" I should never have had to become a soldier. In our circles, they were always called lowly people. I had always hated this attitude. Although they protect us they are met with mockery and ignorance from the nobles. Maybe that was one reason why I went to the forbidden chamber, why I carry a part of magic inside me, why I have such a great talent for fighting, why I was forced to leave the academy and started training...why I became a commander. Every single minute I was aware that I was working against the wishes of my family, no, even the generations before me.
" Have you heard, Martia Grae has given birth. It's a little boy, by the face he reminds quite a bit of Oliver. His father must have been very proud at his birth. Soon they're even going to throw a little party in honor of the little rascal."
"Well, it's about time. Martia wanted to have a child for years, Oliver always opposed it much like his father, hahaha."
"Having your first child at 30 is truly a bit late. It would have been bad if the bloodline had ended now. But enough talk about the Graes, have you seen the new fashion? It was made especially for us. Finest material from the farthest regions."
"Is there a presentation or can you have a closer look? It is already the 3rd time my husband wears the same suit, I am almost embarrassed to go to parties with him."
"Don't be like that, I'm sure you'll find something at the exhibition. Once my children are in the academy, I will be going. You can accompany me if you want."
"That sounds excellent, but I am afraid that our youngest again did not perform well. If she does not complete her education with excellent results, we will soon be laughed at. After I take good care of her I will join you later. See you then."
After the ladies took their leave, silence was restored. Since they were all neighbors, they always met at the same place. The subjects ranged from rumors to the latest news of the various houses. The nobles had a whole district to themselves that was covered with pomp and splendor. At the far end of the street was the residence of the Graes. Their estate was the largest in the whole city. The owner Oliver and his wife Martia were very well known in the area. While Oliver's generation had personally served alongside the King in the past, Martia is the biggest merchant. Her field ranged from jewelry to noble statues or interior decorations. Both were very well known among the nobles and highly esteemed members. And now, 7 years after their marriage they had their first child. While Martia had wanted a child for a long time, Oliver opposed it, arguing that it was too much work and too much trouble. But finally Martia had managed to get her wish. Oliver wanted to keep the birth as simple as possible, but his wife insisted on celebrating it in a big way. So they ordered their servants to prepare everything to hold the celebration in 3 days. The two of them debated for a long time about the name of the child, after a long discussion they agreed on a name. They planned to announce it in a big manner and to show off the baby. The boy was the splendid example of a handsome man. With his bright blue eyes and shiny blond hair, he was a gorgeous lad. Since Oliver and Martia were constantly at work, they gave the baby into the care of the head maid, who was to take care of him for the time being.
Three days later, the time had come. The huge hall in the estate was splendidly decorated and worthy of a noble celebration. One by one, the guests arrived, all bringing a gift for the little boy. For weeks they hadn't seen the Graes since they were absorbed in their work. So the birth of the boy came all the more called.
"I am glad that all of you have showed up. A long time has passed since there was such an important occasion. As many know I wanted a child for a long time but Oliver always shook his head."
"And quite rightly so, we could hardly have raised him without living trouble free."
The guests laughed, all thinking it was a little joke performance by the two. Martia was glad they saw it that way.
"Very well, it is time to show you why you all appeared here. Even when he was born, I could see that he will grow up to be a splendid young man. It took me and my husband a long time to think of a name, there were hardly any quiet nights, but finally I had the perfect idea. So here he is, our heir and the next generation: Jures Grae."
Little Jures was presented like a material object, for the nobles this looked normal but other mothers would be disgusted by this show. One by one he was presented to the crowd. His blue shining eyes left the women amazed and adoring the little boy. A lot of them were envious that their child didn't look so beautiful too. With all the faces, Jures began to cry aloud, which woman was his mother now? The maids watched from the side as Martia was filled with pride. They were smiling on the outside, but on the inside they knew it wasn't right to celebrate like this. After Jures was back in Martia's arms, she ordered Laura, the head maid, to take him from her and look after him for the rest of the evening. Throughout the rest of the celebration there was nothing but talk, bragging, gossip and laughter. The nobility behaved as they had always behaved: they were hardly interested in reality and it's problems, preferring to create their own little world and leave out all the suffering and poor people of the city. If someone had joked about the nobles in this way, he would have spoken the truth.
