[LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS] SIDE STORY ONE: GEORGE’S FIRST LOVE

[LEGEND OF THE ARCH MAGUS] SIDE STORY ONE: GEORGE’S FIRST LOVE

[Behemoth City - Capital of the Kingdom of Lukas]

It was an event that occurred while Lark was fighting the Demon Barkuvara’s clone at the Empire.

Although the demons were rampaging in the Empire, killing thousands of people each day, the Kingdom of Lukas remained relatively peaceful.

“Hahaha! This is so easy now!”

George and Austen were at the royal training hall, diligently practicing their spells against the dummies prepared for them by Lark before.

Orbs of fire and bolts of lightning flew around the room, swerving every now and then, before hitting their targets.

The brothers had become proficient not only in quickcast, but also in controlling the trajectory of their spells.

The growth of the two were so fast that they had already surpassed the intermediate-ranked magicians of Wizzert Tower.

Of course, they were still far off before they could even hope to fight the elders or the tower master. Moreover, proficiency in magic did not translate directly to winning battles, as experience played a key role, but it gave one tremendous leverage.

“Hey, watch this!” said George.

George crossed his fingers, and the three orbs of fire above him combined, turning into one large orb.

“Hahahaha! I am the Sun God! Hahahaha! Bow to me, mortals!”

George channeled more mana into the orb of fire, enlarging it even further, until it reached the size of two carriages combined.

Seeing this, Austen’s jaw fell down. Not from surprise or excitement, but from fright.

“H-Hey, you little shit! Are you planning on killing both of us?!”

George smirked.

“What are you so afraid of? Master fortified this room with magic before he left for the Empire. He said even a royal court magician would have a hard time breaking down the walls of this training hall.”

“That’s the problem, moron!”

“Huh?”

Austen pulled his hair, frustrated by the young man before him. He looked around, his gaze lingering the longest on the exit.

Austen looked up and stared at the ball of fire hovering above them. “Y-You can still cancel it, right?”

“What are you so afraid of, brother? The practice dummy wouldn’t be destroyed by this kind of spell. It’s protected by Master’s magic.”

“This idiot!” Austen clicked his tongue. “This room is protected by one, huge shield cast by Master! What do you think will happen if something that big explodes in this room! An orb that large will be reflected, not absorbed!”

Hearing this, the color on George’s face slowly started to drain. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his lips started twitching.

Now that he’d thought of it, their Master already warned them about using powerful spells in the training hall.

King Lark said that if they wished to practice using stronger spells, they should do it under Kel’ Vual’s supervision.

“W-What do we do?” stammered George.

“Put it out! Put it out!”

“I-I can’t!”

“What do you mean you can’t! You dumbass! Why did you enlargen it in the first place if you can’t control it!”

“I know, I’m sorry, alright! Just help me out!”

Austen groaned.

Although George was playful and childish, he’d already surpassed Austen long ago in magic.

Although he’d become proficient in quickcast, Austen did not have the ability to stop a fireball spell that large.

There was only one option left.

“Wait over here! I’m going to ask for help outside!”

“Don’t leave me! N-Nooo! It’s toooo lateee – AHHHH!”

Unable to control the huge fireball any longer, it spun around the room and violently struck the wall behind the practice dummy.

A deafening boom was heard, and the impact of the spell sent not only George but also Austen flying.

Thud!

Thud!

“Ugh…”

“George, you little shit…”

The two groaned in pain.

Their clothes were torn by the impact, and their skin were charred.

Had Austen not cast his own spell to redirect the shockwave and heat from the impact, they would have suffered more grave injuries.

Austen gingerly stood up. He looked around the room. As expected of the room protected by their Master’s spell, it was practically untouched even after the explosion.

“Ugh… cough! Cough!”

Blood dripped down their lips.

Austen walked toward where George was sprawled.

Since George was nearest the explosion, he suffered more severe injuries. One of his legs was bent in a strange direction, and his entire left arm was burnt like charcoal.

Still, the two weren’t too worried. They were in the king’s castle, after all. This place never lacked medicines and concoctions.

“Are you alright?” said Austen. He helped George get up.

George said weakly, “Do I look fine to you?”

Austen frowned. For a moment, he had the urge to let go of his brother and let him fall on the floor. But alas, it felt cruel to just leave him be here after suffering from the explosion.

“Since you have the energy to speak,” said Austen. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on, get up. We’re going to the infirmary. You don’t want me to carry you like a princess, right?”

“Like a princess?” Blinking his eyes quickly several times, George replied, “Cough! Cough! Oh, my sweet brother, I can’t walk! Carry me, please?”

“This little—!”

“What’s going on here!”

Looking in the direction of the voice, the brothers saw several royal guards standing near the entrance. They must have come here after hearing the loud explosion.

The moment they saw the injured brothers, the royal guards were horrified.

“Oh, heavens! What happened here!”

The royal guards rushed inside the training hall. After seeing the injuries of the brothers up close, the royal guards panicked.

“Did someone attack the young masters?!”

“Secure the perimeter! Contact the royal guards and royal knights! Do not let anyone leave the castle!”

“Yes!”

The royal guards even started pulling out their weapons, and several of them moved toward the entrance to secure the way out.

The young masters getting hurt – it absolutely cannot be permitted.

Just the mere thought sent the royal guards the shivers.

In the Kingdom of Lukas, King Lark was starting to be revered by the citizens as the greatest king in their entire history.

The number of reforms he’d made during his tenure overshadowed even that of the Tyrant King.

It was under his rule that slavery had been abolished. Furthermore, Black Midas, the largest underground syndicate in the kingdom, was destroyed under the directives of King Lark.

He solved the Black Famine.

He helped repel the invasion of the Empire.

And he even defended the Kingdom against the demons.

And as though those achievements weren’t enough, King Lark recently established the Coalition Army.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Kingdom of Lukas probably held power on par with the Great Empire right now.

