Knight Commander Bardin glared at Count Wirner with a cold expression on her face. She reminded me of an unsheathed blade, ready to draw blood.

“And how do you plan on determining if Wulfe is a worthy heir or not?” she asked.

“I’ll spend some time here and observe him.” Count Wirner said. “I’ll make my judgments based on what I witness for myself.” He looked over at the grand duke. “Unless you have any objections.”

Grand Duke Kaltbrand wore an annoyed expression on his face.

“No, of course not,” he said, his tone bordering on sarcasm. “We would be honored to have you as our guest, Father.” He muttered the next part under his breath. “Obstinate old man.”

As an Aura Expert, Count Wirner’s senses were sharp enough to pick up on the grand duke’s words. However, Count Wirner ignored him and focused on me once more.

“Before all that, however,” he said. “There is a question I must ask you. Your answer will determine if I should even bother observing you. If it doesn’t satisfy me, then I might as well leave now.”

Knight Commander Bardin looked unhappy about this, but didn’t raise any objections.

“Very well, my lord.” I said, meeting Count Wirner’s eyes without flinching. “Ask your question.”

“What is the most important quality one needs as the head of House Kaltbrand?” Count Wirner asked. “I asked each of your…competitors this question at one point or another over the years, and they each gave me a different answer.” He gave me a sharp smile. “I found none of them satisfactory, which is why I have remained neutral thus far.”

I took a moment to think before answering his question.

“The answer to this question comes in two parts that are intertwined with one another,” I said. “Compassion and strength.”

Count Wirner’s expression remained unchanged.

“Explain,” he said.

“Being the head of House Kaltbrand is a burden, one that requires personal sacrifice.” I said. “While the position comes with many benefits and privileges, at its core it is a burden.” I paused for a moment. “House Kaltbrand protects the rest of the Reichwald Empire from the demonic beasts that spawn at the Edge of the World. That is the source of their legitimacy. They are the ones who stand guard. The head of House Kaltbrand must have the compassion to bear such a heavy responsibility.”

Count Wirner raised an eyebrow at me.

“That sounds more like a sense of duty to me than compassion.” he said.

I shook my head.

“The founder of House Kaltbrand chose the Barrens as his domain,” I said. “He chose to protect others from the demonic beasts that continued to emerge from the Edge of the World, even after their masters died. No one asked him to do it. He could have left it up to someone else. Instead, he chose to take on that burden himself. Why else would he do so if not out of a desire to protect others? If not out of compassion?”

This was a choice I could empathize with. My mind flashed back to the battle at Jagged Tooth Pass. When I saw how many demonic beasts there were, I could have fled. Instead, I held my ground, even if it meant losing my own life. Back then, I knew that one mercenary wasn’t enough to change the tide of the battle, not against those odds. However, every demonic beast that I killed meant there was one less demonic beast around to take innocent lives.

“However,” I continued. “Compassion without strength is meaningless. Any burden, no matter how light, becomes heavier the longer one carries it. The head of House Kaltbrand must have the strength to defend the north. This is a burden they must be able to bear for the rest of their life. If they are too weak, then they will falter and others will suffer as a result.”

As I spoke, Grand Duke Kaltbrand, Knight Commander Bardin, and Count Wirner all stared at me with varying expressions on their faces. Understanding and sorrow filled the grand duke’s eyes. Knight Commander Bardin looked like her heart was breaking. Count Wirner seemed surprised, but recovered his composure soon enough.

“Is compassion even a requirement then?” he asked. “It sounds to me like strength is more important.”

I shook my head.

“Strength without compassion is tyranny.” I said. “Those who have strength, but lack the compassion necessary to make sacrifices for others, will only pursue their own self interest. Why should they care about what happens to others? Someone like that would only care about the wealth, glory, and power of being the head of House Kaltbrand, not the responsibilities that come with the position.”

Silence fell over the sitting room after I finished speaking. I maintained a calm facade, but inside I felt nervous. I didn’t need Count Wirner’s support, but it would be a great help to me. If he didn’t like my answer, then my path going forward would be much more difficult. Despite my nervousness, I refrained from breaking the silence first, lest I reveal my weakness.

Count Wirner studied me for several long moments with an inscrutable expression on his face.

“It will do.” he said.

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After that, our meeting ended. Grand Duke Kaltbrand summoned Viscount Holtz, to help Count Wirner get settled in, before returning to his study to focus on his own work. Ruling a domain as large as the Barrens required a lot of paperwork, and many decisions needed the grand duke’s authority.

Knight Commander Bardin also headed off. As the leader of the Coldsteel Knights, she was also quite busy herself. Count Wirner tried to go with her, so they could discuss something or another, but Knight Commander Bardin gave him a polite, but firm, refusal.

