There is something mysterious about nighttime. Having an inky backdrop, an eerie stillness, and hidden secrets, evening hours certainly have a mystical feeling. Some find it alluring, while others can't wait until the sun rises again and they can be free of that creepy feeling.
The night sky is too often obscured by clouds that create an unsettling ambiance. Sometimes, though, there is a clear night sky, which allows you to see how nightfall unfolds, including the magical ambiance of the moon and stars.
Under the stars, a boy around twelve years of age stood with his arms hanging down as if he was lifeless. He was dressed in a black suit, shirt and pants. His slightly curly long black hair covered his eyes as tears appeared in them, but he didn't let them fall.
I want you to promise me a smile before you send me on my way.
His father's last words lingered in his mind. Having been raised by his father to be a man of his word, he was determined to keep his word to him.
He put one hand on a grave and gave the biggest smile he could muster.
"I hope you find peace, father."
He said his words before the butler passed him flowers which the boy placed on the grave.
Lawrence Acheron.
A name was inscribed on a stone tablet with a Black Lotus and a sword passing through it, carved right above the name, representing the symbol of the Acheron Family.
It had been seven days since he had been staying next to the grave, morning the death of his father. It was considered as good luck for the dead if their relative stayed seven days close to their grave.
'I hope you reunite with her,' he thought while looking at another grave close to his father's.
Rylintra Acheron.
It was his mother's name, and no one knew where she came from or who she was. But she was considered to be the most beautiful in the kingdom. His slightly dark skin and red eyes were said to be inherited from her. She loved this place from where the sea could be seen from the mountain top.
Lawrence Acheron buried her here so she could eternally enjoy the view that she most liked, and it was also his wish to be buried alongside her.
He gave himself a small comforting smile before turning around towards the people who had come to pay their respects. He walked towards them as the three knights of his father and the butler followed behind.
People slowly went up to the boy and gave their condolences. They expressed their grief as well as praised Baron Lawrence Acheron in turns. Many were sincere, and many said those words for the sake of it.
Those who looked at the young man felt pity for him - all except one. A smirk spread across the man's face as he looked at the boy and the grave.
Baron Foxridge was an ambitious and greedy man. It was almost fifteen years since he had led Foxridge Barony, and he had committed every crime known to man. Nevertheless, as a Noble of the Aetas Kingdom, all his crimes were forgiven since they were against commoners, not a Noble.
A butler and a knight followed Baron Foxridge as he walked towards the boy.
"My apologies for your loss. Late Baron Lawrence Acheron was a remarkable man. We all find it surprising that he met an untimely death. I pray that he may find peace in the light of the holy mother," he said, with a sad face but mockery in his eyes. The greed was apparent as well.
The young man did not say anything and just stared at Baron Foxridge in the eyes. He knew the man in front of him was not done speaking. He also knew what he wanted.
"As sorry as I may feel, I would like to ask you, the new 'Lord' of this land, about the matter of the gold mine which is at the edge of our territories," his words carried a deep implication and hint of sarcasm.
The young man looked at Baron Foxridge. He could see the intentions behind words as well as the hidden implications. Even though Baron Lawrence Acheron had been suffering from an incurable disease for the last ten years, no one dared to fight Acheron Barony in his presence. This was the fear he had instilled in people during his younger days.
Baron Lawrence was a remarkable man. Not only was he a competent Lord but also a wonderful father. He had always supported his son and whatever he did.
'Everyone has their own path, and you can never travel far on the one you are forced to walk.'
Lawrence was a minor noble by birth; the Acheron family was nothing but a small family compared to other noble houses. However, when Lawrence Acheron went to war for his kingdom and accumulated merits using his exceptional sword skill, The king granted him a larger fief on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Aetas. He was given a title bigger than Baron, but he rejected it, saying he wanted to live peacefully.
He soon came to this territory, settled down, and married a woman who gave birth to his son.
After his wife passed away giving birth to his son, he wanted to give their son the best life he could give him. But he did not want him to be an arrogant man, so he taught him humility before anything else.
Lawrence lived as a commoner for the first five years of his son's upbringing to show him the commoner's life before telling him that they were nobles. His son understood what the life of a commoner was, how much they had to struggle, the hardships they had to go through.
"People make an estate, and people pay the taxes that let us live this extravagant life," he always reminded his son.
Lawrence knew he would die soon, and he regretted he had to leave everything in the hands of his twelve-year-old son. It was not that he did not trust his son enough. Instead, he wanted his son to live his youth carefree before taking over him as Lord of the Acheron Barony.
As the newly appointed and young Baron Acheron stared at the man before him, he could not hold back contempt for Baron Foxridge. He dared to ask for the gold mine even on such a day.
But he formed a playful smile that he quickly hid away.
'Since you want to play, I will play you to death.'
"I think Foxridge Barony should take care of it," he said, and his words were like thunderclaps to all the people hearing them, "but we will need suitable compensation for it."
