Chapter 5: Growing Pains

As it was his seventh life, Aiden, now William Oirthear, knew it was better to lay low than stand out during his early childhood. The more capable you presented yourself, the more expectations people would impose upon you. Luckily, while he was born into one of the five most influential families in the most prosperous human kingdom, he was only the second eldest son, making him a precautionary heir in the event his elder brother, David, perished.

"Young Master, you would do well to pay attention..." said a beautiful yet aging woman with faded purple hair fixed in a tight bun, amethyst eyes, and gentle features. The corners of her eyes and hands hinted at her advancing age, but even in her late fifties, she exuded an aura of refinement rather than feebleness. Her outfit, consisting of a muted purple robe and mantle, contrasted the Maid attire worn by most of the other female attendants, but that was to be expected as she was William's Custodian and Governess.

Though he was putting on a bit of a performance as a five-year-old, William was sincere as he grumbled, "Forgive me, Lady Therese, but no one other than scholars and historians cares about history. Would I not be better served learning the lay of our land and its people...?"

"We can go out and play once you've completed your studies," said Therese, full name Therese Morsten. She was the sixth daughter of a Viscount's family from the North and had served House Oirthear, the Guardians of the East, for over thirty years.

Without waiting for William's response, Therese continued, explaining, "As a prospective Lord or Sublord, it is important that you understand your heritage and the significance of the Astralis Kingdom your family, House Oirthear, has served for seventeen generations..."

'It really isn't...' thought William, closing his eyes and exhaling a sigh. He knew those in power dictated history, and, more often than not, it was completely made up to provide the pretense they needed to stay in power. House Oirthear had been good to him, but he felt absolutely no sense of loyalty toward the Astralis Royal Family.

Smiling and exhaling a faint sigh of her own, Therese attempted to spark William's interest by producing a tiny blue flame from the tip of her finger, expressing, "If you pay attention and study earnestly, I will petition the Lord to allow me to instruct you in Elementary Magic."

Sitting up straight and linking his fingers with the tips of his thumbs touching, William adopted a serious expression as he stated, "Please continue the lesson. I will pay attention this time."

Shaking her head in exasperation but maintaining her smile, Therese proceeded to regale William with the legend of the Astralis Kingdom's formation. It was said that, 514 years prior, the Founding King, Callum, joined hands with the Champions of the Fae peoples to undertake the trials of six Dragons. Using the power they acquired, Callum and his twelve companions, who went on to be known as Constellations, were able to prevent the servants of the Creator God, Plænər, from purging the world to its primordial state. Doing so severed the world's ties with the divine, but in the process, the people of Andora gained the right to decide their own fate.

Raising his right brow, William, sporting an incredulous expression, asked, "The Founding King and his companions defeated the armies of the Creator God...?"

As it was more common for young children to be starstruck or awed by such information, Therese paused momentarily before nodding in affirmation, stating, "Indeed. Though, not on their own, mind you. At the time, the situation was so dire that even the Demon Emperor and his Four Kings joined hands with us and the other races to prevent our collective extinction. Tensions have resumed since then, but because we fought together, it's not uncommon to see Demons roaming around the Capital City, Axial, as Adventurers, Mercenaries, or Merchants."

"That's...pretty incredible..." conceded William. It was a lot harder for multiple groups of people to fabricate a convincing story, so while he was certain there was a bit of embellishment in Therese's tale, there had to be at least some truth to it.

Adopting a smile, Therese recreated the blue flame at the tip of her finger as she explained, "The Magic we use today is actually derived from two sources: Spirits and Demons. In the leadup to the final battle against Plænər's forces, each of the allied races shared their wisdom and technology with the others. Humanity lagged behind Demons and other races in many aspects, but as we had the greatest numbers and were the only race capable of producing Braves, we paid the price for their knowledge in blood and sacrifice..."

"Braves...?" parroted William, recognizing the term from several of his picture book fairy tales.

Nodding, Therese explained, "Before Plænər decided to cleanse the world, he chose humanity as his representative race. Since we were much weaker and lived short lives compared to the Fae peoples, our livelihoods were ensured through the existence of individuals known as Braves. Due to the blessing and divine protection of Plænər, even a young Brave could go toe-to-toe with a Demon King. However, as the power they possessed was too great for a human body to bear, all but a few Braves died before reaching the age of twenty."

"So there are no more Braves...?" asked William.

"Yes and no," replied Therese, smiling as she explained, "To prevent the power of the Braves from being taken away by Plænər, the Seven Braves at the time had their power and egos sealed within armaments known as the Pleiades. Now, instead of being selected by Plænər, the new Braves are chosen via a special ceremony known as the Pleiades Selection Trials."

