Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 383. Everyone saw I am a foundation human?

While Theo was still debating what he should do, or shouldn’t do next, the head butler came to see him early that morning.

"Young Master Theo, the Baron would like to see you in his study," the butler said with finesse.

Theo nodded and closed the journal he had been writing in.

"I will go. But did you find anything about what I asked for?" he asked as he stepped out of his room without any attendants.

He had already sent Clara to meet her family again, and he had practically forced Elias to travel west of the kingdom to see his mother.

The head butler followed a step behind him and informed him in a calm tone, "I have found two ant colonies. However, they are at the far end of the Whispering Forest. You will have to travel some distance if you’d like to procure them."

"I see."

Theo continued down the corridor. As more knights passed by, the more they were surprised by how much Theo had changed.

This was the second time they had seen him since his return, and none of them were used to the change in his physique.

When they reached the study, the butler opened the door, and Theo entered without hesitation.

Holding the door, the head butler watched Theo’s back for a moment. He could clearly see the difference. The child who once walked these halls with slow, fearful steps was gone.

Now, Theo walked casually, as if nothing in the barony could trouble him.

A faint smile formed on the butler’s face before he stepped inside and closed the study’s door behind him.

"How was your rest?" the baron asked, still fully engrossed in the papers before him.

"Very well, Father. I had a lot of time to think freshly too. I also gave the attendants a one-day break since they haven’t had one in a while."

"Good choice."

Silence lingered in the study for a few seconds. Theo waited, as if expecting his father to explain why he had been called. But seeing the baron so absorbed in the papers, he couldn’t help but not want to disturb him and quietly took a seat on the chairs opposite the table.

A minute later, when the baron finally set the document aside, he looked up again.

"Grow up quickly so that I can dump all this paperwork on you," he said with a groan. "Let your old man retire already."

The butler couldn’t help but observe the laughing Theo and the baron in a new light. Since their return from the gate, the relationship between the father and son had noticeably gotten closer than before.

"You’re still very young, Father. You can handle the paperwork for several more years with ease," Theo replied with a smile, making the baron simply stare at him.

"So you will take over in a few years?"

There was a short pause before Theo replied.

"Well, we will see about that when we get there, Father. For now, I just want to focus on growing more, both in terms of knowledge and strength."

The baron nodded; he opened a nearby drawer, took out a ring, and tossed it toward Theo.

Theo caught it and looked at it with a frown on his face, clearly confused.

The ring seemed to be made of a brownish metal that was polished properly and inlaid with an unimpressive green gem-like thing in its center.

"This is the tool I was talking about," the baron said. "It alters your displayed status and makes you look weaker."

Theo’s eyes sharpened as he looked at the ring in a new light. He quickly slipped the ring onto the finger it fit best and opened his status.

"Hmm!" Theo was shocked to see what appeared before his sight.

"Your ’Foundation Human’ will now appear as ’Normal Human’, and your level will always show a few levels lower than your actual one."

"So that’s why I appear as level 8 right now."

"Exactly. This tool is very powerful. The superior version we were able to procure was given to the Emperor. He was wearing it when we met him, Theo."

Theo looked at his father and let the thought sink in.

"He was using one too? But why?" he couldn’t help but ask in confusion.

The baron smiled faintly.

"It’s because the better an emperor hides his true status, the less his enemies will be able to learn about him."

Theo didn’t feel like the explanation was convincing enough, but he let the matter rest. After all, it was his father who was explaining it.

"So now my Foundation Human looks as Normal Human, and my level shows as 8, Father."

"But... there’s also something I am worried about."

"What is it?" The baron’s eyes narrowed.

"E-Everyone at that noble gathering should have seen my status; back then, ’Foundation Human’ was clearly written over it. Why didn’t anyone react?"

At Theo’s question, the baron grinned widely.

The sight immediately eased Theo’s thoughts; this was the smile his father wore whenever something interesting was about to unfold. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"There’s an unspoken rule when you stand before the emperor," the baron said. "They teach it in the academy too, son."

"And that is...?"

"You are not allowed to check the status screen in the emperor’s presence. It is considered disrespectful and can be penalized."

Theo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. There was actually a rule like that?

"Uhhh... but how would the emperor even know if someone checked another person’s status?" Theo asked.

The baron’s grin widened even further. "You underestimate the emperor too much, son. He pretends to be nothing more than a sly old man... but the things he has up his sleeves, you can’t even imagine them."

He leaned back slightly. "Perhaps one day, you will get to see everything the kingdom truly has to offer."

"Do you know everything, Father?" Theo asked.

The question made the baron pause and think a little.

"Son, I am about to tell you something that isn’t written in any history books you will ever find. But all the great families know about it."

"I was the one who helped Rael, the current emperor, rise to power."