“Good morning, master,” Osric greeted, bowing respectfully to the young noble, who sat on the side, watching soldiers preparing for their daily training routine.
“Oh, you’re here. Good morning,” Elysian acknowledged with a nod, smiling at the older boy. Taking out the three gold coins from his pocket, he continued, “Here, take this.”
“Huh? What’s this?” Osric inquired, accepting the offered item offhandedly. Glancing at it, his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly remarked, “This is a very large amount of money, master.”
“Yeah, it is.” Elysian nodded, a serene smile playing on his lips as he observed the older boy’s expression.
“Why are you giving me this?” he asked, attempting to return it. “Master, you’ve given me enough last time. I can’t accept this.”
“Why not? It’s not my money but yours,” Elysian stated, enjoying the reaction of the older boy. With a grin, he explained further, “I’ve managed to convince the merchant to return the entire amount you’ve paid. So, this is literally yours. Take it!”
Osric paused for a moment, processing the information. After getting his composure back, he promptly questioned, “Young master, I’ve only paid a total of two gold and twenty-one silver, as I told to you yesterday. This is three gold.”
“Ah, that,” Elysian chuckled, locking eyes directly with the other boy, who looked back with confusion on his face. “Let’s just say it’s that merchant’s donation for the greater good of the barony and to show remorse for his actions. So, accept that money; it’s yours now,” he stated. When he still saw some reluctance in his eyes, he added, “If you’re still uncomfortable accepting such an amount, don’t be. You’re not the only one who gets a share from this incident. I also got one.” Winking at him, he smiled and quipped, “Mine’s much bigger than yours. Cedric also got his share.” Patting the older boy on the shoulder, he said, “Don’t forget to express your gratitude to the commander. He’s the one who collected the money from that greedy merchant. Also, he readily agreed to my suggestion to increase your share a little.”
After understanding the situation, he bowed respectfully to the young noble and expressed his gratitude, “Once again, thank you, master. I will never forget the help that you’ve given me and my family.”
“As I said, this is your money, so your gratitude is not necessary,” Elysian stated. When he saw that he was about to object, he quickly continued, “Always remember that I’ll do my best to protect the interests of my people. You’re one of my people now, so this is just a given. Do you understand?”
“Yes, master,” Osric responded, returning the smile.
“Good. Ah, if you really wanted to express your gratitude,” Elysian giggled, turning to the gentle giant beside him. “Why not treat this big fella to a meal later? He’s the only one who didn’t receive any share from the whole incident.”
“Alright, master,” Osric nodded. Turning to the servant, he asked, “Hey, big fella, do you want to eat later? It’s my treat. You can eat as much as you like.”
“Okay,” Bran responded, a broad grin on his face, clearly excited about the prospect of a meal. “Thanks, Osric.”
“You’re welcome, Bran.”
“Eat as much as he likes? Damn, that’s a big mistake,” Elysian chuckled, shaking his head. “His stomach is like an endless chasm. He’ll eat that pocket of yours in no time.”
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“Commander, what are you watching?” Lucas inquired, glancing at the window. Smiling at the sight of Elysian running and joking with the soldiers, he remarked, “Ah, the young master. I’ve noticed that he has changed a lot, Cedric. ”
“Change?” the commander repeated, scoffing at the idea. “Change is an understatement. He seems to be quite different from the boy I’ve known. I don’t seem to recognize him at all.”
“What’s so shocking about that?” the captain chuckled. Turning to the stern commander, he continued, “He’s young. It’s not surprising that he changed a lot. Isn’t that what children do? They grow up.”
“You’ve got a point, but the change is just so abrupt and stark that there are moments when I wonder if I’m talking to a completely different person,” Cedric remarked, not taking his eyes off the young noble.
“Really?” Lucas mused, turning back to Elysian and studying him intently.
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice it,” Cedric said.
“I’ve interacted with him much less than you. Frankly, I can count those instances on one hand, but I’ve observed him quite a bit. In the past, the impression I’ve had of him is that he’s snobbish and arrogant,” the captain remarked.
“Now?”
Pondering for a moment, he smiled and quipped, “Well, he is less snobbish but still arrogant.”
The commander snorted at that and said, “You’re right about him being snobbish and arrogant. However, he also became somewhat kind and caring.” He scoffed at the thought, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that sh*t. He must be planning something. That kid can be devious.”
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“Seriously?” the captain asked, skepticism coloring his voice. Chuckling at the complete disconnect between his actions and words, he remarked, “I witnessed the opposite happen yesterday. You appeared to have softened toward the kid. If I didn’t know you, I would’ve assumed you’re starting to like him.”
Turning to Lucas, Cedric frowned, showing his disapproval without uttering a word.
The captain just chuckled and shook his head, quipping, “You might deny it but I know I’m right.”
The commander just sighed, steering away from the previous topic. “Not only that, but I’ve also noticed that he has become extremely intelligent. Staring into his eyes makes me quite uncomfortable. I really can’t explain it. It’s as if I’m staring at an old man who has seen the world. It’s disconcerting.”
“Well, that I’ve got to agree,” Lucas nodded in agreement. “You’re right; it’s sometimes intimidating looking into his eyes. I can see intelligence there that I’ve never seen in any kid,” he remarked. After a brief pause, he continued, “Well, let me rephrase that—not just among kids. His intelligence might have surpassed everyone, even his brother.”
