The next day, Fazio and I awoke with the first bell. We dressed quickly, our playfulness carrying over from the day before as we sparred with our wooden daggers. Mona soon came to check on us, her motherly presence a mix of mild exasperation and warmth as she advised Fazio on how to dress me properly. She huffed and harumphed, but there was a fondness in her tone that made the morning routine feel more like a cherished ritual than a chore.
Descending the grand staircase, we were greeted by the aromas of breakfast. For me, it was the usual fare: an unidentified mashed fruit paired with mashed peas. The simplicity of the meal did little to dampen our spirits, and we quickly finished before gathering in the villa's entryway.
Anna stood by the door, her expression tense as she tried to mask her true emotions. "Goodbye, and safe journey," she said, her voice tinged with an attempt at nonchalance.
Our parents embraced her, our father offering words of encouragement. "Stay strong, Anna. You will return home once your time at the Academy is complete."
Anna nodded, her face a blend of sadness and resolve. When she turned to me, her stiff demeanor persisted. "Goodbye, brother," she said, her tone formal.
I flashed her a wide smile, hoping to lift her spirits, but she remained distant, her emotions tightly held in check.
The tension of our farewell lingered in the air as we departed the villa and boarded the carriage. Our guards were ever-vigilant, their eyes scanning the surroundings as we made our way back to the palace district. The familiar sights of the large walls and gates greeted us as we entered the area we had previously visited. A pang of confusion struck me—I had thought we were returning home. Yet here we were, once again approaching the palace.
Our group, consisting of my parents, Selahe, Mona, Fazio, and a handful of guards, moved with purpose towards the palace entrance. The royal guards, twenty or so strong, stood resolute with their shields and spears, their presence a reminder of the palace's importance. After a brief exchange of words between Selahe and one of the guards, we were granted entry into the opulent foyer.
This time, the awe I had felt during our first visit was muted. The grandeur of the palace, while still impressive, no longer held the same wonder. We moved swiftly through the halls, the closed throne room a sign that today was Mortalday, a universal day off. There would be no open court today.
We halted before an unassuming door, seemingly identical to the others we had passed—except for the six royal guards stationed before it. My improved eyesight allowed me to study them more closely. Their armor was composed of countless interlocked rings, forming a slash-proof layer known as chainmail. They held medium-sized round shields, and swords were sheathed at their hips. Clearly, these men understood the importance of wielding the right weapon for the occasion. No cavalry would breach this far into the palace.
Selahe spoke briefly with one of the guards, who then waved us inside. As the door opened, a wave of dense mana hit me, nearly giving me a headache from its intensity. The room we entered was filled with stone arches, each adorned with embedded gems and inscribed with runes. Each arch bore a label, though the language was still unfamiliar to me. We navigated to one of the arches, about halfway into the room, which bore another unreadable label.
The Duchess pressed her hands against the stone arch and began channeling mana into it. I quickly recognized the formation of a gate spell, similar to what I had witnessed before. The light behind the portal twisted and split, eventually forming a black void at the center. More mana poured into the arch, and a speck of light appeared, gradually expanding until the familiar stone of Calo City came into view.
I noted the absence of the mana crystal we had used during our previous gate spell to Gravden, the capital. It seemed the arches here facilitated the gate spell, though at a considerable cost. Each arch was adorned with more than twenty fist-sized precious gems, and the mana thrumming through the room was palpable. Unfortunately, my mana sense was still too basic to discern the specific type of mana at play.
We stepped through the portal and were immediately greeted by the fresh, salty breeze of the ocean. The scent was heavenly after the stifling air of the capital. I recognized our location within the city—it was a small square with a fountain at its center, not far from the castle villa. Having passed by this square several times during our travels to and from the port, I now realized it was a replica of the square in Gravden. This must have been done to improve the visualization phase of the gate spell.
We set out on foot towards the castle, flanked by our butlers and guards. Crossing the castle wall, we collectively sighed in relief, glad to be home. Earlier, the Duke had explained that Mona, Fazio, and Selahe would soon be setting out to Sampagnanoli. We were to leave by ship at the second chime of the city bell at sunrise.
Since our region was fairly equatorial, the winter and summer did not affect the time of the bell very much. However, I surmised that Gravden, located over twelve hundred kilometers to the north, would be heavily influenced by the shorter daylight hours.
I wondered if the citizens there noticed the impact on their daily routines. Afterall, if first bell rang at first light and sixth bell at sunset, then Gravden's productivity would plumet in winter. What people took to be 'bed time' or from seventh bell to the first bell of the next day would become longer. Perhaps the best technology to introduce would be a clock.
We entered the familiar villa, where the servants greeted us warmly. They reported to Selahe that nothing of note had occurred during our absence in the capital. I was then taken to my new room with Fazio, which was located in the family area of the house. As we entered, Fazio's jaw dropped.
"This is more than double the size of my room last time!" he exclaimed to Mona.
Mona chuckled and replied, "Remember, this is technically the young master's room."
Fazio nodded in realization. "That makes much more sense than me being granted this big room. I keep forgetting Dam will be rooming with me here and at the island as well."
Mona placed a hand on her son's shoulder and said, "You'll get used to it. I can already tell you two have a strong bond."
Fazio smiled and nodded, and we spent the rest of the day playing "daggers," as Fazio had started calling it. Our playful sparring was interrupted only when I received a notification from the system.
Congratulations!
By repeated training, your Dagger Basics has increased to Rank 2!
I celebrated the achievement internally, satisfied with the progress I had made. Deciding that I had trained enough for the day, I crawled into my crib while Fazio flopped onto his bed.
Before drifting off to sleep, I heard him murmur to himself, "Why do you like me so much?" He shook his head, as if trying to dispel the emotional turmoil he was grappling with. My heart ached for my retainer, and I wished I could offer him some comfort, but in that moment, I remained silent.