"My dear son Alden, how have you been recently?
In the blink of an eye, you have also left home and served in the Goldenshield Legion for nearly ten years...
A few days ago, tragedy struck—your father and brother were ambushed by monsters while overseeing the fiefdom and lost their lives.
I hope you can retire and return home as soon as possible to take up the family's title and manage the fiefdom."
- Your mother, Evelyn.
Looking at the letter in his hand, Alden didn't know what to say for a moment.
He hadn't expected such a big change to happen to his family so suddenly.
His father and brother had been ambushed by monsters and tragically lost their lives.
And now, the second son, who was never expected to inherit anything, suddenly became the heir to the Ashleigh family fortune.
It all caught him off guard.
"This Ondoria Continent, where gods walk among mortals, is truly dangerous," Alden muttered to himself.
"No one knows what tomorrow will bring, or if tomorrow will come at all."
After a long silence, Alden couldn't help but feel the impermanence of the world.
Though he felt sad about his father and brother's death, the grief wasn't too strong.
After all, he'd only crossed over to this world six months ago.
The memories of his current life felt distant, more like watching someone else's movie.
And over the past half year, he had been living in the Goldenshield Legion's camp, with no contact with the family of this body's original owner.
Naturally, he didn't have a deep connection with the somewhat 'unfamiliar' father and brother.
"Should I go back to inherit the family business or not?"
After sorting out his emotions, Alden began to carefully consider the question.
Returning to inherit the family business had its advantages and disadvantages.
If he wanted to further advance on the extraordinary path, it would be better to stay in the Goldenshield Legion.
After all, the Goldenshield Legion is one of the three extraordinary knight legions of the Kingdom of Frosthaven.
The benefits are very good.
There are intermediate and advanced warriors to guide training, and by earning military merits, one can even obtain auxiliary potions to aid cultivation.
According to the memories of this body's original owner, his father had spent three years' worth of the territory's income just to bribe the captain of the Goldenshield Legion and secure his position.
However, the aptitude of this body was really poor.
After nearly ten years in the Goldenshield Legion, Alden was still just a low-level knight at the 3rd rank.
At this rate, breaking through to the 4th rank would take several more years. Becoming an advanced knight of the 7th rank was almost impossible.
In this situation, standing out in the legion, where the strong are respected, was unlikely.
And if a war broke out, his life as a lowly 3rd-rank knight would be highly at risk.
"Then returning home to inherit the family business might really be my best choice," Alden sighed.
When he first arrived in this magical world, he'd dreamt of becoming a legendary figure, like those senior transmigrators in the stories.
But after living here for six months, he had long realized how cruel reality was.
For someone like him, with no extraordinary background, poor talent, and no cheat-like abilities, achieving greatness on the extraordinary path was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.
Since that's the case, it was better to return home, inherit the family business, and live comfortably.
The Ashleigh family wasn't a prominent one, but the barony and its 20 square kilometers of territory were enough for him to live worry-free.
With that in mind, Alden made his decision.
Retire and go home.
However, retiring from the Goldenshield Legion wasn't a simple matter.
As one of the Frosthaven Kingdom's three extraordinary legions, the Goldenshield Legion didn't allow people to come and go freely.
Normally, soldiers needed to serve at least fifteen years or suffer a serious injury to qualify for retirement.
Having served less than ten years, Alden clearly didn't meet these requirements.
There was no other way.
If he wanted to retire and return home, he had to resort to special means.
For example, bribing his superiors.
After a series of "gifts," most of the wealth he had accumulated over the years was gone in an instant.
Fortunately, the retirement process was successfully completed.
On his last day in the legion, many comrades came to bid him farewell. They shared drinks, reminisced about battles fought together, and wished him well on his journey home.
...
The next morning, Alden mounted his warhorse and began the long ride back to Nightbloom Village, the Ashleigh family's fiefdom.
Perhaps due to the recent deaths of the baron and his eldest son, the atmosphere in Nightbloom Village felt heavy.
Even in broad daylight, the streets were mostly empty.
Riding through the village, Alden eventually arrived at the small manor in the center.
After the guards announced his arrival, a mature, beautiful woman stepped out—it was Evelyn, his mother.
The moment she saw Alden, she ran to him, tears streaming down her face.
"My child, you've finally returned!"
Her husband and eldest son were gone, and the weight of managing the territory had fallen entirely on her. If Alden hadn't returned, she didn't know how she could continue.
Alden comforted his emotional mother for a while, reassuring her.
Once Evelyn had calmed down, Alden began to take charge of family matters. He organized the funerals of his father and brother, ensuring they were laid to rest with dignity.
Then, in front of the villagers, Alden formally inherited the title of baron and became the ruler of Nightbloom.
For lower nobles like barons, the inheritance process was simple. After the ceremony, all that remained was to register with the noble house in the county city.
With the major affairs handled, Alden prepared to settle into a quiet, comfortable life.
However, just two days later, his mother brought him unexpected news.
She had found him a fiancée!
...
Nightbloom Village.
Ashleigh Manor.
"Mother, you've found me a fiancée? And the wedding is in a few days?" Alden, lounging in the sun, widened his eyes in surprise, completely taken aback.
This was way too sudden!
He had no idea who the bride even was, and now he was expected to get married?
"That's right! With your father and brother gone, the responsibility falls to you now," Evelyn said firmly.
"If you don't marry and have children soon, what will become of the Ashleigh bloodline? If something happens to you, the family's legacy will end with you!"
Her expression was solemn, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
Indeed, this was no small matter.
Throughout the history of the Ondoria Continent, countless noble families had faded into obscurity because their bloodlines had died out.
For nobles, ensuring the continuation of their lineage was more than just tradition—it was a critical duty. The larger the family, the stronger its stability and influence.
From this perspective, the Ashleigh family stood at the brink of crisis.
With Alden the only remaining direct heir, any mishap would mean the family's legacy would be lost forever.
"Alright," Alden finally said, his resistance easing.
As an adult, he understood that responsibilities came with obligations. Having inherited the Ashleigh family's title and land, it was now his duty to ensure its survival and prosperity.
Of course, obligation was one thing.
But if the bride turned out to be unattractive, there was no way he'd agree to it.
Seeing the concern flicker across Alden's face, Evelyn smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I've chosen Jennifer for you, the eldest daughter of the neighboring Darrel Knights. She's a stunning young woman. You'll be very pleased."
Hearing this, Alden's eyes lit up. Any lingering hesitation he felt vanished instantly, replaced with excitement.
...
Two days later.
The wedding day arrived.
To help Alden establish himself as the new Baron of Nightbloom and integrate into the local noble circles, Evelyn had organized a grand celebration.
Invitations were sent to nearly every noble in the surrounding territories.
As a result, the Ashleigh family manor was buzzing with activity. Nobles dressed in their finest attire gathered, their chatter and laughter filling the air.
Alden, dressed in formal attire, stood ready to meet his bride.
When Jennifer appeared, all his expectations were exceeded.
Just as Evelyn had promised, she was breathtakingly beautiful—fair skin, an alluring figure, and long, golden hair that shimmered in the light.
Her beauty matched his every ideal.
Feeling Alden's gaze, Jennifer, dressed in an elegant white gown, blushed softly and lowered her eyes in shy modesty.
What followed was a grand ceremony.
In the presence of noble guests and under the blessing of the priest of the Church of Love, Alden and Jennifer exchanged vows and officially became husband and wife.
That evening, they completed the final step.