"Yes. Your Father's younger brother… Your Uncle."
"What?" Noel frowned. "But I have been told that he—"
"Died in action, yes. But how much have you heard about him?" Dimitri asked. "Do you know him being a part of the Demon Banner Army? His squad? His position?"
"I only know of him being a part of the army, but that's all…" Noel looked down with a serious expression. He realized he hadn't paid too much attention to the details.
"There are a few reasons why you haven't heard about him. The first is the fact that he is a part of the Demon Beholder Army means you have to erase your identity. The same applies to the Demon Assassination Squad.
"You're not allowed to use your real identity anymore and get a nickname for yourself. I was known as Shadow and your uncle was called Watcher. We belong in the dark after all.
"Another reason is because of his weird behavior. No, I can't really classify it as weird behavior… Hmm, how do I say it…" Dimitri thought for a moment. "Just think of him as problematic. His conduct is still like that of a noble.
"He has manners and all the nobility stuff, but his head is kind of screwed. He is similar to your father, a schemer.
"However, your father's scheme works for a certain goal that minimizes the bad things while maximizing the end reward. Meanwhile, your uncle always tries to harm both sides. There is simply no win or lose in your uncle's plan, only both sides lose.
"I heard he once stabbed someone to death in exchange for him to do the same. Basically, he stabbed his own hands, legs, and body while the other party had to do the same thing. Because he was stronger, he survived.
"If I were to put it simply, he is insane. Well, if the young master thinks it's too much to call him that, I'll apologize."
"No need. Everyone is entitled to their opinion." Noel shook his head and looked down. "So, my uncle was someone like that…"
"Yes. Not many people knew about it, but the Royal Family was aware of it. And when you were born, he wanted to kill you by giving me a fake mission." Dimitri looked at him with a serious expression. "Your father faked your death and tricked me into thinking I had finished my job. When I reported it, everything was clear that your uncle was behind it.
"Unfortunately, it was too late. He had poisoned the previous commander and joined the Supreme Devil Organization.
"I believe this is the reason why you're sent to the Demon Banner Army alone. First, your uncle was once a part of the army and managed to survive on his own. Second, the Demon Banner Army should be able to protect you when your parents aren't there for you. Third, I have a personal connection with the army. So, I would be there for you if something went wrong."
Noel contemplated for a moment. He now understood the reasons why they sent him to the Demon Banner Army. However, he was still confused about why his parents had to fake their deaths.
"Still, I can't understand why my parents… No, wait. The Stargaze Family?"
Dimitri nodded. "I think you're already aware of it. Your Father and Marquis Stargaze are even closer than best friends.
"I believe he has made an agreement with the marquis to split up after hearing the Royal Family is connected to the Supreme Devil Organization.
"They don't know who it is, so the marquis had to support the current king while your father chose the king's brother, the Third Prince.
"I'm not very sure about this, but it's most likely that your parents are trying to hunt down your uncle. If they won and the Third Prince became the current king, they would use that influence to hunt him down openly.
"But because they lost, they faked their own deaths with the help of the marquis. In the dark, they would be able to act freely to hunt down the organization.
"Of course, I can't really praise this kind of action, considering they have left you alone. But I can kind of understand… Despite leaving you alone like this, they're giving you all kinds of support.
"For example, me. I have been following you for the past year. There is also the support of the Third Prince. Since he was indebted to your father, he tried to ask the commander to support you. Then, there is your mother's family…
"I don't know if you're aware of this, but if we trace back your ancestry, you can be considered a royal from our neighboring kingdom. It seems that your father is trying to use the connection of your mother's family to get the help of the royal family to help you. Though, I can say that Master and Madam are in love with each other, so don't worry, they conceive you not because they are forced, but because they want you.
"Just looking at the layers after layers of protection, I can see that your father has prepared everything before this."
Noel fell silent. He already knew about his ancestry and the connection to the Sword Saint and the royal family. It was surprising that despite leaving him alone like this, his father had been preparing a series of protections.
It seemed his father wanted him to get stronger during that time. As for the reasons… Noel looked at Dimitri. "I have several questions."
"Sure. I'll do my best to answer your questions."
Noel took a deep breath. "Are you aware of the real purpose of following me?"
"The real purpose? I'm here to protect you, Young Master."
"Protect me… From what?"
"Protect you from everything and deal with the mess you've left behind," Dimitri answered without hesitation.
However, Noel shook his head calmly as if he could see through a bit of his father's plan after learning all this information.
"There is actually another reason for you to follow me. It's true that my father wants you to protect me, but there is one threat that he truly wants you to stop. And that is…"
