“If you have a problem with me, just say it to my face,” Elysian said, staring directly into the steward's eyes as he slowly walked in front of him. “I’m here, right in front of you.”

Bertrand was confused. It was the first time that someone had talked to him like that in the entire estate. Not even the Baron had done that. He wanted to snap at the child, but he couldn’t. Regardless of how high his station was, the child was still the son of the Baron. So, he gritted his teeth and bowed in apology. “I’m sorry, young master, if I’ve caused any displeasure. It wasn’t my intention. I only did my duty as the steward of the house. And one of the duties entrusted to me by the baron is to make sure that everything in the estate is in proper order.”

‘Ah! The baron card. I didn’t think he’d use that quickly.’

“Did the Baron explicitly tell you that I couldn’t eat in the kitchen?”

“No, young master. However, it’s common knowledge that commoners and nobles should maintain a clear division. If not, chaos will ensue.”

“Are you serious? How would eating here lead to chaos? Or is this a joke? If it is, it isn’t funny,” Elysian stated, smirking when he saw the arrogance in the servant’s demeanor. “I think you’re just making things complicated when it’s very simple, steward. I, the son of the baron, who is the owner of this estate, can eat wherever I feel like inside this house. No one in this room can tell me not to. I can eat in the kitchen, in the room, or on the f*cking roof if I want to.” He then gestured to the staff, who were looking at him. “So, why are you admonishing them when they don't have the power to tell me what to do? Or even you, steward, you don’t have that power.”

Bertrand frowned while his whole demeanor turned cold. “You’re right, young master. I don’t have that power. However, the Baron…”

‘The baron card again.’

“Ah! Yes, the Baron. If the Baron has any problem with me, he can tell me himself,” Elysian suddenly chuckled. “Are you the Baron, steward?” Elysian asked, locking eyes with him, but the steward just stayed quiet. “I guess not. You are just a commoner. Did you say that commoners and nobles should have a clear division between them? Then, aren’t you acting above your station now, steward?”

“I wouldn’t dare, young master.”

“But you just dared. You just told me what I can and can’t do inside my own house.”

Bertrand found himself at a loss for words. He just stood there, his arrogance melting away like ice in a desert’s heat. What made matters worse was the unrelenting stare that Elysian gave him, making him so uncomfortable that he started sweating. The servant quickly bowed in apology, “I’m sorry, young master, if my words and actions caused any disrespect.”

“You’re forgiven,” Elysian said, looking at him arrogantly. “I hope this will be a lesson for you. Also, I don’t want to hear that you reprimanded the staff here because of my actions. Did I make myself clear?”

“Yes, young master.”

“Good.”

Elysian smiled at the kitchen staff, who were holding their breath. “Thank you for the meal. It was delicious. I also had a great time meeting you all,” he said, walking out of the kitchen, followed by Bran.

----------------------------------------

“Where are we going, master?” Bran asked, following the young lord outside the manor.

“I don’t know, big fella. I just wanted to walk around to digest all the food we ate. I feel so full.”

“I'm still hungry,” he said, rubbing his stomach.

“Hungry? You’ve eaten three times more than I did.” He could only shake his head in disbelief, looking at the servant.

“Hello, Lucas,” Bran waved at the captain, heading to the garrison. “Good morning.”

“Oh, hello, Bran. Good…,” the captain said, freezing when he saw the young lord. After regaining his composure, he quickly bowed. “Good morning, my lord. I’m glad that you’re doing fine.”

“Good morning to you too, Lucas,” Elysian greeted warmly, smiling at the soldier, whose eyes widened upon hearing his name. “Thank you for your concern.”

‘It seems everyone I’ve met so far was taken aback by my actions. I can’t really blame them. If I remember correctly, I was a total prick in my youth. Well, not just a prick, but a complete psycho who takes pleasure in insulting others and, in the worst cases, even hitting people. I was a total menace that everyone avoided.’

“Where are you going?”

“To the garrison, my lord. There is a sparring contest happening on the training ground. I’m the judge.”

“Oh, really?” Elysian’s mood suddenly lifted upon hearing that. “Can I go? I’m a bit bored and would love to witness some action.”

“Certainly, my lord,” Lucas said, suddenly smiling when he saw his excitement.

The soldier led the way, with the master and the servant following closely behind him. The first thing he noticed was a group of sixteen soldiers standing at the center of the training ground.

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‘They’re young. Maybe around fourteen to sixteen years old. I thought that they’d be older. It seems I’m wrong.’

“Young master, if you’d like, you can sit there,” Lucas said, pointing to one of the unoccupied benches on the side.

Elysian smiled and nodded to him. As he began walking to the bench, the soldiers quickly noticed his presence. All of them were surprised to see him. He even saw some people go to Lucas to ask why he was there. Suddenly, he felt the awkwardness and tension of the whole place. However, he just played it cool. He greeted those who greeted him, smiling at those who stared at him. After he sat at the bench, the people slowly went back to their business.

“Attention!” The contestants immediately stood straight, putting all their focus on Lucas. “Let’s start this quick. The rules are the same. If someone surrenders, you must stop fighting immediately. If someone is unconscious, you must also stop fighting. And if I say stop, the fight must stop immediately. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Do all of you know your opponent?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good. Are you ready to whip each other's ass?!”

“Yes, sir!” Suddenly, everyone chuckled, even some of the soldiers that were watching.