And all of these were possible because of the existence of King Lark.

Since King Lark did not have any children, his disciples naturally held status akin to princes and princesses.

Even the nobles had to bow to these youngsters.

The royal guards would do anything to find the perpetrators for this incident.

The injuries of King Lark’s disciples were so severe that the idea that it was caused by an accident during training never crossed the minds of the royal guards.

“Please rest assured, young masters!” said one of the royal guards. “We’ll make sure to capture the culprits!”

The bells of the castle rang.

Based on the sound of footsteps outside, it seemed that thousands of soldiers, royal guards, and knights were mobilized.

They all moved with a single goal in mind: to find the one responsible for the explosion. To find the bastard who’d hurt King Lark’s disciples.

“H-Hey, what should we do?” whispered George.

They were so stunned by the sudden turn of events that they lost their chance to explain things to the royal guards.

And now, things had been blown out of proportion.

They even heard the castle gates closing, and the portcullis slamming down to the ground.

“This is your damn fault, George,” Austen angrily whispered back.

“I know already!”

“Then explain it to them!”

“W-What?”

“Do it!”

“No, you do it!”

“Why should I? Who’s the moron who made that oversized orb of fire!”

“You should have stopped me!”

“Hah! I can’t believe this! You’re no longer a kid! Why should I watch over you!”

The two continued their banter, until one of the royal guards spoke.

“Young masters, we’re taking you now to the infirmary.”

Like warriors heading to war, the royal guards secured the way out.

“Please, this way.”

Awkwardly, the brothers let themselves be carried by the royal guards. Their faces were red not only from the explosion, but from shame.

“Make sure the paths are secured! The culprit must still be inside the castle! Protect the young masters at all cost!”

“Yes!”

When they were almost at the infirmary, Austen finally mustered the courage to explain everything.

“S-Sir?”

“Yes, young master?” said the royal guard carrying him.

“It… it’s a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

Austen’s already flushed face turned even redder.

“Y-Yes. You see…”

Austen then started telling the truth to the royal guards escorting them.

After he was done with the story, silence befell the group.

After some time, the royal guard carrying him sighed.

“Oh, god… Thank god!”

The brothers did not expect this reaction.

“S-Sir?”

“I was so terrified, young master! So, it’s just a training accident, huh? Haha. For a moment, I thought our heads would roll for failing to protect King Lark’s precious disciples.”

Surprisingly, what the royal guards felt after hearing the story wasn’t anger, but relief.

It seemed that the royal guards had been worried that they had lapses in the defense of the castle, that an intruder managed to enter and harm the disciples of His Majesty.

The royal guards opened the door to the infirmary.

Brightly, they smiled.

“Although it was an accident, the fact that the young masters are injured remains. Please have yourselves checked by the healers.”

“You’re… not angry?” said George.

“Why would we be? We are forever grateful to His Majesty. Naturally, it is our responsibility to protect the young masters. I’m just glad that it was not an intruder. But please be careful next time during training, young masters.”

How loyal.

The royal guards protecting the royal family were really great, thought the brothers.

“But just in case something happens, we’ll be assigning a few of our men to guard the infirmary.”

“We appreciate that,” said Austen.

“Then please call for us if you need anything.”

The royal guards left and the healers in the infirmary took over. The chief healer, who replaced the traitor Aldur, even checked up on them personally.

Knowing that the two patients were King Lark’s disciples, the chief healer even insisted on using middle-grade healing potions on them, but the brothers refused.

The brothers said that they wouldn’t be able to look their Master in the eye if they used middle-grade potions for their injuries this time.

In the end, the chief healer ended up using herbs and other concoctions to hasten the healing process. Also, the brothers ended up staying in the infirmary for several days.

And it was the start of that fateful encounter.

On the third day of their stay, a recently hired healer was tasked to change George’s bandages.

George’s mind went blank when he saw the girl.

How beautiful, he thought.

Black hair neatly tied into a bun, saucer-like eyes, white skin that seemed to have never been touched by sunlight, and graceful movements that would shame most nobles.

“Young master.”

Even her voice was beautiful, thought George.

“I am Kaitlyn, the healer tasked to change your bandages for this morning.”

George opened then closed his mouth. He looked like a fish gasping for air right now.

The young woman said several more words after that, but George was too busy gawking at her that he didn’t hear the words that came out of her mouth.

Princess Esmeralda and Chryselle were also beautiful in their own right, but this girl had this unique charm in her that couldn’t be found from the two.

How should George describe it?

She looked innocent, gentle, and fragile.

The kind of woman who stirred up George’s protective instinct.

“There, all done.” Kaitlyn smiled softly.

After some effort, George finally muttered, “T-Thank you…”

“It’s my pleasure to be of help, Young Master George.”

George said, “You… Y-You know my name?”

Kaitlyn lightly tilted her head to the side. “Of course, I know the young master’s name?”

“Haha, is that so?”

After that awkward exchange, the healer excused herself and left.

The door closed with a light thud sound, and the brothers were left there, sitting on their beds.

George longingly stared at the door, while Austen suspiciously gazed at him.

Austen frowned. “This troublemaker. What are you scheming this time?”

“I’m not scheming anything!” said George indignantly.

“Really?”

Like a hawk, Austen scrutinized George from head to foot.

Austen repeated, “Really?”

“Really!”

“Hmmm…” Austen sagaciously rubbed his chin. “Then….”

George gulped. His older brother was unnaturally sharp when it came to things like this.

And he was right.

“…That girl from before. Don’t tell me, you like her?”

“W-W-W-What are you saying!”

Seeing the flustered look on George’s face, Austen mischievously grinned.

“Really? Is this the legendary ‘love at first sight’?” Austen teasingly laughed. “I thought you hate healers? And here you are, falling in love with one!”