When the party was over, everything continued as usual, the servants always did what they were told. For them it was already an honor, since the pay was higher than most other professions. But their faces were not filled with happiness and joy, they all had a burden to carry. Their service, strictly speaking, never stopped, thus it was hardly possible for them to see their families. The only way would be for the nobility to dismiss them and thus they were "a free man/woman". But this hardly happened throughout history. Refusal to work in the nobility meant death. Few of these people worked for themselves, most did it to feed their families. This is why it happened very often that their own children hardly saw their parents and did not even recognize them years later.
It took 16 years for Grae to understand this truth. He grew up following the teachings of the Graes, performed well and passed every exam successfully. Thus, it was no surprise that he was accepted into the academy as the top of his class a year before graduation. The term " star pupil" was already too low for him. To most people, he was known as "Jures, the genius". Not only was he taught at school, but he also received a lot of lessons at home. However, it was not Martia or Oliver but Laura who taught him the most. In general, he spent most of his time with her. From a very young age he saw her as his foster mother. While Laura felt honored, she also knew she couldn't form too close a bond with the boy. Therefore, she kept a distance from him and was more of a teacher to him. Because of her, he achieved the superior performances but Laura did not receive any thanks for his achievements. The Graes did not care who was responsible for his skills but only for his good performance. Even when Jures tried to make them understand how important Laura was, they ignored his words. Martia, however, did not like the way he saw Laura as a role model and so she often got less pay and was badmouthed. Jures heard everything, but he had no other choice but to apologize to her.
Since the first day at the academy he only thought about these problems, about his future, how it will continue in the estate, how unfair life was to some. He hated to be treated much better than others, but in order not to end up in the crossfire, he played along with this charade. In this year he learned what it means to have friends or at least more than just acquaintances. Prior to the academy he had no friends or rather he was not allowed to have any friends. But he was not the only one, many other children were raised the same way and ignored their classmates. This year everything was going to be different, Grae met his only nuisance in his life.
"Ha Jures, you don't stand a chance against me this time. Have you even answered all the questions in detail? The way you left so early you probably ran away in despair, am I right? But there's no shame in losing to me. No one stands a chance against Soran the Great."
The brown-haired boy was the same age and had also skipped a year. In Jures he saw his first real opponent while Jures saw him as nothing more than a pain in the ass and ignored him most of the time. When the results of the first test were published, the rivalry between the two began, but would eventually end in friendship.
"Th-There must be something wrong, the numbers must be reversed, the professor must have made a mistake. No one can beat me, it's always been that way, you cheated admit it-
"Stop whining and just do your best on the next test. There is no reason for me to cheat, as long as I do my best I don't care what place I am."
"This time you were lucky, wait until I show you my full potential. In the end I will be victorious as always. My name is Soran, remember it because soon you will be jealous of me."
"These are going to be relaxing years..."
For Soran, his pride and ego were the most important things. His performance was always more than satisfying, even if he wasn't the best he wouldn't get into trouble but his ambition completely skyrocketed over the years due to this excellent performance. Days, weeks and months went by but Soran never managed to beat Jures. Instead of giving up, he forced himself to keep going until he would triumph over his opponent. Within the first year, the miracle actually happened and Soran barely "defeated" Jures. Throughout the next days, Jures had to endure his boasting and bragging. However, if you looked closer, Grae had balanced all the answers, each result scored the same number of points which was almost more difficult than getting the full score. Jures had lost on purpose but made it look as real as possible. At home, the situation was worse for Jures, his parents spent very little time with him, although he was the " poster boy " of the family in the academy. In order not to feel alone he spent time with Laura and finally also voluntarily with Soran. His classmates saw the two of them as untouchable, they lived in their own world and didn't have a chance to make other friends. Even at parties, most kids his age stayed away from him. Soran told him that envy is often bigger than courage and that he was the best person to balance this...
The second year of the academy was the most important for the future of the students, the determination of magic. At first, they studied the theory until the end of the year, when it finally came to practice. The Krystal would show whether an apprenticeship with magic was possible or not. But failure was not necessarily ridicule, as long as you pursue the profession of the family and eventually inherited it you could still lead a successful life. But Jures wanted to prevent this at all costs, his parents were strangers to him. Soran and Jures passed the theoretical exams without any problems but these successes would soon fall onto Jures' feet.