Catching William off guard, Therese revealed, "That's another reason you should train and study hard, Young Master William. For the past five hundred years, all but a handful of Braves have been chosen from among the Cardinal Houses and the Royal Family. At the end of each term at the Royal Academy, the top ten students from each grade are given a chance to earn the recognition of one of the Pleiades. If you are successful, you will apprentice under the current Brave and have a chance to inherit their title once they abdicate from their position."

'Sounds like a pain in the ass...' thought William, outwardly replying, "That's incredible...!" like the child he was. He would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little interested in acquiring one of the Pleiades for himself. However, as he would prefer to avoid the responsibilities that doubtlessly came with the title of Brave, he planned to ensure he was never in the top ten.

Covering her mouth to stifle a soft chuckle, Therese narrowed her eyes and mused, "I'm certain the Young Master would make a fine Brave. But, before that, you must study and learn how to properly orate. Please open your textbook to page twenty-six and recite its contents aloud."

"Yes, ma'am..." answered William, his voice a lazy, droning sigh. He was happy to have an actual teacher this time, but as nearly half of his respective incarnations' lifespans were spent training and studying, he found it difficult to feign interest. Fortunately, as young children were expected to be averse to studying, his genuine boredom helped to sell his performance in the eyes of others...

...

[Several Days Later]

Waking from his afternoon nap, one of the few good things about being a child, William looked around his oversized room with sleepy, half-lidded eyes. His family ruled over a vast domain with more than twenty million registered citizens, so their estate, or, more accurately, their fortress-style castle, was enormous. His room alone was nearly 15x15x5m in length, width, and height. In a typical world, this would make heating and cooling a nightmare, but thanks to the existence of Magic and Magic Crystals that could produce both heat and cold, his room remained comfortably warm even in winter.

Waiting at the side of William's bed, holding up his afternoon apparel, a young Maid with raven black hair fixed into a ponytail, angular black eyes, and olive brown skin stated, "The Lady has arranged for you to have tea with the Young Lady of House Carinae. She also advises that you be on your best behavior..."

"Ugh...that was today...?" asked William, falling back onto his bed and deflating like a balloon.

Though there were 'many' benefits to being born a Noble, it came with many tiresome obligations. Ever since he turned five, William met with and was forced to entertain at least one candidate for the position of his prospective spouse each month. Most of the girls were older than him, but as the oldest thus far was only eight, he found it awkward as he was expected to be polite and treat them like proper ladies.

"House Carinae is a County that has served House Oirthear dutifully for nearly three hundred years," explained a different Maid, this one having short, somewhat messy brown hair, green eyes, and distinct, cat-like ears and a tail.

"Yes...I'm well aware of our alliances and those who have pledged fealty to us..." groaned William, staring listlessly at the Constellation-themed canopy of his bed for a few moments before reluctantly rising to a seated position, removing his blankets, and scooting to the edge of his bed. When he was in range, the buxom, cat-eared Maid picked him up, carrying him like the child he was to the nearby bathroom. A warm bath had already been drawn for him, but even though he was five, William wasn't permitted to bathe unsupervised. It would cause 'many' problems if he were to die young, so until he left for the Royal Academy at ten, William had little choice but to endure the incredibly invasive care of the twenty or so people assigned to him...

...

Contrasting the lethargy he showed when he first awoke, William modeled a welcoming smile as he entered the private, exceptionally well-maintained garden of his family's estate to find a young girl with silvery-white hair seated at a circular, gold-and-glass table. At first glance, she resembled a well-made doll, with large, distinctly silver eyes, hair that neatly framed her face and fell to the small of her back, and a pristine white dress. But, as William drew nearer, he immediately felt something was off, his body tensing instinctively...

Noticing William's approach, the slightly taller girl rose from her chair, raised the hem of her long skirt, and performed a respectful curtsy as she monotonously stated, "Delphina Carinae acknowledges and pays obeisance to the Gamma Star of House Oirthear..."

Suppressing his initial discomfort, William's smile broadened as he extended his left hand out near his waist, placed his right hand over his heart, shifted his right foot back onto his toe, and bowed his head ever so slightly, responding, "And it is my sincere pleasure to host the eldest daughter of House Carinae."

Raising their respective heads, William and Delphina stared at each other for several seconds, the former smiling while the latter modeled a nearly flawless deadpan. It was evident that she wasn't particularly enthused about their tea date, but William didn't mind, maintaining his smile as he gestured to the already set table and suggested, "Shall we have a seat and get to know one another...?"

Closing her eyes, Delphina exhaled a faint sigh, responding, "It would be my pleasure..." before taking her seat. Considering the difference in their status, doing so was a faux pas, but William didn't comment on it and simply sat across from her. Then, just to be sure, he asked, "Have you ever heard of a group called the Seven Sages...?"

...