1
X918
The boy had become a man by the time he was sixteen. He had grown over the past few years, taller and leaner than ever before.
He was seen wearing a tan vest with a white blouse underneath with a Cravat around his neck, and dress pants while carrying his cane. His etiquette and fencing course have paid off. But most of all, his magic lessons have gone better than even his father had expected. Of all things, he found something that he was finally good at:
Magic..
He had skipped the galas during the past few years; he didn't wanna face Akirui, yet he needed to be stronger and better than he was.
He was walking through his family's estate when he came across a maid carrying a clothes basket.
He tapped his cane on the marble floor
"A rose for thee," he did a practiced bow
The maids' irises were dilated, her senses heightened
"Is this one real or is it another fake, master joshua?" the maid sulked, unimpressed
"Who knows?" he teased. Maybe, maybe not, but you're the most beautiful flower here~" he said with a hand placed on his chest.
"---"
She shook her head
"forty-five points"
"Eh… really? That's all?"
He said, deflated, slumping down his shoulders
He stood up, "I'll aim higher next time, just you wait, Francine!"
"Lara…: she muttered.
He had been practicing not only magic but another language!
The language of love.
"I see you're at it again, baby brother. "
A familiar voice cut through the hallway
"Ah, elder brother Fredrick, you were watching? How embarrassing?" he rubbed the scruff on his neck
"Father told me to come get you….also..if he catches you hypnotizing the maids again…"
"It'll be fine, I'm not a child anymore, he doesn't scare me."
"You were begging on your hands and knees last month when he discovered and confiscated your 'Collection'.
"He had no right to, I won those under the gamblers ' rules fair and square," he upturned his nose.
"Forcing maids to play strip poker isn't fair and square when you're a noble."
Fredrick sighed
"Anyway, I thought you had eyes only for that one noble brat."
Joshua narrowed his eyes.
"She is not a brat, dear elder brother, and collecting undergarments is a noble's pastime; there's no sexual feelings about it, it's out of admiration."
"Right..anyway, father has summoned us, we have to get ready for the Party."
"Oh yes, that… " he strained his Cravat. "Yes, the time has come for our reunion—time to put the plan into motion.
"I don't like that look on your face, baby brother."
2
His father's office was massive and was filled with animals. Well, not live ones of course, his father had a taxidermy hobby, though Josuuha found them creepy.
Deer heads, mounted magi beasts, especially the three-headed kill bear.
His father sat in a large, red, cushioned chair. He rested his elbows on the desk as he looked at his four sons.
"Hal, Hendrick, glad you can make it," their father said
"And Joshua, I assume you have been on your best behavior since the incident?"
"You mean the panty raid?"
"__"
"Of course, Father, I've been an upstanding citizen."
"Good, cause I need all of you to represent the house in the upcoming gala. Your older brothers" will keep a close eye on you, that fight incident broke out last time… this year I expect to hear nothing but good things from you, if nothing," he said sternly.
"This year will be important since a representative of the queen will be arriving, " he explained, and leaned closer on the desk.
"It goes without saying that this will be an excellent opportunity for you all to gain Devotees.
"Tch"
"Don't 'tch" me, boy, you ought to take this more seriously, being the next-"
" There's no point, I lack followers anyway, so even if I wanted to, I'm already behind the curve.
"You're given an opportunity others would kill for, and you treat it as choosing what to wear." His voice was sharp. "You should be more grateful."
Joshua took a deep breath slowly.
"You expect this and that of me…but don't you think letting me do what I'm actually good at would be what's best for your child?"
"---"
His brother's side eye'd him '
His father looked into his eyes and sighed deeply.
" Fine, just don't do anything that would shame the Llewellyn name."
"That I can do," he placed a hand on his chest
"Good, and how about you, Hendrick? You're falling behind yourself
"Ah-ah, well, um, I haven't been thinking about it, Father, my studies have been taking up most of my time," Hendrick stammered
Friedrick looped an arm around his shoulder. " Come on, little brother, look at father in the eye when you're speaking."
"Oh-yes-so-sorry"
"Leave him be, Freidrick, one who can't speak and look another man in the eye has no business being Lord Proctior," Hal said
The next in line for Lord Proctor was determined by the number of followers the son of the Lord Proctor had. Hal and Friedrick had a combined total of thirty or so supporters while Hendrick and Joshua only really had four to five, or so each, respectively.
