21. PROVING HIS WORTH

Arthur stepped into the grand dining hall, his expression neutral and his pace steady. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of chandeliers, their light reflecting off the polished marble floors and the ornate furniture. At the center of the room stood a long table, its surface adorned with silverware and a modest spread of food. At the far end sat the Duke, his commanding presence filling the space as he waited, hands folded and gaze fixed on his approaching son.

Arthur bowed slightly as he reached the table. "Father."

Victor Nolan gestured to the chair opposite him. "Sit."

The dinner was soon served with delicacies decorated on the table. Both of them had their meals in silence and soon it was time for sweet dishes and tea. As as Arthur was about to take his first sip he noticed that he was being stared by the duke, as if understanding his intentions he kept his cup down and complied without hesitation, his movements deliberate.

The atmosphere was heavy, both men aware that this meeting held greater significance than a simple family meal after all it was almost an year since they last saw each other. The silence lingered for a moment before the Duke spoke.

"I hear you've been dedicating yourself to the library," Victor began, his tone even. "And yet, I cannot ignore the unresolved matter of your former instructor, Lady Celine."

Arthur met his father's gaze, his expression unflinching. "Lady Celine's departure was inevitable" he replied calmly. "She forgot her role as an instructor and overstepped her boundaries."

Victor's eyebrows rose slightly, signaling his interest. "How so?"

"She believed her position gave her authority beyond what it warranted" Arthur explained. "Her criticisms were not of my skills or progress but of my worth as the heir to Nolan Duke Dome. That is not a teacher's place. She crossed the line between guidance and arrogance."

The Duke leaned back in his chair, his piercing eyes studying his son. "And what do you believe a teacher's role should be?"

"To impart knowledge, correct mistakes, and guide their student toward progress" Arthur replied without hesitation. "Not to undermine their authority or impose personal judgments."

Victor nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. "Interesting. I'll ensure future instructors are made aware of their limits. But tell me, why the sudden shift in focus toward rune smithing? You've never shown this level of dedication before."

Arthur took a moment before responding, his tone calm but firm. "It's because I awakened a talent that increased my comprehension a few days ago."

The Duke's sharp gaze intensified, his interest clearly piqued. "A talent for comprehension? Those are rare. What happened to trigger such an awakening?"

Arthur's demeanor shifted subtly. His calm tone gave way to something colder, his eyes narrowing slightly as he chose his next words with precision. "I had a life-and-death experience."

Victor's brow arched slightly. "Oh?"

Arthur nodded, then without giving space between his words he said "That experience forced me to confront my limits, and in doing so, I gained clarity. It's that clarity which allowed me to awaken this talent, though due to lack of enough mana i can't use it's full potential in rune smithing "

The Duke studied him intently for a long moment. "And now you seek something to aid your newfound talent."

Arthur inclined his head. "Yes. I request a magical artifact to enhance my mana capacity. It would allow me to delve deeper into rune smithing and make better use of my comprehension talent. With such an artifact, I could accelerate my progress significantly."

Victor considered his son's words, his sharp mind weighing the arguments. "A bold request. Mana-enhancing artifacts are not given lightly. Prove to me that you're deserving of such a gift."

Arthur anticipated this. He turned toward the servant stationed by the door. "fetch me an inscription paper, a quill, and a vial of beast blood."

The servant hesitated briefly before bowing and hurrying to fulfill the request. Arthur's calm demeanor betrayed no impatience as he waited. Minutes later, the servant returned, carefully setting the requested items on the table before retreating to the background.

Arthur adjusted the paper and dipped the quill into the beast blood. His movements were precise, each stroke deliberate as he began after infusing his small amount of mana in the blood, inscribing a simple rune for temperature manipulation. The room was so silent that the faint scratching sound of the quill against the paper could be heard. Within moments, the rune was complete.

Arthur set the paper aside and walked to the other side of the table, he lifted his father's cup of tea. The tea had cooled down during their conversation. He pressed the paper against the cup's surface, channeling a small amount of mana into the rune. The air around the cup shimmered briefly before the temperature rose, steam once again curling from the surface of the tea.

Arthur placed the cup back on the table and met his father's gaze. "a hot cup of tea, for you father"

Victor lifted the cup, inspecting it with a critical eye before taking a sip. The warmth of the tea was evident, but his expression remained unchanged. He set the cup down and regarded his son in silence for a moment.

