A New Beginning (2)

— Young lord, why are you crying? — Kazimir asked, puzzled. — Did something happen? Are you hurt somewhere?

Kazimir hadn't expected to see Raphael in tears. In all the five years he had known the boy, he had never once seen Raphael cry. In Kazimir's eyes, Raphael had always been an unusually calm child, so this sudden display of emotion took him by surprise. A faint smile crept onto Kazimir's face.

— Are you laughing at me? — Raphael asked with mild reproach, noticing the smile.

— No, of course not. But still, what's wrong? Why are you crying?

— Don't worry, it's just a really bad headache. I'd like you to examine me.

— Is it so bad that it made you cry?

— Enough about that! — Raphael exclaimed, embarrassed.

— Ha-ha, alright, let's check you out, — Kazimir replied cheerfully.

The examination included standard procedures: taking his temperature, listening to his lungs and heart with a stethoscope. However, despite Raphael's complaints of severe headaches, his condition appeared to be nearly perfect, which puzzled Kazimir.

"If the young lord is truly in so much pain that he cried, there must be something more going on than just a migraine," Kazimir thought with concern.

He was completely mistaken. Although Raphael did indeed have a headache, it wasn't the cause of his tears. But Raphael couldn't reveal the truth, as they might think he was crazy.

— Well, Sir Kazimir? — Raphael asked, breaking the silence. — Any ideas on how to get rid of this pain?

— To be honest, I've never encountered a case like this before. You're in perfect health, but from what you've described, this clearly isn't just simple fatigue or stress. With your permission, I'd like to consult with the Matriarch and have you examined at the Guardian Hospital.

The Guardian Hospital was the best medical facility available to the Earharts. The doctors there used healing magic learned in the Holy State of Solaris. They could bring a nearly dead knight back to life or even restore severed limbs.

Kazimir believed that they might be able to help with Raphael's headache, but that was precisely what Raphael wanted to avoid.

— No, that's not necessary. Just give me a painkiller, and let's leave it at that, — Raphael said calmly.

— But young lord, your pain is at the very least unnatural. We don't know what might happen if you ignore treatment, — Kazimir insisted.

— Enough. I'm fine. Now is not the time to be lying in a hospital.

Kazimir was taken aback by Raphael's sharpness and determination. Anyone else present would have been surprised as well. Raphael had always been a clever and fearless boy, but he never passed up the chance to laze around, and a stay in the hospital would have been like a dream for him. Such a stark change in his behavior left Kazimir feeling uneasy.

— Very well, I won't report your condition to anyone, and I'll give you some tablets to temporarily relieve the pain, — Kazimir conceded. — But if the pain doesn't go away, come to me immediately.

— Thank you.

Kazimir took out some tablets from his bag and handed them to the boy, along with a glass of water he had prepared in advance. Raphael silently took the tablet and swallowed it with the water.

— Do you need anything else? — Kazimir asked.

— Hmm, yes. Stay a while longer and talk with me, — Raphael said with a smile.

"I just want to chat with you a bit more..."

Raphael and Kazimir spent several hours discussing Kazimir's past. Although Kazimir didn't share everything, he recounted amusing stories about his former comrades from his time as a knight in service to the current patriarch.

Raphael casually gathered the information he needed. His suspicions were confirmed: he had indeed gone back in time by fourteen years. He was now five years old, and in a week, his first training sessions with the sword and Spark would begin. Although Raphael still couldn't wrap his head around how this was possible, he decided to move forward.

"One way or another, I'll figure this out later. Right now, I need to solidify my position within the family."

The information he needed wasn't accessible to a five-year-old child. First and foremost, he had to earn a place among the family's elite, whether through politics or power. Without sufficient power, he wouldn't learn anything, even if he became a Guardian.

"No, this time, becoming a Guardian isn't enough... I need to become a Circle Knight and join the council."

Only then would Raphael gain access to the forbidden section of the family library, where various secrets were kept.

"Hah, it's too early to think about that."

The path to becoming a Guardian was long, and becoming a Circle Knight was even further off. There were more pressing matters to address now.

— Sir Kazimir, how is Alice doing?

— Oh, I visited her recently. She misses you very much, heh, — Kazimir responded cheerfully.

— Yes, I should visit her this evening.

Alice was Raphael's younger sister and the youngest child in the Earhart family. She was the girl whose hands, against her will, had caused Raphael's death in his past life.

"If I'm five now, that means she's four."

The reason Raphael and Alice were so close was terrifyingly simple. They were just the youngest children in the family. Alice was born after Raphael had been accepted into the family, so she didn't witness the time when he was despised. To her, Raphael was the kind older brother who always shared sweets with her. She never understood why their older siblings treated Raphael so poorly.

Raphael, in turn, saw Alice as a beloved little sister whom he needed to protect. He didn't want her to become as bloodthirsty as their older brothers. Raphael often snuck into Alice's room at night to play with her. The maids frequently found them sleeping together in her room, after which the elders would reprimand Raphael and punish him by pressing their aura down on his young body.

