[… Afternoon …]
FWOOSH
FWOOOSH
A breeze swept through a vast meadow.
Within it, there was a small uphill that leads to a nearby forest of ash white trees with unusual colors of silver, pink and gold leaves.
On the center of that hill was a giant ash white tree, and under its tall stature was a seven-year-old boy, lying on his back.
He stared at the blue sky and the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily with a soft expression.
The child, Hadrian Rey von Aelrheit, admired the sky.
No matter what era, reality, or universe he reincarnates into, the sky remains the same.
The same horizon, same blue hues, and the same lazy white clouds.
"Haah…"
Hadrian exhaled.
He supposed… the same could be said about his present life.
Never did he expect that he would be reincarnated again, bearing the same first name, live into a familiar reality, and be related to the same magician.
The reincarnated king huffed.
… at least his first name did not change, a small mercy he supposed.
The last part was what boggles him though.
To be reincarnated into the same family as Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, who was known as Zelretch von Aelrheit in this life?
Even Hadrian did not think that was possible.
And yet… here he was, living and directly related to the old man at that.
Reality truly defied his expectations this time around.
"Hm…"
It was not all bad though.
Having the old man in his corner again, it was a fortunate thing to have in his opinion.
Troublesome he may be at times, specifically whenever he was being eccentric, Zelretch has always been helpful and a great guide to encourage him through difficult times.
Hadrian often lamented how he never got to spend as much time as he could with old mage in the past, given how hectic his life had become after he succeeded him as the Lord.
Now, with him here, it was a comforting feeling.
It was also nice to have an understanding family such as his.
Hadrian chuckled dryly.
The old man found a wife, and it was the same woman he fell in love with in the past life.
Hadrian never had a chance to meet his grandmother before.
The woman had passed on before he was born in the past life, and the only family he knew then were his grandfather, the homunculi, and his parents. Which was a shame, given the amount of stories he heard from the old man and his mother about how kind and noble the woman was.
But in this life, the wish was unexpectedly granted, and he was glad about it.
The woman was truly one of a kind.
For all of his grandfather's quirks and oddities, she loves him with all her heart. And that love extended to their child, his mother, and to them, her grandchildren.
She also happens to keep the old man in line, which was a very good thing in his opinion, considering this was Zelretch he was thinking about.
Still, with good things comes the bad.
Zelretch, being who he is in nature and as a Magician, had discovered numerous cans of worms in the time he has spent so far while living in this reality.
And due to their relation, Hadrian was bound to get involved in his affairs by extension.
"Haah…"
Feeling a headache incoming, Hadrian sighed and closed his eyes, trying hard not to think about what the future holds.
...
...
But alas... it was not to be.
CRUNCH
CRUNCH
The sound of grass being stepped on cut through his thoughts, prompting Hadrian to open his eyes and look at the source of the footsteps.
Tilting his head to the upper left, Hadrian saw two men walking calmly toward his location.
Said two men were opposites of each other, yet remarkably the same in others.
The first in front was a tall and slender man with pale skin, red eyes behind black-framed glasses, and bright crimson hair, worn in a low ponytail that extended to his mid-back.
He wears a black dress shirt with long sleeves, a white vest, and a black ascot with a red gem.
Over this, he dons a white coat with a crimson interior and gold details decorating the neck, shoulders, lapels, and around the cuffs.
Lined at the lapels of the blazer starting from the waist down and around was a thin black fur.
He wears white pants, which are embellished with chains, while a bright crimson-orange gem with gold ornament was tied to his belt, a gift Hadrian had given to him a long time ago.
He also wears cuffed, dark brown boots, and a pair of black and red gloves.
Following behind him was a man who shared a similar physique as the former, tall, and slim, but had a darker complexion, dark brown eyes covered by clear spectacles with thin metal frames, and short shaggy black hair.
He wears a black dress shirt with long sleeves, a white vest, and a white blazer with silver cuffs over the former. He wears white dress pants with a black belt, and a pair of dark brown shoes.
