*Chapter 3:The pain of Encounter.
***
The Northern Continent, known as Arknor, is built upon three main pillars.
The first is the Duchy of Alaric, located in the northeastern region of Arknor. It is the Empire's primary supporter, serving as a major exporter of weapons and mana stones.
The second is the Duchy of Frost-Hold. Although it does not possess overwhelming military power, it holds immense influence—rivaling even that of the Holy Empire. It is considered one of the largest commercial hubs across the four continents.
The third pillar is the Oxford Elite Academy, which enrolls more than one thousand students every year per grade, offering scholarships alongside its rigorous academic system.
The Southern Continent, Ivaria, houses the greatest institution for training knights and duelists in the world. Upon graduation, every knight chooses the Lavin Institution to become an officially recognized knight.
Unlike Arknor, Ivaria consists of only a single duchy—the Grand Duchy of Cerberus. Much like Alaric, it stands as one of the largest exporters of knights and weaponry. A grand knight tournament is held between Cerberus and Alaric every five years. However, the most recent tournament was canceled due to disputes that escalated into a temporary war against the barbarians.
The conflict arose over the ownership of the recently discovered Ark Forest, beneath which lay a colossal mana mine. In the end, Cerberus claimed the mine while leaving the forest to the barbarians, sealing the agreement through mutual understanding.
The Eastern Continent, Ostarin, is the smallest among the four. Its most prominent pillar is the Tower of Magic, the ultimate destination for mages after graduation. It serves as the center of experiments and trials, where the arts of magic and manipulation of essence are studied. The tower stands as the gathering point for mages from all across the world.
The Western Continent, Helford, is the heart of the Holy Empire, where its influence and power have reached their peak. Here, knights are trained and refined into Holy Knights under the doctrine of Guardians of the Ruler.
Young girls—mostly war orphans or children of commoners—are raised from a young age and trained to serve the ruler under the title of Saintess. A Saintess wields pure, sacred power, specializing in healing, spreading tranquility, and empowering the knights on the battlefield.
**
After Daniel finished his conversation with Sylvia, a knock echoed from his chamber door.
"Young master, may I enter?"
What? The head butler? Why was he here?
"Yes, come in."
As the door opened, a tall man stepped inside—his hair graying, his sculpted body resembling a living statue. His mere presence exuded an aura so oppressive that an ordinary person would tremble in fear.
I smiled faintly and said,
"Oh? What brings Leon, the head butler himself, here?"
Leon gazed at him with an unreadable expression before speaking respectfully,
"Young master, His Majesty requests your presence for dinner."
Daniel froze.
"Oh? Really?"
Leon sighed calmly.
"His Majesty is waiting. Please do not be late."
With a reluctant smile, I replied,
"Of course. I'll be there shortly."
What does that old man want this time? Daniel thought.
If he summoned all of us, then it must be something important.
I rubbed my ear lightly and said,
"Sylvie, stay here for a while until I return."
She remained silent. Daniel stared at her for a long moment before sighing.
He could no longer understand her…
As I walked through the main corridor, a soft voice reached my ears—one that made my heart ache.
I wanted to cry… or perhaps smile? I didn't know.
Turning around, I saw a small girl with pink hair tinged with red, eyes as blue as the ocean, and skin glowing like polished pearl.
Before I could restrain my emotions, she leapt toward me. I gently caught her and embraced her.
Moments later, she leaned close to my ear and whispered,
"Big brother! Good morning!"
While I held back my tears , I replied softly,
"Good morning? It's already afternoon, you know?"
She smiled innocently and said,
"We didn't meet this morning. You've been sleeping a lot lately—so it counts as morning!"
I smiled and answered,
"Yeah… maybe you're right."
And while I was walking with my little sister, Elena... yes, her name was Elena, the name my mother chose, which means (bright light) or (sunlight) or whatever, that name suited her perfectly.
As we walked down the main corridor, I remembered the past... I remembered what happened to me and my family, and at that moment... the moment came to my mind that Elena ****, without my realizing it... I clenched my fist without realizing it, then Elena screamed, "Ouch! Brother! That hurt! What are you doing?!" I looked at her in astonishment, then I gathered myself and patted her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to." She looked at me with a sad look and said, "Are you okay?! Are you sick?!" I forced a smile and said, "No, I'm fine."
Yes, there's no need to worry, this will never happen again... I won't let that happen.
In this life… I will never let you to die. Ever.
__
852 word.