My eyes dart around the room as Tobias waits for my answer.

‘No windows, not even a vent…’

Evidently, the only way out is through the doorway, and if I want to use it to escape, I’ll need to get past this man. He’s unassuming, but it’s clear that even if I was at my best, I wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Will you accept the summon?” He asks, his voice flat and unreadable.

I click my tongue, glaring. “...I don’t have much of a choice.”

Tobias fixes his glasses which had slipped because of his earlier bow, and without speaking another word, he begins to walk down the hallway. Left with no other choice, I exit the room, and watch as the distance between us slowly increases. Strangely, he does not turn to check whether I’m there or not.

As he walks away, I turn my head to the other side of the hallway.

‘If I run right now…’

Before I can finish my thought, however, Reginald clears his throat and joins me, nervously glancing my way. “W-we should follow Lord Tobias…”

I look down at him and raise an eyebrow. “You think I’d try to escape?”

He tenses, waving his arms frantically. “N-no, of course not! I-I”

Not even giving him the chance to give me a reply, I follow behind Tobias.

‘There’s obviously no way in hell I can escape from the FullCastle estate…’

The three of us begin leisurely making our way down the corridor.

As expected of the main residence of the FullCastle family, even the hallway is lavishly decorated. A carpet stretches all the way down the corridor, pristine and spotless, making me wonder at the effort behind its upkeep. On the ceiling, a complex set of lights hangs down at regular intervals, illuminating their surroundings. I could not see it from the inside, but each doorway is contoured by a white metal, which at a first glance, appears to be incredibly expensive - white gold maybe.

‘What’s the obsession with white?’

Now that I look at it, everything is white here. The walls, the floor, the carpet, everything. In fact, the only thing that breaks that pattern is the numerous portraits of past family members hung on the walls. I don’t recognize the names, but they must have been important judging by the intricate attire they wear…. which also happens to be mostly white.

‘This place sure is big…’

A few minutes have passed since we’ve started walking, and I start to question just how long this corridor really is. I understand that they’re the most powerful family of Melodica, but isn’t this excessive? This may as well be a castle rather than an estate. So far, I’ve seen more employees and servants than I’ve seen FullCastle family members, which isn’t all that surprising, since I haven’t seen any.

In my boredom, I address the short, nervous man who was the first to greet me when I woke up.

“...Reginald, was it?”

He jumps, startled. “Y-yes, Lord!?”

“First question, how long was I out?”

“...Six days, Lord.”

‘Six days…’

I sigh. “Second question, why do you keep calling me ‘Lord’? I’m no noble, just call me Alden, or Sir at most.”

He nearly trips over his own feet at my request. “B-but, Lord Alden, you are an [enlightened]!! How could I… when I’m nothing more than an ordinary person?!” He wipes sweat off of his forehead. “...And you are a guest of the FullCastle, it is my duty to address you with the utmost respect!”

I frown. “I can understand the second argument… but I’m a human, just like you.” My fists clench, though I can’t muster much strength because of the pain. “...We bleed and we die all the same, trust me.”

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He seems shaken, but for once, his resolve seems to trump his fear. “E-even then… how could I call myself your equal… If it wasn’t for you, the north would have fallen to the beasts, and the south to the warmongering Sonatara Empire. I owe my comfortable life to your sacrifices…!!” He retorts, a glint in his eyes.

“...I see.”

He’s right, it is thanks to the [enlightened] that Melodica still stands. I too, used to idolize them, just like him, but I simply can’t look at them that way anymore. Not ever since that night in the forest…

‘Would he feel the same if he was aware of the lengths his saviors went to for power...’

I shake my head. There’s no use in bringing that up here, and it’s not like it’d change anything even if I told him.

I draw a breath, returning to my main point. “Still, drop the Lo-”

Tobias abruptly stops in front of a door, not any different from the innumerable ones we’ve passed on the way here. “We’ve arrived.” He gestures. “Step through, and you will be in the presence of the Grand Patriarch.”

I stop, eyeing the doorway. No matter how long I stare, there’s nothing special about it. It’s hard to believe Sirius Do FullCastle is behind such a simple entrance. I’d have expected something grandiose, carved in intricate designs, and perhaps even a security mechanism, but no, just a door.

As I reach for the handle, I look at Tobias who seems to stand rather far away. “You’re not coming in?” I ask.

He adjusts his glasses, and turns away. “No.” he answers quietly, already walking off. Before he leaves, however, he shares a few parting words. “One piece of advice…Choose your words carefully.”

Then, without allowing me to reply, his steps echo down the hall until he can no longer be heard.

Once he’s disappeared into the distance, I look to my right. “Are you coming in?”

Reginald wipes a large amount of sweat that had been dripping from his forehead with the back of his sleeves and adjusts his tie so tightly his face nearly turns blue. “I am your personal attendant, Lord Alden! Where you go, I go…!!”

‘His mouth says something but his body tells me the opposite…’

As I prepare to turn the knob, my pulse quickens.

