I awoke in a puddle of sweat feeling sticky and sore all over my body. I quickly looked at the mirror hoping for an insane growth spurt, but nothing seemed different. I sighed and quickly washed myself so that I could get my day started. I had plans for this weekend, and I had no time to waste since they were vital to cementing my position as the heir of Duke Glouse. I needed to give the public a face to my name as I hadn't been seen outside for a number of years. At this rate, others would think I was being hidden because of my incompetence or because I was a failure.

Determined to do this, I told Ana about my plans and we headed to my father's office so that I could receive his permission. After being allowed in, I gave a respectful bow and said,

"I wish to leave the house this weekend and explore our territory. I'll have Anabelle accompany me and I'd be starting with the city we are situated in, Granbell before heading out to Ludisveil."

Granbell was the center of the Glouse Duchy and can be considered its capital. There were lots of things to do within it, and because of the duchy's success it was considered one of the empire's best tourist attractions. Ludisveil, on the other hand, was a bit more of an agrarian focused city. It supplied the duchy with grain, fruit, and other produce while selling the surplus to other territories. It was well known for its beautiful pastures and scenery, but it was inhabited mostly by families who had been farming there for generations.

My father looked me over before responding.

"You look much healthier than you were before. I do think it's about time we start presenting you to the world. I'll allow you to explore Granbell and Ludisveil, but just in case I'll assign you a small squad of knights to accompany you. I also think it's time to introduce you to the other families. We will be hosting a party for you a month from now since you never had one while sick."

He said the final part with a sad tone, but I nodded my head at his response. It makes sense to introduce me to the other nobles and host a party. The Glouse Duchy had to advertise to the empire that the heir is alive and well to stop any negative rumors from cropping up. It was odd enough that I had never appeared at any gatherings, and I had never hosted any events for the past number of years. Only certain nobles knew about my illness, but the others probably had surmised that something was amiss with Ray considering his absence.

"Thank you father, I will leave once Anabelle and I have prepared ourselves with the necessary items. I am looking forward to the party as well, hopefully I can impress everyone. If you can please hire a dance instructor for me, I would be happy. I'd feel terrible if I couldn't even dance at my own party."

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I responded in an excited tone as I started thinking about my already tight schedule. With the addition of a dance instructor, I'd basically have no time to rest other than when I was asleep. I clenched my fists though as I reminded myself that all this was necessary for success. Dancing was a core piece of a noble's identity, if one were a bad dancer they would be unable to create meaningful connections at balls and parties. Dancing was one of the highest forms of communication between humans, and I would take advantage of that to further my ambitions.

My father dismissed me after agreeing to my suggestion and I hurried off with Ana to begin preparing for the small adventure. I packed some small snacks and an extra pair of clothes so that I could change for Sunday when we were at Ludisveil. I was given a pouch while preparing by the head butler, Sebastian, that contained coins for our expenses. I thanked him and quickly checked its contents which were the following: 5 gold coins, 10 silver coins, and 20 copper coins. The monetary values of this world were quite simple, platinum was equivalent to $1000, gold was $100, silver was $10, and copper was $1. In order to get decimal values, you would cut the coin to the appropriate size, so 50 cents would be half a copper coin.

After I was done getting my stuff ready, I met up with Ana as we headed to the entrance of the family house.

"Ray, you still haven't told me what we are exactly doing in Granbell or Ludisveil. I would assume this isn't just some day trip for leisure, right?" She gave a small giggle at the end of her sentence as we arrived outside.

I gave her a smirk as I looked at the carriage waiting for us along with a small detachment of four knights. I couldn't hide my surprise when I saw the newly appointed vice-captain at the forefront of the group. Her hair was a deep orange color and at shoulder length, and her eyes were a fiery red. She had one eye catching detail, however, a thin scar ran across her right cheek. Judging from her appearance and the way she presented herself, I'd estimate her age to be around 27.

"Young Master Ray, my name is Reiia and I will be accompanying you with the rest of these knights for the next two days. Where would you like to head first?" Her posture was that of an ideal soldier while speaking, and I could sense that she was strong.

"I want to head towards the marketplace. I've heard it has items from all across the empire and is fun to walk around."

Reiia nodded her head and gave the coachmen the message as Ana and I entered the luxurious carriage. The knights mounted their horses and Reiia gave the signal to begin departing. Ana had sat across from me and was staring intensely at me.

"Ana, to answer your previous question, I would say that right now I want exposure. The best way to get that other than the party next month would be walking through a bustling market, wouldn't you agree?"

She gave a small chuckles as she shook her head.

"Ray, you really are too smart for your age. At this rate you'll know more than me, and I'm older than you!" she said this with a cute pout.

I watched the scenery go by as we made our way to the market. Granbell was surprisingly clean, I didn't see anything negative throughout the ride. If someone were to ask me what it reminded me of, I would reply with Italy or Greece because of its ancient beauty. My heart sank a bit as I looked at the happiness all around. A decade from now, a number of gates will appear causing demonic forces to start trickling out. Those gates signaled the start of the demonic invasion, and was the focus of EoR.

I clenched my fists as I thought about the future, I want to protect this. I don't care if my actions change the future, I'm not like those main characters in novels who second guesses every action afraid of its impact. I want to change the future, and I want to save the characters that brought me so much joy.

With these thoughts still circulating in my head, we arrived outside the market.