My name is Llyod Heimon. I am the last son of the royal knight Gilebert Heimon. Our family has been known for generations as the first allies of the royal family. However, I am now the last heir.

Both of my brothers died on their way to Pyeonin, where they were sent to aid the kingdom against the demons.

They were ambushed before they even reached Pyeonin. T

here's even a rumor that soldiers from a neighboring kingdom massacred the entire caravan to loot their goods, weapons, and other valuable materials.

My father, on the other hand, was stripped of his knighthood after failing to protect an earl during a parade. The earl was shot with multiple arrows in the chest while my father was in charge of security.

If he hadn't been a member of the Heimon family, the king wouldn't have hesitated to have him executed.

This leaves me as the last hope for our family. I must clear our name and restore our honor.

Unlike my older brothers, I am physically weaker and more fragile. People call me hot-headed, though I wouldn't be if they didn't provoke me. The only thing I excel at is playing strategy board games. When I was young, no one could defeat me.

Since I am our family's last hope, I forced myself to study harder and train as much as I could. I studied by the light of a lamp at night and trained my body tirelessly during the day.

One day, my father brought home a boy.

-- Llyod, this is your brother. His name is Anthony, and from now on, he will be living with us, -- my father announced.

Anthony was older than me. He was my father's bastard son, born to a servant woman who worked at an inn. he's literally have no manners at all, he often sneak in the kitchen to steal food or drink wine, he can't even hold utensils properly.

He had no social etiquette, saying whatever he wanted and doing whatever he pleased.

Unlike me, he was nothing. Yet, he easily made friends with the gardener, cook, and cleaners because they were at his level. Of course, they were all peasants.

Ever since my father brought Anthony into our home, he and my mother fought constantly. She couldn't accept that he had an illegitimate son.

Then, one day, I entered her room only to find her hanging from the ceiling. She had ended her life.

Months later, my father decided to give Anthony our family name, Heimon, which was utterly unacceptable.

I couldn't bear the thought that this bastard son, the cause of my mother's death, had been bestowed the sacred name passed down through generations of noble knights.

Years passed. When I turned 12, my father sold off half of his land to send both of us to a prestigious academy of knighthood. Anthony was 13 at the time.

Three months from now, the entrance exam would be held, which included both written and swordsmanship tests.

Anthony was clueless dumb and utterly lacking in swordsmanship. He wasn't intellectual enough to pass the written exam either.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Though my swordsmanship wasn't perfect, I was confident in my intelligence and ability to pass.

In those three months, I studied tirelessly and practiced my swordsmanship every single day. I barely slept, determined to perfect my footwork and master the right motion for swinging a blade. Meanwhile, Anthony spent his time like a pig eating and sleeping, and doing nothing.

Then, one night, while I was sparring with a wooden dummy, Anthony approached me for the first time. He jumped onto the head of the wooden dummy and perched there, staring at me.

-- What are you doing? -- Anthony asked.

-- Isn't it obvious? -- I replied.

-- Yes, I mean... it's already midnight. Why are you still practicing your sword on a wooden dummy? -- He asked.

-- Are you dumb or what? The exam is coming, and as the proud heir of the Heimon family, I can't afford to fail. -- I replied.

He looked dumbfounded and confused. Then, he jumped down from the dummy, picked up a wooden sword from the ground, and drew a circle in the dirt.

-- Now, Llyod, let's spar, --

Of course, I accepted. This was the perfect chance to beat him and make him realize he didn't belong in a family of knights.-- Sure, but aren't you being a bit arrogant to challenge me to a duel? --

-- Just relax. Here are the rules, whoever gives up, is unable to fight, or steps out of the circle loses. -- He explained calmly before stepping into the circle. -- Now, let's start --

His eyes were calm, and his posture wasn't bad. He stood at the edge of the circle, not even raising his sword.

But why... why did it feel like he had no openings?

