Drake was in the peaceful world of his deep dream. When the sound of knocking sounded, awakening him from his sleep.
Opening his eyes and standing up, he wiped away the drool that dripped from his mouth. He headed towards the door. Opening the door he looked at who was knocking. It was a servant, who with a bow began to speak.
"Young Master, Lord Dante is summoning you to his office" The servant said as a slight expression of discomfort could be seen on his face.
Drake nodded, then closed the door. Looking at himself, with his tattered clothes, smell of sweat and blood. He decided that he should at least take a shower before meeting someone.
Grabbing some clothes from her wardrobe and leaving her room. Drake went in search of a bathroom. Looking down the hall, he saw what appeared to be the door to a bathroom on the fourth floor. It appeared to be a servants' bathroom, but Drake didn't care.
Upon opening the door, there was a relatively ordinary bathroom. There was a toilet and a simple shower. Locking the door behind him, he stripped off his clothes and stepped into the shower. The cold water made his hair stand on end for a few seconds, but soon, it brought a refreshing sensation, making him close his eyes.
After some minutes. Drake changed into his clothes, which were dark pants and a white shirt. Quickly drying his hair with a towel, he left the bathroom. His next destination would be his father's office, which he didn't know where it was.
Leaving the bathroom, he walked down the hall. Spotting the kitchen, he entered. Grabbing as much food as he could with his right hand. Drake asked the few employees there.
" By any chance, do you know where Dante's office is?"
The officials found the question strange, but did not question it.
" Mister Dante's office is on the fifth floor, young master " A cook replied respectfully.
Some people looked at Drake differently compared to the old days.
Nodding, Drake left as he found his way to the stairs, which led upstairs.
As he walked, he tried to move his left arm. He felt slight pain when trying to contract the muscles, but for subtle movements, he would be relatively fine.
His high recovery rate was related to the mana, which was constantly being wrapped around his left arm, making him need no outside care.
Arriving on the fifth floor, he saw the entrance to the library. Going down the hall he saw some doors, but one in particular caught his attention. It was a double door, its height seemed to almost touch the ceiling, it exuded an oppressive and uncomfortable pressure.
Drake looking at the door, thought
Found it
Approaching the door, he was about to knock. When a thick voice erupted from inside the door
" Enter "
Drake was still for a few seconds before his hands moved to the doorknob. Pushing it, with a slight creak, the doors opened.
His vision found a luxurious room, with dark brown patterns. There were some shelves with some books, some decorations on the wall, some frames containing documents, looking like some kind of trophy.
There was a small table with some papers on it and behind that table was Dante.
With a serious expression, Dante was assessing Drake as he entered his room, showing no apparent nervousness.
Drake approached the table, silently answering Dante's gaze.
"Looks like you've made progress" Dante said without showing any emotions.
" I Guess I got lucky " Drake replied equally, nonchalantly.
Drake felt a little pressured talking face-to-face with Dante. It gave off a natural feeling, as if there was a force field around it, it was difficult for interactions to escape or enter.
"Even luck can be considered a skill" Dante said, with a slight pause, he continued.
"The reason I called you here was because you defeated your brother, but make no mistake, there will be no punishments" Dante continued as his lines sounded calm.
"In a way, you could say you'll be rewarded" his voice hinted at a hint of amusement.
Drake's intuition reacted strongly to that amused tone, there was no way that was a good thing.
"Mister Dante, please enlighten me as to why I deserve this punishment" Drake said with a crooked smile.
Dante cracked a rare smile upon seeing Drake's reaction.
" As I said, it's not a punishment, this situation could become a fortuitous event for you " Dante continued.
"Our Crimson family values strength above all else. I just feel, the time has come for you to get some real experience"
"What a real experience!" An excited smile appeared on Drake's face.
Dante was mildly surprised by Drake's reaction, perhaps because of their lack of familiarity, but it seems that even Drake could act like a child from time to time.
"We recently received a request for reinforcements from a nearby village. Apparently a horde of monsters are moving towards the village" Dante paused and continued.
" Since you defeated your brother, I believe you will be able to deal with 99% of the reported monsters in this horde, but if you are unlucky, then, you will die " Dante expressed a sly smile, especially in the last part.
Drake pondered for a while, then nodded. He needed experience, especially about things related to this world.
" What kind of monsters are these? " Drake asked with a serious expression.
"Just a dirty bunch of goblins" Dante said scornfully and continued.
"Individually they are weak, but can be troublesome in their high numbers" Dante concluded.
After digesting the information, Drake had a neutral expression as he looked down.
Monsters eh, I don't remember something like that where I came from.
Silence filled the room for a moment, but somehow, Drake felt a comforting air. Lifting her eyes and looking toward Dante.
"When should I leave?" Drake's voice rang out.
"You must leave tonight, with a few hours riding, you must arrive by dawn" Dante replied
Dante watched Drake's reactions, which from the beginning, showed no nervousness or fear, slightly surprising him.
"That's all, you can leave" Dante casually transitioned into his distant tone again.
Drake nodded, turning and walking towards the door, when his hands touched the doorknob, a voice rang out behind him.
" Good luck "
Drake's actions froze, but he soon composed himself.
"Hm" Nodding with a low growl, Drake opened the door and stepped out.
On his way back to his room, Drake was thoughtful. Soon he would have to leave for his real experience training. Planning the things that would have to be done today, he completed his agenda. Train and pack your bags.
Arriving in his room he opened the door. On his bed, there was a common steel sword and a backpack, which Dante probably had delivered to Drake.
Inside the backpack were some supplies and some basic clothing. Picking up the steel sword, he withdrew it from its scabbard. A 90 cm blade showed itself, while on its edge, reflecting the particles of light that entered its window.
Tucking it back into its sheath, Drake smiled looking at his stuff. Soon he would be setting off on his first journey into this world. Leaving him slightly excited.
" Alright, but before we leave, let's train a little "
Drake spent the entire day at the training ground, which scared Vance and all the soldiers there, but over time, everyone became motivated by the Crimson boy's efforts.
Soon, the comforting light of the sun moved away, causing the darkness of the night to star in all the beauty of the bright moon.
On a balcony of the gray castle, stood Dante. Looking in a certain direction.
In that direction, there was a small, hooded figure walking towards the stable, then leaving, leading a black horse, which was slightly smaller than a full-grown horse. The figure continued until it reached one of the exit gates in the wall around the castle.
When the figure and the horse began to blur on the horizon. A mysterious smile appeared on Dante's face.
" Steel can only be forged if subjected to strong pressure "
His words seemed to contain a mysterious meaning.