3 years later

ꟷBut as your older brother, I must apologize. I never thought you'd be so bold as to have the princess appear in your room at this hourꟷ I continued while feigning an apology. The next moment, I directed my gaze towards the bed.

ꟷArthur Leywin, I understand that you like Miss Tessia and are madly in love with her. You even told me you wanted to spend your entire life with her, but I think you should take things slow.

ꟷTessia Eralith, what would your father think if he knew you appeared here so early?ꟷ Virion said in a tone of disappointment, although I could tell he was holding back laughter. ꟷThere is nothing we can do; we will at least have to formalize this relationshipꟷ he continued, clapping his hands together. ꟷYou are too young to get married, so we can only engage you, although we still need someone to testify for Arthurꟷ he added, glancing at me.

ꟷNo need to worry, I will offer myself as a witness for Arthur, it is the least I can doꟷ I said with righteous indignation before taking a paper and writing several things on it. ꟷHere are the documents.

Virion pretended to read the papers seriously, and upon receiving the pencil I offered him, he signed the agreement. I did the same. Once finished, I slowly approached them.

Tessia was completely red and in shock at being "discovered," while Arthur was still half-asleep, just waking up to notice our arrival. I quickly took Art's hand and placed it on the paper, leaving one of his fingerprints, and did the same with Tess, who still hadn't reacted.

After that, I gently patted Arthur's shoulder and looked at him nostalgically. ꟷYou've grown up, little brother. You're even engaged now. I'm quite proud of youꟷ I said, then turned my gaze towards Tess. ꟷLittle Tess, cousin, from now on my little Art will be in your care. Please, take care of him.

After that, I walked seriously towards Virion and, after shaking hands and giving him a 'copy' of the document, we left the room.

The next moment, a small scream of embarrassment from Tessia was heard as she quickly ran out of the room to chase us, trying to recover those papers. Meanwhile, Art, who still didn't understand what was happening, went to take a bath.

When breakfast was over, we all got into a carriage headed towards the address of Virion's acquaintance. I paid little attention to the conversation between Virion and Arthur, instead focusing on recalling the person we were going to see.

Rinia Darcassan, she was a deviant elf who was very talented in water magic and foresight.

The carriage stopped smoothly before the driver opened the door to inform us that we had arrived at our destination.

ꟷHey, old witch! Come out!ꟷ Grandpa Virion suddenly shouted while banging on the door.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a hunched old woman with gray hair that looked like it had been struck by lightning and wrinkled eyes that had a strange mixture of multiple colors. She wore a simple brown robe and stared at me while studying me.

ꟷIt took you a long time to get here!ꟷ she said, frowning.

ꟷLet me introduce you, she is Rinia Darcassan and she is a very special anomaly among us elves,ꟷ Grandpa Virion proclaimed.

"She really does look a lot like the character in the manhwa, only in real life," I whispered to myself, watching her intently. "But she should be important enough to register, so why am I not getting a notification from the system?"

[Ding, conditions for registration not met]

"It seems it doesn't just depend on the person, but also on the context," I confirmed upon hearing the system.

ꟷFinally, we meet, young Arthur. Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you, little Prince Alex,ꟷ she said, greeting us both.

After the formal introductions, we all entered her home and sat at a round table with a vase of water in the center.

ꟷUmm... Elder Rinia? You said you're a seer, right? I'm a bit confused about what exactly you can do. Grandpa said you would be able to find out if my parents are okay when you see them,ꟷ Arthur said, looking curiously at the vase of water.

ꟷKe, ke, ke! Grandpa, huh? Virion, you've really relaxed if you let youngsters call you that,ꟷ she said, laughing.

ꟷNot only that, but in the future, they might even be family,ꟷ I whispered with a laugh, making Tess blush and glare at me angrily while Virion just smiled and glanced at Arthur.

ꟷHaha, I see, I see...ꟷ she commented with a small laugh.

Just as I had seen in my past life, to contact Alice and Reynold, Arthur had to imagine their appearances and the shape of their mana. Meanwhile, Rinia would handle the rest.

Suddenly, the water in the vase began to swirl like a whirlpool, rising out of the vase. The next moment, the image of both Alice and Reynold appeared in the water spiral.

We both quickly moved closer to see them better. Father was wearing some sort of uniform, his beard had grown. Meanwhile, it was clear that mother's belly showed she was pregnant.

ꟷT-Thank you, Elder Rinia. Truly, thank you for showing us this,ꟷ Arthur commented, as small tears ran down his cheeks.

