The Path Forward
Maximilian Crow, that's me, or at least it's me now. I have memories of a previous life, and memories of being transmigrated, however the memories of Maximillian have assimilated completely with mine. Making it hard to think of his life as a separate one than the one I left behind.
However the life I live now is nothing like my previous one. I am Maximillian Crow IV, the first son of Maximillian Crow III, and heir to the Duchy of Arcannea.
It might sound nice, that I was born into nobility, but my starting point is not that glamorous. My duchery was becoming an inhabitants wasteland, where crops withered and died due to the extreme cold, and my people were dying or leaving the duchy. The cold was manageable when my father was the Duke, however this leads me to my next problem:
We had just been assassinated. My mother, my father, and even myself. The original Maximillian was dead, however before his soul perished, his outstanding resentment had been a catalyst for my soul. Allowing me to trade places with him, and if I was a little optimistic, I would say he might have even inhabited my old body. I hoped so, to allow him to experience peace and find some happiness in another world.
My goal was to avenge his death, and the death of his family. However I was unsure of who ordered the assassination on my family...
But those thoughts would have to wait.
I stood up, and inspected my body. I had a large cut from my shoulder to my waist, however when I took over his body my wound closed at a significant rate. Bringing me back from the brink of death. I was still weak from blood loss, however I would be fine as long as I made it back to my castle.
We had been ambushed on the way to the royal capital, for the birthday party of the first princess of the kingdom of Nezerac, a mere ten miles from the borders of our land.
I walked to a nearby horse that was entagled within a few bushes, and stroked its nose gently to calm it down. I had experienced equestrian training before, so I knew that calming the horse down was paramount before trying to ride it. After a while, the horse calmed down and I worked on freeing the reins from the bushes.
Once free, the creature recognized me as its savior, and allowed me to get on top his back. I urged the horse back to my duchy, while I began to think of who my attackers could be.
My first clue was that they were someone who was of noble blood. The reason simply being they waited for us to leave our duchy first, which made me think that the only people with those kind of manners had to be nobles. They simply loved their stupid made up rules, and while it seemed stupid, it is exactly what a noble would feel obligated to follow.
This code of conduct would certainly not apply to an assassin guild or rebels. They would have simply attacked us when we were vulnerable, and while it was a duchy, it was mostly empty snowland. There were plenty of opportunities to attack, even starting from the moment we step foot out of our city walls.
But who would kill us? We had very good ties with the royal family, and with the faction of traditionalists, which would mean it was a noble who was on the side of the rebels or someone who had a personal grudge against my family. I would have to think more about this when I went home. I could look through the family records, and the confidential records of the patriarchs.
I would find who was responsible for this, and I would be sure to torture them to death. While I was not the original Maximillian, I had experienced all of his memories. My family was now his, and his mine.
While I was riding, I thought back to my memories of transmigrating, I was told by a trandenscental being that I would be gifted a system to help me gain power.
The being simply told me that I was to change the future of this world, but only if I was able to make the right decisions.
However this all simply went in one ear and out the other for me, I only wanted revenge and to live a peaceful life after.
'Status'
I thought in my head, which prompted a translucent screen to appear before my eyes. The screen simply converted all my abilities into numerical values, to better understand. I was also able to see the information of others, along with being able to see something called 'Setting'.
Setting was akin to a predetermined destiny, an event that was supposed to happen, that was supported by other events to make it happen, but that would have significant impact on the fate of the world later on.
By altering, or interfering with these settings, I would be given rewards based on the value of the events I changed, and on the value of the change. These rewards would be helpful to my growth in power, and were worth pursuing. However it did make me feel as if I was just a nosy person who wouldn't be able to just sit back and play a supporting role.
Anyway, my status looked like this.
