“M-my Lord!” Sir Leonard hurriedly called out in a fluster.

The wizened mage was padded with confusion and anxiety as he stood opposite of his respected Lord. It was only natural of course, as Viran was still long gone from the village and now the Lord was here? The sudden arrival had made it very likely for Renault’s presence to be known, and that would mean the complete end of Renault and Leonard’s lives.

“Sir Leonard.” Lord Idicium big greetings as his steely and apathetic gaze wandered across the estate in front of him.

To put his feelings as simply as they possibly could, the aged Lord was understandably disappointed at the condition the entire estate was in. The walls were decayed and broken while tents still congregated within the walls themselves. Though there were residences that were built in and around the estate, there was still a large problem with housing everyone. For Knights it wasn’t much of a problem, but the servants undoubtedly had it worse off.

The servants were the ones sleeping in the tents after all.

“Hrm.” Sir Leonard coughed into his arm lightly once he saw Lord Idicium’s gaze tighten. It was evident that the Lord was getting suspicious, afterall it was basic courtesy for Viran to come out and welcome his Father.

“Where is he?” Lord Idicum questioned in an impetuous way.

Those were the exact words Sir Leonard didn’t want to hear at this moment. His heartbeat quickened as a shiver ran up his spine, and just as he was prepared to respond a certain Knight stepped forward.

“My liege, I saw Lord Viran run through the village only a short while ago. It seems he left immediately after his lessons with Sir Leonard.” The Knight Sava promptly spoke.

Lord Idicium’s apathy broke as a grimace surfaced over his face, yet instead of admonishing Sava he turned towards Sir Leonard. His ferocious anger was prepared to be fully unloaded upon the wizened mage.

“Fool. You truly left Viran all by himself? Did I not say that his safety, above all else, was paramount?” Lord Idicium yelled as the medallion hidden within his clothes began to heat, as though coinciding with the fury Lord Idicium felt.

“My apologies my Lord… However I can only do so much alone. If Sava had seen Lord Viran leave alone, why would he not go along with him, hrm?” Sir Leonard glared towards the Knight.

However Sir Leonard’s timely defense could only crumble in front of the fury and prestige of his Lord.

“Stop Sir Leonard.” Lord Idicium’s eyes begin to shoot directly through Sir Leonard. “Deflecting the blame will do you no good. You are, afterall, close with the boy. That makes you the primary protector of him.”

Lord Idicium’s unreasonable defense of Sava caused many eyebrows to perk up in confusion, yet no one stepped forward to voice their thoughts. Sava himself frowned to himself as though he had just seen something doltish.

“Hrm… Y-yes my Lord.” Sir Leonard bowed deeply as he conceded completely. There was simply no use in defending himself against his forceful Lord.

This was all commonplace in the Empire, it didn’t quite matter what those of the lower classes thought. What the Lord thought, was indubitably correct in the end. Were Sir Leonard to push through the oppression placed forth upon him, the ending would not be pretty.

Sir Leonard’s eyes shivered in front of his furious Lord. Despite the average frame of the Lord, the strength hidden beneath that exterior was still frightening even for an old mage like him. Strength not in magic or armaments, but the strength of his own innate gift. Even if the man known as Robert Idicium was left without his Noble Title, the strength of him alone would force Sir Leonard to forfeit still.

The old man, however, did not let his own feelings and thoughts flicker for even a moment. He had already experienced the oppression put forth by the higher class and he was already used to minding his own business, at least until Viran. Were it not for the bloodied pulp Viran became on that day, and the personal request of Sir Renault, the old man was sure he would have simply left Viran alone. Just as he had done many times before.

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“Eeeh…” Viran silently groaned in deliberation to himself. “Do I just pretend I never left or do I walk out now?”

Since the beginning Viran had watched the scene unfold in front of him in consideration. His hands gripped harshly upon the top of the wall as he dug his feet deep into the footholds of the wall. Due to the decayed nature of the wall it was quite simple for the boy to find footholds in order to leap himself over.

“It’s important to pay back those that have helped you.” Ry said softly as he gave his opinion. “...And of course those that have wronged you.”

“Hmph. I suppose you’re right… But there must have been a lot more Knights that saw me run out so saying that I never left at all would be too unreliable…” Viran muttered to himself in consideration.

Seeing Lord Idicium suddenly send Knights away to look for him Viran quickly climbed over the wall in a hurry. As Viran climbed over the wall, he rashly placed his foot into a weak stone as it broke underneath him. The boy falls completely down onto his back, practically erasing all of the air within him.

