David S.R

Chapter 63 (Thank you for your support, Devta!)

Viola narrowed her eyes, still breathing hard. “Tired of winning, huh? You’ve got a smug way of saying that, you know.”

Ludger didn’t bother denying it. He just folded his arms and looked down at her, waiting.

She squinted, suspicion flickering across her face. “So what—you suddenly feel like being a good big brother when you are just a little brother and helping me out? You’re not exactly the type to share.”

“Think of it as self-interest,” Ludger replied...

Chapter 62

The weeks slipped by without incident. No shadows on the walls. No shiver of bloodlust in the air. No more bodies in the grass.

On the surface, life settled back into routine—Elaine’s hovering warmth, Viola’s relentless sparring demands, Luna’s steady efficiency. If anyone had watched the house from outside, they would have seen nothing but a family’s daily rhythm.

And Luna? She looked the same as ever. Calm. Polished. Eyes clear, movements precise. Whatever information ...

Chapter 61 (Thank you for your support, Rob Blok!)

The spear hissed through the night again, aimed straight for Ludger’s chest. He vanished with Dash, the point carving nothing but air. A sharp crack of displaced grass marked where he had been—then silence.

The spearman spun, teeth clenched. “Tch—damned brat!” His voice came out as a harsh whisper, just above a growl.

A shadow darted past his flank. Ludger’s grin flashed in the dark, armguard grazing the man’s weapon shaft with a clang before melting away ag...

Chapter 60 (Thank you for your support, Truth!)

“Time to return,” Luna said at last, her voice clipped. She adjusted the basket on her arm—half-filled with token purchases to keep up appearances—and guided Ludger back toward the main street.

He fell beside her without complaint, though his mind was still turning over the Silent Steps–Dash combination like a blade on a whetstone.

They walked in silence for a stretch. Then Luna slowed, her eyes flicking over the rooftops, the narrow alleys, the flow of the crowd.

...

Chapter 59

Over the next few days, the house changed in small but obvious ways. Ludger and Luna, who had barely exchanged more than polite words before, now lingered at corners of the house together. By the well, in the kitchen doorway, or walking back from errands—they were always there, side by side.

Their conversations were quiet, clipped, and serious. Ludger’s arms crossed, Luna’s gaze steady, both of them leaning close enough that anyone watching would know they weren’t joking around....

Chapter 58

Later, after the sweat dried on his skin and the ache in his arms dulled, Ludger sat on the steps of the courtyard, letting the cool breeze wash over him. His thoughts replayed the conversation, the silence ward, the vanishing act.

At first, Maurien’s warning felt like nothing but frustration—a puzzle with half the pieces missing. But the longer Ludger chewed on it, the clearer it became.

He declared me his student, out loud, in front of plenty of witnesses before. Th...

Chapter 57

Viola’s silence didn’t last long. Her shock twisted into a sharp grin, and she snatched up her wooden sword.

“Alright then,” she said, eyes blazing. “Let’s see if your fancy trick holds up against me!”

Ludger sighed, rising to his feet. “Fine. Don’t cry when it doesn’t go your way.”

They squared off in the courtyard. Viola’s aura flared as Overdrive coursed through her body, her blade glowing faintly as she layered Weapon Enhancing over the wood. She ...

Chapter 56

The trip home was uneventful—Viola filled the carriage with chatter while Elaine’s eyes never left Ludger, and he kept his replies short enough to avoid more suspicion. By the time they reached the house, he was already dreading the noise Viola would bring into their quiet routines.

But when the luggage was hauled in, it wasn’t Viola who caught his eye. It was Luna.

The maid wasted no time. While Viola strutted through the house declaring which room she’d take, Luna slippe...

Chapter 55

The clash dragged on. Viola swung wildly, her wooden blade glowing faintly under the strain of Overdrive and Weapon Enhancing, each strike sharper and faster than the last.

Ludger met her with calm precision. He blocked when he had to, dodged when it was smarter, and slipped away with quick bursts of [Dash] that kept her guessing. His arms ached, his legs burned, but compared to her reckless flurry, he was in control.

Minutes passed, the air filled with the thud of wood against gu...

Chapter 54

They rose horses the next morning. Around, the fields stretched wide, dotted with farmers and the distant silhouettes of marching banners. Inside, Ludger sat with his arms folded, staring at the window while Elaine hovered like a hawk.

“Drink this.” She shoved a flask into his hands.

“I’m not thirsty.”

“Drink it anyway. You’ll dehydrate faster on the road.”

