Chapter 94

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Chapter 94: The Unqualified Father

For some reason, Karoso felt Richard’s gaze was somewhat pitying.

Karoso felt puzzled, why would this person pity him?

With Karoso’s background and abilities, he had always been the one showing pity to others, never the one being pitied.

[I can’t explain this matter… I don’t know what to say.]

[Master Karoso’s theory is not wrong, but he is only considering it from a logical perspective.]

[Master Karoso, sometimes it’s good to believe in your feelings.]

[Actually, Master Karoso has started to develop some feelings for Neymar, he just hasn’t realized it yet.]

[The training in the Colloa family is too frightening.]

"It was indeed my mistake to give up on her," Richard took a deep breath. "But, do you truly know everything? I didn’t abandon her just because I ran out of money, I simply couldn’t afford to take care of her back then! Instead of suffering with me, it’s better for her to learn fashion design and have a good future."

"The reason why I spent my savings so quickly was because I wanted to give her the best of everything! How else could she have gained her foundation?"

"I visited Alita secretly every year, I just, I couldn’t face her… I know, after she left me, she missed me a lot, she didn’t live well, I am her only close relative. But how can I, as a father, with nothing, go see my daughter empty-handed?"

"I admit, I lack the ability to do business, but I always wanted to try, I always wanted to, because I want to give Alita more…"

"In the lowest point of my life, I met my true love. I didn’t deceive her, I told her I was a failure, but she still accepted me." Richard closed his eyes, speaking in pain. "She deceived her father, married me, and helped me pay off my debts."

"At that time, she gave me some money again to invest…"

"I admit, after meeting her, I forgot about Alita and enjoyed life with her."

"She was so good to me, so good that I didn’t want to cause her any trouble…"

"So, when I couldn’t handle the pressure anymore, instead of telling her, I sold the steel."

"You know? At that moment, the way she looked at me was disappointed. She wasn’t disappointed that I lost money, but that I didn’t involve her in sharing the burden."

"She said I always had someone else in my heart, never truly considering her as a close person."

Gulp, gulp…

Richard opened a bottle of cheap beer and started drinking.

"Whew…"

He let out a heavy sigh, his voice hoarse, "I owe her, I owe my daughter."

"I didn’t give Alita enough company, I didn’t love my ex-wife wholeheartedly."

"All I could do was hide the debts I accumulated while doing steel business, not letting my ex-wife know, and then, end it all."

"Just then, I heard news about Alita, she was spirited, as rebellious as her mother, giving me hope to carry on."

"Over these years, I owe her too much, I went into a dungeon, planning to give her some gifts, and then leave her to venture out and repay my debts."

"Unexpectedly, the dungeon was extremely difficult, or perhaps I had lost my adventurer skills, and so, I left my leg in the dungeon."

"After Alita found out, she changed, no longer the spirited Alita, no longer the rebellious Card Maker, but living in a way she used to despise."

"At that time, I wanted to die, but Alita found me, saying I owe her a lifetime, my life belongs to her, she wouldn’t allow me to die…"

"Seeing my daughter being so filial, those people I owe money to also came to her."

"Two years, she spent a whole two years paying off my debts."

"Darn, the interest was just too high, nobles are like vampires!"

Karoso didn’t argue.

Their family’s bank also has high interest rates…

"For these past three years, she has been locked in her laboratory, endlessly making cards and repaying debts… I don’t know, what is the meaning of my existence?"

"At this point, she’s still being a burden."

"I understand." Karoso calmly nodded, "So, you have the right to know her future."

"I am Karoso Colloa from Canglang Province. The future her will serve Canglang Province. Don’t worry, my father doesn’t need a lover, he needs an S-class Card Maker. Or rather, I need an S-class Card Maker to assist me."

"I won’t let her do dangerous things, just looking to buy her abilities."

Richard’s voice was a bit hoarse, "But she will lose her freedom… She has done enough for me, I don’t want her to lose her freedom because of my one leg."

"In your eyes, what is freedom?" asked Karoso.

Karoso couldn’t demand trust from Richard like Merlin could.

Merlin’s way of recruiting and Karoso’s way of recruiting are completely different.

Merlin approached Richard with good conditions, meaning Alita would be free with her.

After all, her so-called Ideal Homeland plan seemed like a free organization, unlike Karoso who is tied to Canglang Province.

Merlin told Richard that Alita should come out, she shouldn’t be trapped in her laboratory.

Richard has the blood of an adventurer, he believes people should be free, not bound by any forces.

He also hopes that Alita is a free person, able to live the way she wants.

The Ideal Homeland perfectly fits.

"Freedom means freedom, Richard frowned.

"People must follow rules; if commoners break rules, they will be punished by the law. If nobles break rules, they will be punished by other nobles. If kings and emperors break rules, there will be uprisings in the country. If a country breaks rules, other countries will destroy it. As long as rules need to be followed, true freedom does not exist," Karoso said. "I am only offering her a job, not making her a slave."

"If she follows me, I will make sure her rights are protected and she is not bullied. She can peacefully create cards she wants, isn’t that good?"

"In her own laboratory, she decides whether to create cards. But if she follows you, will she still have the final say in what she wants to do? If you treat her like a machine producing the same card…" Richard argued.

"You underestimate the nobles. Alita is an S-class Card Maker, and I know better than you how to make the best use of her," Karoso stood up.

"Turning her into a machine that produces one card repeatedly… only a fool would do that."

"Do you know? Healing your leg is her only current aspiration. If she loses that aspiration, what will she do? Will she go down the wrong path?"

"At least I offer her the right path."

"Or, do you have a plan for her?"

"You’re her father, what do you think she should do in the future? As a Card Maker, she needs support from a powerful force, whether she goes to the Alchemist Union, stays in school, or joins the Kingdom’s Alchemy Castle, it’s all about influence. Instead of that, why not choose Canglang Province? At least I can heal your leg."

"To let her be completely free, do you think it’s realistic? What if a strong force forcibly takes her away? How will she protect herself then, with hands that have never fought, or with your injured leg?"

"Forgive me for being blunt, without the protection of the academy, with the debts you owe, what should be done back then can’t be left to her as an A-class Card Maker."

"Even if she opens a card shop in the capital…are you sure she has the genes for business?"

Richard opened his mouth, he had never thought about who could heal his leg, let alone what Alita should do in the future.

Yeah, after I am healed, what should Alita do?

"She is your daughter, she has the right to choose her own path in life." Karoso said, "Is the freedom you talk about really what she wants? How do you know if she does or doesn’t want a stable job?"

"Her future is not something you should be concerned about at all, I’m just informing you what her future holds."

"To be honest, you have been too self-centered in your life."

"All decisions have been what you think is right, you have never cared about their feelings."