This left me with a bit of free time, since I had a few hours before my successor lessons. I decided to head into Frostheart to do a bit of shopping. By this time next year, I would be on my way back to Guld Manor. Either they would accept me as one of their own, or they would reject me altogether. Regardless, I decided it would be best to arrive bearing gifts. After all, I had run off without saying a word to any of them except Lina. I doubted they were happy with me. Bringing gifts when I returned would do a lot to curb their anger.

While Frostheart didn’t have the same selection as Haven when it came to shopping, it was still a regional capital. If I put some effort into it, I could find something that even House Guld would appreciate. Since they were one of the wealthiest families in the Reichwald Empire, buying gifts for them was annoying because it was difficult to find something they didn’t already have.

My best option was finding luxury items created with mana crystals, such as jewelry. Mana crystals were often used to create magic tools and other enchanted items, but they could also be used for decorative purposes. Some artisans created items that were both practical and beautiful, such as enchanted jewelry. However, they were quite expensive, so only the nobility bought them. Mana crystals were cheaper here in the Barrens, so even commoners could afford the cheaper magic tools, but they were still expensive.

I headed to Frostheart’s shopping district with Sir Kane in tow. At first I wanted to walk there, but I decided against it. Instead, I took a carriage bearing the crest of House Kaltbrand. As the (fake) heir to House Kaltbrand, I had to keep up appearances. During my previous explorations of the city, I went on foot while dressed as a commoner. Now that I looked the part of the heir, it was time I acted like one.

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The carriage drew attention as we drove through Frostheart. This only worsened when it reached the shopping district and I stepped out. The nobles and wealthy commoners who frequented this part of the city stared at me and whispered to one another. A thread of nervousness wound its way around my heart.

This reminded me of when I lived with House Guld. Back then, I drew all sorts of attention whenever we went out as a family, since I looked so different from the others. Then, as now, people whispered about me. Some of those whispers were harmless, but most were malicious.

Despite my nervousness at drawing unwanted attention, I kept a calm facade and went about my business. Despite being the shopping district favored by nobles and wealthy commoners, this area looked no different from the rest of Frostheart: bleak buildings built from gray stone. However, the interiors were always cheery and colorful. That seemed to be an inherent part of the city’s character. Cold and dreary facade but warm on the inside.

The first few shops I went to didn’t have anything that would interest the members of House Guld, which left me disappointed. However, the one after that sold musical items created with mana crystals, such as music instruments and music boxes. One magic music box in particular caught my attention. When opened, a tiny puppet that looked like a woman in a flowing dress danced to the tune of the music. The puppets movements were so lifelike that it looked like an actual woman. Her eyes were two tiny mana crystals.

That said, it wasn’t the puppet that caught my attention. It was the song itself. It was a traditional folk song from the Riverlands. Moth-… Duchess Guld hummed that song when I first accompanied her and Duke Guld to Guld Manor. It had been just after I learned that House Guld had adopted me. I listened to the song and thought back on that day.

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The duke, the duchess, and I had arrived at Guld Manor in a carriage bearing the crest of House Guld. The duchess was humming a song, her voice pleasing to the ears. I stared at the estate through the carriage’s window. It consisted of a massive three-story mansion, which served as the main building, with a number of annexes. Each building looked like a work of art. Extensive gardens surrounded them all.

I was still unable to believe that this would be my new home. It felt like a dream, too good to be true. However, it was the kind of dream I never wanted to wake up from. A family and a home, it was everything I could ever want.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to live here?” I asked, turning to face Duke Guld.

He gave me a warm smile. The duke was a handsome man. Whenever he smiled, it was like watching the sun rise. Like his children, he had sun-kissed skin, golden blonde hair, and vibrant green eyes. While he wasn’t a warrior, he had a toned physique. He had strong features, which gave him a dashing air.

“Of course,” he said, his voice rich and deep. “This is your home now.”

“You are our son now, Wulfram.” Duchess Guld said. “Always remember that.”

I looked over at her. The duchess had cream-colored skin and golden eyes. Like her daughters, Duchess Guld had the face of an angel: soft and delicate. She had blonde hair. However, instead of gold, it reminded me of sunlight.

This was because the duchess had been a member of the imperial family who married into House Guld, though I found out about this later. Those born into House Reichwald were said to be blessed by the Goddess of Light, thus their hair and eyes.

The carriage stopped in front of the main entrance to Guld Manor. Two rows of servants flanked the path leading to the door. At the far end, stood four people: three children and a middle-aged woman. I recognized the three children, since I saw them back in Towerton.

There was a boy who seemed to be two or so years older than me. He looked like a younger version of his father. There was of course Lina, the eldest girl, who still looked like a young spring goddess. She was about a year older than me. My face flushed and my heart sped up when I saw her. Standing next to her was a girl, who looked to be five or six years old, with cherubic features. She was so cute that I wanted to run over and pinch her little cheeks. All three children wore green and gold clothing.

