I never wanted it to be like this

Laying on the ground, I helplessly watched as blood was leaving my body, gooshing out like a river from its source. Feeling my temperature rapidly grow colder by the second fear of death filled me. I never believed that it would end up like this. What did I do wrong? I always made sure to be kind to people, and always do what's in the best interest of my loved ones, and yet, here I am. Alone in the mix of my blood and mud, dying while thousands are watching me, cheering for my death - by a man I once looked up to no less

I felt the mana leave me along with whatever little life I had left in me

Even as helpless as I was at that moment, I couldn't help but look through the crowd, searching for those green eyes that always radiated with so much energy and life that they helped me push through even the harshest times

There were many here that day, the majority of whom I didn't know. An old lady who looked far more fitting for death than me, a child who shouldn't be seeing something like this, even the young woman who worked in the red light district was here as well... don't ask how I know her. A blacksmith who forged my destroyed now armor, and to my surprise, a young boy that recently asked for my autograph. He was now watching his idol die like some beggar

' Must be agonizing ' 

One would think that finding a single person in this crowd would be impossible, but yet again, I found her. She looked nothing like usual, with tear-filled eyes and heartbreaking sobs that I wasn't supposed to be able to hear, she was anything but an energetic girl I love more than anything in the world

' Ah, I made her cry, even though I promised to never do such a thing ' I thought while coughing the blood that was stuck in my throat 

With one last, weak smile, I said goodbye to her and looked at my executioner 

Blood-red robes without sleeves showed his well-built muscles, while baggy black pants did a great job of completely covering his legs. Behind his back, four angelic wings with beautiful feathers carefully knitted from thin and majestic ice strings spread into the air, giving the man an almost angelic appearance

Two heterochromatic eyes shone brightly with orange and blue colors as they looked at me emotionlessly as if I was trash, not even worth their attention. Blonde hair was moving with the wind, periodically covering his eyes, making his appearance, I must admit, even more epic 

I can't believe that I once looked up to this man, that he was my hero

As the cheers of the crowd grew louder and the cloudy sky began to cry, the first drops of rain reached my face, and soon enough downpour like no other started to fall, as if the heavens itself were taking a pitty on me

' Ah, so this is how it ends? ' I thought while closing my eyes, letting the darkness take me away

' I am sorry for leaving you... ' Not even able to finish my last thought directed to my belowed, I floated toward the light at the end of the tunnel

***

To better understand this incident, we should go back into the past, back when it all began during my days as a butler of the Vloier family

The narrow streets of the Vloier passed by in a blur as I ran half-heartedly in my morning jog - the usual part of my morning training. Vloier was a city with such beauty that it gained a title as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Not only for the touristic area that was famous for appearing as if the city was floating on water, the part where I currently am, but also the more traditional area, where most of the nobles lived, " the old city"

 I was in the touristic part of the city where architecture was considered ancient with many buildings of different colors decorated with glamorous details. This title does not come from the fact that the city itself is old, but it just gives that idyllic and nostalgic feeling so great that thousands, if not millions, of tourists, come to visit every annually 

With the number of people that come daily, the city is usually bustling, but due to it still being very early in the morning, now you could only find homeless animals walking around, looking for the leftovers humans threw away last night they can use for breakfast

One would imagine that a city of this size would have many homeless people sleeping outside. But thankfully Lord Vloier is a generous man who takes care of his citizens, making him one of the most loved nobles not only in the Kingdom but on the whole continent

The young sun shone between the buildings, illuminating the path ahead of me. I loved the view around here, that's why I chose this exact location for my jog

Before I realized it, I left the touristic part of the city and entered the old town. This part is just what you would imagine a city of this age to look like. Fashionable buildings that were maybe even overdecorated, and filled with inns and some less luxurious facilities made out of wood and raughly, but still nicely, cut stone. This part of the town was just what someone would imagine a medieval city to look like

Soon enough, I reached the main building of this entire worldwide known town, mansion of the Duke Vloier

"It's nice to see you back Alex" said one of the two guards who protected the main gate as he let me in

" Thank man" I answered as I fist-bumped him 

The gate of the mansion was finely decorated with many details, the main one being the Vloier duchies crest that featured a lion and whale in its center. It represented the immense power Dukes soldiers held on both land and seas

Not only powerful knights on the land, but even the Navy of the Duke, lord Luke Vloier, was second only to the royal navy. That is just one of the many reasons why he was respected worldwide, Luke Vloier, a great commander as well as a powerful Archmage who specializes in lightning and fire magic

Currently, the Vloier family has only one descendant, Maria Vloier, daughter of Lord Luke and his wife, Duchess Lillian. Many are pressing the family into having more kids, a male successor, but the Duke and Duchess are strongly denying the requests from the outside