"Jures, how were your results?"
"First in class, as usual..."
"Good, I hope it stays that way. Your mother wants to see you, it's very important."
"Yes father."
Jures wanted to get away from these people as soon as possible, although the same blood flowed in him they could not be any more distant. As he went to his mother he saw that Laura was standing next to her. Martia made an annoyed face and pulled the maid's hair. Laura shrieked out in pain.
"What did I tell you Jures. Stay away from her as much as possible. She is no longer a teacher to you but just a simple filthy cleaning maid, nothing more. If you keep spending time with her then I have no choice but to dismiss her."
Jures knew how important this job was to Laura, her mother had passed away and her little sister was growing up with her grandparents. They urgently needed the money from Laura to survive. She also wanted to give them a good life and so she did everything as well as possible. The boy knew what he had to do. Here and now he had to say goodbye to his foster mother, he can no longer see his firstever friend again. When he saw Laura with tears in her eyes he gritted his teeth and bowed to his mother.
"Yes mother, I will no longer have anything to do with her. Let her do her work, I won't go near her anymore and I will ignore her as best I can."
"Then it's all good Jures, I was worried that you would grow up like one of the common people. Come on girl, get to work and prepare the table. We have guests coming over soon and I want everything to be perfect."
"Very well milady."
From that day on, Jures kept away from her, not even risking to meet her in secret. Her future depended on his behavior towards her. For some time he felt a dislike to his parents, that they were never there for him and were not interested in him. But from that day on, for the first time, he felt true hatred for his parents and their nature. He wanted to escape from the house as soon as possible and run away with Laura. It was the least he could do for her. That very evening he was about to form a plan when he heard voices in the hallway.
"I take it they haven't told our secret?"
"Of course not, why would I? The king himself gave our generation these scripts."
"Good, I hope it stays that way. The chamber must remain sealed, only when the order is given can the seal be broken."
"I know what I have to do. The key is well kept, we have never failed before and I will neither."
"How are things progressing with your son? Is he doing well in the academy?"
"As far as I know, he is performing at the top of his class."
"Let's hope it continues like that. He is going to be a very good mage for us."
"We will see how high his potential is. Maybe I can use him here later, too."
The two men were not very enthusiastic at Oliver's statement but respected his words. After the conversation, they said goodbye and left the mansion. His father went straight back to his office. Jures noticed that he never once went into his father's office. The conversation made him all the more curious about what exactly was there. Maybe it could help him in his escape. Over the next few days, he watched his father's daily routine and made a plan to get into the room. Soran noticed that Jures was completely distracted even at the academy.
"Is there trouble in your family again?"
"Not really, it's the same as always. But my father is hiding something and I have a feeling it might be helpful to my plan."
"Do you still have this ridiculous plan in your head? What are you going to do after you escape, you'll be looked for everywhere and you'll be missing the academy too. Things are going to get serious for us soon, our future is at stake."
Soran was right, there were not even 2 weeks left until the exam with the Krystal. In fact, everyone was supposed to prepare to be as healthy and fit as possible. Yet Jures only had the scene of his mother and Laura in his mind. The memories of his parents plagued him and he did not care what happened to them. As long as he could escape together with Laura, he would be fine. After his father left the villa, he sneaked past the dining room and took the key from his father's hiding place. When he unlocked the room he saw countless shelves full of books and writings. Most of them were filled with numbers and bills related to his work. From sorting prices to listing materials and sales for the past months and years. Everything seemed to look like a normal office until he tipped over a stack of books. Luckily, his mother didn't hear the bang and he quickly cleaned everything up. But one of the books was heavier than the others even though it had the same number of pages. When he opened it, he saw that the pages were cut out in the middle and a miniature black sword was stuck in the hole. The handle was in the shape of a dragon with a tiny inscription on its head. As Jures spoke it aloud an image of a dark chamber came into his head. Jures sensed that the chamber was not far away. He heard his mother while she was receiving the guests, full of panic he had no idea what to do and so he could only hide. But the footsteps became quieter and quieter and he heard Martia sitting down in the garden together with the guests. Just as he was about to take a breath, he suddenly heard a loud crackling behind him. When he turned around, one of the bookshelves began to burn. Completely astonished and panic-stricken, he could only watch the books burn. Behind it was a black door through which he passed. In front of him stretched a pitch black corridor. He walked forward completely in the dark until he finally stood in front of the chamber he had seen in his thoughts. He put the key in the lock, turned it and the door opened. The chamber was mostly empty except for three books that were on an altar. As he got closer to them, he suddenly heard a low growl. The eyes of the dragon head on the key lit up and black flames shot out of its mouth, burning on his hand. Full of pain, he gritted his teeth and dropped the key. A black mark had formed on his hand that disappeared into the skin the next moment. Jures was astonished, he had never seen anything like it. The next moment his focus shifted to the books, which were surrounded by black smoke. They started to glow slightly the closer Jures got to them. He noticed how he was unable to avert his gaze. Suddenly he saw other images before him, images from the future. He saw how Laura and he successfully escaped from the house without his parents noticing anything. Neither the academy nor his parents were looking for him and he could finally live as a free man without being bound to the family. Laura saw her family and lived with them happily ever after. He heard voices that made him feel calmer.
