A life of freedom sounded good on paper, but if they wanted to eat, they were going to have to make money somehow. Truthfully, Yuuto hadn’t been beyond wanting to withdraw a retirement fund from the Steel Clan’s coffers, but the clan’s finances had taken a hefty hit, as the quality of Europe’s soil had been woefully poor compared to the richness of the Fertile Crescent—a stretch of land spanning from northern Egypt, in the crescent shape it was so named for, through parts of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel before finally ending between the borders of southern Iraq and Iran. With that in mind, Yuuto decided in the end to leave that money behind to aid his successors, turn Noah into a trading vessel, and dabble in mercantilism instead.
“Well, I won’t deny that, but I gotta say, dad, I wish you’d discussed this with me sooner,” grumbled Nozomu, his hand resting on his cheek. “After all, you made me think all this time that I was gonna be the þjóðann.”
“I thought you didn’t want to?” Yuuto replied.
“Well, you could have at least told me, dammit! Yeah, I didn’t want to do it, but don’t you think this is a bit too important for you to just go ahead and decide on your own?! I mean, this is a big deal concerning my future!” Nozomu yelled in response.
“Yeah, you’re right. You’re already an adult, not to mention you’re married. I probably should’ve at least talked about it with you first,” Yuuto conceded.
“‘Probably,’ my ass! Quit treating me like a little kid, dad!” Nozomu pursed his lips in a pout, ready to argue with his father. Next to him, his wife Ephelia wore a flustered expression. Perhaps she thought Yuuto would scold Nozomu for his insubordination. But Yuuto wasn’t upset. On the contrary...
“Heh heh heh...” He let out a chuckle. After all, Nozomu was asserting that he was already a fully grown adult—just like a kid would. Yuuto had done the very same thing in his youth, so he couldn’t help but find it amusing. However, it seemed Yuuto’s behavior only served to stoke Nozomu’s ire further.
“Wh-What’s so funny?!” an incensed Nozomu barked.
“Nothin’. Just reflecting on how much you’ve grown,” Yuuto said with a snicker.
“Sure seems to me like you’re just making fun of me!”
“I didn’t mean to. Okay, fine, I get it. I’ll discuss things like that with you properly from now on—pfft.”
“Quit laughing! Nothing about this is funny!” Apparently under the impression that his father was teasing him, Nozomu’s anger flared up even more, but that made the entire situation even more hilarious to Yuuto. Of course, Yuuto was aware he was in the wrong and that pissing off his son wouldn’t accomplish anything, but he found the whole thing so pleasantly charming that he couldn’t help but chuckle once more.
“Rrrggh! I said, what’s so funny?! Answer me! You lookin’ for a fight, dad?!”
“No. Sorry, for real this time. I don’t want to get into it with you, Nozomu, and I didn’t mean to upset you like that either. I apologize, so enough with the intimidation.” He managed to stop himself from laughing and gave an earnest apology—although it was because he didn’t want to be rude to his son. He knew that if Nozomu sent any more “threats” like that his way, he might seriously burst out laughing.
“Tch, what’s with you, anyway? You’re such an idiot,” Nozomu grumbled. Apparently realizing anything further would be a waste of effort, he averted his gaze with a huff. He didn’t seem satisfied in the least, but for now, it appeared he’d put down his spear.
“Lord Nozomu, I’m sure I need not remind you that your father has survived countless gruesome battles and gone up against many legendarily powerful foes. Forgive my impertinence, but the level of threat you pose to him is akin to a puppy yapping at his heels.” Just when Yuuto had thought he’d extinguished the flame, Sigrún unhesitatingly doused it in oil once more. The air seemed to freeze over almost instantaneously. In truth, that had been exactly what Yuuto was thinking, but even he’d had the sense not to say it out loud.
When Yuuto cautiously looked over at Nozomu, the young man’s face was red and his whole body was shaking, as if he were a bomb about to explode. It seemed that his pride as a man had been severely wounded.
“You...” Nozomu was clearly about to roar in anger, but then he glanced at the face of Ephelia beside him and managed to suppress the outburst. After taking a deep breath...
“I guess I still have a long way to go before I can even hold a candle to my dad, huh?!” he spat hatefully. Truthfully, it wasn’t a good look for him, but Yuuto’s eyes opened in surprise.
“It seems he’s beginning to acknowledge his own weakness,” Yuuto thought. It seemed like a simple thing on the surface, but it was easier said than done, since pride often got in the way. For Nozomu to realize his own shortcomings was an honest step in the right direction and proof that he had indeed grown. Judging from how he’d stopped himself just now, that was in no small part due to his marriage to Ephelia. “Well, if that’s the case, I suppose I really should quit treating him like a kid so often.”
It was easy for parents to continue to dote on their children as though they were still young, but they weren’t going to remain kids forever just because you wanted them to. Eventually, they were going to grow up and leave the nest. At the very least, it was clear to Yuuto that Nozomu was currently in the process of stretching his wings and preparing to fly.