House Atlante is known to be one of the contributors to the foundation of the current Kingdom. They're also known to be its sword for they were always the one with the greatest contributon in case of any battle that the kingdom would face. Every generation of the said house has a promising heir who's skills are equal to their predecessors. Even the second or third child, as long as the blood of Atlante runs in their blood, one would have the skill of an Atlante. Thus, it is not surprising that even a girl born in the family would be able to easily weild a sword.

"Ack!"

At the sound of Catherine's cry, Reigies let go of his wooden sword and rushed towards his sister.

"Cathy!" He exclaimed as he bent down to check on his sister's hand. "Are you alright?" He asked. However, before she could even reply, several pairs of running footsteps came rushing towards them, interupting whatever she was about to say.

" Young miss!" Emily, a younger looking maid and two knights said in unison with worry written all over their faces.

"Are you alright, Young miss?" The younger looking maid, Mika, asked with a hint of panic in her tone.

"This is why I'm against with this idea." Emily said with an exasperated sigh. "And you, Young lord." She then glanced at Reigies. "Weren't you a bit harsh with that last strike?"

Reigies gulped as his grip on Catherine's hand tightened a bit. "I━"

"Hey, hey━ Easy there, Dame Higgins." A man who's a little older than Emily interupted. "Don't scold the Young lord. You know for yourself that it's very normal to sometimes be out of control when in spar. Besides, no one would achieve something without failing once. So don't blame him, the one to blame here is━"

"You."

"Right, The one to blame is me Wait, what?!" Bertolt, Reigies' instructor in swordsmanship, widened his eyes at his late realization of what Emily had said.

"You were the one who suggested the two should spar against each other."

"Y-yes, well━" Bertolt took a step back when Emily picked the wooden sword up with her foot, making it look like it floated on its own when she stretched her arm with an opened palm. "Ah shit! Dame! Wait! You know that's a normal occurence!" Emily swung the wooden sword in which Bertolt barely managed to avoid. "Fuck! Dame Higgins!" Emily was about to swing it again when she heard a small giggle.

"Emily, you're overreacting." Catherine said as she raised her right hand but winced when she tried moving it. "I think I just sprained it a little."

"Don't move it too much." Reigies said and gently held her hand.

Seeing the two young ones still crouched on the ground, Emily couldn't help but let out another sigh. She swiftly turned her head to Bertlolt's direction and glared at him as if she was giving him a warning.

"Threehundred push ups." Emily then turned to the two. "And you, Young lord, onehundred."

"H-huh?" Not only Reigies and Bertolt but also the other people present were dumbfounded at Emily's words.

"You three." Emily pointed at Mika and the two knights. "Accompany the young miss and call for the physician."

"Yes ma'am."

"Y-yes dame."

The three replied in unison and helped the Young miss up. Catherine wanted to protest but the current Emily standing before her seems to be a bit scarier than usual with that wooden sword in her hand. She then looked up at her brother, worried that he was in trouble because of her. But instead of a grim face, she was met with a smiling one.

"Brother--"

"Don't worry, Cathy. A hundred push ups is nothing. Don't you know? This brother of yours is strong." He boast, raising his right arm and flexing his developing muscle.

Catherine then giggled in return and nodded.

"Let's have some snacks after then!"

"Alright." Reigies replied and gave her a pat on her head. "Let's do that."

With that, Catherine left skipping together with Mika and the two knights. Though, before leaving, the knights bowed at their Young lord while Mika followed the Young miss in a hurry for she was skipping rather wide steps.

As soon as they disappeared from their sights, Reigies could feel a cold glare stabbing his back. Turning around, he saw Emily raising a brow a him.

"Really, Emily, I didn't mean to swing the wooden sword that hard." He said as he scratched his head.

"I know. You're being punished for being a reckless brother who accepted his instructor's idea."

"But Dame, the Young miss insisted too you kno--Ack!"

"Shut it and drop on the ground!" Emily said after hitting Bertolt's arm.

In fear that he too would be yelled at by Emily, Reigies rushed towards Bertolt's side and started doing push ups.

'A former commander of the special brigade, indeed.'

