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Pov of Heinrich
"Congratulations, Heinrich —a graduate of the University of Altdorf as an engineer and also holding a degree in Imperial history," Alphonse's mother said as she pulled a meat pie from the oven; its aroma filled the room.
"Thank you… it means a lot to me that you're so happy about this achievement," I replied in a controlled voice, trying not to let my emotions show too much.
"Not only that, Mother. With the best grades… perfect, in fact. Every exam he sat, he passed. I told you, Mother, he was going to go far," Alphonse said between bites of pie, still speaking with his mouth full.
"Let's hope you finish your studies soon as well," his mother replied, casting him a stern look as she remembered he had failed his last exam.
"Eh… the professor has it in for me, doesn't she, Heinrich? I answered that question about the mortar composition needed to reinforce a bridge over the Reik correctly, but she wanted every technical detail as if it were a Dwarf treatise," Alphonse said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, uncomfortable.
"Well… it was certainly a difficult question; even I struggled with it. But you'll have another chance next week. Get back to your books and, with Verena's wisdom, we'll be celebrating your engineering degree together soon," I encouraged him with a calm smile.
"Speak for yourself… You even managed to graduate in Imperial history at the same time. The nobles will fight to hire you to educate their children, or perhaps they'll try to keep you on as a professor at the university," Alphonse said, raising his glass and drinking in one go.
"And what do you plan to do for now, Heinrich? They'll hand you the parchment soon and the world will open up for you. By the way, will your parents attend the ceremony? I'd love to meet the family that raised such a diligent young man," Alphonse's mother asked, pinching my cheek affectionately.
"Ha, ha, ha… They won't be able to come, they're too busy…," I answered, gently pulling her hand away, uncomfortable under her inquisitive gaze.
"How is it possible your parents won't be present at such an important moment? It's not every day someone graduates with two degrees at once," she said, hands on her hips, indignant.
"There's nothing to worry about… My parents… well, especially my father, never took an interest in me. That's life. I understand it now. All I can do is look forward, work hard, and repay you —who have been with me— for all the support you've given me," I said, taking Alphonse's mother's hand firmly.
"Then marry my sister already, will you? She doesn't know what else to do to get your attention," Alphonse blurted in a teasing tone.
"I… I was only concerned with my studies. I barely had enough to pay tuition and buy books. I couldn't afford to think of anything else. Besides, I don't think I'm what you say," I replied, somewhat nervous.
"Are you joking? The walks in the park, the invitations to the Festag…" Alphonse arched an eyebrow. "And stop being so humble, idiot… you drove all our classmates crazy, even the teachers. You're the tallest man I've seen and, without much exercise, you've got a physique I envy," he grunted, annoyance on his face.
"Alphonse!" his mother scolded, striking his head with a wooden spoon. "Those aren't ways to speak to Heinrich. Excuse him, he says foolish things at times."
"Don't worry. He's my friend for a reason," I replied with a weary smile.
"Come on, Heinrich, eat something too. You must be hungry," she insisted, serving me a generous slice of pie.
As I ate, I felt a weight lift from my shoulders. For the first time I could tell myself I was free of my father's yoke, even though his shadow still clung to my skin: many nights I felt his hands on my shoulders, ready to humiliate me or subject me to his brutal trainings meant to break anyone he deemed weak. Those memories burned, but they no longer defined me. Fate, in its cruelty, had taken him as well; they killed him like a dog while he defended himself, and a part of me, twisted though it was, felt liberated.
I won't deny that, tucked in a corner of my chest, there was a wish that he had kept breathing: I wanted to see him one last time, to rub it in his face —with the parchments and my grades, with proof that I did not need his name or his titles— so he would realize I could stand on my own merits. The gods, in their whim, had given me a healthy body, strength, and the mind with which I opened doors that would have been closed to him. I intended to use all of that as efficiently as possible.
The room, still full of friends and their family, felt strangely empty: that brute who had been my father was no longer there to acknowledge my triumph, and the contradiction left a bitter taste. I thought of the family catacombs where, probably, his body was now little more than a skeleton; the image produced a cold calm in me. My surname was a prison that would haunt me all my life, a mark difficult to erase —above all because of my brother, the one everyone knew, who had become the embodiment of what our father expected of me— and that was another blow that did not wound in the way I had expected.
There was no place in Altdorf where the name Reinsfeld was not heard; the city paper reminded me of it again and again, like an invisible chain that never let go.
"Thank you very much for everything. If you'll excuse me, I need to rest," I said, standing from the table.
"Of course, Heinrich… you must be tired. And you, lazy one, go study; you better answer correctly next time or I won't be so kind to you," Alphonse's mother said, raising her wooden spoon.
I returned to the room they had been letting me use. At first I had paid with the little gold my father left —just enough to cover tuition and some books, but not enough to live in the city. That's why I had to save every coin… until Alphonse's family, with genuine kindness, decided not to charge me for the lodging any longer.
I lit the small stove in the corner and pulled out some clippings from the city newspaper I had kept in a drawer. I stared at the first one and read it softly under my breath.
