Calm returned to blanket the eastern wing of Oswald Castle, but it was the calm before the storm. Arian entered the room he had left eight months ago, placing his bag and his new greatsword on the massive wooden table. The scabbard hit the metal with a deep resonance that made the maid Martha, who was standing in the corner of the room, jump in terror.
Martha stared at him with bulging eyes. He was no longer that pale child battling poison; standing before her was a knight in a white cloak, with a physique overflowing with power, and black eyes that pierced the soul with a terrifying military coldness.
"Close the door," Arian said in a low voice that carried a commanding tone brooking no argument.
Martha stumbled as she hurried to close the door behind him. She stood before him with her head bowed, her hands trembling violently. Arian took a deep breath and sat in his chair with the posture of a commander preparing to receive a field report.
"I have been gone for eight months," Arian began the conversation, interlacing his fingers in front of his face. "I want a detailed report on everything that happened in my absence. Tell me... how are my dear brothers? Jorah, Colin... and of course, Eldric."
Martha swallowed hard, trying to gather herself: "Young Master... your brothers... Jorah and Colin, never leave the training ground of the western wing. Their mothers have brought them the best elite knights from the neighboring provinces."
She paused slightly, then added in a tone filled with anxiety: "They are training like madmen, sir. Every night, Jorah swears before the servants that he will cut off your head in the upcoming Rite of Adulthood, and Colin has become so aggressive that even the knights fear approaching him. As for Lord Eldric... he is the most dangerous. He has completely isolated himself in his private wing, and it's said he's receiving special training in aura manipulation from his master."
Arian raised an eyebrow mockingly: "Eldric always had better sense than the rest. And when is this cursed Rite of Adulthood supposed to take place?"
Martha replied: "Since you are ten, you are supposed to wait another five years. But for Derick (Eldric), Colin, and Jorah, the test will be held in about a month from now, as soon as they reach the age of fifteen. The entire castle is preparing for this event."
Arian smiled a mysterious smile: "One month... then, we shall see."
Arian stood up. In an unexpected move, he removed his light armor and placed his new sword next to his old one. He looked at Martha, who was surprised by him disarming himself, and said coldly: "I'm going out to scout the atmosphere."
"Without your weapon, sir?" Martha asked in astonishment, knowing the castle was full of hired assassins loyal to Morgana.
Arian didn't answer her; he simply left the room in plain clothes. For Commander Arian, the true weapon was never the sword, but the body and soul that wielded it. He walked down the long corridors of the castle. His increased height and confident strides drew the attention of the guards, who bowed to him with suspicion and fear.
As he crossed the main corridor leading to the Lord's office, he encountered an old man wearing an elegant black suit, his features bearing a sharp intelligence that exceeded his age. It was "Tyus", the Lord's counselor, known as the "Hand of the Lord".
Tyus stopped abruptly when he saw Arian. His eyes narrowed, and signs of absolute astonishment appeared on his face that he couldn't hide. Tyus inspected Arian from head to toe; he no longer saw that weak child who stuttered when he spoke. Standing before him was an entity overflowing with prestige and composure.
"Lord Arian?" Tyus said in a skeptical voice. "I barely recognized you. I've heard many rumors about the 'Monster of the Frost Forest', but seeing you face-to-face makes the rumors seem understated. Your height, your gaze... you have grown incredibly in just eight months."
Arian looked at Tyus coldly, meeting his gaze as an equal: "Tell me, where is the Grand Castle Library located? I need to look up some references."
Tyus bowed slightly, still under the shock of Arian's deep, confident voice: "The end of the northern corridor. But I am surprised by your interest in books on your first day back."
"Knowledge is the only weapon that cannot be taken from its owner," Arian replied as he continued walking, leaving Tyus observing him closely, realizing that the balance of power in the Oswald family had been turned upside down today.
Arian reached the library. It was a massive hall, its ceilings decorated with paintings depicting ancient wars, and its shelves holding thousands of volumes that exuded the scent of history and old leather. The atmosphere was quiet, and light filtered in through stained glass windows.
At the end of the hall, by a map table of the continent, stood a young woman who commanded attention with her sharp beauty and strong presence. She was about twenty-four years old, with long black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of night. She wasn't wearing traditional noble dresses; instead, she wore an outfit leaning toward fighters and travelers: a flexible leather vest over a white linen shirt, tight combat trousers ending in tall leather boots. A dagger with a strange design hung at her waist.
It was "Elena Oswald", the second daughter of Lord Maegor, who had left the castle on an exploratory journey to the other kingdoms years ago.
Elena raised her head when she felt the sound of steady footsteps approaching her. Her purple eyes narrowed as she inspected the boy standing before her.
"That face... looks very familiar," Elena said in a sharp tone mixed with curiosity. "But I've never seen a knight of this age and with this presence in the castle before. Who are you?"
Arian looked at her deeply, recalling the memories of this body: "Elena... you've changed a lot since the last time you left the castle."
Elena froze in her place, her eyes widening in utter disbelief. "Arian?" She quickly approached him, carefully examining his features. "Is this really you? The last time I left you, you were just a little kid barely crawling and clinging to the servants' clothes! How did you become like this? Your features, your body... even the look in your eyes has changed...!"
Arian smiled a faint, cold smile: "Circumstances forge men, dear sister. I heard you've been roaming the kingdoms of the continent."
Elena sighed, still trying to process the shock. She briefly told him about her journey; how she had seen the warm southern lands, and the trading ports in the four kingdoms. She spoke of the corruption, and the demonic movements that had begun to increase on the outskirts.
Then she asked him: "What are you doing in this gloomy, dusty place?"
"I'm looking for a book that will teach me more about the geography and history of the four kingdoms," Arian replied, looking at the shelves. "Physical strength without political and historical knowledge is merely a waste of energy."
Elena looked at him with genuine admiration she hadn't felt toward any of her other brothers. She walked toward an inner shelf hidden behind a heavy curtain and pulled out a massive volume bound in old black dragon leather. "This is what you're looking for," she said, placing it in his hands. "It's 'The Lost Arcaria'... it tells the origin of the four kingdoms, and the ancient pacts that bind them to the ruling Valerion bloodline. You'll find details about the continent's terrain in here that you won't find on any ordinary map."
Arian held the book and felt the weight of its knowledge. "Thank you, Elena. This is exactly what I need."
As he was about to leave, Elena stopped him with heartfelt words and a tone filled with nostalgia: "Arian... you looked so much like your mother when you were little. But today... I see something different in you. I see a pride and strength she didn't possess. If she were alive and saw you today in this white cloak and with this presence... she would be very proud of you."
Arian stopped in his tracks for a single second. He didn't turn around, but a mysterious, calm, and incomprehensible smile formed on his lips.
"Perhaps," Arian whispered, then continued walking out of the library.