When I dreamed that night, after I had gone to bed, I dreamed of the time I first met House Guld; I dreamed of the time I first met her. Before House Guld adopted me, I lived in an orphanage in the town of Towerton. It was a large town in the Riverlands, situated near where the borders of the Riverlands, the Barrens, and the Crownlands met. It earned its name from the large number of towers that dotted the town.
Apparently, about a century before, the various noble houses who occupied the town started building towers as a way to show off their wealth and status. This turned into a competition, which resulted in dozens of towers being built. They built so many, that they even ended up changing the town’s name as a result.
The thing I remember most about my time living in that orphanage was the constant gnawing hunger. The orphanage relied on donations from nobles and wealthy merchants, which wasn’t always consistent. That meant that the administrators in charge always had to skimp and save, since they never knew when the next donation would come in. The other orphans and I ate enough to avoid starving, but nothing more. To make ends meet, and help fill our bellies, we worked odd jobs all over Towerton.
I ran into the members of House Guld while running one of these odd jobs. It had been a bright summer day. Father and Moth-… The duke and the duchess had been in town to meet with another noble family for business and decided to make a family trip out of it. This had been about a month after Emmerich Guld’s “funeral”, and they had wanted to do something to cheer their other children up. After they finished with their business, the entire family explored Towerton on foot. Several knights from the Order of the Golden Rose, the knightly order that served House Guld, accompanied them.
When I first saw the Gulds, I stopped and stared. I had been making a delivery in Towerton’s shopping district, when their golden hair caught my attention. I had seen blondes before, but none with hair like House Guld’s. They seemed to shine. There were five of them in total, a man and a woman accompanied by a boy and two girls. The oldest girl caught my eye: Lina Guld, first daughter and second eldest child of House Guld.
When I first saw her, I thought she was an angel or a spring goddess who had descended from the heavens. She was the most beautiful person I had ever seen in my entire life, both before that moment and after. She was about a year older than me. Her sun-kissed skin had golden undertones. Her hair reminded me of spun gold, glimmering and gleaming in the sunlight. She wore a yellow dress that day, which accentuated her brightness even further. Her features contained hints of the great beauty she would become. It was her eyes that captivated me the most, however. They were a deep green, full of life and vitality.
Meanwhile, I was an orphan who wore ragged clothing, my body too thin from never getting enough to eat. My hair was a messy rat’s nest. Lina was brilliant and beautiful, while I was filthy and ugly. The difference between us couldn’t have been more stark. The two of us lived in two separate worlds. Yet, in that moment, our two worlds met. That should have been the end of it. I should have gone back to the orphanage, and Lina should have continued exploring the town with her family, the two of us never to see each other again. However, fate had another plan for us.
Two carriages crashed into each other right at that moment, causing a commotion and attracting everyone’s attention, including the Golden Rose knights. I had continued to stare at Lina, which was why I noticed a shadowy figure lurking towards the members of House Guld. It used the distraction caused by the crashed carriages in order to avoid being seen. I later learned that the figure had been an assassin sent by one of House Guld’s enemies. The assassin had caused the crash in order to take advantage of the chaos and kill Duke Guld.
I hadn’t known that at the time. All I cared about was the fact that the angel was in danger. Before I even realized it, I rushed towards the figure while screaming at the top of my lungs. Unfortunately, a half-starved orphan boy was no match for a trained assassin. Despite my attempt at heroics, the assassin fended me off with ease. However, my actions attracted the attention of the Golden Rose knights, who dispatched the assassin. They also took me into custody, since they suspected that I was an accomplice.
After that, House Guld and their knights retreated back to the hotel they had been staying at, with me in tow. The knights took me to a separate room and interrogated me about my involvement in the assassination attempt, but Duke Guld intervened and told the knights that they were being absurd. I had attacked the assassin. How could I be an accomplice?
Duke Guld chased the knights away, leaving the two of us alone. That was when he scolded me for my recklessness.
“While I am grateful for what you did,” he said with an angry expression on his face. “You shouldn’t have risked your life like that. What if you had been hurt? Or worse, killed?”
Those were the first words he had ever said to me. I stared down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. At first I thought he had been angry at me. Later on, however, he had been angry because he had been worried about me. He wasn’t wrong either. I could have been injured or killed. However, by some miracle, I remained unscathed.
“Why did you do it?” Duke Guld asked me.
“I…I didn’t want the angel to get hurt,” I said in a shaky voice.
“Angel?”
“The girl who was with you, the older one.”
A beat of silence followed my words, before the duke knelt on one knee and made me look at him. Contrary to my fears, he wore a bright smile on his face rather than an angry expression. That smile dazzled me.
“I see,” he said. “Well, regardless of the reason, you risked your life for my family. You deserve a reward for that, and I am never one to leave my debts unpaid. Tell me what you want. If it is within my power, I’ll give it to you.” His expression turned serious. “Think carefully. This is a rare opportunity.”
He was right. I hadn’t known it at the time, but receiving a boon like this from Duke Guld almost never happened. Given House Guld’s wealth and influence, there was almost nothing they couldn’t acquire. Many would have killed to be in my shoes at that moment.
