He would occasionally glance at the ranking pillar outside and see Arthur's name there. This made him frown even more.
When Patriarch Calcetti heard the whispers of the mass of people beneath the ship about Arthur, his frown deepened. Then he heard some people on the ship ask the same question.
They were asking each other who Arthur Red Mane was. Patriarch Calcetti couldn't take it anymore. He slammed his fist on the table and glared at Augustus.
Then he said to him, "I feel like beating your buttock bloody. Since you are among family, you won't be embarrassed if I do so. So I am getting inclined to do so every moment now."
Augustus's face fell while his numerous brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, and aunties smiled or chuckled.
In fact, his brother said, "You're right, patriarch. There is nothing embarrassing if he is beaten in front of us."
Patriarch Calcetti glared at the man, which shut him up. Then Patriarch Calcetti returned his attention to the Augustus and said, "It seems I was right. There is already someone in support of what I said. If you have a reason why I shouldn't beat you now, you should make it clear before I make up my mind."
Augustus didn't know what to say. He had a suspicion about what he had done wrong, but he wasn't exactly sure. Knowing that one wrong move would see him beaten in front of everyone, he decided to be cautious about his approach.
This matter is serious. Everyone knows that Patriarch Calcetti isn't joking because this won't be the first time that he would be someone in front of everyone. When the Patriarch used to teach them when they were young, he had done this many times.
So if Augustus were to be beaten now in front of everyone, it wouldn't be the first time that it would happen. Even so, he didn't want to be beaten.
So he asked carefully, "May I ask, patriarch, what is it that I have done wrong?"
Patriarch Calcetti glared at him and asked, "Tell me, which family is that kid in the number one position out of over 5 million others? Tell me, what family does he or she hail from? Does he or she even have a family?"
The more Augustus heard, the more he was able to pinpoint what he had done wrong.
He knew the answer to those questions, and he also knew that the Patriarch knows those answers too. But the two of them knowing the answers to those questions is not the point right now.
Seeing Augustus speechless and racking his brain for an answer, Patriarch Calcetti sneered and said, "Well done. You have raised your bastard very well. It seems you are good at raising people. If you can raise a bastard this well and don't feel the need to inform the family about his identity or the world about his relationship to our family, I'm sure that's because you can make your legal son do better."
Augustus's face paled. He rose to his feet and scrambled to have an excuse. He said, "I made a grave mistake, patriarch. I should have made him a true child of the family when I had the chance."
The patriarch glared fiercely at him as if he wanted to bite Augustus. He said, "What are you talking about? Do you think I am angry because someone from our family is performing so well, yet the surname of our family is nowhere around their name? Do you think I want to be able to brag about him without looking like a liar?"
"In fact, even if I wanted to brag about him, do I have to do it myself? His name should be enough to do all the bragging for me. I shouldn't have to say shit for anyone anywhere to know that he is a part of our family."
Instead, I see that his name is Arthur Red Mane. What kind of nonsense is that?"
Augustus hurried to say, "I didn't know that he was this good until recently. If I knew, I would…"
Patriarch Calcetti cut him off. "Don't give me your excuses. What I want is results. So I'll give you one more chance. If you can make your son take the number 1 position, I would let this go. If not, I swear I will beat you so badly that you won't be able to sit right for a while."
Augustus's face paled. His brother grinned openly while others gloated secretly.
Patriarch Calcetti said to him, "What are you standing for? You should sit down and hope that you gave birth to two sons who happen to be the best in five countries of this region."
Augustus sat down, but he wasn't comfortable because his buttocks were already feeling phantom pain from the previous beatings that he had taken.
He couldn't calm down because he knew that there was no way his sons would take the first position two times in a row. He doesn't believe that both of them can appear in that position, if only briefly.
Arthur is a fluke. That much is clear to him from watching Arthur advance in the test. To think that anyone else in their family can perform like Arthur is a pipe dream. To think that his next son will perform like Arthur is just delusional.
He had to get his buttocks ready for that beating. With the way Patriarch Calcetti was glaring at him, the old man wasn't joking at all.
Patriarch Calcetti was truly angry. Anytime he saw that name that had nothing to do with the Dyson family, the angrier he became.
He had been angry with Augustus the first time he saw Arthur. But he had forced himself to become calm.
Actually, he had expected that Arthur would do well in the examination. He just didn't expect Arthur to do so well because there might be accidents, and Arthur might be unlucky in the tests. It is something happens regularly.