"Thank you Jures, now I can finally help my sister and help raise her. Finally I have a new life because of you."
"My little Jures, I'm sorry we didn't pay attention to you all these years. We only saw our work and completely forgot about you. But it will be different now, from now on we will do nice things as a family. I hope you will give us another chance."
"Hey Jures, seems like we both graduated the academy with flying colors. I'll see you at the elite course in a week, then we can work through everything together. Besides, I still want to do a lot of different things with my friend. I mean you only live once, am I right?"
Suddenly those images burned before his eyes and the voices literally screamed at him.
"WHY JURES, WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME AND LEAVE ME ALONE. I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS, NOW I'M TRAPPED HERE FOR ETERNITY!"
" JURES, YOU'RE NOT WORTH ANYTHING. ALL THESE YEARS, YOU'VE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB. BUT WE NEVER CARED ABOUT YOU FROM THE BEGINNING, YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A HINDRANCE!"
"HEY, I THOUGHT WE WERE FINALLY FRIENDS. WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH? WHAT DID I DO TO YOU? WHY DID I EVEN BECOME FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE LIKE THAT? I'M SO STUPID..."
The voices made his ears burst and he cried out in pain. All of a sudden he saw the dead faces of his friends and family, of all his acquaintances in front of him. He felt that it was all his fault. He alone is a curse himself, it would be best if he no longer existed. Suddenly, a dagger appeared in his hand, which, after a moment's thought, he rammed into his own stomach. Soon a pool of blood formed in front of him and he found it difficult to breathe. In the last moment his bad thoughts disappeared and his fear and survival instinct took over his body but it was too late. He desperately begged for his life but no one could hear him. He let out one last loud scream before finally closing his eyes.
"RES-JURES! He's still alive, I knew he would be fine."
"How is that possible? Did the magic spare him? But that is not possible, no one has ever survived such an amount of black magic. Once it lures you to it doesn't let go. So why did he survive, is he even human?"
"Quickly transport him to the room. Who knows what else he can cause. Have him under constant observation, is that clear?"
The voices in his head became clearer but they abruptly disappeared. Suddenly he opened his eyes, his body was covered in sweat and hurt badly all over. He was able to move and examined his whole body, there was no trace of the wound. He had not killed himself, was it all an illusion?
"Didn't I hear a voice. You finally woke up, it's a miracle that you can even open your eyes again. I can hardly believe it, a miracle has happened. You will stay here as long as I share the news."
The young man couldn't even answer before the unknown person was already gone. When he looked around, he found himself in a room he had never seen before. The bed was decorated with runes and the walls looked very old. He wanted to get up but the pain forced him to stay in bed.
After a few minutes his parents and another unknown person entered the room. All of them kept a small distance from him. His mother looked relieved while his father looked at him angrily.
"Jures! Why did you just walk into my room? Why did you take the key and open the chamber? Why are you ruining everything?"
"Honey, stop talking to him like that. He's still your son so act like a father too."
The two had different opinions, you could tell the tension between them. The tall robed man interrupted the two and walked up to Grae. As he touched his body, suddenly all the pain was gone.
"Stand up young man, we have a lot of plans for you. You rested enough so get dressed and follow me."
"Y-you surely can't do that? He's still a kid, what could he do?"
"We won't take any chances with him. If you don't want to be punished for this crime then you will leave him in my care for now."