The next moment, Tess approached Art, trying to console him with gentle pats on his back. As the image faded, it was confirmed that they had already arrived in the city of Xyrus.

ꟷThat's great! Arthur, let's make sure your parents know you're alive!ꟷ Virion commented, to which I responded.

ꟷGrandpa, remember that they raised me too, so they are my parents as well,ꟷ I said, then looked back at the image where they were. I couldn't deny that I was also excited to see them, but compared to Arthur, I remained calm because I knew they would be fine despite everything.

ꟷFor this to work, I need to pour my innate mana into you to establish a temporary link. When I give you a signal, start talking as if you were speaking directly to your parents. It's important to know that they will hear your voice inside their heads, so they might not believe it at first,ꟷ she said seriously. ꟷMake sure they understand that it's really you talking to them, and that they're not going crazy. Remember, we're only doing this to let them know you're alive. I will project your voice directly into their minds. I can't maintain the connection for long, so tell them what's necessary within two minutes.

When she initiated the process, her entire body began to glow the same color as her eyes, and I could see that glow expanding towards Arthur.

As he spoke, I could see Arthur's mood fluctuating. The two minutes passed, and his speech was very similar to what I remembered, so I simply stood there listening. Although I also wanted to talk to them, I knew it wasn't the right time, so I just took a step back.

When the communication ended, Elder Rinia, exhausted from the effort, collapsed into her chair, her face pale and covered in sweat.

We sincerely thanked her for her help before saying goodbye, promising to visit her again in the future.

Upon arriving at the castle, I witnessed Tess's parents apologizing to Arthur for their words that morning, thanking him for helping their daughter and offering to consider the place as his home. A smile appeared on my face at their gesture of generosity, but a strange feeling settled in my heart, difficult to define.

While Tess negotiated with her parents to take Arthur for a walk around the city, I decided to step away for a moment.

I walked towards a small clearing I could see from my balcony, where the moon shone in all its splendor. I climbed a tree and took out the guitar Sylvia had helped me build. As I gazed at it, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, along with another strong wave of guilt. Under their care and the moonlight, a small feeling began to grow within me.

Under the moonlight, I began to play, letting the music take me to a place where words were unnecessary.

POV Alea Triscan

ꟷI finally finished for today,ꟷ I thought as I wiped the sweat from my forehead with a nearby handkerchief. ꟷIf I keep this up, within less than a year I should be able to reach the clear stage of the orange core.ꟷ Putting away everything around me and contemplating the tranquil night, I decided to take a small evening walk. These walks often helped me to destress and divert my mind from various thoughts.

It's been a few years since my brother died, which hasn't been easy. Although I try not to think about it, I can't help but remember him, and with that, my mind gets lost. To avoid sinking into loneliness, I can only keep myself busy with training, as that feeling of emptiness tears at my heart.

While walking, I headed towards a small clearing I like to visit from time to time to rest in peace, a little refuge from the outside hustle. However, on my way, I couldn't help but hear a strange and soft sound coming from somewhere nearby. With some hesitation, I slowly made my way towards that place, making the soft sound become clearer, although I couldn't recognize it.

When I got closer, I was surprised to see a young man at the top of a tree, seemingly singing to the moon. I tried to get closer to observe him better, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me. Instinctively, I prepared to defend myself, but my actions were instantly halted upon seeing that the person who stopped me was Lord Virion, followed by Lord Alduin and his wife.

ꟷLord Virion, Lord Alduin!ꟷ I greeted quickly while bowing in respect. But my actions were stopped by Lord Virion, who signaled me to keep silent. I nodded without issue and turned to observe the young man playing softly and sadly, with the moonlight following him.

I noticed that the king's father and the king himself, along with his wife, had come to see him, which piqued my curiosity about the young man. The sound of his music was so soft yet sad that, without realizing it, a feeling I had struggled to calm returned to me. And the moment the young man began to sing, tears started to fall uncontrollably down my cheeks.

The voice of that boy, though somewhat childish, was filled with loneliness. It could even be said that his childish tone helped his song penetrate even deeper into the heart. Without knowing how or when, the queen also began to cry, while the king and his father tried to calm their own emotions.

Although I didn't understand the language of that song, I could feel what it conveyed: a loss, a great loss, and guilt.

ꟷI never thought little Alex felt so lonely,ꟷ whispered Queen Merial through her tears, while being embraced by the king.

ꟷThe little one doesn't like to show his feelings much, despite how difficult it must have been to leave his family and take care of Arthur until they reached this kingdom. He hasn't shown a single complaint; he even supports Art when he's sad, which inevitably makes us overlook that he suffers just as much or even more,ꟷ commented Lord Virion, while helping his son calm Queen Merial.

