A carriage silently traversed the roads, on the way to the main estate of the Zevril family.
Inside the carriage was Alden, Lucian, Gavin and Alan.
"So it's time?" Alan asked.
Gavin closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes, you and Lucian are to leave for the capital in a day."
"Hmm." Alan silently thought to himself.
The ceremony was in two months, it took a month by carriage to travel to the capital.
Alan didn't mind leaving the next day, but just wished he had been informed beforehand.
"We have arrived!" The driver shouted, breaking Alan out of his thoughts.
Opening the door, Alden stepped out first, the rest followed soon after.
Again, the first thing Alan saw was the magnificent statue of the founder of Zevril duchy, Lyra Nyx Zevril.
Then walked past the statue, following the path towards the entrance, however this time there wasn't any servants or knights to greet them.
Knock Knock
Alden knocked on the door, and soon after, a butler opened the door.
"I, greet the young lord of the house." The butler smoothly bowed his head, as Alden walked past him.
Gavin, Lucian and Alan followed him, Alan was familiar with the area, over the last two years, his mother received many invites from the two wives of the patriarch, and so he too came along.
"Where are we going?" Alan asked, as they walked through the halls of the mansion.
The walls held numerous paintings, all depicting past patriarchs and matriarchs of the grand duchy, some even illustrating the achievements of the house.
But Alan didn't pay any attention to them, and kept walking.
"To the garden." Alden replied. "It's where father, usually is whenever he returns."
"The garden?"
"Hmm." Alden nodded. "There is a gazebo in the middle of the garden, right next to a small pond."
Alden eyes looked as if he was reminiscing. "From that gazebo, you can see the entire garden, Alessia and I used to play next to the pond, while father would rest there."
Alden stopped speaking and turned a side-eye to catch Alan's expression, but Alan's face was unbothered.
"So he likes flowers?" Alan questioned.
"I suppose so, why do you have an issue?"
"Nah." Alan waved him off. "It's just that I also like flowers."
Even in his past life, he always had flowers decorating the places he stayed at, his favourite flower was the dahlia.
'But how the hell does he like stuff if he can't feel emotions?' Alan thought.
Leaving his thoughts to himself, he continued walking.
...
It wasn't long before they reached the open garden.
The garden was large, the annex he lived at also had a garden his mother used to frequent, but compared to that place, this garden was breathtaking.
An enormous field of violet flowers covered the places, from all sorts of flowers, lily, peony and even roses.
At the centre was a gazebo, next to it, was a calm pond.
As the group arrived at the gazebo, Alan's eyes naturally directed towards the figure already sitting there.
"You're here." Alaric said, without lifting his gaze from the flowers.
Alden, Alan and Lucian entered the shelter beneath the gazebo.
The gazebo was spacious and had two sofas facing each other with a table in between.
Entering, the trio sat on the sofa across from Alaric, while Gavin stood at the entrance.
Rustle
Just as Alan was about to speak, a sound interrupted him.
Alan turned his head towards the source, as did everyone.
"Alessia...?" Alden asked.
It was indeed Alessia, after two years her body matured into a beautiful lady, though her hair was still tied in her iconic twin tails.
But right now, she was crouching right next to the pond, staring wide-eyed like a startled cat.
"Uh..." Even Alan didn't expect to see her, so he just awkwardly waved.
Her eyes shifted to Lucian, then immediately averted her eyes and started fidgeting.
'Hmm'. Alan was wondering what on earth was bringing such a change of attitude towards Lucian.
All he knew, after Lucian advanced to rank 3, the two had a private conversation, and ever since then she stopped coming to the training grounds.
'Ah.' Alan suddenly realised, Lucian probably rejected her, or something like that.
"Tch." Alan clicked his tongue and looked at Lucian.
To which Lucian looked back at him, then lightly nodded his head.
The two of them could literally understand each other without even having to talk.
'Oh, this son of a bitch.' To be honest, Alan was quite fond of Alessia, and somewhat saw her as a little sister.
Unlike her brother's open haughty personality, she was kind and caring, maybe a bit excessive when it came to Lucian, but still.
She often complimented his mother and even helped her, also sometimes did things for Alan, but it was nothing to compared to what she did for Lucian.
"Asshole." Alan muttered, just loud enough for Lucian to hear.
"Alessia." Alaric called out, still keeping his gaze fixed on the flowers. "Come here."
Alessia lightly nodded, then entered the gazebo and sat beside her father.
"So." Alan spoke to break the awkward silence. "You can't feel emotions, so how come you like flowers."
Alaric finally shifted his gaze, his violet eyes locking onto Alan's.
"Doesn't mean I don't find things appealing." Alaric replied. "Besides, this loss of emotions isn't what you are probably imagining."
"What?"
Alaric pondered for a moment. "Think of it as, rather than losing it, my emotions are extremely dull to the point where it feels as if I don't have any."
"Uh-huh." Alan nodded. "Anyway, I heard me and Lucian are to leave tomorrow?"
Alessia's shoulders slightly twitched at that.
"Indeed." Alaric affirmed his words, then reached his hand into the open air besides him.
"What are you..."
Before Alan finished talking, from Alaric's palm sparks of violet electricity emerged, then items appeared in his hands.
It was two scrolls of paper, that seemed partially worn out.
"Here." Alaric said, tossing the scrolls, one to Alan, the other to Lucian.
"What's this?"
