The sun blazed overhead, its relentless heat turning the training grounds into a veritable oven. I could feel the sweat trickling down my back, soaking into my shirt as I squared off against Eric. He stood there, as calm and composed as ever, his spear held with effortless ease. Meanwhile, I was already struggling to keep my sword from slipping out of my sweat-slicked grip.

The battle had been going on for what felt like hours, though in reality, it was probably closer to minutes. Eric’s attacks came swift and precise, each thrust of his spear aimed to keep me on the defensive. I parried and dodged as best I could, but every move I made was countered by an equally skilled response. It was like fighting a force of nature—a force that, unfortunately for me, had a lot more stamina.

I lunged forward, hoping to catch him off guard with a quick slash, but he sidestepped effortlessly, his spear coming around in a wide arc that I barely managed to block. The impact jarred my arm, and I stumbled back, struggling to regain my balance.

Eric pressed the advantage, his spear moving in a blur of motion. I deflected one strike, then another, but each block was weaker than the last. My arms felt like lead, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I made a mistake.

And then it happened. I overextended, leaving myself open for just a moment—more than enough time for Eric to exploit. His spear shot forward, knocking my sword from my hands and sending me crashing to the ground.

I lay there, gasping for breath, staring up at Eric as he lowered his spear, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. 'Of course he’s smiling,' I thought, 'probably enjoying this a bit too much, the gorilla.'

Eric was a terrifying opponent, with the stamina of, well, yes a gorilla. Seriously, how does he keep going like that? It’s like fighting a machine that doesn’t know when to quit. But no, he’s not a machine—he’s just a naturally gifted warrior with more energy than anyone has a right to.

With the battle clearly won, Eric offered me his hand. I took it, allowing him to pull me to my feet. "Thy skill with the sword is improving, Nathaniel," he said, his tone sincere.

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Improving? Sure, if by improving you mean I managed to last a few minutes longer before getting my ass handed to me. But of course, I kept those thoughts to myself. Instead, I plastered on a polite smile. "I am grateful for thy praise, cousin. I always enjoy our training sessions."

'Yep, just another day in paradise, getting pummeled by my overachieving cousin. But hey, at least he’s nice about it, right?'

Eric’s smile widened, pleased with the compliment, and I forced myself to keep the smile on my face as he walked away.

I watched him go, that ever-present smile still on his face. Some might think Eric is two-faced, pretending to be all smiles and politeness when he’s really cold inside. But the truth? The truth is, he’s not pretending at all. He really is that naive. The guy’s got the world’s worst poker face.

Not that I’m complaining. I’ve taken advantage of that naivety more times than I can count. When we were kids, I used to trick him into giving me his allowance money all the time. I mean, sure, I got scolded later, but it was worth it. Those were the good old days. 'Oh, the things I could get away with back then…'

As the sun began to set, I made my way to the dining hall, knowing full well that tonight I’d be the center of attention. After all, it was the night before my departure to the capital. The final send-off, complete with all the warnings, well-wishes, and subtle reminders of how not to disgrace the family.

My mother was the first to speak, her voice soft but laced with concern. "Take care, Nathaniel. The capital can be a dangerous place, even for those of noble blood."

"Of course, Mother," I replied, keeping my tone as respectful as possible. 'Yes, Mother, I’ll be sure to avoid any dark alleys and suspicious-looking characters. Thanks for the tip.'

Meanwhile, my sister, ever the quiet one, sat there as usual, her eyes glued to Eric. Because why would she bother looking at her brother when Mr. Perfect is sitting right there?

My grandmother, ever the stern matriarch, wasted no time getting to the practicalities. "Thou wilt have several guardians accompanying thee. They shall ensure thy safety during the journey and upon thy arrival."

I nodded, trying to look as serious as possible

Then, just as I thought the conversation was winding down, my grandmother brought up an odd topic. "We found one of the horses dead recently," she said, her tone as even as ever. "The breeder claims it was choked by a rope."

For a moment, my heart skipped a beat. But then she added, "He believes the horse must have wrapped it around its neck by accident."

'Phew, that was a close one.'

"But," she continued, her tone growing colder, "it was the breeder’s responsibility to care for the horse. As such, he has been hanged."

I nearly froze, but I managed to keep my face impassive, nodding as if this was the most normal conversation in the world. 'Well, he should’ve kept a better eye on them, especially after I asked him to stop letting them shit everywhere. I guess he deserved it…'

Finally, the time came to leave. I stepped into the carriage, glancing back at the manor one last time. Eric was there, waving with that big smile of his, as if I were heading off to some grand adventure instead of walking into a den of lions.

My sister, predictably, had her full attention on Eric, her eyes practically sparkling. My mother, however, looked at me with a hint of worry in her eyes, as if she knew exactly what I was walking into.

The carriage began to move, and I settled back into my seat, trying to push the nerves aside. 'Off to the capital.'

And so, with a final glance at the receding manor, I braced myself for what was to come.