Felmer entered the room and saw Melfer standing and clapping. He placed his sword on a chair and sat on the sofa.
"That was a good show of power. Never expected that from you." Melfer said and sat behind him.
"I never expected that ritual to work out, as well," Felmer replied as he let out a big sigh.
Melfer and Felmer laughed, and then Melfer handed Felmer a cloth. Felmer began to wrap it around his left palm. But as he wrapped the cloth, his vision began to blur, and then he collapsed on the sofa.
The last thing he heard was Melfer speak his name.
Felmer woke up in his room, with his mother, Elna and siblings around him. Felmer looked here and there and tried to sit on his bed. Emilia got up, helped him sit and then handed him a cup of green tea. Felmer rejected the tea. But Emilia forced him to.
"Drink it!"
"Okay…" Felmer didn't have any energy to argue.
He drank the tea, made a weird face, and handed the cup back.
"How are you?" Emilia asked.
"I feel fine."
"You made all of us worry," Elna added.
"Oh…Sorry," Felmer replied.
"You won…But at the cost of your life." Said the robed man, sitting in the corner of his room.
"What the heck are you doing here!?" Felmer was in utter shock.
The robed man stood from the stool, walked near him and stood still. Then he untied his robe, and the man appeared. It was Captain Irnik.
"What the Fu…" Felmer was disappointed.
"Seriously!?!?" Melfer shouted in shock as well.
"What do you mean?" The captain asked with a sad voice.
"The familiarity in your movements, ugh…I never thought it would be YOU." Felmer was more disappointed.
"Seriously, captain?" Melfer added.
"I wasn't that bad." The captain became sadder.
"Wasn't that bad? I seriously thought that the robed man would be someone cool and amazing. But what came out of it?"
"You," Melfer answered Felmer's question.
"Still, I made you feel weak." The captain tried to smile.
"You did nothing. You erased my fun." Felmer erased the captain's smile.
"You drank it." Melfer continued.
"We had high expectations from you," Elna spoke this time.
"C'mon…stop it." The captain may start crying. "Whatever, Felmer. Don't do that trick again in public. The main question is, where did you learned that?"
"Lord Emairis told me about it on his last night. He said it has been used by the family for a long time."
"Yes, it is correct. But this is a very risky technique, especially when you haven't properly mastered your magic. Moreover, you used it when you were out of magic, making it more fatal."
"Okay…" Felmer nodded.
"Running out of magic isn't a problem, but running out of blood is. First, master your use of magic. Use this technique in extreme cases. I would advise that you don't use it at all."
"I will try…" Felmer nodded.
"Okay…Now, let him rest." Emilia said and signalled the rest to leave.
Everyone left the room, and then Felmer went to sleep.
He had a long rest and woke up the next day before sunrise. He sat on his bed and looked at his palm. It was covered in cloth. He had some pain in his palm, but his magic was fully recovered. He got up, washed his face and then left his room.
After breakfast, he and Melfer were called by Raftin to the head building. Felmer didn't want to go, but he had no choice. The two of them dressed up, picked up their swords and headed to the building. They arrived, and they entered the throne room. Raftin was in his chair, and a soldier was standing beside him. Elna and Captain Irnik were there as well. The two of them walked further and stood beside the captain and their cousin.
"Well done, you two. You fought well and proved yourself." Raftin said.
Felmer stood still, but he didn't look at Raftin. Raftin then picked up a box and took out two badges. He tied the badges to Felmer's and Melfer's clothes and then sat in his chair.
"You two are now part of the Cerfisian special soldiers, the Children of Gorbin. Now, this squad is complete. You will have bigger duties, and you will serve the nation. I, as the leader of Cerfis, wish you good luck in battle."
Raftin completed his speech, and the four of the bowed. Then they left. Felmer didn't even once look at Raftin in this encounter. He didn't want to serve under him. But he had no choice but to accept it.
"You two were a part of it?" Melfer asked.
"Yes, we were. We were recruited directly. You were through this competition to see if you are good enough for this task."
"Captain, you are not from the Gorbin family." This time, Felmer asked.
"It is just the name. Being a part of the family isn't mandatory."
Felmer nodded, and then they left the building.
"Your duty is very big, and you won't get the time to relax. We will fight countless enemies. You will get used to it, and I hope your skills will be refined with every enemy we face." Elna said, and the two of them nodded.
The two brothers and Elna went back to the mansion. Their duties were to start tomorrow. So they had time to rest.
That night, the family celebrated their victory and their inclusion in the squad. They ate and laughed. After dinner, Felmer went to the balcony and saw his father there. He remembered their argument, so he walked close to him and sat beside him. After some thought, Felmer said it.
"I am sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you." Felmer said in a low voice.
"It's okay…I shouldn't have done it either. We both were correct. Either we plunge into a civil war, or let Falvaria defeat us diplomatically." Marnis responded.
"Well, we can't do anything currently. You are now part of the squad. You and Melfer have a huge duty on your shoulders. This job won't be easy." Marnis stopped. "As you choose to be opposite to our stance, this makes you our political rival. So take your steps with caution from now on. Your every action will matter. So, be careful."
"I will…" Felmer answered.
"Irnik must have told you. But I will tell you as well. Restrain from using the blood ritual. It is a highly dangerous technique, and numerous members of the family have lost their lives because of it. Use it only in the most extreme cases and against the most formidable enemies. Irnik was lucky that you hadn't yet mastered it. Otherwise, its full use may have killed him. This technique is not only physically but also psychologically dangerous, both for the user and the target."
"I will be careful." Felmer slightly nodded.
The two talked for some time, and then they went to rest. The next day will be a new beginning for Felmer and Melfer, and a new chapter will begin in their lives.