Reigies thought.

Regardless of her current position, a Nanny and head maid, many would still look upon her and fear her. Title is just a title. Even if you're currently the commander of Atlante's knights, you'll have to listen to her words. Just like Bertolt, a commander of the second brigade.

"Ah, good old days. Should I consider going back to being a knight?"

Emily thought out loud as she watched the two do their push ups. It had been years since she stepped down from being a knight and volunteered to be the nanny for the Duke's child. But despite being nanny, she still did her daily workouts in order to maintain her healthy and strong body. As she would always say, "Danger is always around." And considering past encounters, she wanted to be always ready and strong enought to protect the Duke's heir. And when Catherine, the young miss, appeard, her resolve strengthened.

"Ah, Dame, you enjoy punishing knights, don't you?" Bertolt said with a grunt in which he recieved a hit on his right leg.

"Count from the start once again." Emily said with her strict voice.

"Fvck!" Bertolt mumbled followed by his silent rants.

Meanwhile, Reigies didn't speak a word and was smiling while doing his push ups. In the past, his life before regression, he never saw this side of Emily. He only heard stories about her from the knights during break. In his perspective though, it was somehow hard to believe that Emily was known to be a sadist among the knights and a powerful knight who could use strong aura, an energy enveloping someone when fighting in which could either defend or harm its user and people surrounding it. In the past, he had distanced his self a bit from her because of Catherine.

There it was again. That numbing feeling spreading across his chest as memories, nightmares of his past, started filling his head. He was only pulled back in the present when he felt the wooden sword softly tapping his back.

"Fix your posture!" Emily demands in which he followed.

Not far from where they're currently at, under a tree, stood Requiel together with Valeirene, staring at Reigies. It had already been two weeks since Requiel's talk with his son. Of course, he was delighted upon witnessing their improved brother and sister relationship. Howbeit, he can't help but doubt his son.

"You don't believe that the young lord has truly have a change of heart, do you?" From Reigies, Requiel's attention turned towards the man standing beside him. He then returns his gaze back at Reigies who's now being complimented by Emily for completing his punishment.

"I'm just━" Requiel sighs as he shakes his head and turns to return with his walk. Valeirene follows. "I'm not sure, Val. I've been keeping my eyes on Reigies for the past two weeks and there doesn't seem to be anything amiss."

"I get that you're worried that he may have some kind of a plot against the young miss or you but that's just not him, you know." Valeirene slightly glanced at Requiel, studying his face. He then clears his throat when he noticed that troubled look still not leaving his face. "Well, I'll be speaking as a friend henceforth not as your aide. I've been by your side, saw him grow up and in all honesty, your kids are also like my kids. I can also say the same goes with Em. And from what I have been seeing, Reigies doesn't seem to have any other motive than to be close with the little one. You said it yourself that he thought that Catherine is not to blame. That she's innocent. That your sin isn't for hers to carry."

He pauses and lets out deep breath as three knights passing by halts to greet their lord. With Requiel's nod, three of them went on with walking towards their destination.

"As I was saying," Valeirene starts. "My conclusion for now is that he just wants to change how he acts towards someone that didn't do anything bad to him. I can see that he's grown a bit."

"I can see that too, Val." Requiel sighs. "There's just━ I don't know. The prophecy..." He trails off which was followed by a long silence. They walked pass by the main door of the manor and went up the stairs, greeted by several servants.

Valeirene only spoke when they reached Requiel's study. "We can't really be certain if the prophecy is pertaining to━"

"It was a prophecy meant for house Atlante." Requiel cuts off. "It was a prophecy presented when Reigies was ten! And it didn't really make sense that much until she appeared!" Requiel didn't mean to but his voice raised that made Valeirene flinch. "I don't know if it would be me or my son. Either way, I need her to be out of this house!"

Just as he finished speaking, a knock on the door echoed in the whole room. Requiel closed his eyes, his brows creasing as he did so. With what seemed to be an exasperated sigh, he leaned on his chair.

"My lord, it's Berkly."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Requiel then answered with a soft 'Come in'

A man who seems to be in his mid-sixties enters the room carrying a small tray that's meant for letters. He bows his head first before standing straight.