ꟷThe little one just discovered that the people who have cared for him aren't really his parents. He must feel quite lonely, as the only people he could call family are strangers to him. How can we not think about his feelings?ꟷ said the queen while blaming herself. ꟷI'm sorry, Isabella…

Hearing the queen's words, I couldn't help but be surprised. I had once heard that Lord Virion had two children; one of them was King Alduin, while his other child was a beautiful lady who, for some unknown reason, decided to leave the kingdom and explore the world, never to return.

"Then that child must be her son," I whispered to myself while trying to dry the tears from my cheeks, as a feeling of understanding arose in my heart. "It seems he is also alone, like me."

POV Alex

I don't know how much time passed, but my fingers moved so naturally and softly, like a small dandelion being caressed by a gentle breeze. I sang, feeling each letter of the song, letting every emotion from my heart flow.

Until finally, the music faded away, like a beautiful dream upon waking.

ꟷIt's best to rest for today,ꟷ I whispered while putting the guitar away and heading back to my room. The night was advancing, and I needed to wake up early the next day to start my plans for the next three years.

Days passed this way, while Arthur immersed himself in the first stage of the process of assimilating the beast's will, I dedicated myself to my training. This consisted of several steps. In the mornings, I focused on exercising to the limit, and after a well-deserved rest, I spent some time reading information about the elves.

Thanks to the Great Sage, learning written information was quite easy. After that, I headed to my combat practice, where I worked hard to learn new magics and improve my combat skills.

However, something quite unexpected happened. From the first day of training, I encountered Alea by chance, one of the lances of the elf kingdom who would appear later in the story but unfortunately died in the early arcs.

I must admit that her kindness surprised me, and although it was a casual encounter, she left a very good first impression. Alea was a beautiful young girl with white hair that fell to her shoulders and captivating light blue eyes, apparently around 12 years old at this time. Although she seemed gentle in the animation, meeting her in person was an unexpected experience.

Noting that she was still young, I decided to also seek out the other lance the elves would have in a few years: Aya Grephin. Thanks to my authority as Virion's grandson, I quickly found the location of her family, as well as her, who was around the same age as Alea.

Although this might provoke certain changes in the future, I no longer cared too much. After what happened with Sylvia, I had decided to change the things I didn't like about the future whenever I felt it was necessary.

So, whenever I had free time, I decided to go out and meet with them, and after some time, we became quite close.

Finally, at night, I dedicated myself to a personal study of soul control, experimenting with various small insects, which gradually helped me gather information and details on how to improve my new skill.

When the insects ceased to be useful, I used small animals, like little hares, which helped me advance significantly in the research, and with the help of the Great Sage, I quickly made progress.

…..

<< Three Years Later >>

ꟷLet's hope this works,ꟷ I thought to myself, as I looked up at the blue sky.

Then, I used Predator to extract the body of a slave trader I had captured last week. After rendering him unconscious, I had kept him within the stomach of my ability [Predator].

Looking at him unconscious, I didn't think much of it and spoke to the Great Sage.

ꟷGreat Sage, help me mold the soul of this person so that he becomes completely loyal to me and is willing to die for me,ꟷ I whispered.

<<Understood. Using skill [Soul Manipulation]>>

In the next moment, I observed the person's soul detach from his body. With determination in my eyes and the help of the Great Sage, I was able to manipulate his soul according to my designs, altering a significant portion of his memories to suit my convenience. Finally, I successfully met my expectations. Then, I returned the soul to its body, ensuring to leave a safety implant.

After that, I took out the character card obtained by the system a few years back, and placed it on the unconscious person's body.

The card glowed for a moment, and after a few seconds, I noticed some changes in his appearance. His skin turned a pale white, and a lock of his hair changed to red and gold, while his eyes developed golden pupils and black sclera.

After a few minutes, the body opened its eyes, and moments later, a light of consciousness shone in them, causing the body to stand up suddenly.

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Note: Thanks for the written reviews, here are the two promised chapters.

Note 2: I have read that maybe the character is just a follower of Arthur, so I would like to clarify some small issues. First of all, our MC is protective of Arthur because he really considers him his younger brother in spite of everything, and the reasons will be known later on. Also, I understand that you may think that he seems to be just a follower, but he will start to take off little by little, besides, he will also start to understand that he can't let things continue in the same way, but every change needs an origin of weight, so please have a little patience, because I will be growing this MC.

Finally, thank you very much for reading.