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Elise and Isabella, Elysar's loyal maids, were making their morning rounds when they discovered their young master asleep on the training ground, facing the open sky. Both maids exchanged worried glances, as Elysar had never slept outside before, due to his paranoid nature.
Elise, the more spirited of the two, spoke up, "Isabella, do you think we should wake him up? This is so unlike him."
Isabella, with her gentle demeanor, replied softly, "I'm not sure, Elise. He seems so peaceful, and look at the training ground; it seems he's been training hard. But he was always afraid of getting injured."
Elise nodded, her concern evident on her face. "You're right. I've never seen him like this before. We should be careful not to disturb him."
As they continued to discuss their concerns, Elysar, partly due to the previous body owner's paranoia, sensed their presence even in his sleep. The subtle noise of their conversation stirred him awake.
The maids froze, worried they might be scolded for waking him. Elysar, however, calmly greeted them. "Elise, Isabella, could you fetch me something to freshen up my face? And please prepare a magical bath with mana mineral salts, herbs, and other potions for recovery after this hard training. Also, bring me some new clothes afterward."
The maids looked relieved but were still in shock by his unexpected behavior. Elysar noticed their expressions and decided to tease them a little. "You know, I would've 'eaten' you both up for waking me," he said with a mischievous grin, "But I don't want to waste my time and deviate from my goal of getting stronger. Consider yourselves my internal 'reward I have to reach by gettig stronger, and only then will I finally take you two'."
Elise and Isabella blushed at his playful remark, their faces turning a shade of red. They quickly composed themselves and nodded in agreement. "Yes, young master, we'll take care of everything right away," they said in unison before hurrying off to fulfill his requests.
A while later, as Elysar submerged himself in the magical bath filled with mana mineral salts, he could feel the soothing effects of the warm water seeping into his tired muscles. The salts dissolved in the water, releasing their rejuvenating properties, which aided in the recovery of his body after the intense training session. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax and enjoy the sensation of the bath.
Elise and Isabella stood nearby, holding fresh clothes for their young master. They couldn't help but steal glances at him, noticing how much he had changed in such a short time. The transformation in his attitude and newfound determination both intrigued and worried them.
As Elysar finished his bath, he stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist. The maids approached him, carefully helping him into his new clothes. Elysar appreciated their attentiveness.
Just as they finished dressing him, a signal went of inside the room. It was the one informing him that someone else entered his residence. Elysar raised an eyebrow, curious as to who would be visiting him at this hour. But then he looked at the monitoring equipment and understood, "Isabella, Elise, thank you for your services. You are free to go now...", He said.
***
As Elysar sat in his chamber, he could hear footsteps approaching. The door to his room opened, and in walked Faelan Nightcrest, who served as the head butler, head steward, personal assistant, and advisor to the current patriarch of the house, Aerlic Valthoren - Elysar's father. Faelan had followed Aerlic for nearly a century and a half, having been his childhood friend and assistant even before Aerlic won the succession competition and became the current clan patriarch.
Faelan was a tall, slender man who appeared to be in his early fifties, with a neatly trimmed beard and short, graying hair. His gentle smile and kind eyes hid his unwavering determination and sharp intellect. Although his true age was around 150 years, just like Aerlic, he looked around sixty or seventy. Faelan was a master of diplomacy and negotiation, skillfully navigating complex social situations with his keen intuition and understanding of human nature. His uncanny ability to read people and situations made him indispensable, and his loyalty to the family and his friends' interests was unshakeable.
Dressed in a standard black butler outfit, Faelan carried himself with a stoic expression and a graceful demeanor. His soothing voice, skilled hands, and gentle, smiling face with crescent moon eyes added to his charm. However, beneath this facade, Faelan was a force to be reckoned with if someone threatened his priorities. Elysar didn't know his backstory or background, only that he had been with his father for a long time. The current Elysar, who wanted to take over the family and conquer the world, regarded Faelan as a potential threat.
"Greetings, Master Elysar," Faelan said, his voice soothing and gentle. His stoic expression and graceful posture made him appear even more dignified.
But inwardly, Elysar was thinking, 'This Faelan guy also probably has many secrets. He is likely much stronger than he appears...', Elysar suddenly remembered something else while looking at the distinctive, pitch-black dagger around the man's waist.
It was called "Shadowrent," a sleek, black dagger forged from a rare metal called Umbracite, known for its exceptional mana absorption qualities. The dagger was approximately twelve inches long, with a finely-honed, double-edged blade and an intricate, obsidian hilt. At the crossguard, two crescent moons faced outwards, representing the balance between light and darkness. The blade itself had been permanently infused with the Valthoren's Dream Plant essence during its forging process, making it inseparable from the weapon. It was probably capable of providing Faelan with the ability to perform some incredible spatial-related feats outsiders wouldn't usually get to see. This showed just how much his father doted on and trusted him.
"Good day, Faelan...", Elysar replied in the manner of the previous Elysar, he knew that he would need to be especially careful around him, "What brings you here so early today?"
"Your father sent me to inform you that he is very pleased to see you recovering from your recent ordeal and doing well now. However, he also advised you to be cautious with your experimentation in magic, as the path you've embarked upon can be quite perilous. He fears you may fall into danger if you continue without restraint...", Faelan began, his crescent moon eyes studying Elysar carefully. Both of them were aware of Elysar's abnormal behavior, especially during the recent period. He had been engaging in various magical experiments and alchemy within his room, even contacting dangerous individuals from the "underworld" to purchase hazardous magical substances which could be also classified as "drugs".