Austen’s laughter turned a pitch higher.

The two of them held the healers of the kingdom in bad light. After all, they ignored and abandoned George before, back when he became a cripple.

George would have probably died back then, had a priest from the Water God’s Temple not helped them.

“This and that are different!” said George. “And it’s unfair if we blame her for those corrupt healers in Lion City!”

“So, you really like her then?”

“W-W-Wha… N-No! I just found her pretty, that’s all!”

Austen rubbed his chin again. This time, both his eyes and lips were smiling.

“George, George, George. My dear brother, George.”

George shivered hearing Austen repeat his name several times while wearing that sinister smile.

“Did you know? First impressions are important. They can make or break a relationship. You know that, right?”

Under normal circumstances, George would have questioned Austen’s words. After all, they were both inexperienced when it came to these things. Austen shouldn’t be in a position to lecture him about relationships.

But currently, George was too flustered to properly think.

“…What do you mean?

Austen went down his bed, swept open the curtains, and looked out the window.

Austen didn’t reply, and it made George worry more.

“D-Did I do something wrong? Did I say something bad before?”

“First, before that, I’m telling Master that you played around with a powerful spell in the training hall and nearly killed the two of us.”

George had already come to terms with this one. He readily nodded his head.

“I’ll take full responsibility for the incident, older brother,” said George.

Austen suddenly turned and faced George. He said, “Oooh~ wow! He called me older brother! How long has it been since I’ve heard those come out of my little brother’s mouth!”

Austen pranced around the room, clearly enjoying the card he’d suddenly gotten hold with.

“You like her, don’t you? Come on, say it~ Say it~”

George’s ears turned red.

“I-I do! S-So, what!”

Austen grinned.

“This older brother of yours will help you win her heart. But on one condition.”

“W-What condition?”

“You’ll be my slave for six months. And by slave, you’ll do anything I order you to do. Whether training without skipping any classes, cooking me meals, cleaning our rooms, not secretly sneaking out at night to go to the kitchen, anything!”

George was expecting something more horrifying, but it turned out his brother was only going to make him do mundane stuff. It did not sound like a bad deal, he thought.

Judging by Austen’s personality, he would probably use the contract to force George to participate in all of his classes, no matter how boring they may be.

“…Alright, what should I do to win her heart?”

“Before that, listen.”

Austen deepened his voice, forcefully projecting an image of a matured person.

“They say familiarity breeds contempt, distance earns respect. But I say otherwise! Familiarity, when used properly, brings two people closer! Familiarity, that’s right! That’s what you need the most right now!”

Something sounded wrong, but George couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He continued listening.

“So, what I’m saying is this,” said Austen. “Visit her frequently. We have sword and magic lessons, no? What do you think will happen if we get injured?”

George’s eyes slowly widened as he was starting to realize what his older brother was planning.

“I’ll be sent to the infirmary,” whispered George.

“That’s right,” grinned Austen. “I’ll talk to the chief healer and ask him to assign Kaitlyn to you. How’s that?”

Although it was a simple plan, it felt ingenious. George couldn’t help but see his older brother in a different light.

If this plan could really make them grow closer to each other, George wouldn’t mind being Austen’s slave for several months.

Austen placed his arm over George’s shoulder. “Leave everything to me. This older brother of yours will guide you.”

***

Days passed by.

After being discharged from the infirmary, the brothers continued with their daily training.

As promised by Austen, every time they got injured during training, no matter how minor the injury was, they went to the infirmary. They refused to drink healing potions, saying it would be a waste of resources.

The simple strategy of Austen proved effective.

It made it possible for George to see the healer more often.

Over time, George and Kaitlyn started becoming familiar with each other. It was to the point that George could even openly tease her.

“Hahaha! I can’t believe you did that!”

Kaitlyn’s laughter was music to George’s ears. Every time he made the healer laugh, he was in cloud nine.

“Well, they don’t call me the ‘Greatest Courier of Lion City for no reason!” bragged George.

He’d just finished telling Kaitlyn a story about his days as a courier in Lion City.

George was proud of his roots. He never hid the fact that he was once a pauper before meeting King Lark.

Austen, who was looking out the window, cringed at the story, but he didn’t say anything to sabotage the progress of his little brother.

“You finally smiled again,” said George. “You looked down these last few days.”

Kaitlyn wryly smiled, “You noticed? I’m sorry if I displeased you, young master.”

“N-No!” George waved his hands several times. “That’s not what I’m saying. I mean… if you’re worried about something, you can always tell me. I’ll listen, Kaitlyn.”

Hearing this, Austen had the urge to vomit.

“But… to burden the young master for something like this….”

“Burden? Not at all! This much is natural. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

George finally used the friendship card.

Hearing the word ‘friend’, Kaitlyn was moved.

“Friend? The young master is my friend?”

George nodded. “Yes. And not only me. Even my older brother there is your friend.”

He even added Austen into the mix.

After some convincing, Kaitlyn finally decided to open up to him.

“The young master knows I’m a recent hire, yes?”

“I’m aware,” said George.

Kaitlyn started her story.

According to her, her family were former barons in a remote territory in the kingdom. After the Black Famine struck the kingdom several years ago, they lost all of their crops.

In order to survive, her parents loaned a hefty sum of money from a loaning company.

Things escalated from there.

Due to an unreasonable clause in the contract which her father failed to notice in time, their debt started to accumulate.

Although King Lark managed to cull the Black Famine, Kaitlyn’s family never fully recovered due to the debt’s high interest rate. They started selling off their assets to pay the loaning company. And even Kaitlyn was forced to work in order to help repay the debt of her family.

Thankfully, she had talent with healing, which allowed her to work as an apprentice in the royal infirmary.

“Honestly, the pay isn’t that great,” she said. “But the chief healer promised that my salary will rise threefold once I become a regular. And besides, it’s better to work as an apprentice here rather than not do anything and just rely on my parents.”

