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    Chapter 921


    Dominic looked at his granddaughter''s thin shoulders. His heart ached with a feeling of unbearable sorrow.


    After all that she had already gone through, how could he bear to ask her to endure even more? How could he let her use the tragedy of her family''s destruction as a bargaining chip to fight for his survival?


    "Grandfather, Carissa''s right," Rafael said gently. "All of this is interconnected-it''s impossible to separate them. And it''s not just for your sake, but to avoid war between the two kingdoms as well."


    If they were to tackle the issues separately, Westhaven might indeed admit their wrongs. They might even apologize and offerpensation, but doing so would weaken their bargaining position.


    Dominic understood that logic. Still, it was too cruel to ask Carissa to bear the weight of it all. He couldn''t continue the conversation.


    At this moment, grandfather and granddaughter faced each other. There was nothing they could say. Family matters were too sensitive, while national affairs were too painful to discuss. But it was rare for them to meet, so neither of them wanted to part ways so soon.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Rafael found the safest topic to bring up-Meadow Ridge.


    He smiled and said, "Carissa, why don''t you tell Grandfather about your time at Meadow Ridge? I''m sure he''ll find it very interesting."


    Dominic''s eyes lit up immediately. "Ah, yes! You trained under Sage Adrian at Meadow Ridge, didn''t you? I''ve met him a couple of times. It''s a shame we didn''t get to talk more. What''s he like? Is he strict and stem? With your martial arts skills, you must have gone through a lot of hardship under his guidance. I imagine he''s been a very strict teacher."


    Carissaughed. "Sage Adrian isn''t strict at all. He''s more like our big brother, and he''s even more mischievous than we are! That''s why our martial uncle, Sage Everett, doesn''t like his style. Every time he finds an excuse to punish us, it''s just to teach Sage Adrian a lesson."


    Dominic was surprised. "Mischievous? That doesn''t sound right. I''ve met him, and my impression was that he was always cold and serious, distant and unapproachable. How could you call him mischievous?"


    Carissaughed again. "He''s been fooling everyone. His so-called cold and serious demeanor? He''s just shy around strangers and afraid of socializing. Once you get to know him, he talks non-stop and shares everything. After a little wine, there''s no secret he can keep. He also loves to tinker with things and makes a mess at the Pathfinders Guild. That''s what drives Sage Everett mad."


    ''Really? I never would''ve guessed." Dominic was utterly surprised. "I thought since he was a guild master, he was extra serious. I didn''t know he was such a fun-loving person on the inside!"


    "That''s right." Carissa rested her chin in her hand, her eyes sparkling. "When I was nine, I came back home for a month. He sent someone to fetch me. When I got to Meadow Ridge, he had them set off firecrackers every few steps, saying he wanted to make holes in my clothes so I wouldn''t dare leave Meadow Ridge for so long again." Dominicughed heartily, only speaking after heposed himself, "That''s just a child''s prank!" ''Exactly! When I first went to Meadow Ridge, I was terrified of ghosts. One night, he dressed up as one and tried to scare me. I was so frightened I cried. Then, he pulled off his ghostly disguise, looked at me seriously, and told me that there''s no such thing as ghosts. He also said that even if there were, ghosts are weaker than humans."


    Dominic couldn''t help but chuckle, realizing how absurd it sounded for a grown man to try and scare a little girl with a ghost costume.


    ''Because of that, Sage Everett grounded Sage Adrian," Carissa added with a mischievous grin.


    "Your martial uncle can ground your mentor?" Dominic asked.


    "Yeah, he''s in charge of the Pathfinders Guild''s discipline and rules. There are over a thousand rules, but the


    punishments? There''s no consistency to them. Sometimes, if Sage Everett is in a bad mood, he''ll dig up old grievances and punish people for those."


    Dominic''sughter filled the room. "Your martial uncle sounds like quite the interesting character." "No, he''s boring."


    "Yes, he''s definitely interesting!"


    Rafael and Carissa answered at the same time, but their responses couldn''t have been more different.