I started moving my left foot, my sword pointed directly at him, waiting for him to make the first move.

Then, without warning, he slashed his blade into the ground with enough force to send dust and dirt flying, blinding my vision.

-- This is cheating! -- I shouted.

When the dust finally settled, I saw him rushing toward me. He pushed me down, causing me to lose my balance, and in an instant, his wooden sword was pointed at my neck.

-- That's fighting, -- he said calmly.

My blood boiled. That was clearly cheating! A knight would never do something so dishonorable.

He extended his hand to help me up, but instead of taking it, I attacked him with my sword again.

He dodged, and we spent the rest of the night fighting each other.

When I woke up the next morning, both Anthony and I were lying outside, inside the circle he had drawn. We had passed out from exhaustion. My body was caked in dirt and dust, and he was still sound asleep.

I slowly got up, shaking off the dust, and began walking out of the circle when I heard a teasing giggle.

-- So you lost... again, -- Anthony said, smirking.

I couldn't help but smirk back before attacking him with my sword.

That day, something changed between us. Anthony and I grew closer. I started teaching him basic noble etiquette, arithmetic, and the proper use of words. In return, he taught me strategies for one-on-one fights finding ways to outsmart my opponent.

Finally, the day of the entrance exam arrived.

As expected, Anthony excelled in the one-on-one match. He wasn't just proficient; he was a natural, wielding a sword with raw talent and creativity.

Then it was my turn. My opponent was a massive, overweight boy. He was slow, but his strikes were devastating. Blocking his attacks wasn't an option, I would've been sent flying.

All I could do was dodge and wait for an opening. After a grueling exchange of blows, I finally defeated him, securing my place in the academy.

Now, all that remained was the written exam.

The topics were basic but covered a wide range of subjects. For me, it wasn't too difficult, but I worried about Anthony. This was his only real obstacle. When the results were posted, Anthony and I stood before the massive board, scanning the names. My heart pounded as I searched for mine.

-- I found it. --

No. 287: Lloyd Heimon

Barely passing. Relief washed over me, but I immediately turned my focus to find Anthony's name. We check through the list together, starting from the bottom. His name wasn't there not in the 300s, not even in the 200s.

-- It's okay, brother. You should become a diplomat instead, -- I joked, a bittersweet smile forming on my face. For the first time, I called him brother.

Anthony didn't seem upset. He squinted at the board, then pointed higher.

-- Look, Lloyd. Isn't that my name? -- he said

I followed his finger.

My heart stopped.

No. 3: Anthony Heimon — 98.3%

He passed. Not just passed he surpassed me by an unimaginable margin.

The boy who once struggled to add simple numbers, the peasant I once mocked, had made it to the top 3

My chest tightened, my mind spiraling with envy and jealousy. How? How could this pig have done this? My thoughts filled with anger and disbelief.

That entire day, I didn't speak a word to him.

Later that night, I was lying in bed when Anthony sneaked into my room.

-- Lloyd… Lloyd! Come with me! -- he whispered, tugging at my arm.

-- Where are we going? -- I asked groggily.

-- Just follow me! --

He dragged me out of bed and down the hallway. Finally, he stopped and held up a bottle.

-- Look what I found! --

It was an expensive bottle of wine from my father's private collection.

-- Father will be furious if he finds out you stole that, -- I retorted.

-- Who cares? We need to celebrate! -- he smile, pulling out two small glasses.

Anthony uncorked the bottle, and the sweet, rich aroma of the wine filled the room. He poured half a glass for each of us, then raised his in a toast.

-- We're officially brothers now, -- he said, his voice warm and sincere. -- If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have passed that exam. Thank you for everything, Lloyd. You're a good teacher.

I stared at him, speechless, as he clinked his glass against mine.

We drank.

The bitterness I had felt earlier that day melted into the sweetness of the wine,

I felt the bond between us solidify once again and I almost forgot the truth, that he was the reason my mother died.