All those present were either Barons of nearby territories or wealthy merchants at the funeral. They all knew the significance of a gold mine, yet they could not believe that the newly appointed Baron Acheron was just about to give it away.
'He is still a kid after all,' they thought.
The three Knights looked at their new Lord and could not help but be surprised by the decision he had made. But they stayed silent. Their Lord might be wrong, but they would never question his judgment in the open. Furthermore, they had faith in their Lord, were loyal to the Acheron family, and knew how competent their new Lord was.
Butler was the only one who formed a smile when he heard what his Lord said. He looked at Baron Foxridge as if he was looking at a lamb being readied for slaughter.
Baron Foxridge could not believe what he had just heard. He ignored the fact that he was at the funeral and gave a big laugh before his Knights signalled him, bringing him out of his stupor.
"Please forgive me, and I was just happy that Baron Acheron had such a talented son."
Everyone rolled their eyes when they heard his words, but they decided to stay out of the conflict between two noble households.
"No need to worry, I will compensate you sufficiently for this," Baron Foxridge said, but inside he was planning on how to give the worst compensation possible.
"I need all the food you have harvested from Agris farmlands, Baron Fox," seeing through the intentions of his opponent, Baron Acheron asked for specific compensation, "I heard you have quite a good harvest this year, so, I would need twenty times that amount."
Baron Foxridge was stunned when he heard the kind of compensation he was being asked for. Food was necessary for survival for an estate, and everyone always kept spare for a few years in case of a feminine. Foxridge Barony had quite a good harvest this year, and Agris farmlands contributed more than half of it. To give away twenty times that could be considered an enormous sum.
But the thing was, in front of a gold mine, even if it was a grade three mine, it was not worth comparing to what he would gain. Even if it were made thirty times the amount, it would be hard to compare it to even a tenth of the value of a gold mine.
At first Baron, Foxridge was about to agree, but he stopped. Just a week ago, this same young man was adamant about not giving away the gold mine, but he gave it so quickly today?
'Is he a fool?' he asked himself and soon gave an answer to himself, 'no, he is not any kid, as much as people might underestimate him, this kid's intelligence is far above his age level.'
He knew not to underestimate the boy in front of him, but he could not find a reason why he would give away the mine for food. In the end, Baron Foxridge could not help but agree to such a tempting offer.
"Ah, food can be hard to come by in such troubled times," he made a pained expression but then it changed to a fawning one, "but since Baron Acheron has asked for it, how can I say no? We will send you the goods within two days."
"Then I will appreciate your benevolence, Baron Fox," said Baron Acheron before he started walking off towards the carriages.
The butler went ahead and opened the carriage doors before sitting at the front of the carriage holding the reins to the horses. The Knights surrounded the carriage, ready to protect their Lord from any harm.
"Hup"
The butler commanded the horses as they travelled back towards their estate.
"Are you not planning to question me, Dias?" a voice came from inside the carriage.
Dias, the Butler, formed a smile before speaking to his Lord.
"Hahaha, how could these old bones not have faith in his Lord? Others may not notice, but I have raised you since you were young. Did people say you are inept at literacy? Hahaha, I don't even know how you got that rumour spread without anyone knowing about it. I'm just wondering if Baron Foxridge will be ready for the aftermath when you're done with him," Dias said, shocking the three knights, but Baron Acheron just smiled.
Dias had watched over him since he was young, and he knew about him just as much as his father knew about him.
"Wait, so we are not giving away our mines?" asked one of the three Knights, but it was a question all of them wanted to ask.
He had brown hair and a thick beard. He wore silver armour with a sword hanging on his waist as he rode the horse. His name was Philip. He was one of the oldest knights who had been part of the Acheron family and one of the three personal guards of Baron Lawrence Acheron.
"Why would we give something as significant as a gold mine to someone else? Especially when it is in our territory?" replied Dias.
He looked at three Knights and shook his head.
"You muscle heads just need to protect our Lord."
"Tsk, we would like to see who wants to hurt our Lord. We will make sure they die a painful death," they banged their armour to make their vows.
"By the way, my Lord, there is something I want to ask," said another Knight. He was adorned in silver armour and a sword on his waist like the previous one.
His name was Barnard, and he was also one of the three personal Knights of the previous Baron Lawrence Acheron.
"Why would you ask for food? Isn't it useless? Our harvest this year was even more plentiful than Foxridge Barony, so why do we need to ask them for food?" asked Barnard.
Baron Acheron just gave a small laugh before he closed his eyes. The rest of them understood that he could not speak about it and turned back towards the road.
After thirty minutes of travelling, they finally reached a town, stopping right before the city gates.
"Why have we stopped Dias?" the young Baron asked.
"I think you should come out, my Lord," he replied before getting off the carriage and opening the door.
Baron Acheron frowned but soon followed his butler, stepping out of the carriage. As soon as he did, he could not help but be shocked by what he saw.
"Dias, what is the meaning of this?" he turned towards his trusted butler, looking for an answer.
Dias, however, continued to stand there with a smile on his face.