Arvind frowned as each bump in the rough road sent pain shooting through his lower back. The carriage ride seemed excessive for a noble, and he longed for the comfortable cars from his past life—now just a distant dreams.
The seats were decorative with golden fabric, a symbol of nobility, and the exterior bore his family crest: a deep blue field with a silver hawk. What was the use of this display of status in the wilderness?
As he peeked from the carriage windows, he observed his knights moving with discipline, protecting his convoy from danger as they traveled toward his territory.
This world mirrored medieval Europe, populated by humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, dragons, and monstrous creatures. Unlike Earth, the forests here were perilous. He stopped his beating heart as he looked at the looming forest, darkened by ancient trees that stood as tall as small towers.
His knights were not ordinary people. Aldric, the knight commander, was an intermediate knight, while the rest were 39 apprentice knights.
Atheron was a magical world where castles and nobles dominated everything.
Elemental energies gave birth to special powers like mana for mages and fighting spirit for knights were prevalent. Countless paths to power existed, and It was said that one junior knight could kill ordinary people as easily as stepping on an ant.
The continent he lived on was known as Thaloria. What about other continents? He still didn't know.
As he gazed at his knights, Arvind clenched his fists, thinking about his poor talent. He had practiced fighting spirit from childhood to his current age of 17, yet he was still an apprentice knight.
His father was completely disappointed with him, valuing strength above all, as was the norm for nobility.
His older brother, the eldest in the family, Raghav Hale, had become an apprentice knight at the age of 9, a junior knight at 11, and an intermediate knight before his coming-of-age ceremony. Now he was a senior knight.
His second older sister, Liora Hale, had become an apprentice mage at the age of 13 and was now a junior mage. Advancing as a mage was more difficult and expensive than as a knight.
Arvind was a handsome man with blonde hair, fair skin, and a strong body, inheriting his mother's beauty. He was satisfied with his looks, but he hadn't inherited his father's talent for fighting spirit.
Arvind mocked himself as he compared himself to his older brother and sister. Envy grew inside him. He was also the son of an earl, and most unfortunately, a reincarnator without a golden finger.
"Fuck."
Arvind's family held the hereditary title of "Earl of Silverhold City." His father, Eldric Hale, the head of the Hale family in the Kingdom of Larnhelm, was a powerful great knight and master of Silverhold City.
He owned a vast territory of one hundred thousand square kilometers, equivalent to the size of South Korea. He was also a powerful knight even in the Kingdom of Larnhelm, holding all the power of life and death in the territory.
Each noble title had a mandatory strength threshold: baron at intermediate knight, viscount at senior knight, count at great knight, marquis at earth knight, and king at sky knight.
This threshold was unavoidable, as Atheron was not a peaceful world. Without strength, any magical beast or enemy could come to your house without the courage to strike back.
The unfortunate part for Arvind was not only his mediocre talent. On his coming-of-age ceremony, his father gave him an untamed territory bordering both the Warcraft Forest and murlocs on the coastline.
He clenched his fists, his face turning red as he muttered silently, "Close to the wolf den, like a sheep in front of a tiger."
It might seem that his father was generous by giving him a group of knights consisting of one intermediate knight, equal to a baron, and 39 apprentice knights.
But that only considered the baron, not his vassals, and his territory bordered two dangerous places. Even sky knights didn't dare to travel deep into the Warcraft Forest.
Despite knowing the danger, his father heartlessly assigned this territory to him. His hand moved to the small lotus pendant around his neck, tightening his grip on the last piece from his mother. "A lotus blooms, no matter the mud," he vowed, tears welling up in his eyes. "I won't let destiny rule over my ways."
"My lord, the carriage has stopped," Anika said with a hint of worry as she looked at Arvind, seeing his changing expression and tears.
Arvind was interrupted and realized it was time to stop. "Let's go then," he responded to Anika as he strode outside.
Anika had seen him grow from childhood to adulthood, witnessing his joy, mischief, and sorrow. She owed a debt of gratitude to Arvind's mother, who had changed her life. She clenched her soft hands as she looked at his back, whispering silently, vowing to be his steady support.
Moments later, one of the knights approached him and said in a respectful tone, "My lord, your tent is ready." He noticed the knight's reluctance to help set up the tent.
Arvind nodded without showing his displeasure as he entered the tent.
Time passed. Anika came in with a meal. "My lord, you can eat now," she said, placing the meal on the table. The meal consisted of warm white bread, stew, and ale made from barley.
As he ate, his eyes turned to Anika, his personal maid. She had long brown hair, fair skin, soul-stirring blue eyes, and a tall, slender figure with graceful features. She reminded him of the woman he once admired in his past life, and He wondered if his mother had seen something of herself in Anika when she chose her as his personal maid. He muttered, perhaps there was still someone he wanted to protect.
After finishing their lunch, they began to travel again.
Arvind looked outside the windows again, scanning the passing road surrounded by bushes and tall trees. His hands trembled as his heart beat with apprehension, striking him as they continued leaving the bustling road.
To distract himself, Arvind turned to Anika. "Ask Shankar to come here," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Of course, my lord," Anika replied, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
A few breaths later, Shankar entered. He had been seated with the coachman. "My lord, what happened?" he asked, confusion appearing in his eyes.
Arvind moved his eyes up and responded, "Tell me, where are we now?" as he pointed to the unfamiliar road with his finger.
Shankar looked at his finger, seeing the forest. "We just passed the count's territory and are now close to the barony that borders your territory," he replied.
"My lord, please stay inside. The upcoming journey may be dangerous. Leave the rest to your knights," Shankar said, his eyes filled with worry.
Arvind nodded solemnly as Shankar's words lingered in his mind. He clenched his fists, hoping for a safe journey.
Shankar noticed Arvind's eyes. He understood how Arvind felt, pitying the young man who, as a noble, had to face his fears and improve himself through this journey.
Returning to his original seat, Shankar muttered with his hand on his heart, "Please, God of Light, bless us so that we may have a safe journey," as he looked at the passing dense forests.
As night fell, The convoy stopped to make camp, and the knights quickly established a perimeter.
Arvind stepped out, stretching his stiff limbs and breathing in the cool evening air as tents rose around him.
After hours, the smell of roasting meat drifted from the fire as the convoy settled in for the night.
Anika approached, offering him a bowl of stew along with white bread. He took it gratefully, savoring the warmth and flavor as he ate in silence. Shankar joined him soon after, his eyes calm and steady.
After they finished, Shankar spoke in a measured voice. "Young master, Ravengarde may be harsh, but it is yours. Every tree, every river, every stone. You have the power to shape it, to make it your own."
Arvind met Shankar's gaze. The old butler's words stirred something inside him. He clenched his fists with determination as he looked at the dark road ahead.
Later, as he lay in his tent, Arvind stared at the stars through a tiny gap in the canvas. His mother had once told him that stars were guardians, watching over those who felt lost. Her words brought a faint smile to his lips. Maybe, just maybe, she was still watching over him.
He thought of her lotus pendant, her gentle but unwavering spirit. "A lotus blooms, no matter the mud." If he was to be ordinary, he would turn that ordinary into something extraordinary. With that resolve, he closed his eyes, letting the quiet.