"How annoying." Alan grumbled to himself.
The very next day, the patriarch already left with the first battalion.
While Alan was frustrated, he wanted somehow convey his hatred to the patriarch, but that man quite literally couldn't reciprocate his feelings, in any shape or form.
Alan and Miya, were still at the main estate, right now, Alan was over at the estate's training ground venting his anger.
The training facility was good enough for him to relentlessly strike he dummy, without it breaking.
While doing so, he was utilising different weapons, from daggers, to swords, then spears.
Even after four years, he hadn't been able to find a weapon that properly suited him, so he just decided to become the jack of all trades, thus resulting in him using all sorts of weapons.
As he was assaulting the dummy, Alan heard footsteps approaching him.
"You mongrel." It was Alden.
"Why are you here?"
Alden was silent for a second, his face scrunched into an awful scowl.
"What nonsense were you speaking yesterday?" Even his voice sounded angry, which was unusual.
"Nonsense?"
"Don't act like you don't know." Alden narrowed his eyes. "I am talking about going to the demons' continent."
"Ah that." Alan nodded. "I wasn't joking, obviously, when I turn 16 I'll be leaving this continent."
"Why? This... this is one of the most prestigious family you could stay at, so why leave it behind."
"Heh, I have many reasons." Alan started raising his fingers.
"First, I am an illegitimate child, so I'll be considered a bastard no matter what."
"Thats..."
"Second, don't you feel trapped over here?"
"What?"
"I don't know about you, but I want to explore as well, see the different places in the world, not just this duchy, I won't just be going to the demons' continent, I'll be visiting the east and west as well."
"..." Alden grew silent.
"And lastly, to get stronger." Alan smiled.
It wasn't widely known, but from the bits Alan read in the novel, the mana cores of abyssal creatures were much more concentrated than mana beasts of the same rank.
Meaning if he went hunting abyssal creatures, rather than mana beats, he would break through ranks much quicker.
And where were the most amounts of abyssal creatures? The demons' continent.
"What about your mother?" Alden suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Alan's eyes slightly looked down.
"I already talked to her about this." He looked to be in thought. "She said for me to go, and encouraged me, but I don't know where she would stay."
Then, as if coming to a sudden realisation, his eyes widened. "Gavin, that bastard might just be able to do it."
He remembered how his mother and Gavin were talking more frequently, maybe he could take responsibility for her.
Alden was silent for a long while, listening to Alan speak.
"You're going alone?"
"Hmm... nah, Lucian might come along with me, then I'll see if I can find some other people to bring along, perhaps."
"I'll come..."
"Huh?"
"I said I'll come." Alden stared straight into Alan's eyes as he said this.
Alan took a good look at his eyes, they were resolute and clear about his determination.
"Yeah, nah." Although his resolve earned him a bit of Alan's respect, he still rejected it. "You can't keep up."
And his reason was simple, Alden wasn't at a level with Alan and Lucian, even after four years he was still rank 1.
"I see..." And Alden calmly accepted this fact, he wasn't a monster like the two of them, if he came along, he might just hold them back.
"What about Alessia?"
"What about her?"
"Well..." Alden awkwardly averted his eyes. "You know how she is about Lucian..."
"Oh right..." Alan also couldn't do anything regarding that.
Why the hell was she so obsessed with him, anyway.
Alden soon shook his head with a smile, then yelled.
"Today! I shall put you bastard in your place!"
"Alright, alright, come at me then."
...
Thump
Alden collapsed unconscious.
***
Spurt
Alan stabbed an approaching goblin with a spear, then leaving the spear embedded he drew a dagger, throwing it behind him.
Thump
The dagger dug into the other goblins' skull, as the body fell lifelessly.
"Hey, Lucian."
The orc swinging its giant club at Alan suddenly froze, not metaphorically but literary, frost crept through its skin down to their bone, freezing them in place.
Lucian appeared handling a giant pure white scythe.
"Yes?"
"In two years, the age of coming ceremony for the fourth princess is happening."
Alan spun back and launched a high kick infused with violet flames towards the in coming orc, blasting its face off.
Thump
The giant body collapsed besides Alan.
"What about it?"
Lucian asked back, while utilising his scythe to decapitate approaching goblins.
"After the ceremony, I'll be leaving for the demons' continent." Alan paused while gripping a goblins head in his hand. "You want to come?"
"Yes." Lucian's answer was immediate.
"Isn't that a bit fast of an answer?"
"I have no real reason for staying here." Lucian stomped on the ground and a jagged piece of ice erupted from the floor, impaling an orc. "Besides, you know I like fighting."
Alan nodded as he continued his massacre on the surrounding beasts.
Indeed, Alan already knew Lucian was somewhat a battle junkie, he spends his time walking around with an expressionless face.
Yet in battle his face always shifts into a smile, and when he goes all out, he grins like a madman.
