The subtle noises of the maids whispering goes around the hallway corridor and near the room where the young white-haired boy resides. Outside of the door stood Mia, guarding the entrance.
One of the maids nearby whispered to the others. "The Young Master has locked himself in his room and hasn't eaten anything these past few days…"
Another maid chimed in, nodding at the strangeness of the situation. "Both the duke and duchess tried to get him out of his room, but… the door didn't even budge."
A third maid whispered into the conversation. "I'm worried… What if something bad happened to the young master–"
One of the maids desperately shushed her. "Shh! Don't say that! The duchess is already feeling weak. We shouldn't cause any unnecessary worries for her!"
The maid that was shushed covered her mouth before nodding anxiously. A nearby maid slowly walked up to them, joining the conversation. "... Maybe the young master locked himself up because he doesn't want another sibling–"
The maid that was talking slowly looked up at the other maids, confused as to why they looked frightened.
They clung to one another as they saw the bloody red eyes of none other than the duke.
The maid that had her back against the duke slowly turned around with slight fear. As she glances from the corner of her eyes, she finally sees the duke. Her face completely turns pale as she shakes in fear before falling down on the ground.
The duke flinched before stretching his hand, looking slightly worried about the fallen maid. "Are you okay–"
The maid quickly got up, straightening her posture before bowing respectfully. "P-Please forgive me, your grace! I-I didn't mean to gossip around about the young master! I-I was just worried about his well-being!"
Seeing the utter fear in her eyes, the duke slowly retracted his hand before putting it behind his back. He wasn't intending on scaring or reprimanding them. But his resting face was enough to instill fear on them.
He slowly gazed away from them, and looked out the window.
Out in the garden, the spring leaves shiver delightfully in their trees. Beautiful white flowers bloom, their petals flying gracefully in the air. A water fountain in the middle of the garden. Such a beautiful garden was taken care of exceptionally by a single gardener.
The duke let out a bitter sigh, trying his best to calm the maids down. "... Don't worry, I'm not reprimanding you. Just continue on with your duties."
The maids flinched as they heard him speak before quickly nodding. "Y-Yes, your grace!"
The maids quickly ran away from the duke, leaving him empty in the silent hallway. He lets out another bitter sigh before walking to where Mia was standing. Once she saw the duke, she quickly bowed down. "Greetings, your grace."
Mia stood back up as the duke nodded at her greetings. He looks at the door of the white-haired boy's bedroom. He slowly touches the door before clenching his hand with worry. "... Has Lysander not gotten out of the room yet?"
Mia shook her head. "Unfortunately, he hasn't… But he did bring some books to his bedroom right before he locked himself up."
The duke tilted his head with confusion. "Books? What type of books?"
"That..." Mia hesitates to answer for a second. She slowly looks away from the duke. "... Not long before he locked himself in his room, he went to the library and asked Veda for books regarding magic..."
The duke froze for a bit, remembering the words that the mage said regarding his blessing and the prophecy. "... Is there any reason as to why he is suddenly interested in magic?"
Mia shook her head once again. "I have no clue..."
"I see…" The duke slowly clenches his hand once more, feeling angry at himself for not knowing what his son is going through at the moment.
The sound of footsteps slowly approaches Mia and the duke. Once the sound of footsteps stops, the duke slowly glances at the two people: Veda and a young man in his early twenties with a small frame and short stature with brown curly hair, wearing wide circular glasses over his deep green eyes.
They both bowed down, greeting the duke, before standing upright. The young man took a step forward, carrying the same book that the white-haired boy had a few days ago. "Your grace, we have something to report regarding the young master."
The duke glances at the book he was carrying, before slowly nodding. "... I see. Let us head to my office then."
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The three people stood before the duke as he sat down on his chair, his hand resting on the desk filled with paperwork and books that needed to be checked by the daily.
Slowly… The duke gazes at the three people, fiddling with the fountain pen next to him before looking solely at the young man. "... Leo. What did you want to report?"
The young man took a step forward, adjusting his glasses before speaking. "Your grace. A few days ago, the young master came up to me, questioning me with the content of this book."
He gently places the book down on the desk, exposing the familiar title: The Theory of Mana.
