The next day, Rufus, William, and Julius found themselves sitting inside Mikhail’s study. Opposite them are none other than the owner of the study and their mother, Auriel. Both adults had serious expression plastered on their face.
“So… why are we here?” Julius asked in an innocent tone, despite already knowing what the upcoming discussion is about.
“First, we need to let you all know about Sentinel Cradle System,” Auriel said in a gentle voice. “Since Julius had awakened as a Sentinel, he will definitely be required to attend there.”
“Oh, that’s right. Julius is a Sentinel unlike us…” Rufus said. “But… will he be okay? Most of the trainees there are Alpha with some Beta. An Omega… would be the first, right?”
“That is right. Yesterday, Julius had a test to determine whether if he is a Sentinel or a Guide. The results should have been announced yesterday but since we still haven’t heard from them…” Mikhail’s eyes scanned the trio to gauge their reaction. “It means that there is an issue.”
“Is it because Julius is an Omega?” William asked.
“That, and those bas— Ahem.. I mean, those people from House of Vitalis may have something to do with it. A certain someone failed to understand what moderation is,” as Mikhail said this, his gaze shot towards Julius.
Julius merely smiled sheepishly at the accusation, entirely unrepentant. “Uncle… you can’t blame me. That Braskarn was scary.”
Then, silence ensued.
Auriel turned to Mikhail who immediately avoided his gaze. “My dear younger brother… You never told me that the beast that my youngest was facing is Braskarn,” Auriel said in a low voice.
“I just thought that it’s not that important,” Mikhail replied. “Not when the Braskarn was obliterated completely.”
“But I still have the right to know!”
“I’m sorry…” Mikhail apologized. “Let’s not get sidetracked though. Yes, Julius fought against the Braskarn and Mitchell saw it. Not only did he see the fight, he also see the value that Julius had as a Sentinel. With that strength, the power hungry Mitchell will definitely want to get him back.”
Rufus and William tensed at the mention of Mitchell. Their expression darkened as they remembered their experience while living in the household. The cold treatment from the person who is supposed to be their father. It was enough to dampen their mood.
Julius, on the other hand, merely rested his chin on his palm. His lips curving into a smirk as he mocked Mitchell in his head. “His son was th—” he stopped immediately as soon as he realized what he had just said. He had forgotten that he had made a promise to Mikhail not to let Auriel know about Mitchell’s other son. “Ah… I mean… Just because he finally saw my strength, he suddenly called me his son. It feels very nauseous.”
He tried to change his words, and prayed that Auriel did not notice what he originally wanted to say.
“When you were born, he didn’t even look at you. And now, he had the face to call you ‘son’?” Auriel could be seen to be seething.
Mikhail let out a quiet sigh, giving Julius a knowing glance but chose not to address his slip ups. Instead, he focused on calming his brother. “Brother, let’s not waste our energy on that man’s hypocrisy. What matters now is to prepare the children on what is to come.”
Auriel took a deep breath, schooling his expression back into composure. But his shoulder remained tense. “You’re right… But that doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and do nothing,” Auriel replied. “Rufus, William and Julius… Mitchell will definitely take action the moment Julius has to attend the Cradle. Knowing him, his first move will be taking Julius back into the House of Vitalis.”
William and Rufus immediately protested, their voices overlapping.
“No way—!”
“That bastard has no right—!”
Auriel raised a hand, silencing them with a firm look. His usual warmth was replaced by an icy resolve. “Believe me, I don’t want this either. But right now, this is the best way to ensure Julius’s safety. As long as Julius is surnamed Vitalis, the Alphas there will have a second guess in trying to mess with him.”
Rufus clenched his fists, glaring at the floor. “So you’re telling us to let that bastard claim Julius just for protection?”
“Not claim. Leverage,” Mikhail answered. “As much as we hate Mitchell, it is fact that the Vitalis name holds weight. In addition, Julius will obtain quite a lot of benefits. A private quarter, for one.”
William scowled, arms crossed tightly. “Benefits? And at what cost? That man doesn’t do anything unless it serves his interests. We may be young… But I still remember how he is. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”
Rufus also wanted to give a piece of his mind but was stopped when Julius beat him to it.
“So… as long as I followed the Vitalis surname, I get a private quarter? No room mates and no unnecessary interactions? That does sound nice. What happens if I cause a little… trouble?”
Mikhail sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could sense the mischief coming from his nephew again. “Julius—”
Julius leaned back against his chair, tilting his head slightly with a mischievous smirk. “Uncle, I understand your concerns. But between being thrown into a nest of Alphas without protection and playing along just enough to be untouchable? I’d rather have my own space.”
Rufus clenched his jaw. “And when Mitchell decides to exert his ‘fatherly’ authority?”
“Oh, he can try,” Julius replied simply. ‘In fact, I’ll give the House of Vitalis a present that would be unforgettable if he does try,’ he added in his mind.
Since the person most affected had agreed, there was nothing else Rufus and William can say. In the end, they could only accept it.
“Have we all arrived in the same page?” Mikhail asked. When the three children nods their head, Mikhail then took out a digital tablet. “Then I will explain to you how the Cradle works.”
The Sentinel Cradle System is a training and conditioning program for Sentinels within the Empire of Daenavis. Usually it is not mandatory for all Sentinels to attend it. But for Sentinels that were given rank S and above, they are required by law to attend the Sentinel Cradle System. This was also one of the reason why Mikhail asked Julius to hide his strength.
