007 Clash Between Brothers (1)

The following day, early in the morning, Fenris and Rifa prepared to say their goodbyes. A carriage awaited Rifa outside the Tonelico mansion while Marcos and Damian stood nearby, ready to wave her off. Favian was unable to attend due to other commitments.

As they bade farewell with teary eyes and warm embraces, Fenris remembered Rifa's suggestion about attending Lodonea Academy. Turning towards Marcos with a hopeful expression, he asked hesitantly: "Marcos... do you think it would be possible for me to enroll at Lodonea Academy? The entrance exams are scheduled just six months from now, when I'll meet the age requirement of twelve."

Marcos responded affirmatively with an encouraging smile: "Of course! You've been diligent with your training and have grown into a respectable young man." However, this idea didn't sit well with Damian who had expected that as middle child, his enrollment at Lodonea should precede Fenris'. Memories of past humiliations at Fenris' hands still festered within him; his resentment toward his younger brother hadn't diminished over time.

In an attempt to mask his hostility toward Fenris' ambitions, Damian objected on false pretenses: "Fenris isn't ready for the outside world yet, we need to protect him."

Seeing through this facade—and unafraid of confrontation—Marcos retorted sharply: "And what about you? Your irresponsible behavior during nights out with friends is hardly commendable—not forgetting your crude attitude toward women."

Damian's face reddened in anger as Marcos called him out on his shortcomings. He pushed Marcos aside before turning back towards Fenris once more. Clenching his fists in rage, he proposed a duel between them—one that would determine which brother could attend Lodonea Academy; moreover, he stipulated that whoever lost must leave home permanently.

"Fine!" Damian spat out. "We'll duel tomorrow morning to see who gets to go! Winner goes to Lodonea and the loser leaves this house for good!"

Despite witnessing concern etched across Marcos' face as he weighed up these high stakes against a desire for self-determination—for proving himself worthy—Fenris accepted Damien's challenge, prepared to face the consequences should he fail.

"Alright, Damian," Fenris said with determination in his eyes, "I accept your challenge."

Fenris felt a mixture of confidence and self-doubt as he considered the upcoming duel against Damian. On one hand, he was eager to exact an even sweeter revenge than their previous encounter; on the other, uncertainty gnawed at him.

After Damian stormed off and the situation calmed down, Marcos tried to persuade Fenris out of participating in the duel. But Fenris refused to back down. It was decided that this contest would defy Tonelico tradition—instead of relying on magic, it would be purely based on swordsmanship.

For the remainder of the day, Fenris and Damian deliberately avoided each other—a common occurrence given their strained relationship. Later that evening, as dinner time approached, Fenris extended an invitation for Sophia to join them at the table—an unusual request but one which Marcos hesitantly agreed upon.

Damian's displeasure with Sophia's presence was palpable; rather than voicing his discontent though, he opted for frequent evil glares directed towards both her and Fenris throughout dinner. This visibly unsettled them from time to time.

Sophia marveled at both quality and taste of food served before her: succulent roasted meats cooked with aromatic herbs paired perfectly alongside steamed vegetables fresh from their garden—all topped off by a rich gravy sauce. Her appreciation shone through as she addressed Marcos: "Thank you so much for allowing me to dine with you all tonight! I've never tasted such exquisite dishes before."

Marcos offered her a small smile in response while they continued enjoying their meal together.

Meanwhile, Fenris seemed lost in thought—staring blankly at his plate until Marcos noticed his son's unusual behavior: "Fenris? Is everything alright?"

Startled back into reality, and feeling embarrassed, he blushed profusely before apologizing: "I'm sorry Father... I didn't mean any disrespect," he then began eating earnestly without further delay.

As silence enveloped the table, Maria decided to voice her concerns. Earlier that day, Marcos had informed her about Fenris's desire to attend Lodonea Academy and his upcoming duel with Damian. In an uncharacteristically concerned tone, she addressed Fenris: "Is attending Lodonea really the right choice for you? What if you don't get in? Have you thought about what else you might want to do?"

