CHAPTER 74: FATHER

It had been several days, and as far as Gara knew, Grandpa Jaya had been traveling back and forth between town and the village.

Neither Gara nor Wina had asked before. They didn’t want to put the old man in a difficult position. After all, Satyo was his son... and they were his victims.

"Most of the evidence is nearly gathered, whether it’s for kidnapping and slave trading, or the illegal crystal refinery.

I’m heading up the mountain to see if they’ve already started building something up there," Tristan said.

Gara nodded.

Tristan’s gaze lingered on the young boy in front of him. His eyes softened, glimmering faintly, before he quickly reined in his emotions.

"Gara, would you be willing to guide us up the mountain?" he asked.

In the yard, Fian and Madha’s ears perked up. They turned toward Gara and Tristan, ready to join if Gara agreed.

Gara nodded to Tristan but turned to the other two. "You guys should finish Rea’s house. I’m not going up there alone, though."

Fian’s eyes lingered on Tristan before he returned to sawing the plank in front of him, apparently agreeing with Gara’s reasoning.

Madha, however, stepped closer to Tristan. "Please take care of Gara, Captain," he said respectfully, his tone humble.

"Of course," Tristan replied with a nod, clearly satisfied with Madha’s attitude.

He treasured Gara more than anything in the world and he would protect him no matter what. Still, it was a comfort to know there was another person who truly cared for him.

Side by side, Gara and Tristan made their way toward the mountain. The other guards following at a distance, far enough not to overhear their captain’s words, but close enough to react if trouble arose.

"Satyo won’t escape justice," Tristan said, his tone hard. "He’s the leader of his illegal group—kidnapping and selling slaves.

The nobles involved with him, whether as buyers or accomplices in covering his crimes, are under investigation as well."

Gara blinked, surprised. He had thought Satyo’s illegal actions were simply a way to curry favor with nobles from the county. He hadn’t imagined the man was running an entire criminal organization.

"Will he be executed?" Gara asked, his thoughts drifting to Grandpa Jaya, who had lived alone all this time.

"Most likely," Tristan answered. "Don’t feel sorry for him, Gara. Many have suffered because of his greed."

"Of course not, Captain. I only pity the village chief," Gara exhaled heavily. "But... thinking about it, it’s better this came to light now before he caused even more harm, and dragged the chief down with him."

Tristan nodded. "The longer it went on, the more people would have been entangled. But..."

He glanced briefly at the young man beside him, then returned his gaze to the gravel-and-dirt road ahead. "You don’t have to call me ’Captain.’ Just call me Uncle."

"Uncle?" Gara was a little taken aback. Did this mean he’d just gained another connection in this fantasy world?

"Commander Gavin may be my superior, but we’re as close as brothers," Tristan said with a small smile. "He once told me I’d have to be the godfather to his child in the future."

Gara walked quietly for a moment before speaking. "What kind of person was my biological father, Uncle?"

Tristan froze for a beat, caught off guard. The way Gara called him ’Uncle’ sounded so natural—so right—that it stirred something in him.

"Commander Gavin was a wise and capable leader," Tristan said at last. "He valued his people deeply, which earned him the loyalty of many."

Gara listened in silence, suppressing his impatience to know more about his father’s true identity.

"Beyond his leadership, his Talent—Wind Stormblade—was incredibly powerful, and it saved countless lives. Despite being a workaholic, he was still a dutiful son to the Duke and Duchess..."

Gara’s ears pricked up. Duke. Duchess. His father was truly from a powerful noble family.

He was ready to hear more, but Tristan suddenly turned toward him. "Your face resembles Lady Vita, but your hair and eyes are exactly like Commander Gavin’s."

So his mother’s features were the stronger genes.

"I knew about your pregancy from Wina," Tristan continued. "I’ve been trying to find a protective barrier to place over the Marquess Cakra’s territory."

"You still want to take me to the Marquess Cakra’s lands?" Gara asked, surprised. He thought this newly found uncle of his might have dropped the idea.

But more importantly, why had Tristan stopped talking about his father’s identity?!

"No matter what, I’d feel safer if you were there," Tristan said. "I’d even take you to the duchy if the situation there weren’t so unstable. The druids are still keeping an eye on that territory."

"What duchy, Uncle? Which noble family does my father belong to?" Gara finally decided to ask directly rather than wait for Tristan to volunteer the answer.

"Oh, that’s right—you don’t know yet. Your grandfather is Duke Eshaan of the Esalavya Duchy, commander of the strongest Liner forces in the Swargaloka Province. My father, Marquess Cakra, is his vassal, stationed at the border."

The strongest Liner forces in all of Swargaloka Province, meaning the most powerful human army in existence.

Just hearing it made Gara sense the immense strength behind the name... and the inevitable tangle of political conflicts that came with it.

"Wouldn’t the ruler—or whoever leads the province—be concerned about a duke having an army stronger than his own?" Gara asked, the question slipping out before he realized it.

Tristan rubbed his face suddenly. "I’m sorry, Gara. You’ve had to go through all this." There was genuine regret in his eyes.

Gara blinked, confused at first—until it clicked. Tristan wasn’t apologizing for the question. He was apologizing for the fact that Gara’s knowledge of such basic matters was practically nonexistent.

As the grandson of a duke, he should have been well-versed in the ways of the world. But instead, his life so far had been spent hiding, cut off from everything beyond his safe walls.

"There’s no ruler in the province," Tristan explained.

...