Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 375. National asset

The second was the ’Note’ stating that he needed to be sent to the ’Genesis Project’.

’To extract my source code... I don’t understand that part... What is source code?’ Theo asked himself.

Several explanations surfaced in his mind, but not one of them was a good one.

’Whatever this is... it’s pretty clear that it’s bad for me...’

The baroness stared at the full status screen and clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying since they were no longer in their barony.

Yet the baron gently held her hand, making her feel some measure of calm after a few seconds.

But that didn’t mean the baron was doing any better.

He looked at Theo, then back at the stats. While they were just average in comparison to a level 10 individual, he was certain they still felt unusual for someone Theo’s age, just as the description had stated.

His gaze then shifted to the emperor, who remained completely silent. Their eyes met briefly before the emperor finally spoke.

"Interesting."

"So I was right when I said this affinity is awfully similar to our benevolent artifact..." the emperor added.

When the red-robed person finished writing, he exchanged a glance with the emperor before stepping behind the machine and switching the screen off. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Theo looked at the emperor, who was already staring at him.

"Your unusually high luck... perhaps that is what brought you to me...," he said, his eyes distant, as though he were speaking more to himself than to them.

"You have done a great job bringing your son here for evaluation today, Aldric," the emperor continued, not even sparing a glance at the baron.

His gaze remained unfocused, fixed somewhere else, as if he was getting more intrigued the more he thought and studied the parchment containing Theo’s status.

"That depends on how you decide to act now, Rael."

The baron stepped forward, positioning himself between the emperor and Theo.

The emperor looked at the baron with an amused smile, as if that was his poker face and everything came down to that very expression always.

"Your son is not just a young Aldric of the kingdom anymore, Aldric..."

The amused smile deepened, becoming a lot more amused.

The baron’s right hand’s finger twitched for a moment.

"Choose what you say next carefully, Rael. I am not playing anymore, not with Melric, and not with you."

The emperor only smiled and shook his head lightly.

"You always assume the worst of me, Aldric."

"I merely want to tell you that... Young Theo is no longer just a Merrick in the kingdom’s eyes."

He paused.

"He is a national asset."

Theo felt as though his world was being flipped upside down with every word he heard during this evaluation.

First, the machine had revealed far too much. And now, the emperor had said something Theo had always somewhat expected.

But that was the problem.

He had expected it.

He had never prepared himself to decide what he would do next when it might actually come true.

The baron’s face morphed with annoyance, but when his gaze returned to Theo, he let out a slow sigh.

"Can you explain what you mean by ’national asset’, Rael?" the baron asked evenly.

Then his voice hardened as he continued, "If you don’t, I will have no choice but to assume that you just want to use my son as a weapon."

This time, the emperor didn’t dilly-dally with his response anymore. He was on point and replied immediately.

"That is not true," he said calmly.

"Look at you, Aldric. You are considered a national asset yourself, but do you feel like we use you as a weapon?"

Theo didn’t know why, but he could feel something in the emperor’s voice...

A faint sadness, almost as if he was genuinely hurt by the baron’s accusation.

"Tch." The baron clicked his tongue and stepped aside, returning to stand with the baroness.

The emperor merely shook his head and sighed.

"Young Theo," he continued, "I will not consider you a national asset in front of the world, not yet. But in the royal records, you will be listed as one, secretly. And I will make sure of that."

"As a national asset, you will bear no additional responsibility beyond those you already have or would have carried regardless."

"You will live as you always have. You will be given full freedom in everything you pursue."

Then, a faint smile curved on his lips. "There are, of course, some additional perks to being a national asset as well."

"Whatever you request until you’re officially a national asset, if it is in the discretion of the kingdom and you remain descreet, we will provide you with it. Whatever you desire, young Theo."

"And that included any kind of resources you might need to move on with your affinity," the emperor added.

’He knows a lot...’ Theo didn’t show it on his face, but the depth of what the emperor already knew slightly creeped him out.

He didn’t know whether it was the baron himself who had told him everything or if he had some other means, but that didn’t matter.

What mattered was that the emperor knew a lot.

"And when the time comes that we deem you ’ready’, you will assist the kingdom in all the duties you would have fulfilled regardless, just like your father does. Just as I do."

With that, he concluded.

"What do you feel about that?"

He then asked with a smile that didn’t seem poker anymore; instead, it felt genuine.

Not that Theo was totally sure.

Theo didn’t glance at his parents for even a second. His eyes remained locked with the emperor’s.

’If it’s just like my Father... then I already know all the things he will make me do... It doesn’t sound that bad. The perks of freedom and getting anything as long as I am discreet is very tempting.’ Theo thought.

’But before all that... is there a reason why I would ever reject this? This is my home. I want to live here. With my family.’

Theo rose up from the lavish chair and stepped forward, stopping a respectful distance from the emperor.

Without hesitation, he dropped to one knee right away, making his parents exchange a look before they turned back to him.

"I will be honoured, Your Majesty, the Emperor."