Maximilian walked sandwiched between the two knights with one of them walking just two steps in front of him and the other walking two steps behind him .
In the wide corridors of the ducal palace this was a very good way of protecting and restraining someone.
Maximilians mind also wandered off to the Duke Alexander, he didn't remember ever spending any time with him, maybe just cold glances from him and not acknowledgment.
But from what he had heard , Alexander was a formidable force to be reckoned with. He was a dual elementalist of both the fire and lightning ability both of them mastered to absolute perfection.
They say that the effect of his magic had an effective radius of three hundred meters, the size of three soccer fields.
He wondered if he could ever reach such levels of power, then his mind shifted and wondered if the Duke would survive a barage from a .50 Cal machine gun.
For now it was just a thought, maybe one day he might try it out.
' For the progress of science right ? '
Finally Maximilian was led into the Duke's study.
" Greetings your grace. " Max bowed before the Duke .
He could actually feel the energy emanating from his visage.
The Duke was still sizing up Max with an unreadable expression.
" You become a man tomorrow, is that correct? "
" Yes your grace." Max replied keeping his eyes low .
Maximilian was turning sixteen the next day and as such he would be recognized as a man capable of making decisions on his own .
According to empire laws, he would be able to serve in the army, get married and could own property.
At this age a man would be responsible for his own actions.
The Duke continued to speak, " You are a disgrace to my bloodline, how can one be born so unlucky, to be a bastard and to be granted no ability to protect himself... So pitiful, such overwhelming magic power with no ability to express it."
Max could see annoyance in the eyes of the one called his father , as long as his memory went that was the only emotion he had ever seen the man showcase towards him.
" If you had a combat ability, you could have been sent to the imperial army to make a name for yourself but sending you there but that would be a waste of time.
So I have decided to send you to Valum, the Lord I placed incharge of Valum has just passed away and he has left no male heirs.
You will go there and take control of the lands until a time I see fit .
You will take with you a retinue of twenty knights who will stay with you until a time when you are able to raise a force to maintain order in your territory.
You reserve the right to make laws that don't interfere with my laws or the empire laws, you are to pay thirty percent of all the revenue generated in your territory and you reserve the right to increase or decrease tax in your territory.
Any questions? "
Maximilian who was surprised by this slowly shook his head and then the Duke continued.
" Even though you are a bastard, you represent my will in Valum and as such require a last name, seeing as you cannot take my last name you would have to choose one for yourself.
Do you have any in mind? "
Max looked at his reflection on a silver mirror, whitish blonde hair, piercing green eyes and a tall healthy looking body albeit without any defined muscles.
" I choose the name Scorpia, Maximilian Scropia." He replied .
Few minutes later he had left the study and secured himself in the quarters assigned to him. He had also been given ten thousand gold coins from which he could do anything he wanted with it.
A family of three if all they ate was bread and soup will be able to live on a single gold coin for an entire year. And here he was with yearly budget of ten thousand families.
This was a message for him to lay low and not to cause any problems .
The next morning he made preparations and purchased horses for transport into Valum.
Darkness has already descended on the town.
Maximilian instead of riding straight to the castle asked for camp to be made just outside the town gates.
The gate only had two men stationed and the walls were short and barely maned. Most importantly the former lords wife still resided in the lords manor, Max could go in at the moment but he knew how unpleasant and awkward this kind of things were, he was too tired from unpleasantness and he needed to rest.
Max woke up at the sound of the first cock crow, he didn't know what time it was, maybe between three and four AM.
Regardless he began a simple workout; running, push ups , sit ups and squats nothing too serious but enough to get his blood pumping right.
Two hours after sunrise, the party accompanying him were all ready, a messenger had already been sent ahead to inform the former lords widow of his arrival.
However it came as a surprise that when he arrived , he found the gates locked with chains .
It was clear that the lady had received word of his arrival and has chosen to ignore it.
He didn't know if was a test from the Duke or if the lady Windbread was so grief stricken that she felt that rebellion on his first day was the best line of action.
But between dying and getting thrown into this world with little or no understanding Maximilian had no time for this, he needed to research the limits of his powers before some unfortunate circumstance came up.
He then turned to the knight closest to him and commanded,
" Break the chains. "
The knight wasted no time and with a clean swing, the chains were shattered and Max calmly rode his horse into the compound.
It was a very cold, windy morning and as such he draped himself with a blue cloak, the same as the knights.
He could see people peeking from the windows then he announced in a loud voice for all the knights assigned to him to hear.
" Lady Windbread had commuted treason against house Caligula and as such doomed the occupants of this manor to death.
But I am not a mad man, bring the lady to me on her knees and alive, restrain the others and kill anyone foolish enough to resist."