George secretly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

What a strong woman, he thought.

So, she was a noble.

It explained why her movements were so graceful and elegant.

George currently had around three gold coins stashed away. For a moment, he deliberated whether or not he should give it to her. As a former pauper, he knew it was a fortune.

“If you don’t mind me asking… how much does your parents owe?”

Kaitlyn thought for a moment. “It’s fine. I’m not ashamed of it since I know my parents did it to survive. Around… five hundred gold coins?”

George was stunned by the amount.

His three gold coins would hardly make a dent in Kaitlyn’s family debt.

Seeing George’s expression, Kaitlyn warmly smiled.

“I’m fine, young master. We’ll manage somehow. I know you’re a kind person, but you don’t need to involve yourself with my problems. I’m simply glad to have someone who listens.”

George’s heart thumped.

He vowed to protect that smile no matter what.

***

Days passed after that.

The brothers purposely get injured in order to have an excuse to visit the infirmary, but they were told that Kaitlyn had stopped coming recently.

“I’m worried,” said George during their training.

“I know,” said Austen. “But what can we do? It’s not like we can force her to come back and work as the infirmary’s healer just because we want to.”

“No, something must have happened to her. She said it before, didn’t she? She planned on helping pay her family’s debt by working as the royal infirmary’s healer. She wouldn’t quit just like that, brother. Something must have happened.”

Austen pondered. “If you’re that worried, let’s visit her.”

Filled with resolve, George nodded.

“But just in case, let’s bring uncle along.”

After getting her address from the chief healer, the brothers immediately went out to visit her. Of course, they forced the leader of the Arzomos Tribe to tag along with them.

Surprisingly, the address was located at the Outer District. Particularly, it was located near the recently reformed slum area.

Bringing uncle Kel’ Vual with them was definitely a great idea.

“A baron family living in this place…,” muttered George.

No matter how low they’d fallen, a baron family was still a noble.

“I know you’re surprised,” said Austen. “But refrain from mentioning anything about this place when we meet her.”

“I’m not that insensitive.”

Kel’ Vual, who remained hidden with his spell, spoke to them.

“Kids, be careful when entering that alley.”

“Uncle?”

“Two men with weapons are waiting over there.”

They were probably there to mug unsuspecting people.

Hearing this, the brothers decided to avoid that pathway. Although they were safe under their uncle’s protection, they didn’t want to cause unneeded commotion.

Under Kel’ Vual’s guidance, the brothers safely reached the residence of Kaitlyn.

George knocked on the door.

“Hello? Is anybody home?”

There was no answer.

“Did she go out?” muttered Austen.

Kel’ Vual sent a mental transmission to the brothers. “I can sense two people inside.”

Knowing that there were people inside, George knocked again.

After persistently knocking on the door, someone eventually answered.

“…Who are you? What do you want?”

It was the terrified voice of an old man.

“Good day, sir,” said George respectfully. “Is Kait—”

“—What more do you want!”

The brothers were startled when the old man suddenly started shouting. The door opened, and an old man holding a wooden stick came out.

The old man’s face was swollen, as though he’d been punched in the face several times, and his eyes looked empty. The eyes of someone who’d already resigned himself to fate. Although he looked dead inside, he reeked of madness, ready to charge at Austen and George at any time.

“Didn’t your superiors tell you! Your men already took my daughter away! You fucking vermins! Fucking scum of the kingdom!”

The old man brandished his wooden stick. As he limped toward them, the brothers caught a glimpse of what’s inside the house. Broken tables and chairs, shards of glass scattered about on the floor, and a trembling old woman huddled near the wall.

“What more do you want! You should have just taken me instead! I may be old, but I can still work! I still have value as a slave!”

When the old man was about to swing his stick at them, the brothers immediately said:

“Sir, we are not slave traders.”

“We’re Kaitlyn’s friends, Sir.”

The old man froze. The madness in his eyes dissipated. He lowered his wooden stick. Slowly, his face contorted. It was apparent he was trying his best not to cry in front of the two.

“…Her friends?”

George nodded. “Yes. We haven’t introduced ourselves. I am George, disciple of King Lark Marcus.”

“Austen, disciple of King Lark Marcus.”

“O-Oh! His Majesty’s disciples! I’ve been so rude!” The old man hastily bent his knees. “To think I raised my voice and threatened His Majest—”

“—Please rise, Sir. There’s no need for formalities. We’ve come here as her friends. You can address us casually.”

“But how could I….”

After a series of back and forth, the brothers eventually managed to convince the old man to address them casually.

“I am Kaitlyn’s father. I wish I could accommodate the young masters inside, but…”

The brothers understood the old man’s hesitation. Based on what they’d seen, it seemed that the house had been recently ransacked by someone.

George decided to get straight to the point. They could already surmise the reason why Kaitlyn had been missing after hearing the old man’s previous words.

“Sir, did slave traders take Kaitlyn away?”

The old man bit his lips so hard it started to bleed. He nodded grimly.

“Yes. Those damn bastards. They’d been threatening us for months now. After being unable to pay for three months straight, they finally took my daughter away three days ago.”

The old man’s entire body trembled. Not only from rage, but also from the shame of being unable to protect his daughter.

Finally, the old man broke down.

He knelt before the brothers and begged them, tears streaming down his eyes.

“Young masters! I know it’s shameless of me to ask this but! Please… Hick… hick… please help us! Please save Kaitlyn!”

George muttered, “brother…”

Austen wordlessly listened.

“…I thought slavery has been abolished by Master. But… what’s this?”

The last few words of George were filled with vehement fury.

George growled, “We’re taking her back.”

Austen nodded, “Of course. It’s our duty not only as her friend, but as Master’s disciples.”