He also wears a few notable accessories: a watch around his left wrist, two varying bracelets on his right wrist, and a silver brooch with a blue jewel pinned at the lapel near his heart.
What made them seem similar (at least, in his point of view) were the expressions they wore, the way they moved, and behaved.
The two moved elegantly and calmly. They both have a relaxed yet dignified aura.
They even wore similar stern and uninterested expressions, but upon the sight of Hadrian, their eyes gained a soft and light tint to them: clear indications they were pleased to see him, given how their faces brightened somewhat, and the pace of their walk seemed faster than before.
Like the former, he wore a pair of gloves, but his were white instead of black.
The man with long red hair was the first to reach Hadrian, followed by the black-haired man a close second.
“Young master, I greet you.” The red-haired man said with a smile, kneeling and bowing his head as he did so.
The second mirror his actions, silent but unhesitant to show his respect to Hadrian with his movements alone.
While Hadrian looked calm and relaxed, their actions did not please him at all.
He had told them, along with the others, not to debase themselves in a subservient manner nor to be too formal with him, yet it seemed that he was only wasting his breath each time.
Biting the inside of his cheek at the unnecessary display of their mutual respect for him, Hadrian decided to ignore them kneeling in front of him and sat up from his position with a sigh.
“Diluc, Arjuna.” Hadrian said by way of greeting, nodding to the two men. “What brings you two to interrupt my break?”
The red-haired man, Diluc, raised his head but did not move from his kneeling position.
“I beg your pardon, my lord.” Diluc said, expressing a bit of regret. “For interrupting your short rest.”
“… sorry.” The dark-skinned man, Arjuna, muttered a quiet apology.
Hadrian shook his head, breathing another sigh before turning to the two men again.
“It’s alright. Just tell me the reason.” Hadrian said calmly.
“Lord Zelretch wishes to see you.” Arjuna spoke, soft in tone but audible enough to be heard, earning Hadrian’s questioning gaze.
One of Hadrian’s brows lifted at the announcement, then his face smoothed into its usual calm and regal façade that hinted nothing of his inner thoughts.
“And just when I was wondering what he was up to…” Hadrian muttered, waving off the confused glances that Diluc and Arjuna shot at him.
With a huff, he placed his hands on his knees and stood up.
“All right then, lead the way.” Hadrian said, making the two nod and proceeding to do as he asked.
For a moment, Hadrian watched in silence as they slowly descended the hill.
Then, he turned and gazed over his shoulder, zooming in on a white marbled gravestone located under a white tree of the same kind he was standing under, albeit smaller in size and height.
The grave was located just a few kilometers away from his position, reachable via stairs that lead down to the ground level of the hill.
Feeling a heavy weight in his chest creep up again, Hadrian’s bright blue eyes softened at the sight of the tombstone, looking melancholic as his eyes read the name.
FWOOSH
An unexpected breeze hit him from behind, ruffling his hair and clothes slightly.
The breeze was gentle and a bit cold, but Hadrian did not mind the cool sensation.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Hadrian took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose.
Opening his eyes again, his hands formed into fists before he placed them inside his coat’s pockets as he turned on his heel and followed the two men, who waited for him at the bottom of the hill.
…
…
…
Back at the tombstone, a name was carved on the smooth marble, written in an elegant cursive and of molten gold.
…
In loving memory of…
Ava von Aelrheit
Dearly missed by family and friends…
Never forgotten…
…
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
A strong wind flew by, showering the grave with silver, pink, and golden blossom leaves.
The boy paid his respects, just like he did almost every other day, and the forest was silent once more.
…
----------------------------------------
…
The trek downhill was peaceful.
Hadrian savored the soft breeze brushing against his skin as he followed Diluc and Arjuna.
And by the slight smiles that the two are wearing, they too enjoyed the companionable silence.
“MASTER!”
…
…
…
Well, until someone called him from a distance.
‘It was good while it lasted…’
Hadrian sighed, spotting a familiar figure rushing towards him.
