Prologue (3)

The white horse-drawn carriage stopped before the fancy 3 meters tall mansion gate. This was the mansion where the main branch of the Ravensword family lived. The famous and unique Ravensword mansion was the biggest out of all the mansions in the country. The only exception was the king's castle. This subtle detail showed that the duke's authority was second only to the king.

On the two sides of the black gate stood two guards clad in light iron armor. The golden raven, which was engraved on the back of their armors made it clear that they were part of the Ravensword knighthood. They looked at the white carriage with surprised eyes and didn't open the gate even though they knew that this carriage belonged to the Ravensword family.

A maid stepped out of the carriage, knowing that the guards can't open the gates without permission. She didn't approach the guards but loudly shouted instead as announcing the arrival of someone important was the custom of the nobility. Of course, it should have been unnecessary as Erlen was part of the Ravensword family, but the maid felt that it was better to do it this way, as Erlen was kicked out five years ago.

"Erlen Ravensword, the first son of his grace, the duke, Vincente Ravensword." The maid loudly announced the name of the guest, just as the guards expected. One of the guards quickly ran back to the mansion and came back not much later.

"Erlen Ravensword and his maid Briett Veldena, permission received!"

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INSIDE THE MANSION

In a little, dimly lit bedroom, a tall man sat on the side of the white bed as he inspected a wooden sword with a disappointed gaze. His sharp features and blue eyes, coupled with the short, red beard, gave him a determined and strict-looking character. He was Vincente Ravensword, the duke of the Silveria Empire, and a talented, famous blade mage. He tapped the worn-out edge of the sword, and a small, almost indiscernible smile rose on his face.

"He is still not as good as the little Erlen when it comes to pure swordsmanship, but his skills as a blade mage should be more than enough."

Mumbled Vincente as he stared at the tattered wooden sword in his hands. This wooden sword belonged to Ryle Ravensword. He used this sword for his last training duel against one of the knights. Vincente fell into deep thoughts as he examined the wooden sword with his experienced eyes when two delicate arms suddenly wrapped around his waist.

"Are you comparing him to Erlen again? Just how long will it take for you to forget about him? That child has no future, and it's not like he will ever come back after I sent him away like that." Said the woman behind Vincente with a firm voice. Her words were strict and delicate at the same time. She sounded like someone who scolded her child for something wrong.

This woman was none other than Mylene Ravensword. Her long, white, and slender legs perfectly complimented her hourglass-shaped and slightly curvy figure. She would have looked like a mountain toppling beauty if not for her wrinkled face and extravagant dress, which spoke volumes about her ever so shallow personality. His golden, strict eyes and black hair made her look charming in a unique way, as black hair was uncommon in the empire.

Vincente was saddened when he heard Mylene saying this about her own child. It's been five years ever since he left at the age of 12. At that time, they gave him only one maid and enough money to take care of himself. They knew that it was safe since Erlen was intelligent, but months later, Vincente realized that sending away Erlen was too cruel. He stared at Mylene's stressed face with a complicated expression.

'Where did it go wrong? When did she become like this, and why did I even kick out my own child? Is he not worthy of familial love just because of his illness? I feel like the answer is so obvious, but it somehow became complicated for me.'

Vincente was in deep thoughts when a knight suddenly busted open the wooden door without thinking. He looked slightly fatigued, which showed that he was in a hurry to report something important. Vincente understood the situation and signaled to the knight with a nod.

"Your grace! I apologize for barging in without knocking, but Young master Erlen has returned and asked for your permission to enter!"

"What did you say?" Mylene, who silently stood beside Vincente asked with anxiety written all over her face. She became restless and started acting as if someone started chasing her.

"Permission granted!" Vincente replied without a shred of hesitation, and Mylene looked at him with disapproving eyes as a result. She was about to say something, but the knight already walked away.

"I don't know why did he decide to return, but this is a good chance to reverse the events from 5 years ago. Ryle must be eager to see him again too." Said Vincente as he walked out of the study room. Mylene followed closely behind him as they walked towards the main hall.

The main hall was a fancy room with paintings, flowers, and an exquisite design. This room is the first one the guests see when they enter the mansion, so it's functioning as a way to impress them. The white mansion was big, so it took the pair at least 2 minutes to walk from the left wing to the main hall. Erlen was already inside the room when Vincente and Mylene arrived.

Mylene could see that the past 5 years worked wonders as Erlen looked better than ever. The most noticeable was his height. Vincente was considered tall within the family, but Erlen overshadowed him at the age of 16, as he neared 180 cm (5'11). His golden eyes became more focused, and he wore a subtle fake smile. If the young Erlen was an uncontrollable troublemaker, then this Erlen can be called an uncontrollable criminal behind a smile.

"Welcome back Erlen, how were the past five years? I can see that you lived well. As expected of a Ravensword." The first one to break the awkward silence was Vincente. The relationship between Erlen and Vincente was not what others would call a father-son relationship. Thus, Vincente asked Erlen with a hint of familiarity and flattery at the same time as if he talked to a close friend.

"You don't have to be the polite father. You should know about everything since Briett sent letters to you or my mother in secret." Erlen revealed nonchalantly. He also knew that Briett received letters too, but he decided to keep that a secret. The apparent confusion on his father's face confirmed that the plotter was his mother.

"Don't be hard on your father. I was the one who asked Briett to do it in secret. I didn't want you to do something that can damage the family."

"How kind of you, mother. Did old age catch up to you? You forgot that Briett received letters from you as well? How sad, mother. Now that we discussed this, I would like to take a look at my brother after five years."