I took that opportunity to ask for the one thing I always wanted, the one thing almost all orphans craved.
“A family,” I told him without hesitation. “I want a family.”
Despite my odd request, the duke didn’t seem surprised. In fact, his smile widened. After that, things moved fast. House Guld discussed the matter with the orphanage I had been staying at, before taking me with them on the journey back to Guld Manor. At the time, I thought they were bringing me to another family. I hadn’t realized until we reached Guld Manor that they had adopted me themselves. When I found out, I cried tears of joy. That had been the happiest moment of my life. I believed I had found a family, one that would love and cherish me.
However, two events marred that day. The first was Lina’s rejection of me as her brother. The second was when I learned the truth, that I was nothing more than a substitute for Emmerich Guld, their real son.
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When I woke up, I found myself in a luxurious and well-appointed bedroom. Perhaps it was due to the dream, but for a moment, I thought that I was in my bedroom back at Guld Manor. For a moment, I thought that the past three years had been nothing more than a long dream. For a moment, I thought that I was back home.
When that moment passed, I remembered that I was in Kaltbrand Castle and that I was in the room set aside for me. Well, rooms would be more accurate since the heir to House Kaltbrand would have a set of rooms rather than just one.
Last night, after I accepted Grand Duke Kaltbrand’s offer, the three of us made our way towards Kaltbrand Castle, with the team of Coldsteel Knights in tow. We entered through a lesser used side entrance rather than the main entrance in order to avoid attracting too much attention.
Despite Kaltbrand Castle’s intimidating exterior, the interior was warmer and more luxurious than I expected. It reminded me a bit of Guld Manor, back in the Riverlands, where I spent seven years of my life. The amount of wealth on display staggered me, though I shouldn’t have been so surprised.
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In terms of wealth, House Kaltbrand was beneath only House Guld and House Reichwald, the imperial family. Some sacrifices had been made in the name of practicality, it was still a castle after all, but overall the interior of Kaltbrand Castle impressed me. It truly was the home of the Reichwald Empire’s one and only grand duke.
After we arrived, our group headed towards the grand duke’s study to write up the contract and finalize our deal. That ended up taking much longer than Grand Duke Kaltbrand and Knight Commander Bardin expected. They thought that writing up and signing the contract would be a simple matter. However, I had been raised and educated by House Guld.
As a family that ruled over an important trade hub, House Guld were themselves traders. High society considered engaging in trade a vulgar profession, but none could deny the results. House Guld was the richest noble family in the Reichwald Empire, and their wealth gave them a significant amount of power and influence. High society would talk about them behind their backs, but none dared to openly insult House Guld.
In short, I knew how to read and write contracts. It took us hours to come up with one that satisfied all parties involved. By the end, all of us were tired and irritable, but happy with the results. Afterwards, after telling me that we would discuss the details of my job later, Grand Duke Kaltbrand summoned a servant to lead me to my new rooms. Once I arrived, I put my things away before collapsing onto the bed.
I sat up and looked around my bedroom for the next year. It was larger and better furnished than the one I had back at Guld Manor. That made sense. In Guld Manor, I had been the adopted son of House Guld, a mere substitute. Here, I was the (fake) heir of House Kaltbrand. Of course there would be differences in how I was treated. Even so, this room lacked any personal touches. I had a feeling that it hadn’t been used for a long time.
It was still early in the morning, about an hour before dawn. Aura Masters needed to sleep less than regular people, so even though I went to bed late the night before, I felt refreshed. I changed into a set of clean clothes, grabbed my sword, and headed out to train. Despite reaching my current level of power, I made sure to train every morning. There was always room for improvement. I knew better than to grow complacent.
Despite the early hour, the servants were already up and about, performing their various duties. I asked one for directions to a place where I could train. The servant seemed wary of me. I didn’t blame him. I was a stranger with a sword and I doubted that news of my new status had spread yet. However, despite his wariness, the servant directed me to the training area set aside for the Coldsteel Knights. He must have thought that I was an important guest, which wasn’t too far from the truth. I thanked him and headed in that direction.
The Coldsteel Knights had an annex assigned to them, which served as their headquarters. It had all the facilities they needed, including a training yard as well as an arena for sparring. I passed by several servants along the way there, who gave me odd looks when they saw me, but I paid them no mind and continued about my business.
The training yard was an outdoor courtyard, so it was cold. That wasn’t an issue. Training would warm me up just fine. Mana crystal lamps placed in strategic locations provided enough light for me to see by. The training yard was also empty. I guessed that the Coldsteel Knights didn’t wake up this early, so I had the entire place to myself. Good. I picked a random corner and went through some warm-ups before I started my mana training.
Training as an Aura user required more than just honing one’s skills as a warrior. One also had to take mana into one’s body and refine it. Doing so changed one’s body, making it faster, tougher, and stronger. It also sharpened one’s senses. However, this was a dangerous process, one that required complete focus on the Aura user’s part. A momentary lapse in concentration could result in severe injury.
The quantity and quality of mana within an Aura user’s body determined their level. In simple terms, the more mana an Aura user had, and the higher the quality of said mana, the stronger they were. Even reaching the lowest level, Aura Novice, was a significant achievement.