Nonetheless, this didn't stop Raphael, and just a day later, he would sneak back into Alice's room again.

— By the way, young lord, I've heard you've made great progress in mana control, is that true? — Kazimir asked enthusiastically.

— Ha! I don't want to brag, but you're looking at a genius who's about to advance to the second stage of the Smoldering Spark.

— Wow! That's the young lord I know!

In this world, there are six stages of what is called the "Spark," which determines a person's development in magical abilities: Smoldering Spark, Kindling Spark, Blazing Spark, Roaring Flame, Raging Hearth, and Phoenix. Each stage has levels of development that a person must go through to advance to the next stage.

At the age of five, Raphael was on the verge of reaching the second level of the Smoldering Spark, which was almost unheard of by human standards. On average, children reach the second level at the age of seven or eight and the third by eleven or twelve. This made Raphael a magical prodigy. Although for the Earharts, magic was secondary to the sword's aura, it was still a significant achievement.

In his previous life, during one of the sword training sessions, Raphael had seen orphans with talent for magic practicing until they passed out. Often, the children fell ill and spent weeks in the hospital, only to be discarded like spoiled goods afterward.

Although Raphael wasn't at risk of being thrown away, he didn't want the extra burden, so he deliberately slowed his development to awaken the Kindling Spark neither earlier nor later than his brothers and sisters.

But now, the situation had changed. He needed to not only find out why he had regressed and been betrayed, but also to save Erin and Alice. And although there was still a year left before he would meet Erin, he needed to start preparing now.

"If I begin training at an accelerated pace, using knowledge from my previous life, I could reach the next stage by the age of nine," Raphael thought.

— So, Sir Kazimir, would you be so kind as to tell me what my dear elder brothers are up to these days? — Raphael asked sarcastically.

— Ha... young lord, I'm a doctor, not a spy...

— Oh, come on, I know you keep up with all the castle gossip for my sake.

And it was true. To anticipate potential dangers to Raphael, Kazimir always kept an eye on the actions of the elder brothers and minimized threats to his life.

— ...

— Please. I promise, if you tell me, I'll train hard with the sword during the upcoming lessons.

— Alright... — Kazimir reluctantly agreed.

— Hooray!

— Lord Adrian and Lady Liliana are currently away on the Eastern Continent on state business. Lord Lucius is temporarily serving as the 'Honored Knight' and is present in the castle. Lady Aurora will soon arrive at the castle to prepare for her graduation ceremony at the Alsion Academy. Lord Gabriel remains at the academy and continues his studies. Lords Selena, Erik, Mia, and Theo will continue their training in the hunting grounds of Velheimort Forest for the next month, — Kazimir concluded his report. — The only potential danger to you is the inevitable encounter with Lady Aurora.

— Thank you, as always.

— Yeah...

"Why do I feel like the young lord sees me as just another spy?" — Kazimir thought wearily.

Raphael knew that Kazimir had an extensive information network, but he hadn't expected him to be aware of even Adrian and Liliana's whereabouts. This surprised him a little, but he didn't let it show.

With only Lucius present in the castle, it was a great opportunity to train without too many prying eyes. Although Lucius also occasionally tormented Raphael, he did so less persistently than Theo. After all, Lucius was an active Guardian.

"Although the fact that he's the temporary 'Honored Knight' might become a problem..."

— And where is Father?

— The patriarch is currently on his way to meet with the Empress of Alsion, Elisabetta Leonard, — Kazimir replied quickly.

— I see...

When the patriarch personally met with the heads of states or great families, it always signaled an impending storm. As far as Raphael could remember, it was around this time that the Alsion Empire would begin meddling in the affairs of the Holy State of Solaris under the pretext of liberating the people and overthrowing the Pope. Although it wouldn't be an outright war, it would still become a major headache, one in which both the Earharts and the Sawyers would be involved.

"I won't be sent to the front lines, of course, but it's clear that tensions within the family will be at their peak... I need to be prepared."

— Thank you, Sir Kazimir.

— You're welcome. Do you have any plans? Is there anything else you need? — Kazimir asked, sounding a bit downcast.

— Ah, no, thank you. You're free to go.

— Thank you, my lord.

Kazimir bowed and turned towards the door, ready to open it when...

— Oh, tell me, — Raphael stopped him, — do you see anyone in the right corner of the room?

— What? — Kazimir asked, surprised.

He scanned the room but saw nothing.

— What are you talking about? If this is a joke, you have a rather strange sense of humor, young lord.

— Ahaha, you got me. Well, go on then, and tell Alice I'll visit her today!

Kazimir bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

— You don't see anything, huh... then what the hell is that? — Raphael asked himself, his voice filled with fear and unease.

In the far corner of the room, Raphael saw a figure clad in dark armor with a cloak draped over one shoulder. The face was hauntingly familiar. It was Raphael at nineteen, in the form of the Fallen Paladin, standing there all this time with a chilling smile, silently watching everything unfold.