3
This year, Gala's he would be his,
he had a plan,
. No, it needed to work to win her hand.
He wasn't the same boy she tossed like a sack of potatoes at his party, and he wasn't the boy she saved by those discount nobles
. This time would be different,
"Hey… it can't be.. Is that you, young Joshua?"
"Oh, greetings, Misstress Fiadh," he said, making a formal bow.
"--"
"No way, what happened to your flabs, and the formality is… creepy.. "
"Well, I've been working out and doing etiquette classes, why?"
He did a mock gasp
"Don't tell me you're smitten with me now? Sorry, but my heart belongs to Miss Nicco and Miss Nicco alone."
"Don't start getting a big head just because you're a little more handsome, I like beefier guys!"
Fiadh clasped her hands. "However, your taste isn't awful, young love, I see? Though she's pretty for a human, Akirui has a mean streak when it comes to her temper.. I hear she was kicked out of her all-girls school just a few months ago."
"Wonderful, just wonderful! Defying all social norms is exactly what I want in a woman!"
Fiadh stared blankly at him. " Well, at least some of your quicks stayed the same…"
He strutted forward
"Now, if you excuse me, I have a date with destiny.
The plan was simple; the few devotees he did have would play the role of Kidnappers and fake a hostage situation.
Then he would arrive, handsome, heroic, and charming, and unleash his newfound magic abilities and martial arts, saving the day in style. It was foolproof; absolutely nothing could go wrong.
"Alright, you got all that?"
"Yes, sir."
The three men were Lenny, Al, and Fergerson
They were loyal devotees of Joshua since he was a child
"I say Emila did a good job at making these outfits on such short notice… remember, don't be too rough, wouldn't want her pretty face to have any marks."
The group of four were in the garden. he chose this spot to recreate the Monet she saved him all that time to go.
"Now I'll send out the signal. "
A small firework shot into the sky with a flick.
" Showtime"
Later
"Ah, that maid said it should be around here," Akirui said, looking through the garden.
Clairce, as per instructions from Joshua, told Akirui she had misplaced a pendant. Using his research on her, he knew she was prone to wanting to help people out of the kindness of her own heart.
"Ah, this must be it.."
She leaned down to pick up the pendant, and that's when.
"Rahh!"
The men leaped out of the bushes.
"!!!
" She turned around only to be captured, and in an instant her hands were bound and her mouth gagged.
"Now, now, princess, don't make this harder than it needs to be
BAM
She head butted one of them
"Ow dam it"
She jumped back, eyes blazing
"You alright, Fergerson?" Al asked
"Don't use my real name, you moron!"
"Crap, crap, she's charging with no hands!"
CRUNCH"
She kneed Fergerson right in the nose, sending him flying back
"The hell?" Al went to grapple her, but she placed her foot flat on the ground, then the earth below erupted into drills and shot out from the ground. Lenny narrowly dodged a drill shot, scraping his cheek
(Well, shit, this isn't going well.) Joshua thought from the bush, "
ok, girl, just calm down," Al pleaded, waving his hands.
She charged again like a bull, and Al dogged and stumbled a little as he moved back.
(Sorry, boss, but I'm gonna have to fight back a bit or she'll legit kill me.)
Al jumped back and placed his hand on the ground, a circle appeared, and a spark.
An alchemy circle
Out of it rose a pole; a pole rose from the earth. He grabbed it just in time to block a series of earth drills. The girl, even despite her hands being tied, was overpowering him.
Al swung down, and she dodged left and, with her right foot, used the earth lance to propel her knee at high speed at his chin, knocking him back. Lenny tried escaping and started running away when she shot out a drill at the back of his head.
CRACK
It shattered with the swipe of a cane.
She created a stalactite and used that to cut her bindings and undid her gag.
"You there, leader? This was all your doing, wasn't it?"
She asked
"No, –well..yes–, but here me out"
She didn't wait; she charged at him
"Wait, wait, hold on, this is all a misunderstanding--!"
She slammed her palm to the ground and transmuted a stone sword from the earth.
CLANK
He blocked it with his cane, "I don't know why you're attacking me or what you had planned once you had me all alone, but I won't stand without a fight!"
"You make me sound more dubious than I am—I swear, it's not like that! Just listen to me!"
This whole thing was starting to get out of control. How did he end up fighting the very person he was trying to save?"