As King Lark’s disciples, they felt somewhat responsible. This wouldn’t have happened if the abolishment of slavery had been executed perfectly. It seemed that slaves were still being sold in the black market, despite the ban imposed on it by the royal family.

George crouched and looked at the old man in the eyes.

“Sir, we’ll help you. We’ll take Kaitlyn back, I promise. Now, please tell us. Where are those bastards hiding? And where did they take Kaitlyn!”

***

After getting information from Kaitlyn’s parents, the brothers decided to go to the slave trader’s base on their own.

Mobilizing the royal army would take too much time. And the brothers didn’t know what horrifying things could happen to Kaitlyn during that period.

The brothers were confident of surviving, since Kel’ Vual was secretly trailing behind them.

“I’ll step in at the last moment if it becomes too dangerous,” said Kel’ Vual nonchalantly. “This is also good training. So, go rampage as much as you want.”

Those were reassuring words.

There was nothing more comforting than having the leader of the almighty Arzomos Tribe as their protector.

“You’ve never killed people before, have you?” said Kel’ Vual through mental transmission. “Take this as a learning opportunity.”

Although the brothers had never killed people before, they resolved themselves to murder this time.

“Uncle… what we’re about to do,” said George, “this wouldn’t sully Master’s reputation, right?

Kel’ Vual smirked. “Evander doesn’t care about trivial things like that. And besides, you have that merchant.”

“Merchant?” the brothers said at the same time.

“The fat and greedy one,” said Kel’ Vual. “Big Mona, was it? I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to clean up after your mess. So don’t worry about anything and just release all your pent-up rage.”

It was weird hearing Big Mona’s name come out of their uncle’s mouth. Nevertheless, their uncle’s words were true. Although Big Mona was shrewd, he would surely gladly step in to resolve any loose ends related to King Lark.

After firming their resolve, the brothers immediately went to the base of the slave traders in the capital.

The Red Silk.

A trading company who sold garments on the surface.

Kaitlyn’s family already reported to the officials that this company was involved in slave trading and human trafficking, but the bribed officials turned a blind eye every time.

This was the primary reason why the company was able to continue with slave trading, despite the ban imposed by the royal family.

“Uncle, before we enter,” said Austen. “Can you check if there really are slaves being kept underground in this building?”

Kel’ Vual said, “Leave it to me.”

After a few minutes, Kel’ Vual returned. Just like before, he remained invisible as he talked to them, “The entrance to the underground is blocked by a thick iron door, but I could feel dozens of presence inside.”

Thinking that Kaitlyn must be one of those people being held captive underground, George’s blood boiled.

“Let’s go,” said George.

Fearlessly, the brothers entered the Red Silk.

“Welcome!”

Due to their expensive-looking clothes, the manager warmly welcomed the two of them.

“What can I do for—”

“Hey, take us to the dungeon,” said George.

“Pardon?”

The smile in the manager’s face almost slipped when he heard those words.

“I said take us to the dungeon.”

“Haha. What do you mean, dear customer? If you’re looking for—”

“—I said take us to the damn dungeon!” roared George.

He fired a lightning bolt at the manager, purposely missing him. The lightning bolt struck the window, shattering it.

“Kyaaa!”

“It’s a fight!”

The customers inside immediately fled out of the building.

Despite causing a commotion, the brothers didn’t flinch.

“The royal family already banned slave trading,” said Austen angrily. “And you guys still dare to go against the decree of His Majesty? How arrogant!”

The manager clicked his tongue.

“Tch. Guards!”

The brothers didn’t know exactly where they came from, but seven dark-clothed men suddenly shot toward them.

Austen spread out his mana in all directions and willed it to form a globe, turning into a translucent shield.

The swords of the dark-clothed men struck the barrier, creating cracks on it.

“George!”

“I’m on it!”

While Austen protected them with his mana shield, George started casting offensive spells.

Orbs of wind, each of them as large as a human head, formed right in front of the enemies. Without mercy, the wind orbs shot toward the dark-clothed men.

Two of the dark-clothed men were sent flying, while the remaining five managed to evade the attack in time.

During that opening, Austen dashed toward the nearest enemy. He coated his fist with mana and punched him in the face. The dark-clothed man leapt back and dodge the attack – he tried to. But to his surprise, hands made of earth had ensnared his feet, rendering him unable to move back.

Austen’s fist successfully connected, sending several teeth flying out upon impact.

Austen felt a gust of wind coming toward him, and he leapt back, dodging the dagger thrown at him by the store manager.

George cast a lightning bolt at the manager, impaling him at the chest. With a groan, the manager felt limply on the ground.

It was strange.

Their opponents were definitely strong, but for some reason, their movements appeared sluggish to the brothers.

Another dark-clothed man slashed at Austen, but he easily dodged all of the attacks by sidestepping or ducking.

Whenever Austen found himself cornered, unable to evade, he would cast a barrier of mana to protect himself. Although fragile, the barrier was enough to buy him a second or two, enabling him to prepare his next spell for counterattack.

The fight continued for several more minutes. And eventually, the brothers defeated the black-clothed men without even a scratch on their bodies.

“What’s this…” mumbled George in disbelief.

Austen looked at his hands. He opened and closed it repeatedly, still unsure of how they’d managed to defeat their opponents easily.

Kel’ Vual sent a mental transmission to them, “Why are you so surprised?”

“Uncle?”

“This much is expected. Think of it, who are your sparring partners?”

“Ah…”

It was then the brothers realized why they managed to defeat those people effortlessly.

King Lark Marcus.

Grumpy old man, Anandra.

And the leader of the Arzomos Tribe, Kel’ Vual.

Each of those people were capable of annihilating armies on their own. And they were the same people who’d been sparring with George and Austen the most.

It was only natural for the brothers to find the movements of these men sluggish when compared to those sparring partners.

“Haha… I didn’t know we’d become this strong,” said George.