He hesitantly pushes the book forward to the duke, fixing his glasses once more. "... It seems he's trying to learn how to cast magic, your grace."
The duke slowly grabbed the book, staring at the title before gazing back at the young man.
The young man in front of him is Leo, the leader of the mage division that serves under the duke. Despite his young age, he is currently one of the strongest mages residing in the Izora Empire.
He slowly places the book down, anxiously tapping his finger on the cover while rubbing his forehead. "... Since you're well versed with magic, he might've thought you could easily respond to any of his questions." He slowly sighs before looking back at Leo. "So, what type of questions did he ask specifically?"
"He was questioning the process of casting magic. Furthermore, he was hinting on the quickest method to learn how to cast it, your grace."
"I see… Just why does he want to learn how to cast magic…?"
Veda takes a step forward, chiming in on the conversation. "Your grace. I've been taking care of him during his time in the library just like you told me to and helped him attain any type of books that were difficult to find in the library."
Veda slowly looks away, feeling slightly guilty that she may have unintentionally caused the young master to lock himself up. "... But a few days ago, the focus of his genre shifted from historical and medical knowledge to magic and strategic warfare."
She slowly lets out a bitter sigh. "Shortly after, he asked for some specific books regarding magic and other related things. It was after that when he decided to lock himself in his room"
She bowed down, trying to apologize to the duke."I sincerely apologize for not being able to look after the young master and reporting to you his strange behavior beforehand."
The duke shook his head. "Don't worry, Veda. I'm also to blame. I haven't been attending him these last few days because of work…"
The duke pulls up some of the papers from his desk. Mia recognizes those papers and immediately speaks out. "Is it about the recent surveillance of the Count?"
The duke flinched, not responding to her words before he closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead while sighing. "... It's best not to talk about such things in the open, Mia."
Mia stammered before covering her mouth with both hands, feeling embarrassed about what she's done.
Veda slowly glances at Mia, subtly smiling before chiming in on the conversation, trying to change the current topic to save her dignity. "Your grace. What should we do about the young master situation? Her grace is constantly worried about his well-being."
The duke anxiously clenches his hand.
Mia saw the trembling hands on the duke who was worried about his son, and immediately responded with good news. "I-I made sure the young master eats his meal!"
Upon hearing those words, the duke's hand slowly stopped trembling before letting out a relieved sigh. He then dimly looks down at the desk. "... I've tried to talk to him, but… no matter how many times I stand before his door, he simply tells me that he's fine and just wants to be alone."
The duke slowly clasps his hand together, looking determined as to what he should do. "... Either way… It's time I bring him out of the room. There's no telling what might happen–"
But before the duke could finish his sentence, the sound of a huge explosion and the screams of the servants could be heard throughout the mansion.
The duke immediately stands up, to check on the situation. But just as he was about to exit the room, a butler immediately entered the room. Panting out of breath before calling to the duke. "Your grace! The young master! He's–"
Upon hearing the inaudible words, a familiar black-blue fog immediately covered the duke. He quickly exits the room and dashes throughout the halfway corridor to where his son resides.
It only took a few seconds to go from the office to his son's room, which was on the opposite side of the huge mansion.
Many maids and servants surrounded the room the young white-haired boy was in. The front door was emitting a huge amount of smoke with signs.
The duke gently moved the people in front of him. Once he stood in front of the burnt door, he slowly grabbed the hilt of his sword. "... Everyone. Please take a step back."
Upon hearing those words, all the people began to move far away from the duke. The duke quickly drew the sword before slashing the door. Once he sheathed his sword, the door slowly crumbled into many pieces.
He quickly entered the room, expanded his aura to forcefully cleared out the smoke in the room.
As soon as the smoke cleared out from the room, his heart froze at the scene before him.
His son lies there motionless on the floor, bathed in the soft glow of the eerie sunlight filtering through the window. The heavy breathing of the duke only fills the silent room. He quickly runs to his motionless son, his eyes widened and filled with despair as he kneels beside him.
The duke's hands tremble as he anxiously reaches to the boy, gently shaking him for a response. Panic continues to rise within him as he gazes at the sight of his son's pale face, marred by a gash on his forehead and severe bruises covering his arms by the explosion.
