Chapter 467: A Father’s Disappointment

Brambleford City, Kingston Village

More than a hundred villagers had gathered in the village square, their faces filled with anger as they listened to the newspaper being read aloud.

"Those old scholars are absolutely shameless! We’ve only just begun enjoying peaceful lives, and now they’re stirring up trouble again!"

"Exactly! If not for His Highness’s policies, would we be living so comfortably today? We mustn’t let those scholars deceive His Highness with their nonsense!"

"That’s right! They want to drag everyone back into the old days. Over my dead body!"

"..."

With every passing moment, the villagers’ anger grew.

Under Simon’s rule, their lives had improved considerably. They had more opportunities to earn money, their children could receive an education, and they no longer had to endure the same hardships that had plagued them in the past.

To them, the prince’s reforms were not empty promises written on paper. There were changes they could see and feel in their daily lives.

Now, a group of scholars wanted to undermine those very policies.

How could the villagers accept that?

After the newspaper reading ended, the village leader raised his hand to quiet the crowd.

"Brothers, sisters, we cannot allow such people to ruin the peace we’ve worked so hard to achieve. Follow me! We’re going to the Martinez family!"

With that, he led the villagers toward Olivier’s home.

Yesterday, Olivier had been beaten nearly unconscious and carried back to the Martinez family residence. His father, Lucas Martinez, had stayed home to look after him and had missed the public reading of the newspaper.

At that moment, Lucas was sitting beside his son’s bed, cursing the people who had beaten Olivier.

Regardless of what his son had done, how could those people gang up on him like that?

Just as Lucas was growing angrier, a commotion erupted outside.

Before he could investigate, a large crowd of villagers stormed into his courtyard.

"Lucas! Take your son and get out of this domain!"

The village leader’s voice rang out.

"Our village has no place for people who disgrace everyone else!"

"That’s right!" another villager shouted. "If people from other villages discover that Olivier is from Kingston Village, they’ll laugh at us. How are we supposed to hold our heads high after this?"

"You’re all wrong!" a third man interjected angrily. "This isn’t simply a matter of shame. It’s betrayal! His family benefited from the Great Prince’s policies, yet he turns around and attacks His Highness. What kind of person does that?"

The crowd immediately erupted into another round of accusations.

Lucas stood frozen for a moment, unable to understand why so many people had suddenly come to his home.

Then his anger flared.

"What are you all talking about? I don’t understand a word of this!"

He stepped forward, glaring at the villagers.

"My son was beaten yesterday, and now you’ve come to humiliate him and his family? Do you think I’m someone you can bully whenever you please?"

"Bah! He should have been beaten to death!" someone shouted.

Lucas’s face turned crimson.

To him, Olivier had always been the pride of the family. His son was educated, articulate, and ambitious. Just last year, Olivier had even met several high-ranking officials of the Eldorian Empire, an achievement Lucas had proudly recounted to anyone willing to listen.

He had never imagined that the same son would one day become the object of public hatred.

Enraged, Lucas grabbed a farming tool and pointed it toward the crowd.

"Jimmy! If you’ve got the courage, say that again! Let’s see whether you can still run your mouth when I’m standing in front of you!"

Jimmy, however, showed no fear.

Instead, another villager stepped forward and spoke in a firm voice.

"Lucas, you haven’t heard today’s newspaper reading, have you?"

Lucas frowned.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Your son’s name is in the newspaper. He led a group of scholars to cause trouble at the governor’s office. They openly opposed His Highness, demanded that Oxford Academy be shut down, and called for a return to the old feudal system!"

The moment those words fell, Lucas froze.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the speaker.

Then he shook his head violently.

"Impossible! You’re lying!"

His voice rose with each word.

"You’re all jealous of my son! He’s a scholar who has studied for years. Why would he do something like that?"

"Why would we lie to you?" another villager retorted. "The person who read the newspaper is still at the village square. If you don’t believe us, go there and ask him yourself!"

Lucas’s expression changed.

He looked at the villagers, hoping to find even a hint that they were joking.

But there was none.

Finally, he released the farming tool. It fell to the ground with a dull clatter.

Without another word, Lucas hurried toward the village square.