Kel’ Vual said, “Don’t get ahead of yourselves. Evander’s previous disciples were capable of destroying mountains.”

“You already told us that before, uncle,” said Austen. “Still!” he clenched his fists. “This is a great first step for us!”

“Uncle, what do you think? Maybe master will start bringing us with him? Maybe this time, we can also join master like the old man and big sister Chryselle!”

“Hmm… you can ask him that when he returns.”

“Yes!”

The brothers felt excited by the prospect of finally being useful to their master.

“But that can wait,” said Kel’ Vual. “You have a lady to save, don’t you?”

The brothers looked at each other and nodded at the same time.

They passed by the sprawled bodies of their enemies. Most of them were unconscious, but there were a few who died after being hit right at the face by the spells of George and Austen.

The brothers felt their stomach churning at the thought of finally killing someone, but they steeled themselves. Before coming here, they’d already resolved themselves to dirty their hands.

Suppressing was several times harder than killing. Although they’d become stronger than before, the brothers knew their limits. At their current state, they did not have the leeway to go easy on their opponents.

“It’s here,” said Austen.

After going down a winding staircase, the brothers arrived at an iron door leading underground.

“George.”

“Yes.”

George willed a bolt of lightning to appear in his hand. The violently cracking lightning illuminated everything, making their shadows dance around.

George infused more mana into the lightning, willing it to turn into a long sword. At the same time, George skillfully manipulated it to become as thin and sharp as possible.

Austen specialized in defensive spells.

George excelled in offensive magic.

“I’ll cut it.”

George raised his arms, and using the lightning sword, started cutting the thick iron door.

The door managed to resist several slashes at first, but eventually it was split open.

Austen kicked the door, sending it falling to the ground with a deafening bang, sending clouds of dust flying about.

The putrid scent of the dungeon wafted into the air. At the same time, the slaves inside their cells shrieked and huddled from fright.

“Kyyaak!”

“Nooo!”

“Please don’t! Nooo!”

Austen activated a small kalrane stone, which served as their lamp.

Every time the brothers shone their light at the cells and looked at those inside, the slaves shrank their shoulders.

“She’s not here…” said Austen.

“Hey.”

George approached one of the slaves, described Kaitlyn’s appearance to them, and asked if they’d seen her.

“Ah, that girl…,” said the slave. “I heard she was a former noble. I believe she’d been sold already, around a day ago.”

Hearing this, George stormed upstairs and grabbed the unconscious manager by the collar.

“Bastard! Wake up!”

George slapped him several times, not caring whether or not he was gravely injured.

“Damn it! I said wake up!”

After several more slaps on the face, the manager finally opened his eyes. He groaned.

“Where is it! Where did you take Kaitlyn!”

The manager smirked, “Too late. She’d been sold already. Cough…! Cough! Keke! All of it. Everything you did! It’s for naught, kid!”

George remembered the poor state the slaves they saw were in.

Kaitlyn probably received similar treatment during the time she was locked up in this place. And now that she’d been sold, who knew what kind of hellish experience she was going through right now?

“Arrghh!”

George slammed the manager to the ground, and started punching him at the abdomen several times. It was the first time he’d felt so much hatred against a fellow human.

He never felt this much rage even when the healers of Lion City abandoned him to die.

He never felt this much anger even when the thugs of Lion City took whatever they had left, forcing them to starve for several days.

“Tell!”

George continued hitting the manager.

“Me!”

Even when the man started spewing out mouthfuls of blood, he did not stop.

“Where!”

Thud! Thud!

“Is!”

Thud! Thud!

“It!”

Thud! Thud!

“Where did you sell her! Damn it!”

“Hey, that’s enough,” said Austen. “We won’t be able to extract information out of him if he dies. Uncle.”

Kel’ Vual said, “Alright.”

Slowly, Kel’ Vual’s figure appeared before the store manager.

Towering height. Fierce, glaring eyes. Aura of a cold-blooded murderer who would torture his preys before dismembering them into pieces.

Although he was in human form, Kel’ Vual’s appearance was more than enough to terrify even war veterans. Even the seasoned guards of the king’s castle were afraid of meeting him in the eyes.

In a cold voice, Kel’ Vual said to the half-conscious manager, “Just talk already. It’ll make things easier for you, human.”

No vulgar words.

No excessive threats.

But that’s what made it the more terrifying when one heard it.

The manager weakly nodded his head. He mumbled, “C-Count Sith… I sold her to the Count… cough! Cough!”

Count Sith was a well-known supporter of the Kelvins years ago, back when Lark hadn’t ascended the throne yet.

After Duke Kelvin was publicly beheaded and Lark Marcus became the King Regent, the Count broke away from the Kelvin Faction and declared neutrality. He even went as far as donate lands and mines to the royal family, proof of his allegiance to the crown.

Back then, the kingdom was so unstable after the internal fighting between the different noble factions. And King Lark knew that he couldn’t just incessantly kill off all nobles related to the Kelvins.

Count Sith was among the nobles King Lark spared after the Kelvins lost their power.

“Count Sith?” said George.

“Y…Yes… cough! Cough! The Count has a hobby of collecting beautiful slaves. And his interest in them rises exponentially if they were former officials of the kingdom or nobles…. I heard him say that he finds… cough! cough!... joy whenever he sees his fellow nobles wearing a collar, barking like dogs at his command…”

After spouting out those words, the manager finally lost consciousness.

For several seconds, the brothers stood there in silence.

“George, it’s a Count we’re dealing with.”

“So what? I have no intention of backing down, no matter who it is. I’m going to save Kaitlyn.”

“What I’m saying is we should involve the royal army in this matter. Things went out of hand the moment she was sold to a high-ranking noble. It’s no longer something we can handle on our own.”

George also understood this.

