The morning came like any other, but Leo's body still carried the weight of yesterday's exhaustion and pain.
His arms felt heavy, his legs slightly unstable, and even standing straight required more effort than usual.
Yet, despite all that, he still walked toward the training ground without stopping or thinking too much.
When he arrived, the trainees were already practicing, their movements steady and controlled compared to his unstable posture.
Leo quietly moved to his usual place, not drawing attention, not expecting anyone to look at him either.
He stood there, silently watching, his body still aching but his mind slightly different from before.
Then, as always, Kael arrived, and the entire training ground fell silent under his presence.
His sharp gaze swept across the trainees before finally stopping on Leo for a brief moment.
"Come here," Kael said, his tone calm but carrying authority that couldn't be ignored.
Leo immediately walked forward, his steps steady but slower compared to the others around him.
Kael looked at him for a moment before speaking again, but this time his words were different.
"Why do you want to do this?" Kael asked, his voice direct and without any unnecessary emotion.
Leo paused, slightly surprised by the question, as he had not expected something like this.
Kael continued, his expression unchanged as he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
"There is nothing in this for you, and if you are thinking of making a living, you can work here."
"There are many jobs in this estate that would suit you better than struggling like this."
"There is no need for you to go through something pointless."
Leo listened quietly, his expression not changing much, but something inside him stirred slightly.
"It is not pointless," Leo said, his voice low but steady.
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him with a hint of curiosity.
"What is there that makes it worth it?" Kael asked, his tone still calm but now more attentive.
"You are here on your own, and there is no meaning in you becoming someone like a knight."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but you don't even have a family you need to protect."
Leo's eyes lowered slightly as he listened to those words, knowing that what Kael said was true.
There was no one waiting for him.
No one depending on him.
No one who needed him to become strong.
For a brief moment, Leo felt that maybe what Kael said was right.
But at the same time, something about it didn't feel right to him.
He slowly lifted his head and spoke again.
"I don't want to become strong for someone else," Leo said quietly.
"I want to become strong for myself."
Kael looked at him with a slight change in expression, a faint confusion appearing in his eyes.
"For yourself?" he asked, as if trying to understand what Leo meant.
Leo stayed silent for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts before speaking again.
"I have been an orphan for five years now, ever since my mother died," Leo said slowly.
"There was no one who really looked after me, and even though the inn owner helped me, he tried not to show it."
"Other than him, there was no one who cared about me."
"I was robbed, I was beaten, I was hungry, and sometimes I didn't even know if I would eat the next day."
"I felt lonely… and I felt like my life didn't really have any meaning."
Leo's voice remained calm, but his words carried a quiet weight behind them.
"I just kept living like that… without thinking too much about anything."
"But then, one day, I met Aldric."
"For the first time, I felt like I wasn't alone anymore."
"And when he came back to help me, even when those people were chasing us…"
"…even though I didn't say anything, I felt really happy."
Leo's grip tightened slightly as he continued speaking.
"For the first time in my life, someone actually cared about me."
"Even if he said it was just to return a favor… it didn't feel like that to me."
"And then… I met you."
Leo looked up at Kael directly.
"The way you fought those people… the way you stood there without fear…"
"I had never seen anyone like that before."
"I thought… how good it would be if I could become someone like that someday."
There was no excitement in his voice.
No dramatic tone.
Just a simple, honest thought.
"I don't want to go back to how I was before."
"I don't want to feel that helpless again."
"So… it's worth it."
Silence fell between them.
Kael stood there, looking at Leo without saying anything for a few moments.
He had expected a simple answer.
But not this.
Not from a ten-year-old boy.
His gaze shifted slightly as he observed Leo more carefully.
There was no arrogance.
No pride.
No foolish confidence.
Just something quiet… but firm.
Kael let out a small breath before speaking again.
"…I see."
His expression softened slightly, though only by a small amount.
"If that is what you think, then I won't stop you," Kael said calmly.
"But understand this clearly."
"The path you are trying to walk will not be easy."
"You may not become as strong as me."
"But if you work hard… you might become decently strong."
When Leo heard those words, his eyes widened slightly.
Not with excitement.
But with something closer to hope.
Kael noticed that small change and continued speaking.
"You are starting later than the others."
"So if you want to catch up, you will need to work harder than them."
"It may take three or four years… or even more."
Leo listened carefully, not missing a single word.
Then he nodded.
"Yes, sir," Leo said, his voice still calm, but more steady than before.
Kael looked at him for a moment, then a faint smile appeared on his face.
It was small.
Barely noticeable.
"…Good."
He turned slightly and gestured toward the training ground.
"Then let's continue."