"Dimensional space enhancement."
"Huh?" Alan's brain stopped for a moment.
Dimensional artifacts were a frequent and most sought out item in the markets, it came in different forms, rings, necklace, bracelet, even gloves or hats.
But all served a single function, it acted as a gateway to a separate dimensional space to keep inanimate items inside.
But a dimensional space enhancement? What the hell even is that.
"You should know what a dimensional artifact is." Alaric started. "Just tear this scroll on top of whatever item you wish to make into your own artifact."
Alaric tapped his chin. "The space should be about a hundred by hundred meters."
"What the fuck?" Alan couldn't even stop his curse.
Even Alden and Alessia looked shocked, staring at the scrolls.
That was to be expected, the space within the equipments are extremely valuable, and one of this size would be priceless.
'Ah, right.' Then Alan remembered just what family he was dealing with.
One of the three greatest duchy, just below the imperial family, it wouldn't be a shock for Alaric to somehow get his hands on something this valuable.
Regaining his calm, Alan already knew what item he was going to enhance.
Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out a necklace.
It wasn't anything special, just a simple amethyst gem held with durable black string, tying it into a necklace.
It was the necklace his mother gave him on his seventh birthday, something he never took off.
"That is what you are choosing?" Alaric raised a brow.
"Yes."
"I see." Alaric didn't object. "Get a separate enhancement to strengthen the necklace."
Alan didn't respond, instead he teared the scroll, small particles of white light emerged from the lines, before settling into the necklace.
And within moments, the necklace looked the same as it did before.
"That's it?" Alan scratched his cheek. "That was kind of anticlimactic."
"What were you expecting?" Alaric quizzed back.
"I don't know, literally anything..." Then, realising something, he asked. "Wait, why did you even give this to us?"
"You're asking after using it...?" Alden suddenly spoke up.
Ignoring him, Alan continued staring at Alaric.
Soon, Alaric rested his chin on his fist. "It will be useful, after all, the demon's continent is a handful."
"Huh?"
Alaric didn't bother replying, instead pulled out two envelopes, then once again tossed one to Alan, and the other to Lucian.
"Now what's this?"
"An invitation from the Zevril duchy, to the fourth princess's coming of age ceremony."
"Ah, yeah right." Alan remembered, he was no longer a Zevril, from two years ago Alaric already disowned him, although he continued living here without any particular changes.
Alan looked at the envelope, a black casing, with a violet seal, the seal held the symbol of a lion, it was the symbol of Zevril.
Then he asked what he really wanted to ask.
"Why are you so hell-bent on us going to the ceremony?"
Alaric stared at Alan, for a moment too long. "Because, the more witnesses the better, and you might benefit."
"What the hell are you on about."
Speaking in pointless riddles, Alaric, didn't say more, instead he stood up.
"See you at the ceremony." He said.
Then vanished, as if he teleported.
"Why can't he just say the damn thing." Alan grumbled, meanwhile Lucian was busy fiddling with the scroll and envelope.
Alessia was blatantly staring at Lucian with droopy eyes, and so Alan looked at Alden.
Alden nodded, then turned to Alessia. "Alessia."
"Mmm." She hummed.
"What's been going on these days?"
"N-nothing..." Her voice was like a whisper.
Alan turned an extremely narrowed eye towards Lucian, then just decided to be straightforward.
"What did this bastard say to you?"
"Eek!" She squealed, even though he didn't even say anything much.
"Hmm?" Both Alden and Alan pressed her on, and finally, she averted her eyes, then mumbled.
"He said, I'm like a sister to him..." Her voice quietened as she spoke.
"Oh."
"Oh."
Both Alan and Alden had the same reaction.
It seemed the young lady got sister-zoned by her first love.
Without speaking both Alden and Alan stood up, Lucian quietly looked up, as the two of them stood in front of him.
Then.
BANG
The two half siblings jumped Lucian.
...
"Okay..."
Miya's face was gloomy.
In front of her was Alan and Lucian, who was shirtless and wrapped in bandages.
Miya didn't even question that fact, she was already used to abnormal things, and right now, she was extremely saddened.
"It's okay mom..."
Because her only son just informed her he would be leaving tomorrow.
Alan tried to somehow comfort her, but it wasn't working, her eyes were becoming more teary by the second.
Then silently he pulled her into an embrace, her face pressed against his chest, as his shirt became damp with her tears.
It was hard for her to imagine that this was the same boy she carried in her arms, now the same boy was a head and half taller than her.
And now he was leaving, for a very long time.
"You will come back right...?" Miya whispered, even though she knew the answer.
"Of course I will."
"You won't make me wait too long, right?"
"Yes, yes."
Alan continuously reassured her while patting her back, after a long while of just hugging each other Alan pulled away.
Then put on a mischievous smile as he looked at her mum.
"Besides, Gavin will be with you the whole time."
"Eh?"
"Yup, Gavin will move into the annex and live with you."
"W-what? Why?"
"Oh come on." Alan smirked. "You think I don't know about the two of you?"
Miya's face turned beet red, before Alan even said more, she sharply turned around and dashed off in an extremely unladylike manner.
After standing there in silence for a while, Alan clenched his jaws tightly.
"I'm killing that son of a bitch when we get back."
"Alan, hold it in." Lucian tried pacifying Alan, but it didn't work.
Alan's face was twisted so horribly, he looked like a demon.
"Count your days, Gavin." He muttered.