CLEAVER OF SIN - Chapter 434

Chapter 434: Destined
Baron Whale and Lady Vie did not even possess that much faith in their son. It was not that they looked down on Finch, no, that was never the case. Rather, they simply understood reality for what it was. Their family had come from a long, unbroken line of Barons. Generation after generation, they had remained within the same noble rank, never rising higher, never falling lower.

Because of this, they could not suddenly place such immense pressure on their son to elevate the family’s standing when they knew, deep down, that he did not possess that level of talent.

They were realistic people. They knew Finch’s limits better than anyone else. Pushing him toward a destiny he could never reach would have been nothing more than cruelty disguised as expectation. The only true hope they had for such an elevation came from Rachel, their youngest child, who was still only nine years old.

If anyone else had spoken such words, Baron Whale and Lady Vie would have accepted them at face value, empty praise, said merely to please their ears or show courtesy. They would have smiled, nodded, and thought nothing more of it. But these words had come from the Tenth Sun himself. A boy born from a family of monsters, a bloodline where every known member had reached the Voidstar Life Rank at the very least.

That fact alone gave Asher’s words an entirely different weight.

For a brief moment, a calculative flash passed through Baron Whale’s mind and eyes.

‘Is this why he became friends with Finch?’ he thought to himself. The Wargrave family was not known for forming friendships. In fact, most Wargrave descendants walked their paths alone, surrounded by followers, retainers, or subordinates, but rarely equals they could call friends. Yet here the Tenth Sun was, calling himself the friend of a fat boy from a mere Baron lineage.

The thought unsettled him.

The very next moment, Baron Whale corrected himself.

‘No… I’m overthinking this,’ he reasoned internally. ‘Even if Finch has the talent to reach the Voidstar Life Rank at the bare minimum, that doesn’t make him special. There are others who can reach that level as well. The Tenth Sun needs only his name to recruit such people, and the Wargrave family already commands thousands of knights and retainers. There is nothing particularly unique about Finch.’

With that conclusion, he steadied his thoughts. The cautious, ever-calculating nature ingrained in him as a noble would not allow such ideas to be dismissed easily. To nobles, there was always a purpose behind every action, every word, every relationship. Nothing was done without intent. It was only natural that he had momentarily believed Asher’s friendship with Finch to be motivated by talent or future value.

‘I wonder just how talented the Tenth Sun and William truly are,’ Baron Whale mused to himself.

William had always been a prodigy from the moment of his awakening. That much was common knowledge. To Baron Whale, that simply meant William would eventually reach the Soulstar Life Rank without much difficulty.

His thoughts then drifted toward the Tenth Sun, but the next moment, he stopped himself, he did not dare let his imagination wander too far.

‘At the very least,’ he thought calmly, ‘Finch is surrounding himself with people of talent, purpose, and power.’

That alone was enough. In his mind, he could already envision the Whale family soaring to greater heights in the future.

“Thank you for such kind words, Tenth Sun,” Lady Vie spoke softly from the side, her voice filled with gratitude. Although she did not know how Asher had arrived at such a conclusion, she did not dare question it. Instead, she accepted his words with grace and sincerity.

Asher nodded in response and said nothing further on the matter. Finch, seated nearby, simply smiled to himself. The knowledge that Asher held such confidence in him caused his determination to surge uncontrollably. He could not be satisfied with merely reaching the Voidstar Life Rank just because Asher believed he would get there.

No, he would aim higher. He would strive for the Crownstar Life Rank.

Whether such thoughts were nothing more than delusions or the beginnings of a true future remained unknown. Only time would tell.

Asher’s eyes shifted toward the girl seated beside him, Rachel. She had remained quiet throughout the entire discussion, which was understandable. After all, what could a nine-year-old child who had yet to truly understand the world possibly contribute to such a conversation?

And yet, Asher could tell, the girl wanted to speak.

She kept stealing glances at Finch and William, as though she wished to say something. However, whenever her eyes shifted toward her father, Baron Whale, she would immediately fall silent.

Asher understood the reason. It was not fear. It was etiquette.

The strict rules of noble conduct restrained her. She likely felt that she had no right to speak in front of noble guests, let alone a Wargrave who was stepping into Whale Manor for the very first time.

“You have such a beautiful daughter, Baron Whale, Lady Vie,” Asher suddenly spoke, drawing everyone’s attention toward the little girl. Rachel blinked in surprise before smiling brightly at the compliment.

“Thank you, Tenth Sun,” Rachel replied cheerfully, her smile wide and unrestrained. As a small child, she was still deeply fond of compliments.

She did not know much about Asher personally. While she was aware of the Wargrave family, her knowledge did not run deep. At her age, she was still learning noble etiquette, memorizing noble family names, and undergoing basic training. Baron Whale had instructed her to address their guest as “Tenth Sun,” and she obediently followed his words.

“She is the pride of our Whale Barony,” Baron Whale spoke with both pride and expectation in his tone.

At those words, Finch suddenly coughed, nearly choking on his wine. He shot his father a betrayed look, but Baron Whale did not even glance in his direction. He simply continued calmly.

“She is destined for great things.”

Asher remained silent for a moment. He understood exactly where the Baron was coming from.

Although one’s awakened ability remained unknown until the moment of awakening, except in the case of Bloodline families, it was widely believed that extremely handsome or beautifully charming children almost always awakened astonishing and ridiculous talents. Many of them were even considered geniuses long before they reached the age of fifteen.

This belief was precisely why the Whale family placed such high hopes on Rachel. She was exceptionally beautiful for her age, and there was little doubt within the Whale territory that once she awakened, she would possess remarkable talent.

“It seems the Whale family is indeed destined for greater things in this generation,” Asher finally spoke respectfully.

Although he did not say it aloud, he felt a strong temptation to ask the little girl for a spar, if only to see what she could do. Though she was merely nine years old, she could not be compared to nine-year-old children back on Earth. Crymora was a supernatural world, saturated with Astra energy.

He was curious to see what she could accomplish even without an awakened ability or unlocked talent. Still, he knew such a request would be inappropriate.

Finch, seated at the side, simply smiled foolishly as he gazed at his adorable and cute sister, already imagining the day she would awaken and shock the entire world.

‘Six years isn’t that far away,’ he thought to himself eagerly, anticipation swelling in his chest.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: It’s a new month, need those golden tickets… Let’s go, people… Thanks for reading.