Ludger sighed, uncorked the flask, and took a token sip before handing it back. “Happy?”

Chapter 53 (Thank you for your support, Daniel Cruz!)

Elaine’s fury shook the walls, her grip on Arslan tight enough that even his reckless grin faltered. Her aura rippled through the hall like barbed wire, snapping against anyone who dared breathe too loud.

“Mother,” Ludger said, his voice flat but steady as he stepped forward. “If you keep shouting, he’ll bleed out before you’re finished.”

Elaine froze, her eyes narrowing at him, but Ludger didn’t flinch. He touched her arm gently, guiding her back a step. “Let me...

Chapter 52

The next dawn, Ludger tried again. He set out at full tilt, arms pumping, legs burning. He wanted to know how far he could go before his body forced him to stop. The answer was… disappointing.

His short legs carried him fast, yes, but not far. After less than an hour at top speed, his lungs were on fire, his muscles locked tight, and sweat blinded his eyes. When he finally stumbled to a halt, chest heaving, he realized he hadn’t even covered 25% the distance to the goblin dungeon. 2025-09-16 12:04:31 +0000 UTC View Post

Chapter 51

The trip to their estate near Koa City took four days. They didn’t waste time—changing horses at every outpost, eating on the move, sleeping only when the animals needed rest. The urgency pushed them like a whip at their backs.

The march north didn’t last long for everyone. Near the crossroads leading toward Koa City, the column slowed, and banners shifted as orders were relayed down the line.

Lord Torvares rode to the front, his voice booming as he divided the household. Th...

Chapter 50

Dinner was laid out in silence. The long table groaned under roasted meats, fresh bread, and steaming bowls of stew, but none of the usual banter or laughter filled the hall. The food might as well have been ash; no one reached for it until Lord Torvares finally sat at the head of the table, his presence pulling every eye toward him.

He didn’t waste time.

“Our neighbors moved this morning,” he said, his voice like iron scraping against stone. “They struck across the border...

Chapter 49

Viola didn’t take her eyes off the pair across the room. Her grin stayed in place, but her voice dropped into something sharp and steady.

“They’re from House Veylan and House Roderick,” she said. “Both families have blood ties with the imperial guard.”

Ludger’s gaze flicked back to the two. Now that she said it, he could see the bearing—the straight spines, the clipped precision of their movements, the kind of polish that came from more than noble tutors. These wer...

Chapter 48

The arena held its breath. For a long heartbeat, no one knew what to make of it—the boy had simply flown across the ring, tossed aside like he weighed nothing.

Then the whispers broke loose like wildfire.

“What was that strike?”
“It wasn’t just strength. I saw light—did you see it?”
“Was it magic? It couldn’t have been. No chant, no seal, no signs—”

Nobles leaned into one another, their hushed voices sharp with suspicion. Commoners shou...

Chapter 47

The carriage brought them straight to the tournament grounds, and the roar of the crowds was louder than the day before. The s;half iblings could hear it even from the halls, waves of voices chanting names, calling out rumors, carrying bits of gossip through the air like sparks.

“Did you see the Torvares boy drag his sister across the sand?” one noblewoman laughed as they passed. “Like a child hauling a sack of grain!”

“Ridiculous, yes,” another murmured, “but effect...

Chapter 46

The crowd’s laughter rolled like thunder, chants breaking into chuckles as Ludger stubbornly dragged Viola’s limp body across the sand. Her trail carved a crooked line toward the waiting room, her protests drowned beneath the arena’s amusement.

Lord Torvares shot to his feet in the noble stands, his face red with a cocktail of pride and outrage.

“Magnificent!” he bellowed, voice booming over the din. “They fight like lions, they crush their foes—and now they...

Chapter 45

The clash of steel and guard echoed across the stone ring. Ludger braced again as his opponent’s dulled sword slammed against his forearm guard with a weight that made his arms shudder. The boy’s strikes weren’t wild or clumsy—they were sharp, deliberate, and relentless.

Ludger’s eyes narrowed. The kid wasn’t burning himself out, either. His breath stayed steady, his movements measured. Each heavy swing came down with the same force as the last, like a hammer pounding rhythm...

Chapter 44

The referee stood frozen for a heartbeat, mouth half open as he glanced at the boy sprawled outside the ring and the one still staggering back from Viola’s strike. Then, with a sharp motion, he raised his flag.

“Match over! Victory to Viola Torvares and Ludger!”

For a second, the silence lingered. Then came the sound of a cane slamming against wood.