They couldn’t act as recklessly as before, now that the political figures of the kingdom were involved. This was especially true for them as they were the King’s disciples.

“Let’s go back to the castle,” said George.

After freeing all of the slaves at the dungeon and handing them over to the patrol for protection, the brothers immediately went back to the castle.

They went straight to their Master’s office. Inside were Secretary Irene, the retired General Carlos, the former King Alvis, and several assistants.

These were the people who served as King Lark’s proxy while he was away for the Empire.

“Hm? Young masters?”

Secretary Irene was surprised when the brothers suddenly requested for an audience. These troublemakers always made sure to avoid this place like the plague. What brought them here now?

The brothers greeted the former King Alvis before speaking to Secretary Irene.

“Secretary Irene,” said Austen. “I’m sorry for disturbing you during such a busy time, but we can here to seek your help.”

“My help?”

George said, “We found evidence of Count Sith engaging in slave trade. Please allow us to mobilize the royal army and search his manor, Secretary.”

“Slave trading,” the Secretary said calmly. “Slavery has been part of the kingdom for centuries. We already expected that there would still be people engaging on it, but to think it’s a high-ranking noble…”

The Secretary continued, “But young masters, this evidence you speak of, how did you get your hands on them? And if it’s the royal army we’re talking about, it would have been faster if you approached the newly-appointed captain of the royal guards.”

“No, it’ll be faster if we approach you, Lady Irene. The royal army’s primary goal is to ensure the safety of the royal family, and they wouldn’t move unless given direct orders by the crown. As our Master’s proxy, they need your approval first, Lady Secretary, before they could be mobilized,” said Austen. “As for the evidence, the patrol is scouring the Red Silk’s building as we speak. We’ve also handed the slaves we’ve freed to them.”

For a moment, Secretary Irene and the former King Alvis locked eyes with each other.

They thought that King Lark would have been proud if he witnessed this moment.

The kids he’d been raising had grown quite splendidly.

The retired General Carlos spoke, “Hmm… Count Sith, you say? Even among high-ranking nobles, the Count hold a relatively high power.”

“So, it can’t be done?” said George.

Judging by the young man’s voice, it seemed he would go there on his own if they refused to mobilize the royal army.

General Carlos laughed, “Hahaha! Of course, it can be done! The royal family has total control over the royal army. As the disciples of His Majesty, you have all rights to mobilize them as you see fit. Of course, this is under the assumption that you have justification, a casus belli.”

The retired general stood up from his seat. Although his hair was already gray, he was still a muscular giant.

“Come. I’ll personally talk to the officers of the royal army for you.”

“Carlos.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Are you done with the documents I gave you?”

The retired general coughed. “Kuhum… It’s not like I’m trying to evade work. Haha.”

The former King Alvis sighed. “Nevermind. Escort King Lark’s disciples to the officers of the royal army.”

“And since King Lark isn’t here,” said Secretary Irene. “Feel free to use my name as you see fit.”

Hearing this, the brothers bowed at them. “Thank you! We’re really grateful!”

King Alvis waived his hand. “Just go.”

After that, with the help of the retired General Carlos, the brothers successfully mobilized the royal army in the capital.

A total of three thousand soldiers moved out toward Count Sith’s territory.

Fortunately, the Count’s territory was near the capital. And it took only two days for the royal army to arrive.

“W-What’s the meaning of this?”

The Count personally greeted the leaders of the royal army.

“We’ve found evidence of the Count’s involvement with human trafficking and slave trading. Under the royal family’s command, we are to search the Count’s territory. Please cooperate.”

Seeing the number of soldiers, the Count didn’t even attempt to fight back. He knew that the four hundred soldiers protecting his territory wouldn’t be a match for an army this size.

Everything went smoothly after that.

After forcefully making their way to the count’s manor, the royal guards thoroughly searched all rooms and floors. Eventually, they found the hidden entrance leading underground. In there, they found dozens of slaves locked up inside.

And among those slaves was Kaitlyn.

“Kaitlyn!”

George ran to her, and hugged her tightly.

Kaitlyn was surprised to see the young master here, and she was flustered when he suddenly hugged her.

“What are the young masters doing here?”

“We came to save you, of course!”

Dark marks circled Kaitlyn’s eyes, and her hair was a mess. Her clothes were tattered. Looking at her skin, the brothers saw whip marks here and there.

George gnashed his teeth. He had the urge to go outside and pummel the Count into the ground.

George tried asking her if the Count did unspeakable things to her.

To their relief, she shook her head. Although she’d been lashed several times, the Count hadn’t laid his hands on her yet. George would have killed the Count out of anger if he did.

“I don’t know why the young masters went out of their way to help someone like me, but… thank you… thank you!”

Kaitlyn became really emotional.

George gently smiled. “I told you, we’re friends, right? This much is natural.”

Kaitlyn wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes. She smiled back. “Friends…. How wonderful….”

Kaitlyn weakly laughed. “Even when I was sold as a slave to the Count, I never lost hope. I really believed that my husband would come and save me, but to think it would be the young masters…”

Hearing the word ‘husband’, George’s face twitched.

“H-Husband?”

“Yes. Ah, now that I think of it, I haven’t told you about him yet, right?”

Unaware that George’s fantasies and visions of the future were breaking down, she continued.

“My husband is a member of One Stop Clop, the merchant group under Big Bun. He’s currently at Akash City, but it’s about time he returns to the capital. He’d been helping my family pay off our debts.”

Now that they’d thought of it, it made sense.

Someone was helping Kaitlyn pay off the debt, along with its accrued interest. After all, the salary of healers wasn’t that great to even make a dent on a debt that huge.

“Young master George? Are you alright?”

George wanted to cry.

“Haha… I-I’m fine.”

Kaitlyn bowed her head. “Again, thank you for saving me, young master. I’m really glad to have someone like you as my friend.”