Fear and anguish continued to grip the duke's heart as he brought his son deep into his arms. Many of the servants who entered the room saw the sight, gasped, and began to panic.
The duke's voice trembled for a bit before yelling. "Please… get Priya immediately!"
With each passing moment, the weight of uncertainty hangs heavy in the air, as he waits desperately for a sign of life from his beloved child.
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In the heart of lush forests, Nature's influence was evident as trees stretched towards the sky, their roots delving deep into the Earth's soil for sustenance. Water flowed through the land, nourishing all life, while Wind carried seeds on its currents, spreading the cycle of growth.
Amidst open plains, Fire's warmth encouraged new life to bloom, while Wind sculpted the land with its gentle caress. Earth provided the foundation upon which all life depended, its soil rich and fertile.
In an icy realm, Ice formed intricate patterns across the landscape, shaped by the relentless force of Wind. Darkness lingered in the shadowed groves, a necessary counterpart to Light, reminding of the balance between creation and decay. Lightning crackled in the sky, its energy mingling with the chill of Ice to create storms of unparalleled power.
Beneath the surface of the ocean, Water held sway, its currents shaping coastlines and sustaining a myriad of life forms. In the depths, the Earth's crust shifted, creating mountains and valleys, while Fire's heat warmed the ocean depths.
Above it all, Light cast its radiant glow, illuminating the world below and guiding the way forward. These elements were not separate entities but rather interconnected threads, each reliant on the others to maintain the delicate balance of the natural world.
In a realm where the natural world thrived, nine elemental forces intertwined seamlessly, each shaping the landscape in its own unique way and soon forming into the nine elemental attributes of magic: Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Wind, Dark, Light, Nature, and Lightning.
Many people who wield magic first need to know which attributes they closely align with. Some may have a high attribute to an element, while others may not have any attribute at all. Using an element with a low affinity can lead to some… disastrous consequences.
This subtle story continued to fill my mind as I slowly began to gain consciousness. I opened my eyes and saw an unfamiliar tile of the bed canopy before me.
I quickly got up and saw both my mother and father conversing with a female priest alongside some knights and maids.
I look at my hands and arms that I thought were gravely wounded, only to see no injuries at all.
I touch my face to see if there are any other injuries that I am not aware of but couldn't feel any other injuries.
Mia, who was standing right besides me, immediately called out to me the moment she saw me moving. "Young master! You're finally awake!"
Upon hearing those words, both mother and father turned their heads, gazing at me. Their anxious expression slowly turned relieved as they began to hurriedly walk towards me.
Mother slowly reaches out her hand to my forehead, trying to see if I have a fever. "Are you feeling well? The priest healed you with magic, but I'm worried that you might still be feeling unwell..."
I stared at her anxious eyes, slowly looking away with guilt as I'm the reason for her worries. "I-I'm okay… I don't feel any lingering pain anymore."
I slowly looked up, and saw father standing just beside mother. His red eyes showed worry and even sadness. I couldn't help but look away once again, feeling guilty about their current emotional state.
He probably hates me now…
The duchess tried to reach out her hand to comfort the young boy, but the duke gently grabbed her hand and stopped her from doing so. She turned her gaze to him, trying to understand why he wasn't letting her comfort the boy.
He let out a bitter smile. "... Let me."
The duchess eyes widened before slowly retracting her hand and nodding.
Father slowly walked towards me, kneeling on the floor before gently grabbing my hand. Once I felt his warmth, I slowly looked at his red eyes filled with the same worry and sadness as before.
We both stayed silent. Only looking at each other before father began to speak. "Lysander… Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
My hand continued to quiver, feeling guilty about the mess I caused. "Father… Do you hate me?"
He flinched at the words before immediately responding. "No! Don't think like that, Lysander." He slowly tightens his hold, anxiously quivering once again before looking away with shame. "I was… just afraid. Afraid that I will lose you…"
Afraid...
You're not the only one afraid, father. I was also afraid that maybe this warm and happy family that I finally found… would shatter, and leave me to suffer once more.
Just thinking about such cruel things… I couldn't help but cry.
Letting these tears run down my face, messily wiping them down, just like a normal child would. "I-I'm sorry… I-I just wanted to learn magic… I-I wanted to protect you…"
Tears continued to downpour from my face. I can't control them. I silently cried in front of everyone. Mother and father looked sad as I continued to cry before they sat next to me on both sides. Mother gently embraced me into her arms, subtle tears in her eyes, while my father gently caressed my head to try and calm me down.