Due to the latter’s exceptional condition, the distance was covered in less than a minute.
The figure in question was a young man with black and white hair and blue eyes. He was tall, around 5’9, and had a light complexion, bearing European features, hinting at his heritage that was somewhere between French and German. He was a carefree-looking young man, wearing a light beige shirt with long sleeves and blue suspenders over it, a pair of loose brown pants, and black and white dress shoes.
The expression on his face though, was not what a carefree-looking person would wear.
“MASTEEEEEEEEEEEEER!” The retainer, Charlemagne, cried out.
Hadrian slowed to a stop, looking on as his retainer hurried to him.
The two retainers, Arjuna and Diluc, standing on either of his sides had different reactions.
Arjuna squinted his eyes, looking stern.
Diluc pinched the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh, before also looking at his fellow retainer with a stern expression.
Charles paid them no heed, however.
The retainer’s utmost attention was on his Master, who took note of the former’s distressed appearance with a quick glance.
Hadrian didn’t know whether to feel amused or concerned of what he was about to hear.
“Master! There you are!” Charles exclaimed, looking a bit frantic.
“…yes, Charles?” Hadrian answered after a slow blink, idly wondering what troubled the usually trouble-making retainer.
“Trouble! There’s trouble!” Charles announced, waving his arms wide for emphasis.
“Trouble?” Arjuna muttered.
Hadrian merely raised his brow.
The magician doubted it was serious.
The entirety of the property was protected by a Bounded Field (magic barrier) made by Zelretch himself.
Diluc though, seemed to have an idea of what Charles was talking about.
“It’s those two again, I take it?” The redhead male guessed in a monotone.
Charles blinked, slightly taken aback.
“Eh, yeah. How’d you know?” The dual-haired colored retainer asked.
Diluc sighed, scratching the side of his head out of irritation.
“Since when did they ever NOT cause trouble?” The redhead retorted.
“Eh…” Charles paused, then nodded with a sheepish chuckle. “True, true.”
Hadrian opened his mouth to speak –
BOOM!
– but was interrupted by a loud explosion that occurred in the distance.
In unison, four heads snapped in the direction of where the noise came from.
… only for the four to stare in shock at what they all saw.
“Oh my go–“ Charles cut himself off as he stared at the damage in surprise.
“Agh…” Diluc groaned, face-palming.
Hadrian briefly closed his eyes with a loud sigh, shaking his head.
The portion of the estate’s roof, the same estate given to him by his grandmother as a gift and for all of them to live in, was now missing.
Blown off to pieces to who knows where.
The cause of the explosion could only be inside the building, right where the damage was.
And sure enough –
SWAAAK!
BOOM! BOOM!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sound of water gathering in one area, followed by loud impacts and gunshots cutting through the air, was heard in the distance.
“Those idiots…” Diluc muttered under his breath, reddish brown eyes glaring in the direction of the commotion.
“Ah, they’ve really done it now.” Charles complained, scratching the side of his cheek.
Arjuna didn’t speak.
The dark-skinned retainer only took out a pair of white gloves from his left pocket and proceeded to wear them with a stern expression.
Hadrian sighed.
“Let’s go before they destroy the estate even more.”
With that said, Hadrian led the three men to the estate.
It did not take long for them to arrive.
Under a minute, the quartet arrived at the scene of the incident.
“Ugh… man.” Charles complained, one hand on his forehead as he and they others looked at the damage.
A large portion of the roof by the kitchen area was gone, and in its place was a hole, big enough to fit five to seven people.
Puddles of water were everywhere, staining the carpet covered floor with mixed dirt and grime from the dust and crushed debris.
Twelve or thirteen feet away from them were two people fighting, ignoring everything else around them.
The idiots are too occupied in battling each other to even notice their presences, and the glares directed at them.
PAT PAT PAT
PAT PAT PAT
PAT PAT PAT
Their attention was diverted to the left, however, as the unmistakable noise of rushing footsteps entered their hearing range.
