The morning of Mori's seventh birthday arrived with the familiar, crisp sunlight filtering through his bedroom windows. Before he was even fully awake, a small flock of maids hustled into the chamber, moving with practiced efficiency, "Your bath is ready young master" a maid said as she bowed. As he got out one of the other maids used a slight wind magic to dry him off. He was dressed in a tailored, elegant noble doublet embroidered with the subtle silver threads of the Aeteron house crest, a dragon.
Once the final cuffs were straightened, Mori stepped out into the quiet corridor. right beside the heavy wooden door already on standby was Armin, looking as sharp and composed as ever.
"Happy birthday, Young Master Mori," Armin said, offering a respectful bow.
"Thanks, Armin," Mori grinned, falling into step beside him as they began walking down the long hallway. Mori adjusted the slightly stiff collar of his new outfit, glancing sideways at his butler. "You know, I've been thinking. I know I'm not that strong yet, but even now, I can't even gauge your level. Dad always says you're highly skilled in both magic and swordsmanship. How did you manage to get to that point?"
A faint, rare smirk touched Armin's lips. "Ah, yes. Well, before I entered your family's service, I was an A+ rank adventurer. Your father actually partied with me during an old quest, and after seeing my work, he decided to recruit me."
Mori's eyes widened slightly. "You're an A+ rank adventurer?, you partied with father during his adventurer days as well?"
"During my active adventurer days," Armin continued, his gaze drifting forward as if recalling old memories, "I spent years fighting beasts in the deep, dark forests, the desert lands, the treacherous rocky terrains, and even the southern plains near the dwarven kingdom. Facing the unexpected every day honed my skills to the utmost."
"The wild, huh?" Mori murmured, a thoughtful look settling over his face. He glanced back up at his trusted friend. "You know... I've actually been thinking about something. Now that I'm seven, I want to go into the wild as well. It's the best way to help me hone my skills and break past my current limits. I know I might be too young, but if you're out there with me, it should be fine. And besides, my father trusts you completely. It's my mother that'd take some time convincing."
Armin kept his eyes forward, but his posture softened with a silent nod of understanding. "A dangerous ambition, young master. But not an unwise one."
They reached the grand double doors of the main hall, which swung open to reveal Annot and Sayer waiting. "There's the birthday boy!" Annot beamed, rushing over to pull him into a warm, tight hug, while Sayer stood just behind her, offering a deep, proud rumble of a cheer.
When evening fell, the estate shifted into a lively, celebration mode. In line with the family's style, the party wasn't overly extravagant or suffocatingly formal, but the atmosphere was undeniably warm. The banquet hall was filled with soft music, the rich aroma of premium food options Mori had chosen, and the laughter of neighboring noble families.
As the night progressed, Mori quickly realized the hidden perils of being the main focus of a celebration in a room full of noble houses.
"My lord, would you care for a dance?" a young lady from a neighboring house asked, fluttering her fan.
"Ah, I'd love to, but I think I jammed my ankle a bit during my spar with Ancel days ago," Mori told a white lie smoothly, offering a polite, apologetic smile.
Five minutes later, another young girl approached. "Lord Mori, the music is wonderful, perhaps a dance?"
"My deepest apologies, I just finished a heavy plate of food and should probably rest for a moment," he excused himself again.
After the countless times of Mori engineering polite escapes, Annot slipped up beside him, hiding her amusement behind a raised glass. "If you don't dance with at least one of them, they're just going to keep coming all night, Mori. Just get it over with." Annot teased.
Sighing internally, Mori accepted his fate. He walked over to the next young noble girl who approached, offered a flawless, traditional bow, and led her through a standard noble dance, the other girls glancing out of jealousy. He kept his movements precise, his expression perfectly polite, and the moment the song ended, he gave a courteous bow and promptly excused himself back to the safety of the sidelines.
Next came the gifts. A large table was piled high with wrapped boxes from the various guests, but the highlights were the family heirlooms. Sayer presented him with a beautifully balanced, finely forged sword, with a red gem on the hilt. while Annot gifted him an elegant, sleek magic wand embedded with a white-ish blue crystal, the enormous mound of gifts couldn't be opened in one sitting.
Eventually, the music faded, the guests began to filter out, and the lively celebration came to an end.
Instead of heading to bed, Mori requested to speak with his parents privately. The three of them stepped out onto a quiet, stone terrace overlooking the moonlit estate grounds. The night air was cool, rustling the trees in the distance. Mori took a breath and sat his parents down across from him.
"I have something important to tell you both," Mori started, his tone shifting from the boy who just celebrated his birthday to someone entirely focused. "I've decided that I want to leave the estate and head into the wilds. I need to train, test myself against real beasts, and truly hone my magic and swordsmanship. Who knows? Depending on how long I'm out there, by the time I'm done, I might finally be old enough to officially start at an academy."
Annot's glass nearly slipped from her hand. Her face paled, and she instantly stood up. "Are you out of your mind?! You're only seven years old! Why would you even think of agreeing to something so reckless? Mori, absolutely NOT! And be back to start an academy? That's at least 7 years, MORI."
Mori almost flinched at the outburst. He looked over at his father.
Sayer remained seated, leaning back as he crossed his arms. He let out a slow sigh. "Can't say I wasn't expecting this ambition from you... but I didn't think it would come this sooner." "Mother, please, listen to me," Mori reassured her, his voice calm and steady. "I'll be completely fine. I won't be alone. I'll have Armin with me, and we both know how much Father trusts him."
Right on cue, Mori gave a slight signal toward the shadows of the terrace. Armin stepped forward into the moonlight, bowing low and offering a respectful, solemn nod to both the Lord and Her Grace.
"Please let me do this," Mori pressed, looking directly into his mother's worried eyes. "I won't just vanish tomorrow either. I'll stay right here for another full month, which means I'll be here through Ancel's birthday too. But after that, I need to go."
Annot bit her lip, her maternal instincts screaming against the idea of her seven-year-old son fighting wild beasts in the untamed territories. She looked away, tears of anxiety prickling her eyes.
Seeing her distress, Sayer stood up and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to comfort her. He looked over her head at Mori, his expression a mix of heavy gravity and quiet pride.
"We will discuss the final arrangements," Sayer said softly, calming his wife. "We have a month to still talk about this fully."