"Holy f*ck, that was some noble-ass bed." Nyx yawned, arms sprawled across the bed like he owned the place.
The mattress beneath him was warm, heavy, and sinfully soft. It hugged his back like a lover with good intentions and bad timing.
For once, sleep hadn't felt like a temporary coma—more like actual rest. He could get used to this.
---
He moved toward the dining hall, hair still messy, eyes half-lidded from the morning haze.
Rhea was already there, standing off to the side with that same cautious posture she always had—like she expected him to throw a plate instead of eat from it. A simple spread waited on the long wooden table—eggs, toasted bread, and a pot of tea that smelled a little too herbal for his taste.
Nyx dropped into a chair and grabbed a slice of toast without a word. She hesitated, then poured his tea.
"You're up early, my lord."
"Didn't know I had a bedtime," he replied, taking a bite. He glanced up. "You ate?"
She blinked. "Not yet."
"Then sit. No point watching me chew."
It came out rougher than intended, but she obeyed, quietly pulling out the seat beside him. For a while, they ate in silence—awkward, but not unpleasant.
Then, Karl stepped in like he always did—stiff, formal, wearing an expression carved from stone.
"My lord."
"Karl," Nyx said, not looking up. "Sit down and eat."
The butler paused. "That's an order?"
"That's breakfast. Just eat." Nyx said with a smirk on his face, unnoticed by both.
Karl gave him a long look, then walked over and took a seat without another word.
---
A few minutes passed before Nyx spoke again, voice even.
"I need a sword."
Karl's hand stopped mid-cut. Rhea looked up. The tension in the room thickened, subtle but sharp. Nyx didn't repeat himself.
"Light. Long. Something I can handle without snapping my wrists. I'll figure out the rest."
Karl finally set down his fork and gave a single nod.
"I'll fetch one from the vault."
His voice was steady, but there was something behind it. Not surprise—just something… quieter. Rhea said nothing, but Nyx caught the way her eyes lingered on Karl's reaction.
Whatever memories it stirred, he didn't ask. He didn't care to. It was a new day, and he had things to do.
He pushed his plate forward and stood up.
"Rhea. You're with me. Time to see what's beyond these damn walls."
---
Outside the manor was a bustling city, streets filled with people. Soldiers patrolled the area, and mercenaries wandered freely—a trait unique to border towns. Even that didn't surprise Nyx, but what did was the city's diversity—not just humans, but elves, dwarves, demi-humans, and all kinds of hybrid races.
He truly felt like he had transmigrated.
With a burning desire to explore more, he wandered, eyes drinking in every detail.
They were near the city walls when Nyx's gaze landed on a certain building—full of people ready for battle. Some looked as old as war itself, and others so young they barely seemed to know what bloodshed meant.
Noticing his gaze, Rhea asked timidly, "Are you interested in the Mercenary Guild, young master?"
"Mercenary Guild?" Nyx echoed, curious. As far as he knew, mercenaries were people who joined wars to fight demonic beasts alongside soldiers and knights.
Not because they wanted to—but because they had no other choice. If they wanted to survive, they had to fight for their keep.
"A bit..." he muttered, still lost in thought—
*grumble... grumble...*
"I-I'm sorry, young master." Rhea stopped in her tracks, clearly embarrassed by her rumbling stomach.
"Haha... let's go grab a bite." Nyx chuckled and started scanning for a nearby inn.
Rhea stood frozen, stunned by the genuine laugh. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him laugh like that.
"Got something on my face?" Nyx asked, catching her expression.
He wanted to reassure her. That he was trying. That he wasn't the same spoiled bastard from before. But... could he? He knew how shitty he'd been. Entitled. Cold. Even after his parents' deaths, he hadn't changed—just gotten worse.
He didn't say anything more. Just followed Rhea into the nearest inn.
---
Inside, the glances came fast. Glares, mutters, disdain. Nyx understood. He could only ignore it and take a seat in the corner.
"Y-young master..." Rhea began, but Nyx cut her off.
"Don't worry, Rhea. I'm not sad. It's them who should be. When my father was lord here, they kissed his boots and praised him. Have they really forgotten the sacrifices he made for this territory?"
He said it loud, and the room fell silent.
Someone opened their mouth to speak—probably to mock him—but Nyx's voice cut through the tension like a blade.
"Haa... do they really believe my parents were traitors? He nearly got killed trying to defend the city walls, standing alone!"
His voice rose, and the crowd flinched—Rhea included.
His face was unreadable, but Rhea saw it—the sorrow in his eyes.
They walked back, saying nothing. The silence wasn't because of the food or the glares. It was heavier. Denser. Nyx didn't need to look to know Rhea was rattled—by both his outburst and the emotions underneath.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking.
---
The front door creaked open. The manor's air was still, almost too clean.