Hadrian, Charles, Arjuna and Diluc turned their gazes just in time to meet a crowd of little bodies come into the room.
They were small, around the age of 10–11 years old.
Some were dressed in a loose-fitting school uniform and glasses, some wore chef attires, some wore medical uniforms, others wore mechanic overalls, but most wore white sailor uniforms with blue linings.
What was even peculiar was that they all share similar features: light pale blonde hair and turquoise-colored eyes.
And in their midst, one stood out from the rest.
It was a young man, somewhere around 13 – 15 years old, bearing a pale blonde hair with twin thin locks that fell behind either of his shoulders and colored in deep blue highlights almost halfway up from the tips.
He was taller than the others, but like most of them, he also has a light complexion, a pair of calm turquoise eyes, and delicate features.
Dressed in a white marine style uniform with long loose sleeves, he wears a white turbine hat decorated with a thin white feather with a deep blue tip and a gold ornament to hold it in place at the top center, a pair of black shorts with dark blue leggings underneath, and black shoes with high heels.
His top navy uniform came with gold buttons, and black epaulets on both shoulders. Also, he wears a black belt with silver highlights at the edges and pouches.
The only tall newcomer in a navy uniform surveyed the area with a quick glance, only stopping once he took notice of them before moving in their direction.
“Master, you’re here.” The retainer, Captain Nemo, said in relief.
“Captain! Brought Master as you requested!” Charles cut in with a grin, looking a bit proud of himself.
At his announcement, more than half of the “children” in navy uniforms, mechanic overalls, and medical uniforms rushed over and formed into a line beside the cheeky retainer.
“““Greetings, Master!””” They all greeted him with a salute.
Hadrian chuckled at the sight.
“… Hello.” The magician returned with a slight smile, delighting his small audience.
“Haaah…”
A collective sigh was heard as the little group beheld the beautiful sight before them.
“Aya~ the Master looks heavenly as always.” A little mechanic began.
“All is right in the world ~” one sailor sang happily.
“When we see the Master’s handsome face ~” another joined in.
Although slightly embarrassed inside, Hadrian chuckled at their amusing exchange.
“Hehe~” the little workers giggled at the magician, noticing the light blush tinting his cheeks.
The mage in question can only endure their amusement and admiration with a smile.
While his smaller counterparts are charmed by his liege, Captain Nemo looked at his fellow retainer with a slightly strained expression, unsure of how to react to the cheeky retainer’s words and carefree attitude, given the mild chaos occurring nearby.
“Er, yes, thank you, Charles.” Captain Nemo said with as much grace as he could at that moment.
“Hehe!” Charles merely grinned back, sending the former a thumbs-up.
The navy retainer then turned to his liege, who looked up from his small gathering of audience just in time.
“Captain.” Hadrian greeted with a slight nod.
“I’m glad you’re here now, Master.” Captain Nemo began, taking a deep sigh before meeting his Master’s gaze. “But, as you’ve seen by now, we have a problem.”
“Hm, yes, I can see that.” Hadrian answered dryly, glancing around briefly before turning back to the navy retainer. “What happened with those two this time?”
“Err, those two –“ Captain Nemo looked over his shoulder to where the two instigators of the estate’s minor destruction are still duking it out. “Well, I’m not exactly sure why they’re fighting since I wasn’t here earlier. But –“
“Buy me a hundred boxes of can sodas, asshole! That’s the least you can do after messing with MINE!”
“In yer dreams, ya stupid ginger!”
“COMPENSATE!”
“Fuuuuaaaack you!”
“ARGH!”
SCHWAAACK
BANG BANG
The two started fighting again after a brief exchange.
The sound of water gathering in the air in contrast to the sharp gunshots echoed in the room.
The onlookers on the side watched the scene with dry expressions.
Captain Nemo slowly turned his gaze back to his Master.
“… that’s why.” The retainer ended with a light shrug.
“Those idiots…” Diluc groaned, letting out an insufferable sigh.
“All this for soda?” Charles sighed, shaking his head.
