8 — Chapter 8

After the Baron Steiner incident quietly concluded, a subtle wind of change swept through the Aster family mansion. In particular, the attitudes of Viscount Aaron and eldest son Kaion had noticeably changed.

That evening, Viscount Aaron went to the training grounds to find Kaion practicing swordplay alone.

“Kaion.”

“Father.”

“What do you think of today’s events?”

Kaion paused his sword arm for a moment. On his face was not the simple anger of before, but deep anguish.

“I was foolish. I believed that only the sword could solve everything. But Rian… protected the family without spilling a drop of blood.”

Aaron patted his son’s shoulder and said.

“The sword is a fine shield that defends the family. But wisdom prevents the arrows that the shield must block from being loosed in the first place. Your younger brother is the treasure of our house. You will stand at the front as the shining sword, and Rian will support you from behind as the wise shield. If the two of you stand together, the Aster family will never fall.”

At his father’s words, Kaion looked toward his brother’s study and nodded firmly.

At that moment, Rian sat in his room, relying on a single candle as he devised a new Magic. A single feather lay before him. Instead of chanting, he ran complex calculations quickly in his head.

‘Reduce the air density around the target momentarily to near zero. By creating a localized vacuum, the pressure differential will produce a shockwave capable of precisely cutting the object.’

He had reinterpreted the 3rd-circle Magic ‘Wind Cutter’ in his own way. A moment later, when Rian snapped his fingers, the feather split cleanly in two with a sharp ‘shik-’ as if cut by a razor. The mana consumption was minimal, and the power far exceeded the conventional spell.

“It’s still insufficient. I need more data, more variables.”

Although solving the Baron Steiner incident proved Argos’ usefulness, he clearly felt its limits. An information network confined to the estate lands could not handle greater threats. Argos’ eye had to reach the heart of the Empire, the capital.

Knock knock.

At the knock, Kaion entered the room. He hesitated for a moment, then sat at his brother’s desk.

“Rian. Could you… teach me as well?”

“What, brother?”

“The way you see the world. I only know how to swing a sword, but you seem to see beyond that.”

At his brother’s earnest gaze, Rian paused to think. Then he picked up the feather from the desk.

“Brother, what do you think is most important when you swing a sword?”

“Strength and speed.”

“That’s true, but what about the center of gravity? When the center of gravity of your body and your sword align, you can deliver maximum destructive force with minimal effort. It’s like finding the spot where this feather catches the wind best.”

Rian likened principles of physics to swordsmanship. Kaion didn’t grasp everything perfectly, but he sensed it struck at the core of the matter. He listened as if to catch every word his brother said.

It was then that Butler Philip knocked at the door with an urgent voice.

“Young masters! An imperial envoy has arrived from the capital!”

Rian and Kaion looked at each other in surprise. A moment later, before the family gathered in their father’s study, the envoy in ornate armor unfurled a parchment decreed by the Emperor and read aloud.

“By decree of His Imperial Majesty! To cultivate talents who will lead the Empire’s future against the recent stirrings of the Demon race and external threats, the Imperial Knight Academy is hereby established! Each house shall send its most gifted scions between the ages of 15 and 18 to the capital to receive royal training!”

As the envoy finished, all eyes turned to Kaion. He was the most fitting candidate for this decree. Joy and excitement rose on Kaion’s face. It was an opportunity to bring glory to the family as a knight of the Empire.

Rian thought quietly.

‘The capital… it’s the best chance to expand Argos.’

Rian stepped toward his father, Viscount Aaron, and spoke.

“Father, I want to go to the capital with brother. While he devotes himself to training, I want to attend to him and study more in the capital’s libraries.”

Viscount Aaron hesitated over his frail, bookish second son’s plea, but finding their fraternal bond admirable, he soon granted permission.

That night, the two brothers stood side by side and gazed at the moon outside the window.

“I’ll go to the capital, become the finest knight, and bring honor to the family.”

Kaion vowed.

“I will stand behind you and sweep away every darkness your eyes cannot see.”

Rian answered softly.

One would become the shining sword all admire; the other, the unseen shadow that guards that light.

Under the same moon, the two sons of the Aster family quietly swore to protect their house in different ways. Their destinies were just leaving the small stage of the estate lands and turning toward the heart of the Empire, the capital.