Lord Torvares was already on his feet, eyes blazing, his booming voice rolling over the stands like a battle cry. “YES!...

Chapter 43

From the noble stands, the noise was deafening.

Lord Torvares was on his feet again, cane raised high, his voice booming over the crowd like thunder. “Excellent! That’s how you fight!” The aura he gave off radiated so strongly that even neighboring nobles shifted uncomfortably in their seats, some muttering under their breath but none daring to speak against him outright.

Beside him, Arslan whooped loud enough to shame half the spectators, waving his arms as if he were leadi...

Chapter 42 (Thank you for your support, gregory pfister.)

The matches dragged on.

One pair after another was called, the announcer’s voice booming through the stone halls, followed by the roar of the crowd above. The waiting room became a place of restless pacing, whispered strategy, and sharpened nerves. Time seemed to stretch, each bout taking longer than the last as eager young nobles threw everything they had into their first chances to impress.

For Ludger and Viola, it meant waiting. And waiting. Nearly two hours passed before the...

Chapter 41

The sunlight hit them full force as they stepped out of the tunnel, and the noise of the crowd rolled over them like thunder. Viola raised her chin high, striding toward the quadrangular ring with her sword resting against her shoulder, looking every inch the heiress she wanted the world to see.

Ludger followed, steady, measured. His boots scraped against the stone floor, the red-and-silver Torvares crest on his armguards catching the light with every step.

That was when the murmu...

Chapter 40 (Thank you for your support, Sandmanslimz!)

The morning air outside the estate was crisp, carrying the faint murmur of the capital already stirring awake for the next stage of the tournament. Carriages rumbled distantly, hawkers raised their voices, but at the gates of the Torvares residence it was quiet.

Ludger stood there, dressed simply—plain traveling clothes, his worn shin and forearm guards strapped into place. They weren’t flashy, but they were practical, reliable, the same ones he’d trained in countless times. He ad...

Chapter 39

That evening, the Torvares residence was livelier than usual. Servants moved briskly to set out extra dishes, and the dining hall hummed with laughter and chatter. Viola sat at the center of it all, back straight and eyes blazing with triumph, the very picture of a young noble bathing in well-earned glory.

She had passed the first three phases of the spell trials, one after another until only thirty-two contestants remained. Tomorrow, the final rounds would decide the winner, but for no...

Chapter 38

The silence stretched until Selene broke it, her voice low and sharp. “Why change the rules now? This kind of restructuring isn’t done lightly. Someone high up pushed for it.”

Cor adjusted his spectacles, frowning at the parchment. “Lord Torvares never mentioned such alterations. That means they were decided very recently—too recently for word to reach him before we left.” He tapped the edge of the paper. “Divisions by age, new formats… these are not tweaks. They’re de...

Chapter 37

The next three days blurred into a steady rhythm of hoofbeats, creaking wheels, and dust trailing behind the caravan. Mornings were stiff, afternoons long, nights lit by firelight and the endless chatter of Viola needling him into conversation.

For Ludger, the pattern was broken only by stolen hours of practice. Each night, after the camp quieted, he returned to his drills. [Mana Bolt] still bucked like a wild colt, but it was less wild now—less eager to fly wherever it pleased. Slowl...

Chapter 36

The next day stretched long and flat, the road a ribbon of dust under a pale sky. The rhythm of wheels creaking and hooves clopping had dulled into a steady monotone, broken only by the occasional birdcall or Harold’s off-key whistling.

Viola leaned out of the carriage window again, chin resting on her arms. Her eyes darted between Ludger on his gelding and the horizon ahead. She’d already counted the clouds, annoyed both maids with endless questions, and even tried coaxing one of t...

Chapter 35

The estate gates groaned open, and the caravan began to move. Wheels crunched over gravel, hooves struck the packed earth in rhythm, and the banners of House Torvares fluttered in the morning wind. Ludger sat atop a small chestnut gelding—sturdy, obedient, and just spirited enough to keep him alert. The leather reins felt stiff in his hands, though not half as stiff as his back under the weight of responsibility.

Beside him rolled the lacquered carriage, polished wood gleaming, gold t...

Chapter 34

Ludger listened, stone-faced, while Arslan painted the picture. A grand stage in the capital, banners fluttering, nobles gossiping in silk, and children shoved out like trained dogs to perform tricks for applause. Sword swings, fireballs, memorized speeches about history—an entire festival built on the fragile egos of families with too much money.

“Great,” Ludger thought. “So it’s a talent show, but with blood and politics. Nothing says ‘responsible parenting’ like tossing...