"'Young squire kills a Grail Knight; possible youngest member of the Reiksguard'…" I murmured, remembering Wilhelm. My fallen brother. Back then, Father was not yet the monster I would later come to know; he was strict, yes, but different. Wilhelm's death changed everything.
I threw the clipping into the fire and watched as the flames devoured it.
"'Victory at Monfort. The Imperial army achieves an overwhelming victory and storms the castle under the command of a young officer of the von Reinsfeld family'…" I said bitterly before tossing it into the flames as well.
"'The great cleansing. Seasoned commander Albrecht von Reinsfeld leads the Drakwald hunt, reaching extraordinary numbers'…" I continued, throwing the sheet into the fire.
"'Massacre in Marienburg. Violent clash between Imperial forces and the secessionist city; thousands of civilians dead'…" I read quietly, feeling a chill run down my spine. "Father created his monster. One who, even in his macabre vision of the world, might have made him proud."
"'New Elector Count… von Reinsfeld'…" I said through clenched teeth as I threw the clipping in. "Seeing this legitimized everything I suffered. My brother went through the same hell… and chose to become what Father always wanted."
One after another, the papers burned in the fire.
"'Conqueror of Bretonnia, Shield of the Empire, Champion of Sigmar, Restorer of the Hammer…'" I recited in anger, hurling each title into the flames.
I had hoped he would one day fall in battle, even if my brother had never harmed me directly. But he was the living bond to the monster, and I wished his legacy would collapse. Yet the gods proved him right. His brutality was recognized, his methods imitated, his name exalted.
I took a deep breath as I watched the flames consume it all."I am free of Father's legacy," I told myself in silence. "Perhaps I will inherit nothing, perhaps I will always remain the disinherited… but I have something he could never take from me: my freedom."
That night I slept more peacefully than ever, feeling, for the first time in years, unburdened by the weight of the man I once called Father.
For the first time I had time to help Alphonse's family. Although I still didn't have the degree that would allow me to work at the university, I was earning several silver coins teaching merchant children the basic subjects they would need to enter in the future. That was how I earned my bread and contributed to the household that had supported me so much.
The days passed, and luckily, Alphonse managed to pass his exam on his final attempt. His mother made sure he did nothing but study: no taverns, no courting the girl who distracted him. Only books until exhaustion. At last he succeeded, and now both of us were at the ceremony.
All of Alphonse's family was there. On my side, no one. I did not expect my brother; he had surely made sure no trace of me remained —to him, I was a failure. And my mother… she had been dead for years.
The dean began handing out diplomas one by one, each bearing the Emperor's seal.
"Heinrich von Reinsfeld!" he announced solemnly.
I froze when I heard the surname. I had enrolled simply as Heinrich.
"Heinrich von Reinsfeld!" the dean repeated, looking at me intently.
"Damn it…" I muttered, gritting my teeth as I stepped forward, feeling every gaze on me.
The dean extended his hand.
"Why is my surname on the diploma? I no longer bear that name," I said, glaring at him.
"It is the one under which you registered at the university," he replied, not withdrawing his hand.
I took the diploma from his grasp, but I did not shake his hand.
I turned and walked away. The entire ceremony had turned bitter. The parchment that was supposed to symbolize my freedom was tainted with the name of the monster I had spent my whole life trying to escape.
"Congratulations, Heinrich…" said Alphonse's mother with a proud smile.
"Why didn't you tell us you were a noble?" asked Alphonse, turning his head in visible confusion.
"Because there was no need to say it, honestly," I answered, my voice still edged with anger.
"Reinsfeld… isn't that… the Champion of Sigmar?" said Alphonse's father, watching me closely.
"Forget it, will you? It's only a surname," I replied with a forced smile, trying to close the subject.
We returned to Alphonse's house, where there was another small celebration. But inside I burned with frustration that all my years of effort to conceal my family ties had been revealed so suddenly, in front of everyone.
The next day I took the court documents to the University of Altdorf to demand that the surname be removed from my diploma and a new one issued. I presented the papers proving that I had officially renounced my family name, and that although I was noble by birth, I was no longer part of the von Reinsfeld. I was simply Heinrich.
The matter was resolved quickly. The judges had already left everything in order, so the university only updated the diploma and handed it back to me, the name now clean.
I left the university with the document in hand and, without wasting time, went to the job boards of the same university and the Altdorf town hall to inquire about positions where my skills could be of use.
Everything seemed to be going well. Barely minutes after I had submitted my papers, I was already being called back with an offer. To my surprise, it was the dean himself who sought me out with a position: a prestigious appointment as professor of Imperial History.
I am not blind to my merits, but I knew very well that no one fresh out of university was offered fifty crowns a month to teach such a complex course. When I tried to probe for the reason, the dean merely said it was by direct order of the Emperor: to hire the best, regardless of age.
Of course, I accepted. But that explanation did not quiet the unease in my chest. I could not shake the thought that all of this had something, in one way or another, to do with my brother.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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