Not only because Lady Maria is a wonderful mage with a great future ahead of her, but also because of a well-kept and dark secret in Dukedom. Due to the hard previous pregnancy with Maria, Lady Lillian cannot have any more children - which strongly hurt her, as the duchess herself loves kids very dearly. Maybe that's why she raised me as if was her son, even allowing me to remain on friendly terms with Lady Maria, making us both best friends as well as childhood friends till this day

" Alex, you are late!" shouted the captain of the fourth knight division, Andrey

" I am sorry sir! I will get right into the practice!" After bowing, I grabbed a practice sword and took my place on the training field

For the most part, I was doing some light swings as well as easy katas with a sword that allowed me to get more well-versed in using my body in battles. I can't use mana, something no doctor who examined me could explain. That is why Master Andrey and Lord Luke advised me to practice moving as little as possible, not to waste any movements during the fight so that I can get the best of my abilities 

Of course, they first advised me not to choose the way of the warrior in the first place, but I refused strongly. I always admired strong people, powerful warriors - that's why it was always my goal to be a strong fighter who can support people around him, someone his loved ones can lean on

I was moving carefully, trying to feel every muscle in my body move, the way my blood was flowing, my heartbeat, the expansion of my lungs, everything was important to fully utilize this technique

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Slowly, I started moving, carefully moving my every limb, expanding my senses as much as humanly possible without using any mana. Left, right, up and down. I moved with a precision that would make even some surgeons jealous. Every time my muscles tightened and released, I felt it. Every time my lungs expanded and then came back together, everything was as clear as a day to me. Lord Luke said many times that it was a shame I couldn't use mana because if I could, I would probably be able to reach his level before my twentieth birthday

" Okay, everyone!" Shouted Captain Andrey " We are moving on to the spars! Find a partner, and we will begin with the matches! " he gave an order, and we all started forming groups of two 

***

In the middle of a circle formed by the soldiers, I stood completely dressed in knight protective gear. It was a light brown armor, designed to protect our vital spots like head and heart while doing little to nothing to protect the parts of our bodies that won't result in fatal injuries even if we did end up hit

In front of me stood a beautiful young woman in her twenties. Long black hair was tied in a high ponytail and her fierce, green eyes looked at me with both respect and a certain dose of killing intent. She was a rather tall girl, easily above one meter and eighty centimeters, and I had to admit, she was very well built, especially with her large chest

" What are you staring at, pervert?" she asked, disgust forming on her face

" Sorry Nebina, I didn't mean to..." but before I could finish my apology and clear up the misunderstanding, she dashed at me, coming at full speed

Barely able to react in time, I blocked her sword, but even that was able to push me slightly back

" Kugh!"

' This always happens when I face someone who can use mana '  

"What's wrong you manaless bastard? Is this too much for you?" she taunted, aiming for my orphan origins to provoke me into making an early mistake

I can't say that it didn't work, as I pivoted, shifting the weight on my right leg in a hurry so that I could kick her with the left one, creating enough distance between us so that I could take the stance and prepare for the continuation of the spar. After flying for about four meters, Nebina was able to land and correct her stance, ready to dash at me in a moment

As if her eyes ignited, they started shining, and a light aura formed around her body. Shifting her body low, she once again attacked, but this time much faster than before. I was barely able to move to the side and shift the trajectory of her sword, avoiding an injury, but I also lost my balance and started falling

Using my free arm to throw myself up in the air and do the backflip, I landed and looked up, only to see a fist getting right into my face

" Not bad brat!" she shouted just before punching me in the face, sending me flying across the circle of soldiers

' Did I forget to mention that her personality changes whenever she fights? From gentle to battle maniac in an instant, this world is a weird place, indeed '

I hit the ground hard and the air left my lungs, leaving me grasping for whatever little of it I could gather there in a moment

' As expected from the second most talented knight in the order ' I thought while getting up, looking for Nebina in the meantime

I couldn't find her with my eyes, but thanks to my heightened sense of touch that allowed me to feel the vibrations in earth, I was able to tell that she was attacking me from behind

Shifting my weight allowed me to move to the right just in time and evade her attack in time. Not expecting me to move, she was left there motionless for a moment, just enough time for my fist to connect with her face

' Straight into gender equality! ' I thought with a vicious smirk as I got up and jumped, preparing to attack her with the sword while she was still flying 

Just inches away from her, I thought I was surely able to hit her, but to my surprise, her eyes once again gleamed with energy and she was able to deflect my attack. Collison between our swords lasted there for a couple of seconds. My muscles against her mana, it was not a fair fight to begin with, so of course, I lost and was sent flying