"Oh, greetings to you, sir Polhand." Berkly, the head butler, slightly bowed his head upon noticing another presence.

"I see that you're back from your vacation." Says Valeirene with a smile.

"Yes, sir. I just returned this morning. This servant humbly thanks you for looking after the duke's affairs while I was gone."

"No need to thank me, Berkly. It's also part of my job to look after his affairs." Valeirene chuckles.

"What brings you here, Berkly?" Requiel interupts with his now composed demeanor.

"Ah, I have come to deliver a letter meant for Your Grace. It's from His Majesty." Berkly replied as he approached Requiel's desk and laid the small tray on it.

"I see. Thank you."

With a slight bow, Berkly left, leaving the two on their own once again. Valeirene didn't say a word and waited for Requiel to open the letter and finish reading it.

"His Majesty would like to have an audience with me. He also would like to meet Catherine."

~~~

Requiel stared at his children, both giggling at something Reigies said. Oh, how many times had he prayed to the gods for him to witness this warm scenery. They're currently having supper. Even the servants standing at each corner of the room could feel the warmness radiating from the two.

"Oh, right. Brother, father mentioned to me earlier that we're going to the capital three days from now. Are you coming too?"

Reigies' brows creased upon hearing this. This was the first time he had heard of this. He then swiftly turned his head towards his father's direction with a questioning look.

"I have some busines with the King."

"With the King? Then why is Cathy coming with you?"

Hearing his son address his sister using a nickname made him smile internally. The first time he had heard it, he couldn't believe his ears. 'Is this truly my son who despised his half- sister?' was his thought.

"Catherine haven't seen the capital yet. Comapared here in the dukedom, there are plenty to see there with their advanced magic engineering."

"I would love to see more magic!" Catherine said with eagerness visible in her voice.

Noticing his son's troubled look, Requiel asks.

"Reigies, is there something the matter?"

It took a moment before Reigies replied, his head slowly shaking from left to right.

"N-nothing. I'm just━ I too would like to join." He lied.

"Your classes ought to start soon." Requiel says, declining his son. "Shouldn't you be preparing for that?"

Truthfully, Requiel would gladly bring his son along with them. However, considering the real reason of their visit to the capital, he'd rather not. Reigies is a bright child. He would easily get the gist of his true purpose of visit.

"That's like two weeks from now. Surely we would have returned at the dukedom by━"

"You also have your sword training with Bertolt." Requiel interrupts.

"Well, you could have a word with him and say that we would have a small family outing in the capital." Reigies says with a tone that points the obvious.

"You ought to review for the short assessment for the academy."

"Reviewing could wait."

"Travelling would take a while."

"Father, it's not like you're not going to use the portal. It would take only a day to reach the portal and not more than thirty seconds of travel to the capital."

"You have your motion sickness when using the portal."

"That was before."

"You━"

"Father, stop. Just...stop. What is wrong with you?" Reigies asks, irritation visible in his voice.

"Whatever do you mean, son?" Requiel calmly asks back as he took a sip from his soup.

"Just tell me that you don't want me to come with you to the capital."

For a moment, the two stared at each other. None of them averting their gaze. It was then that a small voice spoke beside Reigies.

"I would like for brother to come with us, Father." Both father and son turned their heads towards Catherine's direction. Her emerald-like eyes pleading as she stared at her father.

Requiel's jaw clenched, almost agreeing to his daughter.

"I'll reconsider."

Reigies was about to ask something when he noticed the gaze his father was giving him. It was as if he was saying that the discussion was over.

That night, Reigies laid on his bed with the event during dinner roaming in his mind. The way his father sloppily made excuses just to decline his request to join their travel was suspicious.

'Was there an event in the past that father and Catherine went to the capital?'

Rolling to his right side, he came face to face with a black creature. Wide eyed, he jumped out of his bed and hit several furnitures near it. This caused loud noises that can be somehow heard outside his room.

"What in the fvckin' hell?!" He whisper-yelled as he stared at the silhouette of what seems to be a cat sitting on his bed. Even though he couldn't see that much in the dark and his only source of light is the moonlight slipping through the slits of his curtain, Reigies could feel the cat staring at him. As if it wanted to tell him something. From that, he could tell that whatever that is, it was no ordinary cat.