"Save it for the guards." She narrowed her eyes, then, with a kick of her feet, side-swiped his legs, but he caught himself. With his practicing footwork, he managed to stay on his own two feet. He tapped his cane on the ground.
RING
A sound pulse echoed—Akirui winced, ears ringing.
,
"Gah"
She shook her head, and suddenly there were three of him now
"Would you just listen?"
The closer she looked at the clones, the more she realized they all looked slightly different; one had a hooked nose, and another had a mole. She swiped at them, and they disappeared.
"Crap, she saw through them that fast!" Now she was on him and lunged her sword forward, he blocked it
However, while she was working on him from in the front, she was using a sleight of hand to get his attention elsewhere, she lifted with her second blade her other hand and with her sword high came down on his skull, knocking him out instantly.
4
When he came to he felt something soft underneath his head. he opened his eyes, an angel looke down upon him.
An angel that had kicked his ass more than a man should allow
. "Ah, you're awake.." She said she looked away meekly.
They were in the garden in a grass patch, his devotees nowhere to be found, and somehow his head ended up being in her lap.
"..."
"Your men told me what had happened, " she said, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Did they now? So you know how badly I misculated "
" I swear I was just off today, and also I didn't wanna hurt you, if I really wanted to I could take on even Mistress Fiadh!" he said proudly turning up his nose,
" What you did was dumb and reckless; you're lucky I was holding back." She looked at him,
He blinked
(That was holding back? She seemed like she shot to kill…)
" Look, I guess I'll come out and say it, I Joshua Terrsa Llewellyn, want you to be my bride, what an honor it is for you, yes?"
"---"
"Well?"
"Oh, it's you, Lord Joshua?! Ah!" she exclaimed, slamming his fist into his open palm.
"YOU JUST REALIZED THAT?!"
"Sorry, it's just you look so different."
"Hm, at least you know my name, he sighed exasperated,
"Well? What of my proposal?"
He waited with bated breath.
"Sorry, but like I said when you asked the first time … you're not my type."
"---"
"What do you mean I'm not your type?"
She puts her finger to her chin
"Well…" she ponders
"Well, what?! I'm way more handsome than I used to be! I've grown into my face, lost the weight, I'm quiet, toned, took etiquette classes, and everything! And that's still not enough? All that effort—and you're saying it was for nothing?!" He clenched his fist and sat up on her lap.
"Yeow!" he rubbed his forehead after she flicked it. "I never said your Physical appearance was an issue…:
"Eh? That doesn't make any sense. If that was the case, then what reason was it to deny me?"
"Well, today was a good example of what I don't like in a man, Being Pushy and a Show off."
"Grk—show-off?! I was trying to show you my best qualities as a mage!"
"...:
"Ok, I see how that sounds, but that's different!"
"You also don't seem to care about anyone but yourself. From what I heard from your father, you don't even know your own staff's names."
"Of course I know their names, there's Emila, Heiter, and… um
"Above all else, I can never be with someone who only improves themselves for others' approval."
" The hell does that mean?" he clenched the grass below into a bunch.
She stood up and swiped away the grass bits on her dress. "If I told you, you'd just do it anyway," she said. "And then it still wouldn't be you. You wouldn't be doing it for yourself."
He was silent
"I won't tell your father about this whole scheme…Honestly, I think it's better for both our sakes." She put her hands together in a prayer and a wink.
"Fine"
Miss Nicco, there you are, your father is looking for you' a woman called out.
"Ah, well, see you later, Joshua," she curtsied.
And with that, she was gone.
"Sir," Al started
"What's the plan now?"
5
Back home….
5
Back home…
"I want to become the next Lord Proctor."
He said it with a smile—shoulders back, eyes clear.
His father and brothers stood frozen. Jaws. On. The. Floor.
"Mistress Clarice will be my secretary," he added proudly.
His father raised a brow. "And what's brought this on?"
Joshua tilted his head, tapping his cane once on the floor.
"I realized I won't be a kid forever. If I want others to acknowledge me... I have to first acknowledge myself. And what better way to do that—than to succeed one's own father?"
There was a long pause. Then…
"Very well, my son," his father said, straightening in his seat. "I acknowledge you as a candidate for Lord Proctor."
And with that, something changed.
Joshua had found his goal.
Not a fantasy. Not a game.
A real purpose.
To become the kind of man that the one he loved...
could be proud of.
✦ Joshua's story will continue in BOUNDLESS ✦