I landed on the ground with a loud thud, and this time not only air, but even some blood left my body through that powerless mouth of mine

Looking up, I was about to try and fight back, but the only thing I was met with was the sound of something penetrating the earth next to me and the cold, green eyes of Nebina that looked at me with the pride of someone victorious 

" Its over" she said fiercely 

" Alright, next duo!" Andrey announced, and two other knights entered the ring as Nebina victoriously left

' I lost again... ' I thought in frustration as I clutched onto the dirt on the ground, grabbing a handful of it before throwing it in frustration at my own weakness 

***

With training already done, I took a bath and was now in my room before the mirror, looking at my scars-covered body. My muscles were even more defined and well built than those of most knights in the order, but I think that no girl would be charmed by them, as any possible positive points they might give me were taken away by many scars I received during the training

The room was nothing to write stories about. There was one bed, a small chest for clothes, a stand for two swords - the only thing that my real family left for me, a mirror, and a small bathroom with a shower and a drawer for daily necessities

The mattress on the bed was not hard but also not soft, something that was fitting for knights and butlers of the family. Of course, the Duchess arranged a bit better bed for me compared to the most servants in the family, but nothing too good, because if she did I would have been bullied for being her favorite. Even though she wanted to spoil me and take care of me as if I were her son, she didn't. She knew that such treatment would just cause me problems later down the line

Putting on a white shirt that covered the scars, I buttoned it up and tucked it into black pants. Next, I put on a vest and tied a necktie around my neck that I later also tucked in, this time in the vest. The necktie was made short enough to not come out of the vest for appearance's sake. Lastly, I put on a pair of black shoes and was now completely dressed and ready for my daily duties as a butler of Vloier family 

First among my many duties was to clean the corridor between Lady Maria's room and her library. It wasn't that long, merely twenty meters, but it still meant that I had to clean everything in that area, from floor to ceiling. The head maid, Venessa, was an old lady in her mid thirties, who made me clean everything, and if there was even a spec of dust left, she would send me back to clean again

Going back and forth and after changing many cleaning equipments, I was able to finish this entire area, just in time when the maids came to wake up the sleeping lady

" Good morning Alex!" shouted the youngest maid in the mansion and a daughter of head maid Venessa, Sara " How are you?" 

She was young, even younger than me, with being only fourteen years old. She had short brown hair that she usually kept in twin ponytails. Her eyes were brown. Her body was a forbidden topic though, as anyone who ever mentioned her petite frame didn't leave without at least one broken arm

It was a build like that and the free spirit that made me think of her as a little sister, resulting in me spoiling her more often than I am willing to admit 

" I am great Sara, how have you been? Are you tired, I heard you guys got stuck with cleaning until late last night?" I asked, worried about my "little sisters" health 

" Ugh.. my muscles are still sore " she answered while stretching her hands in a somewhat athletic manner all the while wearing a slight, unprofessional, frown on her face

" Hahaha! Must be rough" I said while patting her hair, something I was very much aware she hated

" Ugh! I hate you "  

"  Yeah, yeah...Should I help you wake Lady Maria up?" I asked, "genuinely" willing to help her

" Of course not! Lady Maria is an unmarried eighteen-year-old lady! And you are sixteen! What would people think if one such perv was to go into her room while she sleeps?" 

" Tch... I wanted to twist her ankle" I said quietly so that no one could hear me, but little did I know

" You said something Alex?" a cold aura reached me along with that voice, sending shivers down my spine

Looking behind, I saw an old and tall lady looking down at me. She was taller than me, which was unusual as I was considered very tall with my meter and eighty-five centimeters. She was wearing glasses with sharp frame, a shape that very well adorned her eyes of the same structure. Her hair was tied behind her back in a bun. She was a woman blessed with everything any woman would ever want, both body shape and looks, a true beauty by any standards

" Nothing, Miss Venessa " I answered, fearful of her wrath 

' She scares me even more than Sir Andrey ' 

With her sudden appearance, the tension grew in the room, and not even Sara dared to say anything. That's how powerful, or rather impactful, the presence of her mother was on us 

Not bothering to answer, she checked the room, looking for any place, a spec of dust I might have missed, just to see if she would have me go back and clean everything again. Carefully moving a finger across the nearby table, she made sure that no dust was left before she looked back at me, a satisfactory smile spread across her face 

" You did a great job" she said with a pleased smile 

" Thanks!" I answered with a smile

 " Than, Sara, let's go to wake up the lady" she said and started moving toward the door

" Yeah! Mother, let's go before the pervert can take a peek at our lady's beautiful figure" This comment from Sara earned me a sharp glare from Venessa, freezing my blood for the second time since she came

They entered the room, leaving me to wait patiently before they came and my real job of escorting Lady Maria began