His parents were silent and agreed with the man by nodding. Then they disappeared out of the room, Jures was ordered to put on a certain outfit. This included a dark robe and a red coat, as well as red gloves. He didn't understand what all this was for, and yet he didn't talk back. Jures knew that the man was not to be messed with.
"All right, follow me. From now on you will obey all my orders, there is a plenty of work to be done."
"What exactly happened to me? I thought I killed myself, where did the wound go?"
"So you did feel the effect. That just makes it more difficult but also more interesting. Very soon I will explain to you what exactly happened in the chamber."
He led Jures into a huge room where several mages had gathered. They all stared at him with curiosity.
"Alright, here is the test object. As you know we have strict rules so be careful with him. There will probably not be such a case again."
He was told what exactly happened to him and how his daily routine will be from now on.
"The chamber you entered has been sealed for centuries. It has a small amount of magic protection. Your generation had it built centuries ago at the request of the king. And for centuries your generation was entrusted with the key and the seal until you ended it all. Normally, your whole family would have received the death penalty by now, but your survival has also ensured theirs. Those books you saw are imbued with black magic. The degree of magic is very high for a specific reason. The knowledge contained in them can decide battles, even wars, if used properly. However, for centuries no soul has been able to touch the books without being consumed by their magic. The characters are so ancient that we probably can't decipher them completely. To prevent an abuse of power, they were cursed. Each of the three books has its own curse:
-the curse of deception and illusion
-the curse of betrayal and sin
-the curse of shame and death
"I see you have felt all three and survived. I won't ask for details, from now on it's just going to be experiments for you. You have already seen your room for the next few weeks."
"What about the academy, I have exams coming up. And how about the maids in our house?"
"We'll find out about the academy in a minute. As for your maid... she is partly to blame for your action because she failed to prevent it. I don't think she will be released, but her daily life is not going to be the same. If you behave properly, I will let you know about her when we visit your father soon, so be as cooperative as possible. Prepare everything, we'll get right to the main work."
The magicians got ready to analyze while one of them brought the Krystal. Jures was amazed, it was only used in the test but he was already allowed to work with it.
"I think you know what to do. Think of it as a practice test, a preparation for the real exam."
Without argument, Jures placed his hand on the transparent object, closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, thoughts of curses popped into his head again and he stopped the attempt. Nothing happened to the Krystal itself, which did not shock the mages, however.
"Hmm, as I thought, it is still too early. Starting tomorrow, we will repeat the test daily. Prepare the potions and get the mana fusions ready. From now on it's utmost concentration, document everything you notice. As for your academy life: you will stay here for the time being until we are satisfied. Don't worry, it won't be painful so just go with it. You have no choice anyway, and it will certainly be a healthy change from your life in your house. My name is Iserot, remember it, we'll have a lot to do with each other in the near future."
He was right, it was a change from his normal life. However, he was worried about Soran and Laura, he was wondering how they were doing.
These next few days became a roller coaster for him. He was well fed and treated kindly. The experiments lasted from early morning until evening. At first they wanted to find evidence of remaining traces of black magic. After he received a large amount of mana, it disappeared after a few minutes. It was as if his body was feeding on it. Afterwards, other magics were tried on him, but they were unsuccessful. Day after day, he did not manage to change the color of the Krystal, which made Jures frustrated. After nothing could be detected with a normal contact, the magic was used as an offensive, though it would do little damage to Jures' body. Once fire magic was used offensively against him, most of it fizzled out, leaving behind a flame the size of a match. As it did so, the mark in his hand appeared slightly, causing the mages to be stunned. In the next days, the focus was set on this experiment. After the mark in his hand was clearly seen, everyone searched for its origin and whether it was recorded in documents. By now 2 months had passed but still the Krystal did not respond to the young man. Eventually, when clarity existed, the mages were both disappointed and filled with pity. They handed over the evaluations to Iserot, who explained everything to Jures.