‘On the other side…’

I still haven’t forgotten those golden eyes floating in the sky. He wasn’t even there physically, but I almost went insane simply from his gaze. I’m going to meet a man who’s power defies all logic and reason, a fourth stage.

‘Sirius Do FullCastle….’

Sweat beads in my palms, and the strength in my arm is waning. It’s finally setting in, the moment I open that door, those golden eyes will be looking directly at me. Can I really survive if I go through?

‘But if I don’t, then who knows what will happen to me…’

My eyes shift to Reginald, who does not seem more than a moment away from fainting. He’s breathing heavily, there is potent fear in his eyes, and he’s having a hard time calming his trembling hands. I glance at my own, and realize I’m not in a better condition.

“Have you never met him before?” I ask Reginald.

“O-of course not! The Grand Patriarch is someone that most never even catch a glimpse of in their entire lives…!!”

‘We’re in the same boat then… that’s almost reassuring.

I tighten my grip around the door handle. All I need to do is turn it and push. That’s it, that’s all I need to do, and yet, my body refuses to listen to me. My trembling hands refuse to move. I try to calm my mind, to steel my nerves, but to no avail.

‘Even the composure I learned from the Maestro isn’t enough! I can’t open this door!’

Or is it because my mind is clear that I’m so afraid?

Again, the image of the golden eyes replays in my mind, their inevitability, and the dread they brought is still ingrained within me. I bite my lip.

‘So what if he’s unbelievably powerful?! So what if all my instincts are screaming for me to turn tail and run?! I can’t keep being weak forever!!’

The very reason I’m in this situation in the first place is because I’m weak. How can I do anything for anyone if I can’t open a stupid door. It shouldn’t matter who’s on the other side. If I can’t do this, then I might as well give up altogether!

Right, so then why can I still not steady my hands!

‘ENOUGH!’

If my hands can’t do it, then I just won’t use them. I let go of the door handle, and without another thought, I lift my foot, and slam it against the door, shattering it.

“L-Lord?!” Reginald gasps, stumbling backward.

I grit my teeth through the pain and pant heavily as the wooden door comes crashing down. A bright light blinds me as the inside of the room is revealed. I cover my eyes with my hands, and take a few steps forward, fully entering. When my eyes adjust, I finally see it.

“This…”

A throne room so immense I question the workings of space within this estate. It’s splendid, no less decorated than the rest of the manor, and at the center of it all lies a throne of pure gold. It’s the only thing in this damn place that does not bear the color white, and because of that, it demands every once of attention.

I know as soon as I see him. On the throne, sits the one I have come to meet, Sirius Do FullCastle. His white robe falls to his feet, his waist cinched with a golden band bearing the crest of this nation. Seeing him, it’d be hard to believe that this is Sylvia’s grandfather. His raven black hair might bear a few gray streaks, but he does not look a day over thirty. And His eyes… They’re so….

‘No! Don’t look at them!’

I immediately pull my gaze down, almost bowing. Then, I quickly look at Reginald, who seems well into a trance, drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.

‘Sh*t!’

I cover his eyes with my hand, but when that does not seem to be enough, I apologize internally and strike his gut, bringing him back to his senses. I then promptly instruct him, whispering as to not be heard. “Whatever you do, do not look into his eyes, understand?”

Reginald is confused, evidently never having experienced something of the sort. Still, he frantically nods, and bows his head as well. Tears well up in his eyes, either from the blow or from the experience, I’m not sure.

Pulling my attention from him, a booming voice resounds from the left side of the room, one I do not recognize. It belongs to a man dressed in the same way Tobias was.

“[Enlightened] Alden Thorne, you are now in the presence of the highest authorities within FullCastle!” He shouts.

‘Authorities? Plural?’

Looking around, careful not to lock eyes with Sirius, I understand what he means. I notice two individuals, standing a few steps away, on both sides of the throne. I recognize the one on the left, Selena FullCastle, but the one on the right is unfamiliar, though he does bear a faint resemblance with Sebastian.

The man continues. “I shall now properly introduce the key figures of FullCastle!” He proclaims.

He then clears his throat. “To your left, the Matriarch of the FullCastle family, the Steel Rose, Virtuoso Selena FullCastle! To your right, the High Councilor of the FullCastle family - the Veiled Fang - Virtuoso Silas FullCaslte!” He pauses, drawing a breath before his voice rises with reverence “At the center of it all, the Grand Patriarch of the FullCastle family and its highest authority. The Oracle, the all-seeing, the truth - Scalatore, Sirius Do FullCastle!”

‘Choose your words carefully huh…’

I remember Adam’s etiquette. Still bowing my head, I place my right hand on my chest. “I…greet the highest authorities of FullCastle…”

Beside me, Regional drops to the ground, his forehead smashing into the marble floor. “I GREET THE HIGHEST AUTHORITIES OF FULLCASTLE!!”