"You've shown competence" the Duke said finally. "But competence alone does not warrant reward. Why do you believe this artifact is essential to your studies?, can't you already construct basic runes without it, that's as far as I've seen runesmith of your age group go"

Arthur's tone was steady as he replied. "The artifact would not be a crutch but a tool. With greater mana capacity, I am confident that i could attempt at least intermediate runes and refine my techniques. It would save time, which is the most valuable resource for anyone"

Victor nodded slightly. "Very well. You'll have the artifact by tomorrow delivered to your room. But understand this Arthur, every tool I provide is an investment. I expect returns, not excuses."

Arthur rose from his seat and bowed slightly. "you'll not regret it Father"

The Duke nodded, signaling that the conversation was over. "Goodnight, Arthur."

Arthur turned to leave, his footsteps steady. Just as he reached the door, Victor's voice cut through the silence.

"Arthur"

Arthur stopped, glancing back over his shoulder. "Yes, Father?"

Victor's gaze was sharp, suspicion lacing his words. "You've been holed up in your room for months. What is this life-and-death situation that you talked about?"

Arthur froze for a brief moment. He could feel the Duke's oppressive aura bearing down on him, leaving no room for deception, but he knew that he couldn't just tell everything outright so the only solution he could think of in this situation was mixing truth with lies so that duke doesn't sense anything weird with his story. He turned fully to face his father, his expression calm but resolute.

"You remember Melinda, my history teacher that came last year," Arthur began, his voice steady. "She had come to assassinate me. One night, she incapacitated my maid and guards, sneaked into my room, and slashed my wrist. She then placed the dagger in my hand to framed it as a suicide."

Arthur rolled up his sleeve, revealing a faint scar on his wrist. "I nearly died, but thanks to the Sebastian a new slave that i had acquired recently, he came to my room in a hurry and fed me the high potion that i had awarded him. thanks to him i was saved from the blood loss.

the next morning seeing as i was alright and realizing her plans had failed she fled the castle.

That moment, that close brush with death, changed everything. It was as though I was reborn, and with that rebirth came the awakening of my comprehension talent."

Arthur knew that the words he had spoken were not light and he would be questioned heavily after this but he was confident that he would manage everything, for now he just wanted to sleep and relax after such a heavy talk with the duke and exhausting his mana in the rune demonstration.

Victor's piercing gaze remained locked on his son, but he said nothing. Arthur bowed deeply. "If there's nothing else, Father, I'll take my leave."

Without waiting for a response, Arthur turned and exited the hall, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The heavy doors closed behind him, leaving the Duke and Butler Jade alone in the vast room.

For a moment, there was utter silence. Then, a low hum began to fill the air, the vibrations intensifying until every object in the room began to shake. The tension in the air grew oppressive, and Jade's sharp instincts kicked in.

With a swift motion, Jade cast a barrier around the maids and servants stationed outside the dining hall just as every piece of furniture, glass, and decoration in the room exploded into fragments. The shards stopped inches from the barrier, harmlessly dropping to the ground.

The Duke's voice rang out in the hall, filled with rage and authority. "Lark! Summon the rest of the shadows from the battlefield!,

From the shadows of the room, the assassin Lark emerged, bowing deeply. "Yes, my lord."

Victor's expression was a mask of fury, his clenched fists trembling with barely contained rage. "you have till tomorrow's time, I want Melinda here, even if she is in the depths of hell"

he looked at Butler jade and ordered "Jade, call the accountant that verified her entry in the fief and also the person who selected he as a teacher and responsible for admitting her in the castle."

"yes my lord" Jade replied 

and with that the whole estate was turned upside down, except Arthur's room of course, he was right now sleeping peacefully.

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AUTHOR NOTE 

TRIVIA TIME-

A dukedom, unlike a small fief, operated on the scale of an empire, requiring an immense and sophisticated administrative structure. To manage this complexity, specialized officials were appointed across various branches of administration, including the Offices of Finance, Education, Commerce, and more. Each office was tasked with specific responsibilities essential to the efficient governance of the dukedom.

Among these was the Nolan House Stewardry, an esteemed branch of the administration directly responsible for managing the affairs of the ducal family and overseeing their vast assets. This office, led by the meticulous Butler Jade, was integral to the seamless functioning of Duke Nolan's household and estate.

The Nolan House Stewardry was an institution steeped in tradition, boasting a history of unhindered service and pride in its flawless execution of duties. But since now a major fuckup by one of the officials had been revealed to the duke, The official who had permitted Melinda access to both the estate and the Nolan city belonged to this office. 

With the revelation of such a significant blunder, the once-stable atmosphere within the office was bound to shift.