章節 17: Rogue (1)
April 17th (Morning), Year 1432
In Raphael's room, an unusual conversation was unfolding. Kazimir, his personal doctor, was trying to maintain his composure, but the irritation in his voice was obvious.
— Young master, is there anything else you need? — he asked, his tone barely masking his growing frustration.
— I think you're free to go, — Raphael replied calmly, leaning back in his chair with a look of complete satisfaction.
— I forgive you, — he added with a slight smirk.
Kazimir couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but something about the boy's face irritated him to no end. A strange, almost irrational urge to physically strike his young master was building inside him.
After the incident at the dinner Kazimir had arranged, Raphael decided to get back at him in a different way. He had forced Kazimir to procure a dozen high-quality mana stones — an incredibly rare and expensive resource.
At first, Kazimir had flatly refused, arguing that the task was impossible and absurd. But under Raphael's relentless pressure and his uncanny ability to manipulate the already irritated servant, Kazimir finally gave in.
"Why do I feel like hitting him in the back of the head?" Kazimir thought, clenching his jaw.
Suppressing that inexplicable, yet strong, urge, Kazimir muttered through gritted teeth:
— Then I'll take my leave.
Barely restraining himself from striking the boy, the man exited the room, seething with barely contained anger. As he stepped into the hallway, a strange feeling washed over him, as though something was off.
"Why do I feel like I've been played?" Kazimir scratched the back of his head and continued down the corridor.
Back in the room, Raphael smiled in satisfaction.
On the table before him lay twelve high-quality mana stones. Each of these precious artifacts was worth at least thirty Glimmering Lumen — an astronomical sum, enough for a small family to live comfortably for a couple of years.
The stones certainly looked like they were worth the price. Each one shimmered under the daylight, creating a magical glow, as if tiny particles of light were dancing within them.
— Well, now the real training can begin, — Raphael muttered, admiring the stones.
He was pleasantly surprised by the number of artifacts Kazimir had managed to gather. Raphael had requested at least ten, but he hadn't expected Kazimir to deliver all twelve.
To be honest, he would have been content with just five.
"I thought Kazimir could only get me six at most, but twelve... well, at least now I know where to find such treasures," Raphael mused, a sly smile crossing his face.
— Hm?
Somewhere in the castle's corridor, a shiver ran down Kazimir's spine.
Raphael pocketed eleven of the stones into his spatial ring — another gift from Aurora — leaving one out on the floor, directly in front of the open window.
The boy then assumed his usual meditative position, crossing his legs, and began his preparations.
Focusing, Raphael inhaled deeply as his body slowly entered the familiar state of meditation. He carefully examined his mana channels and Spark, beginning to pull in particles of mana from both the surrounding environment and the mana stone.
He already knew that directly absorbing mana from such high-quality stones could have negative consequences.
About 80% of the mana would dissipate into nothing, never settling in the body. In the worst-case scenario, the body could experience a sudden surge of energy, leading to unconsciousness or even death. Raphael knew this from his experiences in his past life.
Slowly absorbing mana particles from the stone and the nature around him, Raphael created a delicate balance, forming a kind of "mana cocktail." With each breath, his body absorbed more energy, and his mana channels gradually filled.
Two hours passed before the boy slowly opened his eyes, exhaling. He felt a light fatigue, but his body was already growing accustomed to regular training. His progress was evident.
— Hm... What's this? — Raphael murmured, noticing a faint white mist forming around his fingers and the mana stone.
He instantly recognized what it was.
— Elemental manifestation... Ice, — he whispered with both joy and a touch of bitterness.
The white mist signified that his affinity with the Ice element was beginning to manifest. The Ice element was one of the rarest and most prestigious in the magical world. Those with such power could become elite mages, gain entry to top academies without exams, and reach great heights in the magical community.
However, for the Earhart family, affinity with Fire was paramount. They prided themselves on their flames, and children with other elements were always considered less valuable.
In his previous life, this discovery had marked the beginning of Raphael's nightmare. It was the manifestation of Ice that had first led to him being labeled as the family's "disgrace." His brothers, who had never been fond of him, turned even colder, and the endless mockery began.
But this time, he wasn't going to let that happen again.
Slowly but surely, Raphael formed small ice crystals in the air. While he wasn't yet able to wield full-fledged magic, the process had begun. His affinity with Ice had become clear, and the boy knew that with a week of intense training, he would reach the second stage — the Smoldering Spark. This would be a major milestone in his development.
— Ha... — Raphael sighed, feeling the memories of the past flood back.
— Well... this time, I'll be the one doing the bullying, — he muttered with a smirk, reinforcing the three ice crystals hovering above his right hand.
The boy looked at them with a faint sense of triumph and let the crystals fly out the window. The ice shards, catching the light, disappeared into the air like bullets.
"Ah, how I've missed this," Raphael thought, feeling a surge of excitement.
He once again felt that familiar energy — the power he had lost after his death.
Ice wasn't just a weapon or a means to kill for him. For Raphael, it was a symbol of his uniqueness, his own path in a family where everyone else sought to mimic and embrace fire.
The Earhart family was known as the "Blazing Ravens," but with his power of ice, Raphael was the exception. In the eyes of many, this could have been a source of sadness or bitterness. But for Raphael — it was something more. Being the "white raven" among the black ones was, in his eyes, a compliment.
"Though, not everyone in the family is terrible..." — Raphael thought with a soft expression as memories of Alice and Aurora surfaced.
