Rising from the Ashes (Andrew) novel Chapter 2724

The moment everyone left, Lorenzo dropped to his knees and knocked his forehead against the floor repeatedly. He cried, "Mr. Vazquez, I was wrong, terribly wrong. Please calm your anger."

Guillermo clasped his hands behind his back as he stood and said, "Ever since Reginald betrayed me, I stopped taking apprentices. Throughout my entire life, I have only taken on three.

"The first died young and offered nothing worth mentioning. The second was Reginald, a once-in-a-generation talent. To be honest, I still think it's a shame even now. As for the third… that would be you."

He continued, "Lorenzo, your talent was nowhere near Reginald's. But you did have one good trait. You were steady, patient, and capable of enduring what others couldn't. Yet this time, you revealed yourself to be all bark and no bite, greedy for quick success.

"You are my apprentice, and although your martial ability is limited, your real strength has always been strategy, planning, and manipulating the field behind the scenes. But I didn't expect you to take such a winning hand and play it into the dirt."

Lorenzo panicked and stammered, "Mr. Vazquez, I…"

Guillermo cut him off with a cold snort. "I'm not blaming you. Everyone makes mistakes, but some mistakes reveal that a person simply lacks weight, depth, or proper discipline. To put it simply, it shows you're not good enough.

"Reginald's wife, Andrew's mother… The methods that she wielded were unlike anything I had ever seen. Andrew carries the legacy she left behind. I don't yet know what that legacy truly is, but it definitely exists. That was why, back then, I had no choice but to bring someone in to seal his energy core."

He added, "So far, it has worked decently well. But signs of instability have begun appearing again, and your latest failure has made my plans far harder to execute."

Lorenzo growled fiercely, "Mr. Vazquez, why not just kill Andrew directly? Once that brat dies, everything will fall into place. The Lloyd royal family and Reginald may be powerful, but with our side's strength, we don't fear them. Give us a few more years, and with your continued plans, Mr. Vazquez, the entire country would finally fall under your grand vision."