result of frequent squinting, the way he was doing now while studying. He had soft features, and though he appeared to be fit, he seemed to lack the slightly muscular build that was so common among Kolari men.
If Nero had to guess, he would say that the man was in his mid to late fifties. No matter what, a man who had lived so long could not be underestimated by any measure. Least of all when he was sitting at a wooden table. By far, that alone with the greatest display of wealth and power.
Silas knocked on the door lightly.
"Father, we're here," he said in a very soft tone.
Hurbert Rodney finally looked up, and the soft expression he had while studying smoothly transitioned into a neutral, yet firm one.
"Come in, children. Come in. Excuse me for not greeting you earlier. I was preoccupied."
Stepping into the study revealed a cosy room packed with bookshelves, display cases, and a few sofas. There were countless cards in various conditions, all framed and up on the walls decorating the room.
The room was simple, and did not seem like it would be used for work. Instead, its name probably truly dictated what it was used for: studying. After all, there had to be a few hundred books in this room, at the very least.
"I'm glad you could make it. Silas talks of you often. I am looking forward to making your acquaintance. Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Hurbert Rodney, Arcanist, artisan, and a director for research and development: cards division under the Felix corp. I am also Silas' father, and therefore caretaker of his future. His mother and I treat his potential and his future very seriously, so as his friends, I hope to see that you both also take your futures very seriously. Now, why don't you both introduce yourselves?"
Hurbert maintained a stern voice throughout, making it exceptionally clear that he was instructing them rather than talking to them. Even his request for a self introduction came out more as a demand than anything else.
Nero began to get a bad feeling about this. He was beginning to suspect that the value of Silas' parents as potential useful contacts in the future was going to be nil. He could not help but think of how much time this would take. In total, he expected between three to four hours to be spent here. He hoped this wouldn't be time wasted.
If he couldn't count on them as contacts, then at least he should find some other way to recoup the time spent. He did not mean to be so miserly with his time, but as someone who had only a year to hopefully become a Herald, he had to be.
Before Nero could begin his self introduction, Vanessa gave a gentle bow and went first.
"My name is Vanessa Abel, I am a foreign exchange student from Nova. I plan on majoring in Curse Indagation. One of the reasons I have come to Aetherpeak is to study the Fog Angel phenomenon, which is unique to this region. Oh, and, I am a Neophyte."
Vanessa's voice was both sweet and energetic as she answered the question, as if portraying eagerness to answer. Nero suddenly felt like he was looking at a teacher's pet, and felt the urge to scoff.
Hurbert seemed surprised at her introduction, and could not help but ask, "Abel? You wouldn't happen to have any relation to Esmerelda Abel, would you?"
"She is my aunt, married to my father's brother," she answered, wearing a pleased smile.
"Oh dear, what a small world. I had the good fortune of working with Esmeralda on a project some twenty years back in a joint venture with Nova. Of course, back then, we were both just starting out as artisans. And to think, Silas is now friends with you. Oh, how some friendships carry on between generations astounds me."
Hurbert seemed particularly pleased to be reminded of his old friend, and his impression of Vanessa seemed to shoot through the roof. Nero could not help but appreciate the 'coincidence' whereby Vanessa's aunt was a friend of Herberts. Funny how things work out like that sometimes.
Feeling quite pleased, Herbert looked towards Nero and said, "what about you young man?"
"My name is Nero Grant, born and raised in Aetherpeak. I'm aiming to enrol in KMA this coming year, and am working to be selected as an Arcane Herald before then."
Unlike Vanessa's introduction, which improved his mood, Nero's seemed to make him lose all interest.
"As a soldier?" he asked, just to be sure.
"Yes," he answered, though Nero could already sense the repulsion the man was exuding.
"Young man, soldiers are a dime a dozen. You should be more ambitious in your pursuits, or you won't even know how you died."
Nero only gave a strained smile, but kept his thoughts to himself. There was no reason to argue with him. Unfortunately for Nero, Hurbert was not done with him yet.
"For all the praise I've heard of you, I was expecting a little more. Perhaps spending time with Silas has not been the good influence on you that it should have. I just worry that young Silas might instead be swayed by some of your foolish notions. Young man, I think it's time to reevaluate your future or cut ties."
"Excuse me?" The sheer disbelief of what he was hearing prevented Nero from controlling himself.