Arjuna clicked his tongue in disapproval, sternly looking at the two battling from afar.
Hadrian merely let out a sigh.
“Diluc.”
The long red-haired retainer stood in attention, turning his body and putting a hand over his heart as he bowed his head in deference to his liege, watching intently as the others beside him.
“Yes, Master?”
Hadrian looked at the mess, the two retainers fighting, then slowly turning his gaze to Diluc.
No words needed to be said.
It was clear what was the order, and the retainers nearby knew it.
Diluc, who was the sole recipient of the magician’s gaze, was more than happy to follow the unspoken command.
“It shall be done.” The redhead said resolutely.
Diluc rolled his sleeves up to the elbow as he slowly moved in the direction of where the two troublemakers were fighting.
Midway through –
FRUUM
– flames appeared around his right hand, forming into a shape, before a great sword materialized from it.
Diluc grabbed the handle, pulled his shoulder back, and threw the great sword forward –
WHOOSH
– whistling past and directly in the middle of the two idiots who were about to clash again.
BOOM
The sound of the giant weapon landing in between them and its sudden appearance startled the two retainers out of their focus on each other.
They blinked at the great sword, then turned their bewildered gazes to Diluc’s approaching figure.
“Ah…”
“Guh!”
The stern expression on the retainer’s face made them queasy.
SWISH
That was the sound of Charles moving in a flash, like a hawk gliding through the wind.
“Haaah, you guys are in trouble now.” Charles commented with a slight shake of his head as he stood beside Diluc, who dismissed the sword with a wave of his hand and was now glaring at the two culprits of the situation.
“Um…”
“Ey yo –“
“Save it.” Diluc cut through in a sharp tone. “You idiots went too far now.”
The two instigators opened their mouths, but fell silent as Charles and Diluc merely pointed their thumbs over their shoulders, leaning to the either of their sides to show who was behind them.
In unison, the two retainers looked, stared, and sweated as their eyes zoned to that one familiar figure standing a mere distance away from where they were.
Hadrian, who met their shocked gazes, gave them a smile that only made the troublemakers gulp down their saliva.
The smile itself radiated warmth and utter charm; small dimples can be seen on either sides of his cheeks.
To those who can sense magical energy, they can feel the slow and steady rise of their liege’s irritation along with his magic.
A punishment was in bound, and a beating from their fellow comrades was inevitable.
‘… we’re dead.’
…
----------------------------------------
…
[… 5 minutes later …]
Hadrian huffed as he stared down at the two troublemakers kneeling before him.
After a thorough scolding and a few slaps on the back of their heads from Diluc, the redhead made the two kneel on the dirty ground in front of their liege.
On the left was young man, around the age of 17-18 years old, with short chestnut-colored hair, lively deep blue eyes, and a lean, muscular build.
He wears a white shirt with long sleeves that are rolled up to his elbows and a red tie that was tucked into a gray vest, dark gray pants with a black belt, and a pair of black shoes. He was also wearing two notable accessories: a pair of black gloves, and a blue gem attached to his belt.
He might appear innocent, but this young man was actually one of the most mischievous people Hadrian had ever met.
On the right was another young man, but a stark contrast to the one before.
He has a dark complexion (lighter than Arjuna’s, but still dark in tone), short black hair, bright amber eyes, and much like the others, a lean, muscular physique.
He was dressed in a white shirt with sleeves and a few top buttons undone, black pants, and black shoes. He has an average appearance, but his facial expression implies his rough nature.
Simply put, he looks more like a thug from the streets than someone living in a castle and under the service of an aristocrat.
In Hadrian’s personal opinion, that simply made his retainer unique.
‘And given his origins, I could hardly blame him for his rough nature…’ Hadrian mused.
Still though, this particular retainer also has a mischievous side to him, considering what happened earlier.
Root knows how many times his moments of mischief caused them to be in dangerous situations in the past.
Snapping out of his thoughts, the magician focused on the present.
“So… would either of you like to inform me of what just happened here?” Hadrian began.