"You uh... not feel anything for Alessia?" Alan knew that her crush was rather one-sided, still he decided to ask.
Others may not know, but Alan is a massive romance enthusiast, sometimes before bed he snuck some romance novels he stole from his mother, and read them before sleeping.
Even in his past life, during spare time Leon binged romance shows, mangas and novels... despite being single his entire past life.
Hey, it's because his line of work didn't allow him for that kind of stuff, not because he was scared women or anything.
"No." Again, his reaction was immediate.
"Why is that?" Alan honestly kind of felt bad for Alessia.
"I have no interest in someone far weaker than me."
"Oh?" Alan raised a brow. "So you're a bottom, huh?"
"What does that mean?"
"Nah, nothing, just know you're a bottom."
"I see."
It still seemed Lucian was quite innocent, feeling a little devious, Alan suggested.
"If anyone ever asks you about your preference in women, just say you are a bottom."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yup absolutely, trust me stronger women will naturally come to you."
"I see, I'll use this strategy."
Alan felt a deep sense of accomplishment, of what he just pulled off.
"The hell are you two blabbering about."
Then came Edward, who looked the surrounding devastation, with a helpless look.
"Oh, just talking about how we are going to leave for the demons' continent."
"Ah, that... wait, what?"
It took some time to explain to the bewildered Edward.
***
"Gavin." Alan approached Gavin.
"What is it, Alan?"
"Let's have a spar."
Although confused by his abrupt request, Gavin didn't turn him down, he soon nodded.
They reached a fairly clear area of the grounds, Alan and Gavin stood facing each other, then without a word of warning Alan lunged.
He cut through the air with a blur of speed, he pivoted, driving his leg into a high-kick infused with flames.
Bang
Gavin blocked the blow with his forearm, the impact exploded into a violent rush of heat.
Through the wall of fire blocking his vision, Alan didn't hesitate, he drove a relentless barrage of attacks, a right hook, a low-kick, an uppercut, and a back-kick.
His strikes were backed by his mana, enhancing each of the attacks, yet all of them were redirected by Gavin's steady parries.
Then Alan lunged forward and grabbed Gavin's forearm, intending to use his momentum to whip him to the floor.
But he didn't budge, Gavin gripped Alan's arm then yanked him upwards, then before he could block it, Gavin let out a simple, measured straight punch.
But that simple attack was enough, the impact propelled Alan through the air, he hit the dirt and skid a fair distance away, his boots carving a deep crease in the earth before he finally ground to a stop.
"I'm going to the demons' continent after I turn 16." Alan spoke as he caught his breath.
"I see." Gavin calmly nodded as if he had expected this.
Alan lifted his left foot off the ground, beneath his feet ignited flames, but not the scorching flames, he normally used, it was a pale blue flame.
The air around Alan suddenly turned chilly, the flame beneath his feet glowed even brighter than burnt pure white, as if it was made of frost.
It happened in less than a second, Alan stomped on the floor, the moment he did the concrete beneath him cracked and quickly froze, layering the floor in a sheet of ice.
The ground below Gavin also covered in ice, hoping to somehow restrict his movements.
Then Alan again lunged towards Gavin, this time, he said something before he did.
"Do you like my mother?"
Gavin froze for a split second, but that second was all he needed, he drove a kick layered with white flames.
BAANNG
A massive wave of flames engulfed Gavin and entirely froze the surroundings behind him.
Slowly, the fog shimmered and eventually cleared itself, revealing Gavin's figure.
Alan's feet were clearly connected to his stomach, but Gavin didn't move a single inch, even his clothes were completely untouched.
Although his eyes were trembling extremely slightly.
"W-what makes you say that?" It seemed his statement shook the man to the point of stuttering.
"It's fine." Alan reassured him and lowered his feet, then patted him on the shoulder. "If you do, that's good."
Alan's playful nature dimmed for a moment. "I need someone to keep my mom safe while I'm gone."
Gavin grew silent as he let Alan continue.
"I don't know how long I'll be gone for, it definitely will be years." He paused, then raised his head towards Gavin. "In that time, I need someone to protect her, keep her happy and make sure she doesn't shed a single tear."
Alan's face was extremely serious as he stared into Gavin's eyes.
"Can you do that for me?"
Gavin stared at his face for a long time, then slowly closed his eyes.
"Yes..." He nodded very solemnly.
"Great!" Alan grinned then walked past him, then abruptly turned around with a gaze leaking pure killing intent. "But, if I find out you made her cry, I'll come from whatever shithole just to beat the shit out of you."
"Anyone ever told you that you don't speak your age." Gavin smiled and asked.
Soon, Alan's usual smiled returned. "Anyone ever told you that you don't look your age."
"Is that a compliment?"
"No you fucking moron, I'm calling you a catfish."
"I'm deeply upset by that."
"Yeah, sure you are."
While bickering, the two made their way towards Miya's restaurant.