— That's enough for today, — he thought, snapping back to the present.
Raphael decided to wrap up his mana training and rest a bit before his next session with the sword and, of course, with Erin. For the past week, they had been training one-on-one, and he had already settled into the routine.
Stowing the mana stone in his spatial ring and closing the window, Raphael changed clothes and lay down on his bed, deciding to take a quick nap before the upcoming training.
***
Arriving at the training ground near the castle, Raphael saw the cadets already warming up, preparing for their session. Nearby, racks of weapons stood ready, and the instructors and servants chatted amongst themselves.
As soon as they noticed Raphael, everyone present bowed to him.
— Good morning, young master! — they said in unison.
— Morning! — Raphael waved casually, making his way to the corner of the grounds that had become his usual spot for warm-ups.
However, he noticed something strange.
"Why isn't she here yet?" — the boy felt a twinge of concern.
Erin usually arrived early and started her warm-up.
Though Raphael didn't know it, she needed to do so to keep up with his pace. But today, she was nowhere to be seen.
He decided to begin his warm-up on his own and wait.
After another ten minutes, Erin finally appeared, but Raphael immediately noticed that something was off. Her movements were awkward, and her gaze avoided his, as if she were trying to hide from his eyes.
— I'm sorry for being late, my lord, — Erin quietly said as she bowed deeply.
She immediately headed for the racks to grab her training sword. No one commented on her timing — technically, she wasn't late, but there was a nervousness in her apology.
Normally, she and Raphael would arrive early, warming up together before the others showed up. It was an unspoken routine, and it seemed like she felt guilty for breaking it.
Raphael narrowed his eyes, watching her movements. Something was off. Erin usually carried herself with confidence, even when something troubled her. But today, she seemed downcast.
"Something's definitely wrong... Why is she acting like this?" he thought, observing as she returned with the sword in hand.
— Is something bothering you? — he asked cautiously.
— No, everything's fine, — Erin replied, offering no clue for him to latch onto.
Raphael frowned. There was something strange about her curt tone, which only raised his concern. She was usually open with him, but today, she was clearly hiding something.
She began putting on her protective gear, avoiding his gaze.
— Are you sure? Did something happen? — he tried again.
— I'm fine, my lord. You don't need to worry, — she responded coldly, not turning to face him.
"Idiot..." Raphael thought irritably, but decided not to push further.
— Alright. I won't force you to talk, but if something's bothering you, let me know, — his tone softened.
Erin glanced at him briefly and gave a weak smile, but it was strained, unconvincing. It almost looked pitiful.
— Thank you. Let's start, — she replied quickly, finishing her preparation.
***
The training session passed, but Raphael couldn't stop thinking about Erin's behavior. She clearly wasn't herself. Normally, she would charge at him, eager to push him back, but today her movements were sluggish, lacking energy. It felt more like a solo dance than a proper spar.
"What's wrong with her?" Raphael wondered as he watched her help the servants gather the swords.
He sighed heavily, feeling a sense of helplessness.
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have hesitated to walk away and focus on his own matters. But when it came to Erin, he couldn't bring himself to do that. Her mood bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Raphael glanced at the setting sun, lost in thought.
"If this continues, I'll step in. For now, I'll just keep watching," he resolved, placing his rapier back in its place.
Krado, who had been watching from the sidelines, frowned. It was clear something was troubling him, but he hesitated to approach.
***
April 25, 1432
Several days passed, but nothing had changed. Training with Erin had become more and more pointless. Her movements were slow, she no longer tried to compete, and Raphael felt the situation slipping out of control.
"I can't take this anymore," he decided, heading to the training grounds once again.
He had carefully thought about how to approach Erin. Though she was only four, she was always smart and stubborn, so he knew he needed to have his arguments prepared.
But when Raphael arrived at the grounds, she wasn't there.
Fifteen minutes passed, then thirty, and eventually an hour, but Erin still didn't show.
The other children had already started their full training session, leaving Raphael the only one still waiting.
His heart began to race. The unease he'd been feeling the past few days suddenly flared into a burning sense of anxiety. His intuition was screaming, trying to warn him that something was seriously wrong.
Sitting on the training bench, his face darkened as he tried to piece together what could have happened.
Everything seemed normal, but something deep down told him that the problem was more than what appeared on the surface. His thoughts raced, considering every possible scenario and calculating what steps to take if things went south.
He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice a cadet approaching until the boy interrupted him.
— My lord...
Raphael continued thinking, his mind still absorbed.
— Lord Raphael!
— Huh, what? — his voice sounded distant as the cadet snapped him out of his daze.
Standing before him was Krado, the very cadet Raphael had beaten in front of everyone. The air between them felt awkward, but Krado mustered his courage to speak.
— Are you waiting for Erin? — he asked, his tone uncertain.
Raphael immediately tensed, grabbing Krado's shoulders with unexpected strength.
— You know something, don't you?! — there was an edge of panic in Raphael's voice.
Krado, caught off guard, struggled to find the right words.
— Uh... she's probably not coming today...
— What? Why? — Raphael's voice grew cold, mixed with worry.
Krado swallowed hard, realizing that any misstep could make things worse.
— It's... her arm. It's broken...
The world around Raphael seemed to freeze. His pupils widened, and his entire body stiffened. Krado's words echoed in his mind, triggering a mixture of horror and fury all at once.
-- 收到的禮物 
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票