There was then a soft knock on the door that made Reigies flinch.

"Brother? Are you alright?" Catherine's sleepy voice resounded in his room as the door slowly opened. Not giving the creature on his bed a glance, he rushed towards his door and pushed his little sister out of the room with him. He then slams his door shut, his breath a bit shaky. "Brother?" Catherine was now worried.

Reigies looks down at her and forced a smile. "I-I had a dream. A n-nightmare and then fell off the bed." He lied. That was something a bit impossible for him though. He wasn't that type of person who sleeps all over the bed. Besides, his bed was of a king sized one. "W-what about you? Why are you still up?" He asks back.

"Oh... I was already sleeping and then I woke up since I heard some scratching noise outside my balcony. I was about to go on check on it when I heard a loud bang coming from the outside and thought that it was from your room."

"I see." Reigies said with a nod. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when the sound of something breaking resounded in Catherine's room. His brows furrowed. "Cathy, is there someone in your room?" Reigies whispers, his hand blocking her so that she stood behind him. He stared at Catherine's door that was slightly opened. The door of his room and her room was adjacent with eachother.

"There's no one. Emily left before I slept." Catherine replied, clueless that her brother was tense at the moment. At the same time, Reigies could see movements from that small crack of Catherine's slightly opened door. He wasn't sure, but he could see at least two different figures moving as if in a panic. If he were in his past life, he would be able to somehow hear their hushed argument. He would be able to weild a sword be it a blade or wooden and use his aura and instantly kill those unidentified intuders. However, right now, he was still that fourteen year old boy. His skills, strength and aura we're still of that a baby compared to a beast he had become. His current physique won't even be able to handle half of his past strength. Furthermore, his little sister, an eight year old kid, was behind him. He won't be able to fight them while protecting her with his current state. Therefore, there's only one way to keep both of them safe.

"Run." He started taking steps backwards and so did Catherine. It was then when one of those figures seems to have noticed him staring at them. Reigies' heart dropped as he yelled. "RUN!" He then grabbed Catherine's wrist and dragged her behind him. As they came near the stairs, Catherine tripped, the force pulling Reigies backwards.

"Shit!"

Not wasting any second, he picked his sister up and continued running. He had thought of running towards the stairs up where their father stays but remembered he went out for some business matter and won't be back till morning. And so, he ran down, skipping one step each time. Risky as it was, he could care less, for those running after them were no joke.

"Emily! Val! Anyone!" He breathlessly yelled, expecting for someone to respond.

However, as they reached the middle of the long stairs, there were two more intruders dressed in black, a mask covering half of their face. He stopped on his tracks, his grip on Catherine tightening around her.

"B-brother..." Catherine's shaky voice made Reigies' heart pump faster.

"Shh.. Everything's fine. We'll be fine." He whispered, doubtful with his own words. He couldn't think well. His mind was in chaos but his goal was clear. To get out of this place safe together with his sister. "Who are you people?! How dare you intrude house Atlante?!" He demands as he bought time and thought of ways to escape.

There were four of them. Two standing on the upper part of the stairs and two below. Both of them were trapped unless... With his eyes that had already adjusted to the darkness, Reigies scanned their surroundings. There are two possible ways to somehow escape this situation but it would cost his leg. One, would be to jump on his right where they would land on the lobby. Two, would be to jump on his left where they would land on bushes that's outside. Both are two meters high and the latter would be safer for there were bushes to lessen the impact of their fall.

"You don't have to know anything about us, young lord. Things has gotten a bit complicated here. What about we negotiate?" One of the two who were chasing them awhile ago said. Judging from the sound of his voice, Reigies was certain that they were using a voice changer spell.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"We've heard how much you dislike that young lady you're holding. You don't have to pretend to be nice to her just to curry favor from your father. Just hand her over to us and we'll let you be━"

