While the royal forces moved around Millfall, preparing the local defenses for a possible basilisk attack, Viscount Symons was at his estate dealing with his foolish heir.
Having been out of town for weeks, attending a meeting of provincial nobles led by Duke Scott, Viscount Symons had just learned of all that had happened locally in his absence.
The Viscount was not so surprised to learn of the fall of the Defiant Tyranny and the rise of the Scarlet Syndicate and the Mazzanti family. Something like what had happened was entirely possible, and he had foreseen such a scenario during his trip to Saltstar City.
From the point of view of the head of the Symons family, the chances of Cesar surviving the previous troubles and raising his family's standing were very slim. But they existed, and when the Viscount heard how Cesar had succeeded in his absence, he was not so shocked, despite his surprise.
But there was something that really irritated him about what he had heard. It was the way his son had handled the affairs of the Mazzanti family, but also Marcus' involvement in the kidnapping of a deaf child.
From the Viscount's point of view, Marcus had only made mistakes in his absence!
So he was in his office, with Marcus standing before him, this man avoiding to look him in the face, deeply embarrassed.
But what embarrassed Marcus was not his actions but his failures!
"Boy, what's wrong with you?" Viscount Symons was not careful with his words as he had a dark expression on his face, looking at his son and feeling like beating Marcus until this boy learned the lesson.
"Why were you wasting your time kidnapping a deaf 8-year-old girl when you should have been worrying about your marriage? Damn it, Marcus, we're less than three weeks away from your wedding to Shelby Staples. What's wrong with your head?"
"Father, that Shelby was..."
"Tsk! Shut up!" The Viscount said, already aware of his son's jealousy.
Marcus didn't love Shelby. But he was possessive of everything that 'belonged' to him. As the fiancé of that beautiful woman, he was extremely irritated by rumors that she was seeing men, especially Vicente.
Vicente was only a fool from a distance. But it was with this fool that Shelby showed the most intimacy, which irritated Marcus intensely.
The Viscount already knew all that, but he still wouldn't listen to his son.
What if Shelby was having an affair with Vicente Fuller? It didn't matter one bit to the Viscount! Marcus' marriage to Shelby was political, an alliance between two of the four most influential families in Millfall!
All that mattered was that the marriage took place and that they had an heir. As for whether Marcus or Shelby would be in other people's beds in the meantime, that didn't matter one bit to such a nobleman!
Even though the local customs didn't allow that kind of behavior, especially for women, the Viscount had much more important interests than his son's honor.
He didn't want to be hindered by Marcus' foolish act!
"If you want to restrict that girl, wait until you marry her, you idiot!" The Viscount shouted. "When she's your wife, no one in the Staples family will have anything to say to you if you restrain her for questionable behavior.
But taking action against an 8-year-old girl won't help you now, you fool! Do you realize how much you've embarrassed your family? Now all the nobles look at us like we're creep fellows who abduct little children!"
The Viscount didn't care about Nina. But he cared a great deal about his family's name, how it was associated in the public eye, and especially how other nobles saw it.
To have his name associated with the kidnapping of a deaf child was something the Viscount didn't want for his family, no matter what happened.
It was better for Marcus to be known as a cuckold than a child abductor!
Marcus clenched his fists in humiliation and said. "I'm sorry for my mistakes, Father. I'll do my best not to make them again."
"And why did you go after Cesar fucking Mazzanti by trying to kill him? Are you stupid?" The Viscount continued harshly while his men stood in silence, listening to the worst sermon Marcus had ever heard.
Viscount Symons continued. "Why didn't you do like most of the nobles in the city and make a deal with that damned Cesar? Did you happen to think that all the nobles more experienced than you were wrong and you were right?"
That was what Marcus had thought. But he wouldn't dare say that to his father now.
"I'm sorry." That was all he said.
"I bet you are!" The Viscount looked away, no longer able to bear the sight of his foolish son.
'Unfortunately, I have no other heir, otherwise...' He closed his eyes, regretting his wives hadn't been able to give him another male child.
'But I may live long enough for this fool to have a son. I'll train my grandson more seriously and exclude this idiot from the line of succession.' The Viscount made up his mind, imagining that Marcus and Shelby's son could draw on his mother's intelligence and become truly capable of ruling the Symons family.
Then the Viscount said. "Go to your room. You are under house arrest until your wedding."
"Father..."
"Be thankful that your wedding is near. Otherwise, your punishment would be much more severe, Marcus." He said when he finally saw his son looking into his eyes.
Gulp!
"Use the time you have and try to advance to level 5. Shelby recently advanced to level 3 and is only one level below you."
"I'll do my best!" Marcus said before leaving with one of his men without further question.
Left alone with one of his men, Viscount Symons was curious about local matters and asked. "What happened to Mister Amnesia? I heard that the Staples family lost contact with him recently."
"About that..." One of his men was about to say when a soldier from the kingdom entered the estate shouting.
"Your Grace, please gather your men. The 3rd stage basilisk is coming to town!" The soldier, sent by the local Commander's brother, shouted so loudly that everyone on the estate heard his warning.
The Viscount immediately changed his countenance, leaving the problem he had recently heard from the Staples patriarch to deal with this other, more pressing matter.
When the soldier entered his office, the Viscount asked him. "What are you talking about? Weren't your parties hunting it in the Rocky Gorge?"
The soldier summarized as quickly as he could, knowing the basilisk was fast and would soon reach Millfall. "Yes, one of our groups in that area sent us a message a few minutes ago, alerting us to the basilisk's movement. It's coming to the city right now!
Please, Your Grace, gather your men and come with me. The standby Commander wants to stop the creature before it enters the city and causes casualties."
Viscount Symons rose from his chair, worried but not afraid.
"Gather our strongest men. Let's see what this damned beast is capable of!" He said to the man standing beside him.