“Okay, let’s start!”

The first fight was between two young soldiers, both with similar physiques and heights. Their skills were also evenly matched, resulting in a brief fight. One of the contestants made a mistake when he took the bait, only to be countered with a thrust to the chest. The second duel was much more entertaining. One of the fighters was shorter than the others; however, he made up for it with his speed. He easily evaded his opponent’s unrelenting attacks. After the initial onslaught, the fight was practically over. His opponent didn’t have the energy to block any of his attacks. The third to seventh duels were practically the same as the first. The two opposing parties had the same level of skill, which made the fight longer than the two previous ones. The only deciding factor between the duels was their stamina. The one that outlasted the other won.

As the eight duel was about to start, Elysian couldn’t help but notice the growing crowd of soldiers.

“This is going to be exciting.”

“Who do you think would win?”

“I’d put my bet on Yorick. He’s a tactically sharp fighter, and his experience gives him the edge.”

“Are you joking? Sybil is hailed as the second coming of master Aldric.”

Elysian’s ears perked up at the mention of his brother.

‘I’m aware that my brother is an exceptionally talented warrior—a genius. My father even boasted that he is a once-in-a-generation fighter. Coming from him, that isn’t an empty boast. To be compared to him is a very high praise. This is going to be exciting.’

The group of soldiers suddenly froze when they noticed he was looking at them. With a grin, he raised an iron coin and quipped, “Got any more of those peanuts?”

The soldiers exchanged glances before grinning back. “Of course, my lord.”

“Thank you,” Elysian said, receiving a pack of roasted peanuts. “Bran, do you want some?” The servant nodded eagerly, attacking the peanuts like a vulture that hadn’t eaten in ages. “Hey, you big oaf, save some for me.” When he didn’t, he sighed, reluctantly giving the peanuts to him.

The soldiers appeared confused by their interaction. Every piece of information about him was always negative, and with good reason. His reputation was so bad that he was considered to be among the few that needed to be avoided at all costs.

“Can you give me another one?” He asked, showing another iron coin. After receiving his peanuts, he looked to the group and asked, “You compared my brother with Sybil. Is he really that talented?”

The soldiers suddenly turned pale, realizing he had listened to their earlier conversation. They quickly bowed in apology. “I’m very sorry for the disrespect, my lord. I misspoke earlier. The young lord…”

“Be at ease, soldier. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Winnifred, my lord,” he said, looking at his companion, pretending that they were looking somewhere else.

“Relax, Winnifred. I’m not here to bite you,” he assured, glancing at his other companions. “Or any of you, for that matter. Feel free to be honest with your opinions. I won't hold it against you. I’m just curious and excited. If what you said is true, this duel is going to be quite exciting,” he said, smiling at them. They quickly relaxed and smiled back at him. “So, he’s really as talented as my brother?”

“In my honest opinion, young master, no one can match your brother’s talent in the whole kingdom. Everyone simply pales in comparison.” One of the soldiers suddenly elbowed him to stop. It was well known in the entire barony that he was a terrible fighter, while his older brother was a genius par excellence. So, it was not surprising that there were many rumors surrounding them. One of such rumors was that he was extremely jealous of his brother’s achievements, which was actually true—well, partly true. He was before, but not now. “Of course, young master, you’re also…”

“I suck!” Elysian laughed. “Please repeat that after me. I suck.” The soldiers’ eyes widened. They didn’t know what to do. He stared at them. “I suck.”

“I suck,” they said in unison.

“What the hell! You’re soldiers. Where are your guts?” Elysian asked, shaking his head and chuckling, turning to Bran. “Bran, can you say that I suck.”

“You suck,” the servant said nonchalantly, focusing on his peanuts.

“Look, he has more guts than you.”

The soldiers looked at each other before saying, “You suck!” Their voices were a little louder, attracting a lot of attention. This made them curse in panic.

“What’s happening there?” Lucas asked, frowning at the soldiers.

“Nothing. We're just joking around,” Elysian quickly said, chuckling, turning his attention back to the soldiers. “See, it isn't so hard. It’s true, I really suck.” He simply shrugged. When the soldiers saw his reaction, they relaxed, laughing with him. “So, about what we’re talking about?”

“Ah! As I mentioned earlier, young master, your brother is the most talented in the whole kingdom.”

“Really? I know he’s the most talented person in the whole barony. But the whole kingdom? That seems a bit of a stretch.“

“I’m not just saying this because he’s one of our own or your brother. But I heard that he recently killed one of the top ranking swordsmen of Eldoran. Even Duke Ryland, who witnessed the fight, said that your brother is already one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom despite his age,” Winnifred said, looking admiringly at an image created by his imagination.

‘I knew he’s talented, but I didn’t know he’s this talented.’

“This is a great honor to our house then,” he nodded, smiling. “So, he’s not as talented as my brother, but he’s talented.”

“Yes, young master. He’s very talented,” one of the soldiers said. “He admires your brother very much. I heard that he joined the military because of him.”

“Your brother also praised him when they fought last time,” another soldier said. “Of course, your brother won, but you can’t deny his brilliance. The baron even praised him once, my lord.”

“Really,” he said, getting even more excited. As he turned to Sybil, who was getting ready to fight, he saw him staring at him coldly. Well, not just coldly. There seemed to be a hint of hate in that stare. Elysian grinned back at him and quipped, “Oh, this is going to be quite exciting indeed.”