Julian Notros-Farion
Sigh-
Was that really the right choice?
... It's not like I can ever beat her in that argument anyways.
Julian pondered his decision as he rolled around in his bed, "I really have a soft spot for her, don't I?" He mumbled before falling asleep.
Born into the Farion family's Notros branch, Julian had always been a noble. Since he was a child, his status was confirmed as the head of the family. The Farion family was, without a doubt, one of the strongest and most influential noble houses in the Midgard Kingdom, having two of its members retain the title of 'Duke'.
But life wasn't all roses and sunshine for Julian during the time the Midgard Kingdom was in turmoil; chaos ensued… The power struggle between nobles turned to war, the biggest civil war in the history of the Midgard kingdom.
Amidst the chaos, the head of the Notros Farion branch, who was also the Head of the family, died in war, said to be shot in the head by a sharp arrow during escape.
Without a leader for the noble family, more struggle boiled up; it was nothing less than a pure jumbled mess. Family members fought against each other, some even sending assassins to kill their blood-related kin in order to claim the fictitious title of 'Head'.
At this point, Julian was fourteen, caught in the scuffle of greedy grown men. His father was a smart one; his decision was to throw Julian out of the main political areas and into the rural area of Feris until he reached true adulthood at the age of twenty.
During this time, he also hired Julian, a top-rate sword master, to teach him how to defend himself against assassins; to him, he saw this period and the period ahead as not to be a peaceful one.
Julian was sure a talented young boy for his age; his knack for swordplay was incredible despite being raised in the comfort of a top-ranking noble house.
He trained until he was nineteen years of age. Throughout the five years living in a shack at the top of the Feris region, he never heard a word from the outside world.
Not knowing a thing about what horrible things happened in the Capital after he left, he set off on a journey returning to the Royal Capital by the time he was twenty years of age.
Arriving at the capital, he was met by shock; the house of Notros was in literal ruin, nothing but a demolished pile of rubble. Next to the destroyed manor stood five large stone graves…
Among the five, he saw names, three of them broke him, the names of his father Richard, his mother Vivian, and his uncle Kief.
Julian searched around the place, unable to find any traces of his older sister, not a gravestone nor a body.
Rain showered down from the heavens above…
Somber rustling of the long-dead ash-covered grass…
He kneeled in front of the tall graves as he grieved and sobbed, his slumped-over back getting pelted by the whispering rain.
With the Notros house gone, Julian was alone, no one to turn to, he lost everything important to him…
The only path in front of him was the path of death, one tarnished from the light of grace.
***
He walked the streets of the Royal Capital in his mudded clothes, they were once fair and neat… But now it's just the rags, fabric of the dumpsters.
With the limited money on him, he rented out a small room in an inn; his mind was blank…
Broken.
In a bar, he sat and drank for months, still unable to get past his grief of losing his entire family to an internal struggle…
In the background of the bar was chatter,
"Hey, have you heard about that one noble family?" A gruff man said in the background, he was of the beastmen race, his cat-like ears and battle-scarred appearance showed that he was sure a tough mut.
"You mean that one with all those internal issues?" Another one replied, a human, there was nothing special to him but his bald head.
"Yeah, it's Farion, right?"
"I heard a rumor spreading amongst adventurers saying that one of the branches killed everyone in the branch located near the Royal Capital. I think that the branch was called Notros."
"Ahh— Who gives a fuck, let them do their own thing, it's not any of our business, we're just wanderers."
"Brotha, it's big news, I heard that the branch family who attacked also captured the oldest daughter of the Notros branch and raped her after killing all her other family members… I heard that she was one clean, beautiful lass also."
"For real? Fucking hell, even if she was hot, those people are disgusting..."
Then there was silence in the bar.
"..."
Thump—
Julian smashed his hand onto the table where the men chattering were sitting, "Where did you hear this?" He asked, his eyes flashing with rage, his face red from anger but also alcohol, in his hand was a mug of half-drunk beer.
"Man! Who do you think you are, slamming our table like that?" The big battle-scarred beastmen said.
"Please tell me that what you said wasn't true…" Tears welled up in Julian's eyes, "Please… Older sister—"
Julian lost consciousness and blacked out.
*A little important note from the author here, about the relationship of Julian and Fia, the two aren't really siblings, in name they are, but in truth Fia was adopted into the Notros-Farion branch from another branch at a young age and was told to the outside world as a part of their linage, of course Julian and Fia themselves knows the truth.*