“Friends… of course… hahaha!”

That day, George’s world was shattered.

***

After returning to the capital, George told Austen he wished to be alone for a while.

George went to the eastern wing of the castle, at the smallest training ground.

This place was very far from the headquarters of the royal knights, and people hardly go here at this time.

It was the perfect place for George to sit and mope around.

“Ughhh! I’m so stupiddd!”

George felt heartbroken and embarrassed at the same time.

“What am I thinking! With a face like that! Of course! I should have asked her first if she’s married!”

Since it was his first time, George didn’t know what to do with his feelings. He sat there, groaned, and rebuked himself over and over for being a moron.

Although he didn’t regret saving her, he felt stupid for expecting more.

George also knew that it wasn’t Kaitlyn’s fault.

George was the one who approached her with ulterior motives, after all.

“Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”

“Who’s stupid?”

George froze. He looked up and gazed at the owner of the voice. He didn’t expect that someone else would be here, as this place was too remote.

Platinum hair, clear blue eyes. Unlike before, she was no longer wearing a dress. Instead, she wore training clothes, similar to the ones worn by squires.

“Princess?”

It was Princess Esmeralda, the youngest daughter of the former King Alvis.

It was well known that the Princess had become infatuated with the sword. Instead of pursuing magic or politics, she was now devoting her entire energy in mastering swordsmanship.

She was so talented with the sword that even the royal guards captain was praising her.

“What are you doing here?” said George.

“I should be the one asking that, Young Master George,” she said. “I’ve been using this training grounds since I took up the sword. This is the first time I’ve seen you here.”

“Ah… is that so? I apologize if I’m hindering your training. I shall leave then.”

George stood up and started to leave.

“Hey, I didn’t ask you to leave!”

The previous gentle demeanor of Princess Esmeralda had vanished by now.

Constantly exposed to the members of the royal army and subjected to their harsh training, even her language had become somewhat crude – it felt even a bit barbaric.

It was amazing what a few years of training in swordsmanship could do to a person.

“You look pathetic right now.”

George was taken aback by how straightforward she’d become.

“Haha, is that so?”

Princess Esmeralda stared at him for a long time. She sighed, grabbed a spare wooden practice sword, and threw it at George.

“Here.”

After nimbly catching the practice sword, George asked, “Princess?”

“Let’s have a sparring match.”

“P-Pardon?”

“I said let’s fight. Don’t stand there stupidly. Come at me.”

Again, the Princess sighed.

“If you’re not going to attack, I’ll come to you instead.”

“W-Wait! What are—”

Without waiting for George to finish his words, Princess Esmeralda shot toward him.

She was really skilled with the sword, and it took only a few exchanges before George was sent flying.

“You’re a mage, correct? Use your spells. Come on!”

After that, George started using his spells to fight back. But to his surprise, Princess Esmeralda simply cut his elemental orbs with her wooden sword – and she did it effortlessly at that.

“AHHH! W-WAITT!”

The match went on one-sidedly. Although George was sent flying every now and then, Princess Esmeralda purposely avoided the spots that would severely hurt or injure him.

“Huff… Huff… I give up….”

Princess Esmeralda rested her wooden sword on her shoulder. “You’re no fun.”

George glared at her. “I know you’re a Princess but—”

“—But what? This is a training ground, and what we did is mere sparring. Don’t tell me you have complaints with that?”

George couldn’t believe this was the same Princess Esmeralda from back then. She seemed like an entirely different person after she devoted all of her energy into becoming a knight.

“N-No, not at all.”

“Hmph.”

She slowly walked toward him.

“W-Wait, what… what are you going to do?”

George was terrified, thinking she would hit him again with the wooden sword.

Not minding that the ground was dirty, Princess Esmeralda sat beside him.

“So, what happened? You’ve been crying.”

George was relieved that she didn’t hit him.

“Haaah… you wouldn’t understand.”

“It’s about a girl, isn’t it?”

George was stupefied. How did she guess it correctly right away?

Seeing George’s reaction, Princess Esmeralda knew her hunch was correct.

“Is she pretty? Prettier than me?”

“W-What are you saying?”

“It’s a simple question. Answer it, moron.”

“I’m not a moron!”

Princess Esmeralda laughed. “You looked like one though? Mumbling ‘I’m stupid! I’m stupid!’ over and over, unaware of your surroundings.”

George’s face turned beet red.

“Hey, I don’t know what happened but,” said the Princess. “Things don’t always go the way we want. And I’m sure you’ll get over it someday.”

“Thanks….”

“That aside, you’re surprisingly skilled despite being a mage.”

“Me? Skilled?”

“Yes. Even the royal guards are having a hard time blocking my attacks now, but you managed to last several exchanges with me. Of course, I’m still no match against the high-ranking ones.”

George thought he was pathetically running away during their sparring, but it seemed that the Princess thought differently.

“So, how about it? Do you want to become my sparring partner?”

“Me? But… I’m a mage. And I have no interest in learning the sword.”

“Then the better. I plan on becoming strong enough to fight against magicians with just my sword. You’re already a perfect sparring partner based on just that criterion alone.”

Princess Esmeralda stood up. She reached out her hand for a handshake.

Seeing her up close, George realized how beautiful she truly was.

She said, “So, how about it?”

George smiled.

Who would have thought that a former pauper like him would someday become the sparring partner of a princess? It was absurd, no matter how he looked at it.

“The Princess as my sparring partner? Doesn’t sound bad. Then, how should I address you?”

“Just call me Esmeralda. I’ll drop the honorifics too and just call you George.”

George grabbed her hand and shook it. Unlike before, it was no longer soft. The calluses and scars on her palm proved how much effort she’d been putting into her training.

“Let’s become stronger, George.”

“Of course, Esmeralda.”

It was the day George’s heart was broken.

And it was also the day he found his sparring partner.