Her words caught him off guard; not only was it unusual for his mother to speak directly to him but also doing so at the dinner table felt unprecedented. Despite this shock though, he couldn't deny how valid her questions were.

Fenris pondered over potential alternatives should he fail in gaining admission into Lodonea. With knighthood being out of reach due to family constraints, adventuring emerged as a viable option—one that would put both combat and magical skills acquired thus far into good use.

After giving it some thought, Fenris revealed his backup plan to the family: "If I don't get into Lodonea, then I would like to become an adventurer."

Everyone at the table—except Sophia who continued eating unfazed—expressed shock at his declaration. Damian finally broke the silence, angrily questioning Fenris's choice: "Why on Earth would you want to be an adventurer?"

Feeling vindictive and eager to humiliate Fenris further, Damian brought up their uncle Blaise—a known adventurer with a reputation as a scoundrel. He coldly divulged that Fenris was actually Blaise's son rather than Marcos'.

Fenris felt a mixture of anger and disbelief as he tried processing this revelation. Turning towards Marcos for confirmation or denial, he asked desperately: "....Is what Damian said true? Are you not my real father?"

With regret apparent in his eyes, Marcos nodded confirming Damian's words but urged him to sit back down before explaining further. He shared how he had discovered Blaise's infidelity when Fenris was just an infant after conducting thorough research.

"I did everything in my power to raise you well," Marcos said softly. "But yes... it's true."

As the weight of these revelations settled upon him, anger gave way to understanding; now comprehending why both Maria and Damian harbored such animosity toward him—he represented living proof of betrayal within their family.

For the remainder of dinner, Fenris withdrew from conversation while Sophia remained concerned about how much impact these disclosures might have on him.

"Are you alright?" she whispered across the table.

Fenris simply shook his head sadly without responding verbally.

Once dinner ended, everyone dispersed leaving each individual alone with their thoughts; meanwhile, as if on autopilot—Fenris retreated into his bedroom which exuded warmth through its wooden furnishings adorned by various keepsakes accumulated over time. As darkness enveloped them all outside and inside alike, he sank onto his cozy bed surrounded by bookshelves brimming with magical texts collected throughout his years spent under Rifa's tutelage.

The day's events replayed relentlessly in his mind, from shocking family secrets revealed at dinner to the looming duel against Damian. As a result, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with worry and anxiety.

The sheer exhaustion brought on by this emotional turmoil proved too much for Fenris; within minutes of lying down, sleep claimed him—offering temporary respite from his turbulent thoughts.

As Fenris lay in bed, drifting into a light sleep, his brother Damian seemed to have other plans. Fenris suddenly sensed a significant amount of concentrated mana nearby. The intensity of the magical energy jolted him awake almost immediately.

His instincts told him that someone was casting a spell, but he couldn't determine who it might be or what they intended. As he groggily tried to make sense of the situation, an incredibly strong gust of wind blasted through his room, shattering the windows and sending shards flying everywhere.

Caught off guard and unable to react in time due to having just woken up, Fenris found himself at the mercy of this powerful gust; propelled across his bedroom before crashing into the opposite wall with a loud "thud."

The noise from this impact reverberated throughout the house—rousing its occupants from their slumber. However, those concerns paled in comparison to identifying whoever had unleashed such magic upon him.

After regaining composure and standing back up again amidst scattered debris and broken glass, Fenris darted towards what remained of his window frame—peering out into night's darkness for any sign or clue as to who perpetrated this attack.

In that moment, as if on cue, he heard shouting from below; instantly recognizing Damian's voice: "Fenris! You think you can best me? We're going settle this like men right here; right now!"

A wave of anger washed over Fenris partly fueled by stress resulting from being so rudely awakened coupled with residual frustration stemming from earlier revelations involving family secrets laid bare during dinner.

"Damian!" He shouted back defiantly. "You don't scare me! I'll face you right now!"

Without hesitation, and driven by determination, he rushed back inside and grabbed onto his sword, which was hung above his bed. Then, he leaped downward through the open window space towards the ground far below, all the while using magic to deftly soften the landing's impact. This prevented any injury when his feet touched the earth once more beneath the moonlit sky overhead.