Mother tightens her embrace. "Lysander… Know that we will always be here for you. If you have anything that troubles you, don't hesitate to tell us."
I hugged her back, clinging to her clothes as my continuous tear stained her dress. "Mother... Father... I'm sorry…"
Father slowly caressed my head, trying his best to calm me down once more. "Don't worry, Lysander. I'm just glad that you're safe."
The warmth of what you call family… Is it greedy for me to want more of it?
I just want... to feel this moment...
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After the incident, the white-haired boy collapsed with exhaustion, sleeping in the arms of his mother with a bitter smile on his face. Since his bedroom is damaged, the duke and duchess decided to let him sleep in their bedroom for the time being.
The young boy lays down in the middle of the bed, separating the duke and duchess. The duchess continues to gaze at the sleeping boy, smiling warmly as she subtly plays with his hair. The duke continues to lay on the bed, watching them both with a subtle smile across his face.
The duchess slowly stops playing with his hair before looking at the duke with a sadden expression. "... Just what made Lysander try to learn magic all of a sudden…?"
A single thought continued to echo in her mind, making her mouth quivered with fear. "... Is it because of the Blessing of the Mana?"
The duke calmly looked at her, slowly reaching out to her before caressing her face with love and affection with an endearing smile on his face. "Don't worry, Isabella. Even if it's because of the Blessing of the Mana… We'll continue to protect him."
The duchess gazed into loving eyes and slowly smiled. She closed her eyes, nodding with acceptance. "Yes… I'll also do what I can to protect him."
Uttering those words, she gently fell asleep, leaving only the duke awake.
He continued to lay down in bed, gazing at the boy and the duchess with a smile. He slowly closes his eyes, contemplating on the ordeal that happened today.
When Lysander was injured on the floor, he immediately brought the priest to heal his severe injuries.
It took about an hour or two to completely heal the injuries that he sustained. He speaks to the female priest with wavy red hair.
"From the looks of it… his arms and hands sustained the most injuries, alongside his face. The burns especially took a long time to heal…"
Conversing with the female priest, the duke taps his feet impatiently with his arms crossed. "... The only explanation was Fire Magic."
The priest nods with agreement. "I also think so, your grace."
Immediately after Lysander's injuries were healed, he called Leo to analyze his magic capacity. After analysing, they found out that he had achieved two rings around his heart.
Children normally begin to learn magic by the age of fourteen when attending the academy in the Empire for four years. Students in the sophomore or junior year would achieve two rings at that time and graduate with three or four rings.
But to think a child has already achieved the second ring.
Still laying down on the bed, the duke gazes at the white-haired boy who was still sleeping peacefully in the bed.
He reaches out for him, but stops before pulling back his hand, looking at the young boy bitterly. "Lysander… I just hope you can tell what worries you..."
The spring breeze grazes through the window, howling alongside the night, and gently flowing through the tree's leaves, creating such a majestic symphony.
As the duke hears the music, he slowly stands up from the bed, changes his attire, and quietly leaves the room.
As he walks down the hallway corridors, two people in black robes appear behind him and kneel towards the ground. Their stature implies one being a male and one a female.
The duke stops walking. He gazes at the people behind him with the coroner of his eyes.
The man begins to speak. "Your grace. We are here to report the current movements of Count Avington. He is currently gathering troops with other nobles of the Noble Faction."
"I see... When are they planning to move?'
"It seems they are going to try and infiltrate the estate in two days' time. It also seems that the Emperor is helping them cover up the situation…"
The duke contemplates for a bit before speaking. "Continue observing him. Notify me if any major changes in the plans arise. I'll notify all the Knights and Mages in the estate to carry on with the plan."
"Yes, your grace!"
The both figures instantly disappear into the shadow, leaving the duke standing in the hallway alone at night alongside nature's symphony.
He slowly looks out the window before closing his eyes, clenching his hands together with determination. "... This time, I won't make the same mistake."
He opens his eyes and walks down the hallway corridor before swiftly disappearing into the darkness, preparing to protect the people he cares for.