The two kneeling retainers blinked.
Then, turned to each other in a split second.
Both of their eyes narrowed, and their gazes snapped back to Hadrian, who only watched their interaction with bemusement.
“This bastard started it! I was just minding my own damn business –“
“NO, this ass started it! He did something to my drink!”
“– and he just attacked me out of –“
“Jesus! One at a time before I smack the shit outta you two again!” Diluc interrupted hotly, knocking his open hand back.
The two retainers stopped immediately, leaning away with grimaces as they warily looked at the irate redhead standing a few feet away from them.
Charles and the others also took a (subtle) step back, as they can feel a strange rise of heat literally permeating from their fellow retainer.
The only one who didn’t move an inch was Hadrian, who glanced at Diluc after he spoke up.
The magician turned his calm gaze back to the kneeling retainers.
“So, you –“ Violet eyes rested on the ginger head. “– attacked him –“ Then, to the thug-looking retainer. “– because he did something to your drink? Was that it?”
“Yeah!” was the ginger head’s response.
“Nope.” Was the dry response of the thug.
But unfortunately for the latter, Hadrian already knew who was lying.
Hadrian stared at the dark-haired retainer for almost a minute, making the latter look away whistling.
“AM, why did you do that?”
“Did what? I’m only defending myself!” The dark-haired retainer, Angra Mainyu, said in defense.
“You know what I’m talking about.” Hadrian said dryly.
“No, I don’t know what that is.” The dark-haired retainer was stubborn, digging his heels into the ground as he kept looking away.
“You do realize who you’re talking to, right?” Charles added his two cents in, a cheeky grin on his face.
“… you shut the hell up and stay out of this, skunk head.” The thug-like retainer cursed/whispered to the other.
The cheeky retainer only giggled in response.
Hadrian’s stare didn’t let up, boring down on AM even more.
“Lying is useless to me.” Hadrian’s violet eyes narrowed, causing the retainer to sweat at the subtle pressure. “You, of all people, should know that.”
“Yeah, I know –“
“Why do it then?” Hadrian cut in.
The dark-haired retainer let out an insufferable sigh.
“… he ate my dessert.” AM revealed through gritted teeth.
Hadrian raised a brow, prompting the retainer to speak more on the subject.
“This motherfucka –“ AM pointed at the retainer kneeling beside him.
“OI!” The ginger head looked mighty offended, of course.
“– ate my dessert, which I specifically hid somewhere in the fridge so ONLY I can eat it.” AM finished with a righteous huff.
With a hum, Hadrian nodded and turned to the ginger head.
“What’s your defense on that, Childe?”
“He put hot sauce on my coke!” The ginger head, Childe, countered.
“You ate my cheesecake before, bitch!” AM responded right away, glaring.
“And you ate MY shortcake before, ya ass!” Childe retorted quickly, also glaring.
“BITCH WANNA GO!”
“GLADLY ASSHOLE!”
THWACK
THWACK
The two punched each other at the same time.
Both felt the impact of the other’s punch and nearly got knocked out.
"Whoa! Cool! They did it at the same time!" Charles cheered, clapping enthusiastically.
“… seriously?” Diluc groaned, face-palming.
“Haah…”
Standing on the right side of his master, Arjuna merely glanced at the two troublemakers, shook his head in disapproval and sighed.
Hadrian stared blankly at the two idiots fighting again, wondering if he should just leave the matter to Diluc and go to his grandfather’s office.
Then…
‘Umm…’ Captain Nemo’s voice appeared in his head via telepathy (an ability that a Master and Servant share via familiar bond/contract).
Looking at the Servant in the corner of his eyes, Hadrian noticed the captain looking flushed for some reason.
‘What is it, Captain?’ Hadrian asked via mental link.
The captain didn’t spoke for a moment before…
‘… I did it.’
‘…’
Faced with a quiet confession, Hadrian merely sighed and looked up at the blue sky.
‘Hmm, nice weather…’
THWACK
THWACK