"ATTENTION! ATTENTION!, PEOPLE OF THE IMPERIUM!"
"Returning to the heart of Valerius by the grace of the Silver Wolf..."
"MARGRAVE ALERIC VALERIUS ; son of the Archduke, blood of the First Wolf!"
A roar went up. The nobles straightened. The commoners threw more flowers. Although he is disowned but he is still Archduke's first son and that fact can't be changed.
The herald grinned so wide his mustache shook, and raised his staff again, even louder this time.
"And with him riding under the same banner ..."
"COUNT SILAS VALERIUS!"
The name hung in the air for half a second.
Then the entire courtyard ,people and even nobles all turned toward the carriage in unison. Not for Aleric, whom they all knew. For the other one.
They all wanted to see one person.
Who was this Silas?
The commoners started cheering even louder than they had for Aleric.
They had already heard the stories from the Red Fort soldiers — how their Count had commanded the entire force in desperate times, how he made even the beasts feel fear... how he had helped them win the war by providing hidden forces no one knew existed...
How he had completely destroyed the Imperium's plan.
They cheered, and they cheered again not for a returning son, but for the future Archduke who was going to accept the position of Duke today.
"COUNT SILAS! COUNT SILAS! COUNT SILAS!"
The chant rolled through the streets like a wave, shaking the banners. Commoners threw flowers towards the carriage, children climbed on their fathers' shoulders just to catch a glimpse, and even the city guards were pounding their spears against their shields in rhythm.
Up on the steps, Cassian glanced at Lysandra and muttered, "They love him more than me."
Lysandra just smiled, her eyes already wet. "Of course they do. He's ours Silas, did you forget when he born the whole archduchy was covered with divine light ?"
Yes, it was true. The day Silas was born, the whole Archduchy glowed with divine light. So people always believed he was a divine child.
Nytheria, standing with her arms crossed, watched the carriage door with that unreadable look of a level 90 Wizard. "Hmph. Let's see if the boy lives up to the noise..." She had met him before, but due to his sickly body, she never thought much of Silas, even though he was born amid a huge phenomenon.
Inside the carriage, Silas heard his name echoing off the castle walls and pinched the bridge of his nose.
Aleric leaned over, grinning. "Told you."
Silas stepped out of the carriage alongside Aleric and Torin.
He wasn't dressed like a noble at all. He was wearing just a simple black shirt, beige pants, a space pouch hanging loose at his waist. No crest, no jewels, no cloak.
And yet the entire courtyard went silent just looking at him.
It wasn't just his face, though he was unfairly handsome. It was his demeanor — calm, unbothered, like the cheering of thousands meant nothing at all.
Then it happened.
Four terrifying auras heavy enough to make the air shiver slammed into him at once, scanning him from head to toe.
[Ding!]
[Host, 4 level 90 beings are attempting to pry into your details.]
[System is activating self-defense protocol...]
[1... 2... 3...]
Silas's eyes narrowed. "Wait..."
He didn't get to finish.
[Counterattack initializing!]
In the same instant, Lucian, Selene, Nytheria, and Varric the four strongest people in the Imperium, all staggered back a step.
They hadn't gotten a single piece of information. Instead, something had hit them back. Hard.
A thin trail of blood slid from the corner of each of their mouths.
The courtyard gasped.
The four level 90s stared at Silas in pure horror.
'Impossible. Absolutely impossible. That child... just hurt us... without even lifting a finger.'
They looked at each other, and for the first time in decades, the same emotion flickered in all four of their eyes at once.
Pure, unfiltered horror.
On the steps, Cassian whispered, "What did he just do?"
Lysandra didn't answer. She was staring at Silas like she'd never seen him before.
In the middle of the courtyard, Silas just brushed a piece of flower petal off his black shirt, completely unaware or completely uncaring that he had just made the four strongest humans on the continent bleed.
Aleric and Torin both looked at Silas with a new level of respect. What he had just done was awesome . Four level 90s bleeding at the same time but they couldn't cheer him for it now, not with the whole Imperium watching.
Aleric leaned in, murmuring right next to Silas's ear, his voice low enough that only the three of them could hear.
"What did you just do? Why are they bleeding like that?"
Silas didn't even glance at the four old monsters on the steps. He just looked at his brother and said, completely nonchalant, "How would I know? Maybe they're just old."
Aleric let out a nervous, choked chuckle. "Old? That's the Archduke of Blackwood and two Saints and grandma..."
Before he could finish, the four of them were already coming down the steps toward Silas.