To become an Aura Novice, one needed to form a mana core within one’s body. A mana core was an artificial organ formed from mana that allowed one to store mana within one’s body and better control it. Without a mana core, one couldn’t become an Aura user. In general, Aura Novices were twice as powerful as their mundane counterparts. This allowed them to contend with Rank 1 demonic beasts, though with some difficulty.
Those who reached the second level, Aura Warrior, became even stronger. They became five times as strong as they were as an Aura Novice, making them ten times as strong as a regular human. This was a rough estimation rather than an exact calculation. Some Aura users were a little weaker, some were a little stronger. However, most ended up within this general range.
Aura Experts, the third level, were ten times as strong as Aura Warriors. On their own, they were as powerful as a small army. A group of Aura Experts was a formidable force. Aura Experts also gained the ability to imbue their weapons with mana, enhancing their strength and durability. This effect became more pronounced if used with an enchanted weapon. However, doing so also used up the Aura Expert’s internal mana. Once that ran out, the Aura expert would need to rest in order to recover their mana.
As for Aura Masters, no one knew for sure how powerful they were compared to Aura Experts, since there were only a handful of them at a time. Some thought they were ten times as powerful, while others thought this was a conservative estimate. Regardless, everyone agreed that Aura Masters had reached the peak of the mortal realm. The presence of a single Aura Master could turn the tide of any battle. The only ones who came close to them in power were Great Sages, the magician equivalent.
One of the reasons why Aura Masters were so powerful, in addition to their inhuman strength, was their ability to cover their bodies and weapons with a layer of mana: the eponymous Aura that gave Aura users their name. Not only did this Aura protect the Aura Master from harm, but it also increased their attack power by a significant margin, making them practically invincible on the battlefield. This used up their mana, but Aura Masters had huge reserves to draw upon. Even when they ran out, they could still rely on their physical prowess.
After I warmed up, I closed my eyes and started going through the forms of my fighting style. As I moved my body, I also sensed the mana in the environment around me. It was dense and thick, making it perfect for mana training. As expected of the Coldsteel Knights. Their training facilities were a notch above the rest. I almost regretted not joining them.
I started drawing in the surrounding mana, circulating it in accordance to the movements of my body, before storing it in my mana core. While magicians, and some Aura users, took in and refined mana through meditation, the majority of Aura users exercised to achieve the same effect. For me, that meant going through the different forms of my fighting style.
Time passed as I lost myself in my mana training. Even so, a part of me remained alert and aware of my environment. Some time later, I heard movement as people entered the training yard; the Coldsteel Knights I assumed. I noted their presence, but otherwise ignored them. I had reached a critical juncture in my mana training. If I stopped now, I would suffer a setback and maybe even injure myself.
“Who the fuck is that?” someone asked. A man. His voice sounded coarse and rough. “Is he a new guy?”
“No, that can’t be right,” someone else said. A woman this time. Her voice sounded refined. “We don’t have any new recruits, as far as I know.”
“Then what the fuck is he doing here?”
I heard footsteps as the pair approached me. In the background, I heard others murmuring and commenting on my presence, but they kept their distance. It was difficult to tell, since I focused most of my attention on my training, but it sounded like there were a few dozen people in the training yard.
“Hey, asshole,” the coarse man said, his voice right in my ear. “You lost or something? What the hell are you doing here?”
My focus almost wavered, but I managed to maintain my focus despite the distraction. What was this idiot doing? Any Aura user worth the title knew better than to interrupt someone going through mana training. Otherwise, they could suffer a backlash. Despite my anger, I continued with my training. Once I passed this juncture, I would stop and deal with him then.
“Viktor, stop,” the refined woman said in an admonishing tone. “He’s in the middle of mana training.”
The coarse man, Viktor, scoffed.
“And?” he asked. “I don’t give a damn. This is our training yard. Meaning he’s just a trespasser who is stealing our mana. Why should I care if he suffers backlash? He should be grateful that I haven’t smacked him upside the head yet.”
I heard footsteps as another person approached us.
“That's enough, Viktor,” a familiar voice said in a cold tone. Sir Kane. “Leave him alone.”
I heard a murmuring of surprise come from the other Coldsteel Knights.
“Do you know this man, Kane?” the refined woman asked.
“Fuck you, Kane,” Viktor said at almost the exact same time. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
I heard movement.
“What the-?” Viktor yelled. “Get your hands off of me!”
“Kane!” the refined woman said. “What do you think you are doing?”
I heard a thump, followed by footsteps.
“I said leave him alone,” Sir Kane said, his voice coming from beside me. It seemed like he had taken Viktor’s spot next to me. “I won’t tell you again.”
“Fuck you, Kane!” Viktor said.
“Viktor, stop!” the refined woman said.
“Let go of me, Elise!” Viktor said.
The sounds of a struggle reached my ears. From what I could tell, it seemed like Viktor was trying to attack Sir Kane while the refined woman, Elise, held him back. The murmuring and whispers from the others grew louder.
I passed the juncture and finished with my mana training. After taking a moment to make sure that nothing was amiss, I opened my eyes.