[Name: Maximilian Crow IV]
[Title: Duke of Arcannea, Fate Star]
[Stats -
Strength: 5
Constitution: 5
Agility: 5
Dexterity: 5
Intellect: 5
Charm: 5]
[Traits: None]
[Skills:
Katana Mastery - F
Pain Immunity - F
]
With this status, I knew I would have to improve my strength immediately. The average stats for a person was 5, with simple city guards having stats of 10, and captains having stats of 20. Royal army soldiers had stats of 30, and the Royal Guards had stats of 40-70. Past that were monstrous individuals, such as the Mercenary King, or the Head Wizard of the Magic Tower. Those individuals had stats ranging from 70-200. A very ridiculous amount of strength when put into the perspective that anyone of those individuals could kill millions of people by themselves.
The first idea of how to strengthen myself was annoying to think about, but was truly one of my only options.
The Royal Academy. An academy that was in the capital, that only allowed the extremely talented, or the extremely well connected attend. The goal of the Academy was to nurture future pillars of the country, and indoctrine all others into working for the betterment of the kingdom of Nezerac.
There were S class mercenaries and ex-generals who taught at the school. It was filled to the brim with the best teachers in the kingdom, and had an insane amount of facilities to help train the students. It was a no-brainer that it was the best place to grow.
However the problem would arise after that, what about the settings? There was the chance that the school would have a few incidents that were noteworthy, but what if there wasn't enough? I would end up wasting those precious opportunities and instead waste away at the Academy.
I would think about it over night, and make a decision in a few days. However as I came upon the city gates, I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind for now.
"HALT! Who goes there, this is the city of Arcannea and outside of normal entry hours. State your name and business for seeking entry at night!"
I urged my horse into the light of their lanterns.
"I am Maximillian Crow the IV. By order of acting Duke, assemble the Nest, and find me a healer."
When the guards heard this, followed by the sight of me, they immediately opened the doors. I was then escorted in, and brought to the guard house. They insisted on bringing me to the castle, but I refused. I wanted to meet the Nest here at the gates. The Nest were all trained guards that were loyal to the Duke's family, and they were a sort of private force.
After a few minutes, 12 men and women in full black arrived at the room I was waiting in.
As they entered, they all kneeled down and greeted me.
"Hail the young master of Arcannea!"
"I am now the acting Duke. Outside of our borders, along the main road to the royal capital, my family is laying in the dirt and blood."
With this the heads of the knights all raised, then their eyes went wide when they noticed the large wound on my body, piecing things together they became silent and somber.
"Please... Retrieve the corpses of our people... Look for any clues you can of our assailants, and then report back to me."
"YES, DUKE!"
They must have realized that this was not something I would joke about, and took my words as the harsh truth. They set out immediately. I ordered another squad of city guards to accompany the Nest, and bring a wagon for the corpses.
At this time, a healer from the temple arrived, and began to treat me.
The healers were mainly members of Temples and churches, gaining their holy power through contracts with different Gods, but they were not loyal to the kingdom. As such I had city guards stay in the room to protect me.
After the healer closed my wound and cast a minor spell of rejuvenation on me, I paid them and they left. The whole time they didn't speak a single word, not that they didn't show extreme shock to the sight of my wound, but they were a member of the temple of Nocturn. A God that represented the night, and with it came a vow of silence during the peak of her power, which was night. Typically they slept during the night, as per their religious doctrines, however one priest would always stay on night duty in case of emergency.
This was simply an agreement they made with the duchy, but they wouldn't work for free.
I noted the surprise on the face of the priest, but it seemed that he only was surprised and not scared of my appearance. Since returning to my city, I began to take note of all the reactions of the people around me, which had so far not given me anymore clues.
However I couldn't let my guard down, I knew that there had to have been someone inside my duchy that was a rat. Otherwise how could they have known our exact departure time and size of our caravan?
As I sent the priest away, I ordered a group of knights to escort me to the castle. As we walked, I noticed an uncomfortable feeling.
I felt like I was being watched... Like a prey about to walk into a trap as a Hunter peered at them from behind cover...
I leaned towards the guard captain I brought with me, a man by the name of Regus, and who I knee since I was a child. A man I trusted.
"Regus... On my signal I need you all to rush and bring me to the castle as soon as possible. The guards at the castle will be enough of a deterent... There are assailants in the shadows."