"I have bad news for you. Your maid is fine, but your destiny has just taken a very bad turn. From the looks of it, the mark in your hand is a curse in itself. It saved you from death, but in return it robbed you of your magic ability. Not even after two months has there been any sign of magic, and even the various elements are averse to you and are nearly devoured. I am afraid that there is still a small part of black magic in you. While it does not have a dangerous effect on other lives for now, it can change quickly. The only thing we can do is teach you how to use it in an emergency. But with that comes negative effects. If you really master the techniques, they will still harm your body, but only to a small extent. Thus, you are not fit to be a mage, and the academy is no longer accessible to you. Your only option is to take a simple job or if you are lucky you can work in your father's business. I am sorry, but you don't have many options left. I already informed the academy and your parents, starting tomorrow you will return to live with them..."
Jures' whole world was shattered, the few dreams he had were all crushed and he lost all hope. There was no way he was going to work for his father, this would be a cruel life for him. Without a word and devastated inside, he packed his things and went home the next day. When he arrived home, his nightmare continued. His parents were already standing at the door, staring at him in disappointment.
"Jures, we heard everything that happened. We also heard who and what you are now. We wished so much that you would become successful and later become a magician. In your condition you are not safe for us and others, we cannot offer you a place in this house anymore. In the worst case we will be affected by this curse. That is why we have decided to transfer you to another house or small apartment. One of our neighbors has a blacksmith shop nearby where you can work as a hand for the time being, maybe you can convince your father to let you work for him someday."
Jures was deeply shocked and stunned. His father didn't even look at him, in his face he saw the resentment he had for Jures. His mother's words and feelings upon his waking up...everything was an act...everything was just a facade. Seeing their own son as a curse, a stranger, not even a part of their family. Mentally he heard glass shattering in his head, his whole life had become meaningless. Before leaving them, he wanted to tell them the truth to their faces upon his parting.
"So this is what I am worth to you, nothing more than an obstacle, than a disgrace to our family. It is not me who is the disgrace, in truth it is you who are the embarrassment for me. Two strangers I had to call parents. In all these years I hardly ever saw you. Do you know what I used to like, what I played with, what my dreams were? Of course not...you were never interested in your son...I was just a means to an aim...that you didn't want to be the only ones without a child...What about your fellow human beings, the people who help you every day? Do you even know all their names, are you so self-centered that you have lost your empathy?
That's right, father, you were always absorbed in your work and didn't even ask about your son. Was I so worthless to you? Mother, are your guests and friends more important than your child? Do you feel righteous, prosperous and satisfied? The only thing you ought to feel is shame. Shame for all the things you have done to me these past years...This time it won't go your way...you ruined my life...so I will make yours a living hell as best I can...watch your son make you proud....
His father was about to hit him, but Jures stopped his fist without any problems and squeezed tightly. After a few seconds he let go of his father, spat on the floor of the estate and left in the direction of the city. All around this spectacle was observed and soon everyone would be gossiping about the Graes.
From that moment on, Jures was lost, walking aimlessly through the streets and blanking out his mind. Around evening, he hid in one of the alleys and fell asleep. On the next morning he was woken up by the loud voices of the marketplace. He remembered that the mages offered to train him to use the small part of black magic. He accepted the offer and was given instructions to perform. Weeks passed and he was able to perform the tasks and tests with ease and asked for the advanced methods. He still had his potential, but no one would have thought that it was to such an extent. He managed to learn and apply all the known techniques flawlessly. Finally, he had full control over magic and was no longer a danger to anyone outside. Even the high commander Araton noticed this, as the soldier training ground was directly opposite to his training dummy. When the mages could no longer teach him anything, they dismissed him from their care. Once again he had no home or place to sleep, but then Astaron came into the picture. After seeing Jures still training every day despite his dismissal, he was impressed by his determination.
"It's been 14 days and you're still here, I thought the mages were done with you."
When Jures saw who was standing in front of him he paid respect and answered him in a proper tone.
"That is true yet I want to perfect it as much as possible. Just because you've learned a technique doesn't mean you can't refine it."
"That's a good attitude. I'll make you an offer: After our official training is over, I can train you in combat. It's not the route you originally wanted to go but maybe a chance for a fresh start. So, what do you say?"