***

It didn’t take long for Lucas to return.

But the man who had left in anger was no longer the same person who came back.

He walked into the courtyard with a vacant expression, his face pale and his shoulders slumped. He looked as though someone had suddenly taken away everything he had spent his life working for.

The village leader sighed.

"See? We weren’t lying to you."

He glanced at Lucas and shook his head.

"From the look on your face, I suppose you really didn’t know what your son had been doing."

Lucas’s knees gave way.

Thud!

He collapsed onto the ground, covered his face, and began to weep.

"You little bastard!"

His anguished cries echoed throughout the courtyard.

"I worked from dawn until dusk in those fields! I endured every hardship imaginable just to earn enough money to send you to school!"

His voice broke.

"I thought you would study hard, become a useful man, and serve His Highness. I thought our family would finally have something to be proud of!"

He struck the ground with his palm.

"But what have you done? What have you done?"

Tears streamed down his face.

"Without His Highness’s policies, how could our family have afforded your education? Without the opportunities His Highness created, would you ever have had the chance to meet those officials you brag about?"

Lucas could barely speak through his sobs.

"And now, after everything, you’ve turned against the very person who gave you that opportunity!"

"Waaaah! What did I do to deserve this?"

The sight moved some of the villagers.

Although they remained furious with Olivier, they could see that Lucas had been caught completely off guard. The old farmer had worked hard for his family and had placed all his hopes in his eldest son.

Now, those hopes had turned into a source of humiliation.

One villager stepped forward and patted Lucas on the shoulder.

"Lucas, what’s done is done. We understand that this is difficult for you, but you must make a decision."

He glanced toward the house.

"Our village cannot keep someone like Olivier here. His actions could bring trouble upon all of us. We don’t want to be dragged into his mess."

Others nodded in agreement.

Lucas slowly raised his head.

His eyes moved toward the house, where his second son, third son, and youngest daughter were waiting.

They were innocent.

Whatever mistakes Olivier had made, he could not allow the rest of his children to suffer because of them.

After a long silence, Lucas wiped his tears and struggled to his feet.

"Please, give him time to recover."

His voice was hoarse, but his expression had become firm.

"Once he’s healed, I’ll sever my ties with him. He will have to leave Brambleford."

He clenched his fists.

"Whether he succeeds somewhere else or dies on the road, I will no longer concern myself with his fate."

The courtyard fell silent.

The villagers exchanged glances. Although some still looked dissatisfied, they had achieved what they came for.

Without saying anything more, they turned and left.

***

After the crowd dispersed, Lucas returned to the house.

Olivier was lying in bed, his face covered in bruises. Although he had suffered a beating from numerous people, most of them had not struck with all their strength. His injuries were painful but not life-threatening.

When Olivier saw his father enter, he immediately noticed the grim expression on his face.

He had heard the commotion outside.

He had also heard the villagers’ accusations.

But he had hoped his father would stand by him.

Lucas stopped beside the bed and stared at his eldest son.

"You heard what they said outside, didn’t you?"

Olivier remained silent.

"When you recover, leave this village."

His father’s words were cold and decisive.

"Our village has no place for an ungrateful person, and neither does our family."

Olivier’s eyes widened.

For a moment, he could hardly believe what he had heard.

"Father, how can you say that?"

His voice trembled with a mixture of fear and anger.

"This isn’t my fault! I’ve studied for so many years. I’ve spent my entire life preparing for the imperial examinations, yet now I’m not even qualified to enter the official system in this domain. Tell me, why?"

He struggled to sit up, wincing as pain shot through his body.

"In the end, the Great Prince is nothing more than a foolish ruler! He looks down on poor scholars like us and refuses to give us a chance!"

"Rubbish!"

Lucas’s roar cut him off.

Olivier flinched.

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lucas pointed angrily at him.

"Who told you that you weren’t given a chance? Everyone who studies at Oxford Academy is eligible to take the examinations. Why didn’t you go there?"

Olivier opened his mouth, but his father continued before he could answer.

"Wasn’t it because Hill Dickinson, the imperial chief examiner, was overseeing the examinations? Weren’t you afraid that studying at Oxford Academy would damage your chances of entering the imperial system?"