“So… I could’ve avoided all of this entirely if the test result determined that I rank below S?” Julius asked.
Mikhail who heard this simply gave him a flat look. “Yes. But considering your exceptional performance against the Braskarn, you can give up the hope of that happening.”
Julius clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Tch. How annoying,” he mumbled in a soft whisper.
Of course, Mikhail heard it but he decided not to engage with it. With a sigh, Mikhail tapped the tablet screen and continued: “The Cradle is divided into several tiers, with cadets ranked based on their potential and performance. Those in the higher tiers—especially those ranked S and above—receive advanced training, better resources, and usually direct connections to the Empire’s military and elite forces.”
The tension in the room remained palpable as Mikhail continued his explanation. Julius listened with a half-lidded gaze, his mind already calculating potential advantages and loopholes he could exploit within the system.
“Given your ranking, you’ll be placed in the topmost tier, alongside other S-rank Sentinels,” Mikhail continued. “This means you’ll be closely monitored by both instructors and potential sponsors from the military. The higher your performance, the more influence you’ll gain…” Mikhail trailed off when he noticed that Julius wasn’t even paying attention and another heavy sigh left his lips. He never thought that once he had returned to the past, he would be even more mentally exhausted than in his first life. And the cause of his exhaustion is none other than the nephew that didn’t survive in his previous life. “… But it also means that there will be more eyes on you…” he finished wearily as he rubbed his temple.
Julius blinked lazily, propping his head up with one hand. “Influence and scrutiny, huh? Sounds like a party.”
“Julius.” Mikhail’s voice was flat. “You’re not taking this seriously.”
“I am,” Julius replied, stretching his arms behind his head with a casual smirk. “I’m just not panicking. Relax, Uncle—I’ll behave.”
Mikhail snorted. “Your version of ‘behave’ usually ends with someone crying or hospitalized.”
“Is it my fault that they are weak?”
“At the very least, be more… You know what? I give up. I am sure that you can handle yourself,” Mikhail muttered in a defeated tone.
Auriel however, did not share the same sentiment. His brows furrowed while his hands were clenched together. “Julius, this is not something you can take lightly… You may laugh it through today but when you finally enter the Cradle, you may find yourself alienated and taken advantage of…”
At that, Julius’s smile faltered. He then stood up, slow and deliberate, the mischief that had always present in his eyes long gone and replaced with calmness. He approached Auriel and gently took his hands in his. “I’m aware, Dad,” he said in a soothing tone. “Please don’t worry. I will make sure that anyone who tried, will regret their decision.”
Auriel stared at his youngest son. He did not know why but at this moment, it felt as if Julius has grown up to be an adult. He reached out a hand and gently cup Julius’s face. “Look at you, trying to act all grown up and appease my worry,” he muttered in a soft voice.
Leaning against Auriel’s touch, Julius relaxed and closed his eyes. “Don’t worry, Dad. Just trust me. And with my glands gone, they can’t take advantage of the fact that they are alphas to suppress me. Right, Uncle?”
Mikhail stared at both Julius and Auriel who had turned their attention to him. While what Julius said is not wrong, but there were still instances where Alphas were still able to influence glandless Omegas. But if he were to mention this, he knew that Auriel will end up getting worried sick the whole time Julius is in the Cradle so all he could do was nod his head in agreement.
Auriel finally relaxed his tense shoulder and let out a sigh. “Still, that doesn’t mean that you can lower your guard,” he gently pats Julius on the head. “Promise me, Julius, that you will be careful.”
“I promise,” Julius answered in a sincere tone, devoid of any mischief.
Satisfied with Julius’s answer, Auriel nods his head and gently pulled him into a hug. Rufus and William both exchanged glances and as if reaching a silent agreement, both scurried over to where Auriel and Julius were. Both opened their arms and joined the embrace which made Auriel chuckle.
A moment passed, and the warm embrace would have to come to an end. Julius stepped away once he was no longer constrained by the familial hug. “So, what now?” he asked after a while. “Do I just wait for an invitation from the Cradle? Or will Mitchell show up in person to roll out the red carpet for me?”
“Knowing Mitchell, he probably cannot wait to have Julius carry the Vitalis name. So he probably already got in touch with the Overseer of the Cradle. I expect him to be in person to bring the Cradle Invitation letter over,” Mikhail said.
“Alright, then it’s fine if we just go out and have fun for the day, right?” Julius said with a big smile on his face. “We don’t know what is going to happen in the future, so let’s go out to the amusement park! Dad, you promised to bring us all after I graduate, right? Though we missed the graduation ceremony… that promise still stand, right?”
Hearing this, both Rufus and William also could not help but get excited.
“Well…” Auriel wasn’t sure if going out now is a good idea considering everything that has happened. But when he looked at his three sons’ expectant gaze, he could only nod his head. “Alright. We will go. Brother, will you be joining us?” Auriel asked as he turned to Mikhail.
Mikhail pondered for a while before he nods his head. “Someone has to help you keep an eye on the children. And I will help cover half of the costs for today’s venture.”
When all had reached an agreement, the children each ran up to their room to pack their things and prepare for their outings while the two adults just stared at each other helplessly. Then, Mikhail heard a voice transmission in his head which of course, came from none other than Julius.
[Uncle, today you cannot wear your uniform. It is a ‘family’ outing, not a military outing. Wear something casual.]