After a moment's thought, he agreed to the offer. He then went back to the magicians and asked them if there were any books on sword fighting in the library. They did the young man the favor and showed him all the scriptures they knew of. Until late in the evening he began to study them theoretically and memorize as much as he could. However, he still did not have a proper place to sleep and so he had to sleep again on the streets of the city. Early in the morning, he went to the training ground that the mages allowed him and began to practice the steps and techniques. Although it was still several hours before the soldiers' training even began, he continued to practice with full determination and concentration, thus increasing his limit. Usually a soldier would lie on the ground exhausted after his sessions, but not Jures. He did not know if it was his determination, the magic or both that drove him on and on. Even the soldiers were more and more amazed and distracted by him. A few were envious of his condition and fitness, and his technique was well worthy of a soldier. But he had not yet had any official training. As promised, Astaron put in a special training session with him. He showed him various things and Jures showed him his progress. With each passing day, Jures was getting closer to the level of the high commander. His talent far surpassed that of the other soldiers. Astaron also enjoyed training with such a strong opponent, both felt a small freedom in their training.
"Not bad, not bad at all. A little a clumsy but no one is perfect in battle. When you attack a bit smarter you can manage to make the enemy disarm himself."
"Thank you for your advice, I look forward to more units."
" During my last tour around the city I noticed that a young man was sleeping alone in a side alley. If you want I can offer you a place to sleep, it's not the best and quietest but still better than sleeping on the ground. You would be sleeping in the same room as some soldiers. Some of them are just like you, they don't have a home so they just made a new one here. Wash up and then come outside the barracks, I will inform the other soldiers. I think you are far better off here."
On the outside he thanked Astaron for his offer, but on the inside he was incredibly happy to belong to someone else. So he followed Astaron's instructions and waited outside the barracks.
"I guess you're the new one, we've seen you train. Don't think you're a big shot around here just because you're good with swordplay. We already have enough show-offs so if you keep quiet we won't have any problems. Welcome to the soldiers, where lousiness is punished. What's your name?"
"Grae, I am Jures Grae."
There was a short silence. Suddenly he got dirty looks. They knew the Graes and the attitude of the nobility towards the army plus Jures was also a Grae. The first few days were very awkward for him. Due to his origin, he was not accepted by everyone, but when he told what exactly happened, some became more peaceful and developed respect for him. Over the next few weeks he learned about the life of a soldier and what it means to enlist in combat. Suddenly there was given the order to join a battle up in the north. Astaron himself joined the battle together with an army. Jures was not part of it. For the commander, Jures was still too green to take part in such a battle, so Jures continued to train with the remaining soldiers. As weeks passed, there was still no news of the battle. So Jures became more and more worried that his mentor had lost his life. Sadly, he was soon to be proved right. By noon, only 50 of the 150 soldiers arrived, but Astaron was not among them. When he heard of his death, Jures was devastated, but he refused to give up. After a short period of grief, he continued to work as hard as he could. The other soldiers noticed how he was training himself to death and forced him to take a break. In a few days he was back to his old self, carrying the memories of his mentor in his heart. About a month later, new soldiers were called in. Suddenly, a loud voice rang out from the middle of the group.
"This time I'm going to kick your ass, now you can't run away."
Jures could not believe his eyes, his old friend and rival Soran had suddenly joined the army. The loudmouth got extra units for his statement. This repeated itself constantly for the next week, he just couldn't stop showing off or challenging Jures but just like in the academy he didn't let it bring him down and kept working until he was above the level of the regular soldiers.
"I heard what happened. Quite stupid your situation but seems like you made the best of it. But don't get your hopes up too much soon you'll be following my orders under me!"
Jures couldn't help but laugh, Soran was still his old self.
"What are you laughing at, I mean it. Now I'm going to whoop your ass right here. Anyway, I don't understand why the army is looked down upon, after all, they protect our families. Besides, they can have just as much power as nobles or mages, you just have to be high enough in rank like me soon. If you are lucky, I will make you my co-chief!"
Jures thought of something very important that he had completely neglected and buried in his mind.
"How much authority are we talking about here? What are the things commanders can decide and order?"
"Hey, why are you so worked up? I don't know anything for sure but I could just summon you if I wanted to as long as you're useful I guess. At least that's how the previous commanders did it. My uncle was one of them so I'm pretty certain."
"I have to become a commander as soon as possible! It is very important that I succeed!"
"You'll have to get past me first. And that will be almost impossible-"
"Then do me a favor when you become commander, just one favor. Don't worry, it's not dangerous."
Soran had never seen Jures so desperate and begging. His request had to be pretty important to him.
"O-okay, I'll fulfill your favor if I can get there before you do."