"You're from the temple, aren't you?" Reigies cuts off. Noticing that small gesture they made, as if they heard something unbelievable, he smirked. "I see. That's the only information I need. Cathy, close your eyes." He instructed in which she followed. And with that, combined with all his and Catherine's weight, he ran towards the stained glass on his left.

No doubt that Catherine's scream could be heard around the entire manor but Reigies had roughly guessed that everyone was put to sleep judging that there were no one to come to their aid. He won't even be surprised if there was another intruder here, where they fell off.

Even though he had landed on the bushes, the impact made him momentarily numb, all the air in his lungs puffing out. Sobbing, Catherine shook her brother for he was unmoving.

"I-I'm fine." Reigies replied with his shaky voice as he started to feel the pain on his leg and back. He then slowly sat up and forced his self to stand. Looking up, he could see one of those men after them ready to follow them.

"Don't let both of them escape! Most especially the girl!" He heard one ordered followed by clashing of swords and the man trying to follow them getting dragged back inside.

It was then when Catherine gasps loudly. "B-brother."

Reigies followed Catherine's gaze. He was frozen in place when he saw a dog━ No. That large creature before them can't possibly be a dog. It was a black wolf. A wolf that's almost similar of a size with a horse. It approached them and lowered his back.

For some unknown reason Reigies stood up. Even with his sprained ankle, he carried Catherine towards the humongous wolf.

"N-no! Brother━"

"It's a friend. It's a friend." He soothes her even though he himself was unsure of what he was trying to do. As if he was under a spell, he sat Catherine on the back of the creature followed by him. When both of them were settled, there was an agonizing shrill of a woman coming from the window that they had jumped from.

"Emily?"

Reigies looked back up and could hear clashing of swords. The urge of wanting to go up there and to confirm what he heard almost got the best of him. If not for the wolf that had started running away from the manor, he would have hopped down from it.

"Brother..." He heard Catherine sobbing. "I'm sacred. I'm scared. W-who were they? A-and what that man said. D-do you dislike Catherine?"

Reigies then leans forward as if he was giving her a hug. "Everything will be alright. Also," He says as his grip on the wolf's fur tightened. "I don't dislike you. Okay? I've told you this before, right? I was just mad at Father for some reason and I just didn't want to hurt you." He said, pertaining to that moment a week ago where he had apologized to her for acting mean in the past. Of course he wasn't apologizing only for that. "Truly, I have caused you plenty of misery." He mumbles as he remember those nightmares he used to have.

"But where are we going?" Catherine asks when she noticed how far they had gone from the manor. They even went over the wall of their property and are currently in the woods.

"I'm not quite sure either." Reigies replied with uncertainty.

"I didn't know you have a vey big pet."

"I don't."

There was a moment of silence.

"Then, a pet of a friend?" Catherime asks with a nervous chuckle.

"The only friend I have is--" He stoppped midsentence as he remember that currently, he doesn't have one. He was yet to meet his friend. Right, he was someone who disliked interacting with other people during his younger years. Maybe it was the effect of his anger caused by his father that he focused so much in his swordsmanship and other studies that hones his skills. He then clears his throat at the sudden realization. "None. I have none. I curently don't have friends." He embarrassingly said with a firm tone as if he was proud of it.

"Oh... Then, am I your first friend, brother?"

At that innocent question, Reigies froze as he felt a stinging pain at the back of his head. A scene that seems to be a memory from a distant past flashed in his mind.

A blur image of a girl sitting alone on a gray-ish cloud, her dark,long hair cascading down her shoulders and scattering on the cloud she was on. Her gray wings━

The wolf suddenly came to a stop and bent its legs. Both Catherine and Reigies got off its back and cautiously moved away from it. However, the wolf faced them and came close to Reigies, it's gigantic figure towering over him. He didn't move and closed his eyes. He then could sense the wolf's head touching his forehead, his soft fur, for some unknown reason, making him all relaxed that the stinging pain he was feeling at the back of his head awhile ago had disappeared.

"Forgive me. However, memories such as this will only make you suffer further. I may not be able to block everything but at least, let me take this away..."

He heard a familiar voice say as he succumb into the darkness.