“Kugh!” Viran sucked in air harshly as he fumbled back to his feet.

Raising his head Viran sees that everyone’s attention has been placed back onto him. Sir Leonard looked on with a flabbergasted expression, Sava a cold smile, and Lord Idicium a deep glare.

All Viran could do was wince and press his eyes closed.

----------------------------------------

“Hmph. Why does he even want us to come with him, so stupid.” Viran muttered darkly as he sat in a carriage.

Though it had been more than a year since he had gone such a large distance in a carriage, Viran still felt terribly about the simple contraptions. The memories associated with them and the stiffness was terrible.

“Hrm, I can’t help but agree. Perhaps he is afraid another assassination would happen if we travel to the capital alone? Though I don’t see that happening since Spion is alone and the Axrid family…” Sir Leonard muttered in front of him.

“Wait what happened to the Axrid Family?” Viran jumped hearing that name, it was the household Gregory initially hailed from afterall.

Sir Leonard paused questionably before looking out towards another carriage up ahead from theirs.

“Hrm, the entire family was executed. They received most of the blame for your attempted assassination except from a notable few. The young miss from there and some distant relatives…” Sir Leonard muttered to himself. “Though the same executions had precedence in the past, the many Noble Houses underneath your Father hold more resentment and distrust towards him.”

“A shame indeed.”

Viran’s eyes shook intently at the news. It seems that his objective all the way back then at getting back at Gregory had worked, except too well.

Over a year ago Viran survived Tenus Forest and was brought back to the estate. There were little questions about how he survived or the many dead bodies that still littered the forest, but the one question that was asked much was why? Why did suddenly half of the convoy decide to turn their backs on Lord Idicium? Viran already knew the name and face of every person back then that had conspired against him, yet he knew it was futile to explain it all. So he conceded in telling Lord Idicium how House Axrid was behind the sudden assassination, and much to Viran’s surprise Spion had escaped the next day and left suitable evidence to prove his own account.

Viran wanted to get back at Gregory, but he never wanted the entire family killed.

“...How has Gregory been at the estate?”

Sir Leonard’s lips pursed as he took a sip from a glass that stood on the table in front of him.

“From the rumors I’ve heard from the Knights that guard the estate… The boy seems to have started to slack off on his studies and everything else, especially his magic and martial training. Lord Idicium has repeatedly been displeased, some even said he struck the boy at one point.”

Sir Leonard paused before continuing. “Hrm… They have also said that the boy seems to exhibit paranoia towards his surroundings. He has a lamp lit at all times in the middle of the Knight, he makes the servant eat his food before him, and he refuses to drink any elixirs given to him.”

“Shouldn’t the estate physician take a look at him then?” Viran asked.

“The boy refuses everytime. Right now they are able to wait, but soon they’ll have to strap the boy down and check him. The estate has been in a tense state for a long time now…” Sir Leonard wistfully breathes out deeply as his eyes finally part from the carriage that Gregory resided in alone.

Viran looked at his hands as he thought deeply.

Just why was Gregory acting like this now? A deep depression wouldn’t be abnormal for the boy since the Axrid House was executed, but paranoia? Viran wasn’t sure what could be the cause… Just what was Gregory afraid of?

Lord Idicium? Spion? Or perhaps Viran himself?

“The more time you spend thinking over trivialities like these the less you will be prepared for the future.” Ry said to Viran.

“They’re not that trivial to me Ry…” Viran responded disheartenedly.

“It is trivial to think about it, boy. Don’t believe yourself to ever be safe. And don’t get hopeful about anything.”

Ry’s sudden urging in Viran’s head was quite annoying for the young boy, but he could feel as though something was definitely wrong. Though Ry had said he will only be a spectator, he has offered eluding words for him and advice as well. But Viran was unsure what could possibly go wrong when they entered Verita.

All Viran needed to do was show up to the capital and receive his blessing from Craynor. The boy had the exceptional reputation as the son of the House that dutifully served both the God Craynor and the Empire itself, it was doubtful that anyone would be able to do anything to him unless it was the Emperor itself. But such a thing was too absurd, and by then it was likely Viran’s life would be forfeit.

‘I might as well cultivate my mana…’ Viran jumped from his own thought as he spurned his mana. The entire process was terribly boring and made his own body become sore immediately, but the effects were showing as every day passed.

In a few months of constant travel, Viran would find himself face to face with the city of Verita.