Nyx muttered something about how the silence was starting to piss him off.
Karl waited near the hallway—formal as always, but something about his posture had shifted.
Without a word, he stepped forward... and held out the sword.
It was sheathed in dark leather. No golden hilts. No flashy gems. Just steel and practicality.
Exactly what Nyx wanted.
He took it, weighing it in his hand. It wasn't light like a toy, nor heavy like a showpiece. Just right.
He unsheathed it slightly, letting the steel catch the light.
"Good choice," he said, sliding it back with a satisfying hiss. "Not bad, Karl."
"I thought it might suit you," Karl replied.
Nyx raised a brow. "That a compliment or a jab?"
Karl's lips twitched—almost a smirk. "Interpret it as you will, my lord."
---
Nyx turned, blade resting against his shoulder. "Training grounds?"
Karl gave a quiet nod. "Out back. I'll lead the way."
---
The courtyard wasn't huge, but it was well-kept. Grass worn into dirt patches from years of practice. Training dummies lined one wall, some still bearing old cuts. Wooden weapon racks sat under a small awning, weathered by sun and time.
Nyx stepped into the middle and took a breath.
He turned to Karl. "You any good with swords?"
Karl looked at the blade in Nyx's hand, then back at him.
"I know enough to teach you how not to stab yourself."
"That's a start." Nyx grinned, pulling the blade free again. "Show me."
Karl nodded, walking over to a dummy with a wooden sword.
His aura shifted. The man who looked like a retired butler now moved like a seasoned killer.
He bent slightly toward the dummy and gave a horizontal slice—at least, that's what Nyx saw.
Then—
*THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP*
Hundreds of splinters hit the ground. The dummy had been sliced more than twenty times in the span of a breath.
[Ding! Found my brother, roasting you even without a single word.]
'Shut up' Nyx grumbled under his breath.
Karl stepped back and replaced the sword.
Nyx stood dumbfounded. One side: Karl, the butler who could slice wood faster than most could blink. The other side: Nyx, who could barely lift a blade without panting like a dying dog.
Still slack-jawed, he walked over and placed a hand on Karl's shoulder.
"Karl, you're banned from entering the training grounds from now on," he said flatly.
"I... don't understand, my lord," Karl said, clearly puzzled.
"Who told you to show off, you smug geezer?" Nyx grumbled, strolling over to Rhea with a smirk.
Karl blinked in shock—but what stunned him more was Nyx's expression.
He wanted to say something else but stopped. Just smiled and nodded.
"Yes, my lord."
Karl left, leaving Rhea and Nyx alone in the training grounds—satisfied, for once, to see Nyx in a new light.
---
He leaned to watch Karl leave, then sighed, "That smug geezer, made me lose motivation on my first-timer."
Rhea heard her lord's strange comments. His changed behavior surprised her—made her happy, even… maybe a little relieved.
"Rhea, whatever you see here, don't say to anyone, okay? Not even that geezer. Promise?" Nyx stretched his hand for a handshake, remembering that he used to make promises with Rhea the same way during his childhood.
Rhea, seeing Nyx's gesture, got a sense of nostalgia as she was unable to react.
"I remember we used to make promises same way back then, So..."Nyx said in somewhat embarrassed tone as he was clearly not used to show affection towards anybody.
Before Nyx could finish, Rhea grabbed his hand and shaked, a hint of tear reflecting on her eyes.
Nyx said nothing. He just turned toward a dummy, mind already somewhere else.
'Oi system, how much MP is used in one fire arrow?' Nyx asked the system, clearly not remembering any description or mana usage on the skill list.
[That depends on how much mana you want to use, if you wanna light a candle, almost no MP to 1 MP, like that. Just try it dumbass, don't drag the chapter anymore.]
'Chapter?' Nyx asked but continued cast his fire arrow. The casting was simple as he just had to imagine an arrow made of fire.
Just after he imagined, a fire arrow materialized in front of his palm and shot forward like a bullet.
*Boom*
It went through the dummy, and with a slight contact, it exploded the dummy into bits.
Nyx: ???
Rhea: ???
Nyx's mouth was agape again, seeing the firepower, he clearly remembered the firepower of this small fire arrow wasn't supposed to be this massive.
Beside him, Rhea was also dumbfounded, clearly not understanding what happened until it gnawed on her. Her eyes looked a little terrified as she looked at the dummy, which was blown into bits and the 5 meter crater it formed around it.
[Do you finally understand the greatness of this Daddy?]
[Worship me peasant.]
---
P.S: Well, I'm trying to increase the word count, let's see how it goes.
*background noises*
Wait– obviously no, I'm not adding the note on the chapter to increase the word count. Shit– switch off the keyboard.
Stay healthy, Stay pure, just to get corrupted here~
–Clashercertified