Chapter 12: Overlords Presence [2]

The force shook the entire parking garage. Concrete cracked beneath his feet, nearby cars trembled, and the pillars groaned under the pressure.

My father slowly walked toward Dreck, each step sending cracks through the concrete.

"Say that again," he said quietly. "Go on, Dreck. Finish what you were saying."

I swallowed.

Holy shit.

I knew my father was powerful. He was an Overlord, after all, one of the people responsible for maintaining the domains that protected humanity.

But seeing his power firsthand was something else entirely.

He hadn’t even released his full aura, yet the pressure was already suffocating.

Beside me, Salvatore remained silent, his expression grim.

Dreck, however, stood completely still. His long white hair fluttered in the turbulent mana, but he looked entirely unfazed.

Instead, he sighed.

"Aldric, you’re damaging public property."

My father stopped.

"Public property?" He stared at Dreck in disbelief. "You come here, insult my son, question my ability to raise him, and then lecture me about public property?"

He spread his arms.

"Tell me, old man. Have you finally lost what little sense you had left?"

Dreck’s eyebrows twitched.

"Oh, please. Don’t act as though I insulted your entire bloodline. I said I was worried he might become a scumbag."

He glanced at me.

"Though, considering the rumors surrounding him, perhaps I should have been more direct."

This old bastard...

I’d only just met him, yet he was already talking about me as though I were some delinquent who spent his days causing trouble.

My father’s aura intensified.

"Listen carefully, Dreck. You can insult me all you want. You can question my decisions, criticize my business, and complain about how I run my family."

His expression hardened.

"But don’t you dare threaten my son in front of me."

Dreck’s expression shifted slightly.

"Threaten him? Is that what you think I’m doing?"

"What else would you call it?"

"I’m warning you."

"About what?"

"Your son."

Dreck looked at me again.

"He’s entering an academy filled with young Awakeners who believe strength is everything. Some come from powerful families, while others possess talents that could eventually rival the strongest people in the world."

He paused.

"He’s also the heir to one of the most notorious Mafia families in the world. His surname alone will attract attention, and not all of it will be friendly."

His gaze returned to my father.

"If the rumors surrounding him are true, his enemies won’t wait for him to graduate before making their move. And if he continues behaving as he has until now, someone will eventually decide that killing him is worth the consequences."

I narrowed my eyes.

So that was why Dreck had approached us.

Perhaps he genuinely wanted to warn my father about the dangers awaiting me at the academy. Or perhaps he simply disliked my father and had used me as an excuse to provoke him.

With Overlords, either possibility seemed equally plausible.

"You’re powerful, Aldric," Dreck continued. "Nobody disputes that. But your strength won’t always be enough to protect him."

My father’s eyes narrowed.

"Are you suggesting I can’t protect my own son?"

"I’m suggesting you won’t always be there."

My father laughed.

"That’s the Dreck Storms I remember! Always sticking your nose into other people’s affairs and pretending you’re doing them a favor!"

"Better than spending a lifetime building a criminal empire and calling it a family."

The smile vanished from my father’s face.

The mana around us became turbulent, and his aura surged once more.

If these two actually started fighting, I doubted there would be enough left of the parking garage to bury the bodies.

"Grandpa!"

Alice hurried forward and grabbed Dreck’s arm.

"Please, stop it! You’re embarrassing me!"

Her face was pale as she looked between the two Overlords.

Dreck blinked, then glanced down at his granddaughter. After a moment, he sighed.

"...All right."

His aura disappeared, and the pressure in the parking garage eased.

My father remained where he was, staring at Dreck.

"You’re fortunate your granddaughter is here."

Dreck snorted.

"And you’re fortunate your son is standing behind you."

I frowned.

What was that supposed to mean?

Before I could ask, Dreck turned toward Alice and gently patted her head.

"Come on, sweetheart. We should leave."

Alice nodded, visibly relieved.

As they started toward their SUV, Dreck glanced over his shoulder.

"Oh, and Aldric?"

My father didn’t respond.

"Try not to destroy any more parking garages. The repair bills might bankrupt your little Mafia empire."

My father’s expression twitched before he raised his middle finger.

"Go to hell, you senile old bastard."

"Hahaha!"

Dreck laughed as he continued toward his vehicle.

Once Dreck and Alice had entered the SUV, they drove away.

My father watched until the vehicle disappeared around the corner before clicking his tongue.

"That annoying old man..."

He bent down and picked up his fallen cigar, only to find it crushed beneath a piece of concrete.

His expression darkened.

"...He even ruined my cigar."

I stared at him.

The parking garage was practically falling apart, and he was worried about his cigar?

I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or question the sanity of the people ruling this world.

My father brushed the dust from his coat before turning toward me.

"Well, Lorenzo. What are you standing there for?"

I blinked.

"What?"

"Get in the car. We’re going home."

"Yes Father."

A thick hand was placed on my head.

"Just like earlier, never be intimidated by any enemies. You are the son of me, Aldric Riina. Remeber that."

"...Yes, father."

...And I truly meant it.