“Surpassed his brother?” Cedric repeated, arching an eyebrow. Snorting at the idea, he added, “I highly doubt that.”
“I know he’s your beloved student, and you’re very biased towards him,” the captain stated, chuckling at his superior. Thinking for a moment, he went back to their previous conversation and said, “If you carefully think about it, it might not be that surprising. Just think; the boy was unconscious for nearly a week. That might have scared him so much that it made him kind and caring in some ways.” Studying commander, who contemplated his statement, he continued, “About his intelligence, wasn’t his mother renowned for being beautiful and smart? I’d never met her. You’re the one who can better answer that one.”
“How can you explain his fighting abilities?” the commander questioned, raising a brow to the captain to emphasize his point. “I’ve watched the kid fight many times; I even taught him myself. I can guarantee you, he’s very bad at it. He’s not built to be a warrior. He lacks the necessary traits—sense and will. The worst part is that he’s spoiled and gives up without even trying. It isn’t surprising that the Baron was very disappointed with Elysian.” Pausing for a moment and observing the boy, he continued, “Out of nowhere, he won against Sybil. We’re not just talking about anyone here; we’re talking about Sybil. Do you understand?”
“I know what you mean.” The captain nodded in agreement, sighing.
“Let me change that. He didn’t just win against Sybil; Elysian beat him so thoroughly that it looked like he was a joke,” Cedric stated, shaking his head after recalling the implausible scene he witnessed that day. “The most astonishing part was that Sybil was using aura. I even thought, at that moment, that the young master was going to die. No, not only did he survive, but he beat Sybil to the point that he nearly lost his manhood.”
“You’ve got to admit, that was hilarious!” Lucas quipped, suddenly bursting into laughter after recalling the incident. Shaking his head, he added, “But, wasn’t that an accident, though?”
Snorting at the notion, the commander exclaimed, “Are you kidding me?! Didn’t you see the expression and behavior of the boy after that incident?” When he saw Lucas’ acknowledgment of his point, he shook his head and continued, “No, that wasn’t an accident. I was the closest when that happened. I can confidently say that the boy purposely angled the wooden sword at the right moment to win that bout in a humiliating manner. If you’re still not convinced, you just need to remember how he fought Sybil at the very beginning. Didn’t you see how Elysian played with him? How the attacks were just inches away from his body, but he perfectly evaded all of it?” Pausing for a bit to collect himself, he summed up his thoughts, “My main point is that Sybil wasn’t able to land any hits on that boy with or without aura. That feat is just unbelievable—impossible even!”
“So, what are you trying to say, commander?” Lucas questioned, frowning at where this discussion was heading. “Are you suggesting that the Elysian we see before us is an imposter?”
“Of course not!” Cedric quickly responded. “Even with the changes, I can’t deny he’s still the young master,” the commander admitted. “So, he’s definitely not an imposter.”
“If he’s not an imposter, the question isn’t a ‘who’ but ‘how’ or a ‘what’,” the captain said, deep in thought. “How did he change so much? Or, what made him change?”
“I don’t have an answer to that,” Cedric sighed.
“Perhaps he’s another genius like his brother.” Lucas chuckled at the prospect of another prodigy in the barony.
“Don’t know about that,” the commander remarked without elaborating.
“Why?” the captain inquired. When Cedric remained silent and evaded the question, he continued, “Even if they have different mothers, they’re of the same bloodline. For goodness’ sake, their father is the Baron. Our lord is a renowned warrior; it wouldn’t be surprising if his sons are geniuses.”
The commander just nodded without saying anything, observing the boy laughing with the soldier.
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Grasping for breath, Elysian and Bran lay sprawled on the ground, staring at the sky. Around them, the young soldiers, in the midst of their daily training routine, couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of the master and servant duo.
“Hey, young master, you’re already done?” one of the soldiers asked, snickering at the young noble. “You barely even reached the middle of the daily run. Better give up, or you might hurt your noble ass for pushing yourself at nothing.”
“If you have a problem with my master, you can directly talk to me,” Osric sneered, swiftly moving forward and confronting the soldier. When he saw him swallow hard and back down, he snorted and glared at all the other soldiers, ready to defend his lord.
Winnifred hurried over and helped Elysian to stand up, struggling from exhaustion. Sighing from the tension around them, he whispered, “Young master, can you still finish the daily run?”
“Why?” the young noble asked casually, without giving it any thought.
“We’ve bet against each other on whether you can finish today’s run,” Winnifred replied, grinning and attempting to act innocent, but failing miserably.
“Ah, now I understand why these fools are acting this way,” Elysian chuckled, shaking his head at what happened. Turning his head to Winnifred, he smiled deviously and asked, “What did you bet?”
Swallowing hard, Winnifred quickly responded, “Of course, I bet that you finish the daily run, young master. I’ve never doubted that you could.”
“Good, good. Now, help me get up.” Elysian nodded, laughing so loudly that he drew everyone’s attention. As he slowly got to his feet, he smiled and stated, “Hey, ease up, Osric. Take it easy. This is just friendly banter between friends, am I right?”
The soldier around them nodded, smiling back. Osric, on his part, shot a final glare at the soldier before nodding to his master and walking toward his back.
Satisfied with the ferocity of his new companion, the young noble faced the soldier that taunted him earlier and said, “I’ve heard that you guys were betting on me. Let me join in the betting, and let’s make this a lot more exciting.”