When I finished speaking Regus showed a look of shock, which quickly turned to one of resolution.
"Yes, young master... Even if it costs us our lives, we will make sure you make it to the castle."
I nodded, and began to look forward. Regus began to communicate to the other guards using hand signals, and once everyone was informed, Regus nodded to me.
I nodded slightly, and began to tense up. We were coming out of an alley, and about to enter the main market. We had to make it to the other side of the market, then up the hill to the castle. Once at the top of the hill, there was a separate order of knights that were in charge of defending the castle itself. The castle housed many treasures and important things.
All the guards here were completely loyal, after being heavily vetted and trained from birth. There was no room for betrayal, and such they were the final line of defense for the city of Aracnnea. As we entered the market, I immediately raised my hand and pointed forward.
With my signal, we all spurred our horses forward as fast as they would go, and dashed through the market.
Immediately arrows began to rain down on us, hitting a two of the eight guards I brought with me, and grazing my arm with an arrow as well.
Ignoring the stinging sensation and the heat from my arm, I pushed my horse forward. The guards stayed close to me and shielded my body with theirs.
After we cleared the market, the guards stopped and stayed in the choke. I stopped my horse, but then was immediately yelled at.
"GO YOUNG MASTER, WE WILL HOLD THEM HERE!"
My heart squeezed. I was from a peaceful world, and so far all I had experienced was loss and death.
I now had to watch these men sacrifice themselves for me to live, and it was not something I could do easily. With tears in my eyes, I turned and forced myself towards the castle walls. Behind me I heard the cry of Regus. I turned my head and saw him being ran through by a sword, going into this chest and out of his back.
However something happened, as if all my senses were enhanced, I saw a tattoo on the wrist of the man who killed Regus. Small, almost imperceptible if you weren't looking for the small moment he revealed the skin on his wrist, I spotted a sparrow tattoo.
I made eye contact with Regus, who looked at me and smiled one more time, before grabbing the head of his killer and biting his nose off. Regus was then impaled by two more swords, but the attackers failed to get Regus to let go of the face of the attacker.
With his last burst of energy, Regus tore the nose off his attacker and then fell subject to his wounds.
I had then arrived at the gate, with the door coming down and heavily armed knights coming out. Forming a protective circle around me, they brought me inside the castle walls, and rushed out to meet the assailants. Unfortunately they had already began their retreat and before they over chased, the commander called them back.
"Young master, can you explain to us what is going on? Were you not on the way to the royal capital?"
There was worry on his face as he asked this. He was another man I could trust wholeheartedly. The Commander of the Duke's army, Sir Reginald Fetter, a war hero who fought alongside my father.
"The Duke and the Duchess are dead... We were ambushed outside of the borders of Arcannea, and just now as you can see they tried to finish me off. The Nest are already going to retrieve the bodies of the murdered, and will be back in a few hours."
Sir Reginald nodded at my report, with solemn eyes, and put his hand on my shoulder.
"You are safe now, young mas-", Reginald took a moment of silence before continuing, "You are safe now... Duke."
With that, the commander sent out a few more orders before handing me over to the butlers and maids. They brought me to my room, and began attending to my needs such as bathing and changing my clothes.
Thankfully I had fallen asleep, or I would have been incredibly uncomfortable having people undress me and wash me with washcloths.
I stirred awake a few times during the night, however everytime I opened my eyes a gentle hand touched my shoulder and helped put me back to sleep. It was a soft voice that soothed me and I couldn't recognize the face but I knew they were there to protect me.
Feeling the sense of security I drifted off to sleep again.
"Worry not, master. We will always be here to protect you, and we have always been here protecting you."
The voice belonged to a girl with snow white hair, and a red spider tattoo on the back of her neck. There stood seven others with similar tattoos and hair color standing in different parts of the room. They all had somber looks as they watched the young Maximilian wake up from a nightmare.
They stayed in their spots all night, guarding the young man.
That night, the castle was attacked several times but each time was unsuccessful. There were corpses strewn about all over the courtyard. I wouldn't find all this out until late in the morning.