Nytheria was first. She walked straight past Aleric . Aleric, whom she had always loved more than any other grandchild. She didn't even look at him. Her eyes were locked on Silas, and she was smiling. A real smile, not her usual sneer.
Selene and Lucian followed right behind her. They were his paternal grandparents, and they moved like they had been waiting for this moment for years.
Even Varric stepped forward, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand, his eyes sharp with curiosity.
Nytheria stopped a foot away from Silas, her level 90 Wizard's aura completely restrained now, as if she was afraid of triggering something again.
"Silas!" she asked, her voice softer than anyone in the courtyard had ever heard it. "What did you just do right now?"
Silas put on the most innocent, clueless face he could manage. He blinked up at his terrifying grandmother and said blankly, "How would I know? I'm just a little noob. How could I do something like this to you all?"
There was a beat of silence.
Then, in perfect unison, all four of the strongest people in the Imperium cursed in their hearts.
'Sly! Sly as an old fox...! He won't even reveal his secrets!'
Lysandra, watching from the step above, covered her mouth to hide her laugh. That was definitely her son...
Lucian threw his head back and laughed out loud, the sound booming across the suddenly quiet courtyard.
"Hahahahaha! That's my grandson!"
Before he could even finish, Selene was already there. The Saintess of the Imperium who hadn't hugged anyone in public pushed right past Lucian and pulled Silas into a tight hug.
"Silas! Long time no see. Maybe you saw me when you were still a child..." she whispered, her voice shaking a little.
Silas, stiff for half a second, finally nodded his head against his paternal grandmother's shoulder.
Varric chuckled, wiping the last of the blood from his chin. "Silas! At first, when your father announced that he wanted you to be the next Archduke... I was angry. I wasn't convinced by his decision at all. Now..." He looked at the blood on his own hand, then at the boy in the black shirt. "Now I think he was right."
The other three nodded. Even Nytheria, who never agreed with anyone, gave a slow, approving nod.
But Silas frowned.
"But this time I came back here to change the family rules," he said, his voice clear enough for the front rows of nobles to hear. "And I'm not going to accept the Duke position."
The whole area went dead silent.
The nobles looked at him in confusion. Cassian and Lysandra, still on the steps, both tensed at the same time.
Nytheria immediately stepped forward. "Silas! Don't be like this... you don't know..."
Silas shook his head calmly. "I know. To change the family rules, I need each family's vote. And to get to that decision, I need to prove myself first... aren't I correct, Grandfather?" He looked straight at Lucian.
Lucian's smile faded. He nodded slowly... but his face was dark. "You are. Although our families have this rule, no one has passed the test for thousands of years."
Selene grabbed his hand, worried. "Silas! Please, think about it..."
Silas's expression didn't change. "No, Grandma. I'll do it. I'll change this disgusting rule from the family."
Varric, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his voice low. "Silas. Although you know most of the details, you don't know the important part of it. If someone changes a rule, the rule will be implemented in all three Ancient Families — Sylveria, Blackwood, and Valerius. So you will also need to pass three tests, organized by the three families..."
Silas frowned after hearing this. It was more trouble than he'd thought.
Aleric, who had been watching with growing panic, immediately came toward him and grabbed his shoulders. "Silas! Accept the Duke position and stop being angry... you don't need to change the family rules. I'm okay with how I am right now, you..."
But Silas was firm. He looked at his older brother right in the eye and said again, "No, brother. I've already decided. I'll take the test from the three houses."
Everyone including his three grandparents , Archduke Varric and even his parents just nodded after hearing that. Not because they agreed.
But because they knew that look on Silas's face. That look describes the firmness of his decision.
Nytheria sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Then first, prepare yourself, Silas. Your test will be held at the ceremonial ground..."
Silas nodded. He turned and went inside the castle with the butler, but before leaving, he met his mother and father. He hugged them both tightly, then went to get ready.
After a few more minutes, he came out.
The doors opened, and the hall went quiet again.
Silas walked out in the full ceremonial dress of House Valerius.
It wasn't the heavy, jeweled robe the other heirs wore. His was made of midnight-black silk that flowed like water, trimmed with thin silver thread along the cuffs and collar. The ancient wolf of Valerius embroidered over his heart in pure moon-silver.
A high, stiff collar framed his jaw, making his neck look longer and cleaner. The long coat fell to his knees, split at the back, and underneath he wore fitted black trousers and polished boots that made no sound on the marble.
His black hair, which had been messy from the carriage, was now brushed back, a single silver circlet which is the heir's band resting lightly on his forehead. It caught the light and made his pale skin almost glow.