Leo tightened his grip slightly and moved into position again.
His body still felt weak.
His stance was still unstable.
Nothing had changed physically.
But this time
he stood a little differently.
Not stronger.
Not better.
Just… clearer.
-----------
Far away from the training grounds, deep within the inner halls of the Valencrest estate, a different atmosphere existed.
The air felt heavier, quieter, and carried a sense of authority that was impossible to ignore.
Aldric walked through the long corridor, his footsteps echoing softly against the polished stone floor beneath him.
The guards standing along the walls straightened slightly as he passed, their eyes following him with respect.
Yet Aldric did not acknowledge them, his expression calm but his mind clearly occupied with something else.
He stopped in front of a large set of doors.
The doors were tall, carved with intricate designs of lions and blades intertwined, symbolizing power and conquest.
For a brief moment, Aldric stood there in silence, as if preparing himself before entering.
Then, without hesitation, he pushed the doors open.
The room inside was vast.
Sunlight filtered through tall windows, illuminating the space with a golden hue.
At the far end of the hall stood a single figure.
Seated.
Still.
Yet his presence alone filled the entire room.
Aldric walked forward slowly, his usual relaxed demeanor replaced with something more composed.
When he reached a certain distance, he stopped.
"…Brother," Aldric said, lowering his head slightly in acknowledgment.
The man did not respond immediately.
He remained seated, his fingers resting lightly against the arm of the chair.
Then
"You're late."
His voice was calm.
But it carried a weight that made the air feel heavier.
Aldric raised his head slightly.
"I had something to take care of," he replied.
A brief silence followed.
The man's gaze shifted slightly, finally landing on Aldric.
Sharp.
Piercing.
"What kind of matter required your personal attention?" he asked, his tone neither angry nor curious.
Just… expectant.
Aldric didn't answer immediately.
For a moment, he seemed to consider his words.
"…A small incident," he finally said.
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A small incident?" he repeated.
A faint pause.
"And yet you look like you're thinking about it even now."
Aldric gave a small exhale.
"It involved a boy," he said.
Silence filled the room again.
The man leaned back slightly in his chair.
"A boy," he said slowly.
"…And you intervened personally."
It wasn't a question.
Aldric didn't deny it.
"Yes."
Another pause.
Then
"…Why?"
A simple question.
But it carried weight.
Aldric looked slightly to the side, as if recalling something.
"He saved me," Aldric said calmly.
The room grew quieter.
For a brief moment
even the air seemed to stop.
The man's fingers stopped moving.
"…Explain."
Aldric spoke without hesitation this time.
He explained everything briefly
the attack, the misunderstanding, the boy being targeted because of him.
And how Leo had helped him without hesitation.
When he finished, silence returned once again.
The man remained still.
Processing.
Then
"…So you brought him here."
"Yes."
"…And now he trains under Kael."
"Yes."
A faint shift in the man's expression.
Not surprise.
Not disapproval.
Just… thought.
"You're aware of what this means," he said.
Aldric nodded slightly.
"I am."
"Bringing an unknown variable into this house is not something we do lightly."
"I know."
Another pause.
Then
"Does he have talent?"
Aldric hesitated.
"…No."
A direct answer.
The man's gaze sharpened slightly.
"And yet you still chose to bring him here."
Aldric met his gaze.
"Yes."
Silence.
Longer this time.
Then
"…Interesting."
The man slowly stood up.
The moment he did, the atmosphere in the room shifted completely.
The weight in the air increased.
His presence became overwhelming.
Even Aldric, who had been calm until now, straightened slightly.
The man began walking forward.
Each step was slow.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
He stopped a few steps away from Aldric.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then
"…You rarely act without reason."
Aldric remained silent.
"…So I'll observe."
A small pause.
"But remember this."
His voice lowered slightly.
"If that boy becomes a liability…"
"…you will take responsibility."
Aldric didn't hesitate.
"I understand."
The man looked at him for a moment longer.
Then turned away.
"…You may leave."
Aldric gave a slight nod and turned to walk out of the room.
As he reached the door
"…Aldric."
He stopped.
"Yes?"
A brief silence.
Then
"…What was his name?"
Aldric paused for a moment before answering.
"…Leo."
Another pause.
"…I see."
Aldric didn't turn back.
He opened the door and walked out.
The large doors closed behind him with a deep, echoing sound.
Inside the hall, the man stood alone.
His gaze shifted toward the window.
"…Leo."
He repeated the name softly.
Then
a faint smile appeared on his face.
Cold.
Sharp.
Unreadable.
And in that moment
for the first time
the true head of the Valencrest House was revealed.
Valerian Draven Valencrest.