Jures was very grateful to him so over the next few months he trained harder than ever before. He was given orders to go into battle with other soldiers and even participated in two battles in which they were successful. His fighting style was soon rewarded and he was promoted to general. He knew the soldiers in his squad very well and they got along with each other no problem. With his strategies and tactics, he managed to be victorious along with other squads. Before long, his squad was known not only for being successful but also for not having any casualties. Several months later, he accomplished his goal. At the annual election, he was given the supreme command as the youngest commander ever of the kingdom. He thus followed the footsteps of Astaron and the other previous commanders. Even Soran rose up but to general, he was still too rash, harsh and risky to be given the biggest responsibility. The commandercy was only a part of Jure's plan, immediately after the announcement he headed to Soran.
"Soran, pass on my command. I demand an audience with the nobility, more specifically with House Grae."
"What exactly do you have in mind Jures? You better not do anything stupid now if you don't want to lose your office."
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. I just made a promise to myself a long time ago that I can finally fulfill now."
Thus it happened that the next day there was an audience with his parents. They were not enthusiastic although he had the main command so he did not address them by their names.
"I have a request for this family. As the military grows bigger and bigger and thus the barracks and equipment need to be taken care of, we need additional qualified support staff. I see your family has the highest number of servants therefore I am asking for the release of one of the servants. I ask, no, I order that you release Laura Mittan from her service and leave her at the military's disposal!"
His parents knew what he was up to, but they didn't want to play into his cards.
"Well then, there are far better and younger servants with more potential, so why her? Do you have any particular affection for her?"
Jures had expected this statement but in his position such things no longer matter.
"That is correct, I do."
His parents were stunned that he just said it like that.
"Since there was a lack of care in this household she took over this job. It is thanks to her that I am able to stand here today so I would like to repay the favor. I am most familiar with her and know of her talent and abilities. I know she will do her job without a problem and will be an important asset. With immediate effect, she is no longer bound to this household. I will wait for her down here so inform her of my order."
This time he had completely beaten his parents. They couldn't do anything about it, personal problems are worthless as an accusation. Furthermore they are not restricted therefore in the end it was a normal legal order.
When Laura came downstairs and heard everything, tears flowed down her cheek while she took her clothes. Together they left the estate, Jures leading them to the house of her grandmother and sister. They had not seen each other for almost 10 years, her sister had grown up and her grandmother was overjoyed to see her granddaughter again. Jures was relieved and pleased that everything worked out so well, but at the same time he knew that this would be probably the last time he would see his foster mother like this. Due to his position, he would hardly have time for himself, let alone regular free time. They all thanked Jures from the bottom of their hearts, since a very long time he felt those positive feelings again. Still, there was much to do from now on.
"Your new job is set, I personally took care of it. After trainings, fights, battles and wars, you will take care of the cleaning and maintenance of the rooms as well as the equipment together with other servants. I know it's not the best job, but it will allow you to stay with your family. The pay is not the best, but I have already prepared everything. My salary is more than enough and I will certainly not give the excess money to my family. Therefore, I want to give it to you so that you can have as normal a life as possible. Objections are wasted on me, so just accept my offer. However, from now on we will hardly see each other again, a commander has many other duties, but be sure that I will never forget all the things you've done for me over the years. Starting tomorrow, the other servants will show you your duties. I will be on the sidelines taking care of your safety. If even one person harms you, they will regret it. That' s all the time I have, I need to supervise the training and go through the reports. I wish you the best, until we meet again."
These words closed a chapter in his life. He had succeeded in the most important goal for him, so a huge burden fell away. And now he could live his life free of any guilt, use his curse to his advantage and help others as a result. The next day Laura was briefed, she would do her job carefully with good knowledge. As usual, Grae completed the morning training until suddenly there was a knock at his room.
"Come in"
"Commander Grae, there is important news from the palace."
"Is it about a prom or a celebration again?"
"No this time it's something else, something much more important."
"Then out with it, now you have piqued my curiosity."
"The ritual was successful."
"What ritual? Why don't I know about it?"
"The ritual was performed by the magicians in secret and it was indeed successful."
"What exactly happened? Have we suddenly summoned eternal peace now."
"Not quite but individuals who might be able to provide it."
"That sounds like a made-up fairy tale. Well, shall we see if it's really true?"