The middle-aged woman, who I didn’t recognize, was tall and thin. She wore a severe looking brown dress. In fact, severe was the best word to describe her. Severe dress, severe features, severe expression. Something about her scared me, though I couldn’t figure out what. She was severe looking, yes, but that was it. She didn’t seem threatening at all, yet I feared her all the same.

After the carriage stopped, a servant opened the door. Duke and Duchess Guld stepped out first, before the duke reached over and helped me get out. His hand felt warm. I was small and thin for my age, due to a lifetime of malnutrition, so I had a little difficulty getting out of the carriage on my own.

It was summer, so the day was hot and warm. I felt uncomfortable in my new clothing, since I wasn’t used to noble garb, but I kept my complaints to myself. I was just grateful to have new clothes at all. At the orphanage, we wore rags more often than not. The smell of flowers filled the air.

Still holding the duke’s hand, I followed Duke and Duchess Guld as they walked towards the main entrance. Fear and hope blossomed in my heart. As we passed them by, the rows of servants bowed to us. It felt odd to have anyone bowing to me, and I kept close to the duke.

When we reached the end of the path, the four people waiting for us there bowed. The middle-aged woman bowed the deepest, while the children gave shallower bows.

“Welcome back, Father,” the children said in unison. “Mother.”

“Welcome back, Your Grace,” the middle-aged woman said. Even her voice sounded severe. “And Your Grace.”

“Thank you, everyone.” Duke Guld said, smiling at them. “I would like to introduce you to Wulfram.”

Four pairs of eyes stared at me. Overcome by shyness, I hid behind Duke Guld and peeked out at them. The older boy and the younger girl gave me curious looks, while Lina wore a complicated expression on her face. However, the middle-aged woman’s eyes were cold and unfriendly.

“I’m sure you recognize him.” the duke continued. “He’s the one who saved Lina’s life in Towerton. As a reward for his actions, your mother and I decided to adopt him into the family. I want you all to treat him as your own flesh and blood.”

The older boy and the younger girl looked surprised, but not displeased, by this. Lina frowned. The middle-aged woman’s expression remained the same.

“Wulfram,” Duchess Guld said. “These are our other children. The oldest is Siegfried.” She smiled as she said this next part. “Lina is our second oldest. And our youngest is Mika.” She gestured to the middle-aged woman. “This is Baroness Melitta Lafrenz, our family’s nanny. She’ll be in charge of your education and general wellbeing.”

“Hello,” I said, still peeking out from behind Duke Guld.

Siegfried grinned at me.

“Hello Wulfram,” he said. “I’m your new big brother. You can call me Sieg.”

Mika gave me a curious look, before she ran over and gave me a hug. I flinched, but otherwise didn’t react.

“Hi.” she said in a cute voice, before running back to her previous spot while giggling.

Their friendly greetings drove back my fear and I stopped hiding behind Duke Guld. As I did so, Lina crossed her arms and gave me an imperious look.

“No.” she said. “You are not my brother. I will never accept you as my brother.”

Her words hit me like a punch in the gut and left me breathless. Everyone else looked at her in surprise, except for Baroness Lafrenz.

“Lina!” Duke Guld snapped.

“Apologize to Wulfram this instant!” Duchess Guld commanded.

Lina ignored her parents and turned around, before stomping off into Guld Manor. Well, stomping was the wrong word. Her movements were far too elegant and graceful for that.

“Lina, get back here!” the duke said, chasing after his eldest daughter.

“Baroness Lafrenz, please take Wulfram and help him settle in while Karl and I deal with Lina.” the duchess said. “Siegfried, look after Mika.”

After giving out her orders, she followed her husband and her eldest daughter.

“Don’t take what Lina said to heart.” Sieg said, giving me an apologetic look.

He took Mika’s hand and headed inside Guld Manor, leaving me with Baroness Lafrenz.

“Follow me, Lord Wulfram.” she said in her severe voice. “I shall take you to your rooms.”

Still feeling numb by Lina’s rejection, I nodded. I followed the baroness, too dazed to pay much attention to my surroundings.

“We’re here.” Baroness Lafrenz said when we reached my rooms.

It was a large and opulent space, a paradise for someone like me, but I wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it. After we entered, the baroness shut the door behind us. It closed with an ominous sounding click. Once we were alone, her demeanor changed. It grew colder and more severe, which hadn’t seemed possible until that moment.

“While we have a moment to ourselves, Lord Wulfram,” Baroness Lafrenz said. “I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight, lest you forget your place.” She leaned down. “You are not a true Guld.”

I blinked at her in surprise.

“But the duke and the duchess-…” I started to say, but the baroness cut me off.

“His Grace and Her Grace are too soft and kind for their own good,” she said. “Leaving it up to me to explain the truth to you, so you don’t misunderstand your purpose here.”