Chapter 11 (1/2)
Ch 11 Bad News
The rest of the road offered no troubles Benja Luke and Kurotan frouard
“Have there been any events in the territory?”
“I aer, but the Lord has retired due to his health and Sir Reynold has become the new Lord”
“It looks likebrother has finally inherited the territory”
Benjamin looked at Luke with pity
“You would becoth if you stayed with the House… Hoonderful would it be if you used the experiences you have built up during your service for the territory?”
“It can’t be helped”
Luke smiled bitterly and shook his head He had already decided his future would be outside of Esteban Earldoo
Luke’s plan was to enter Lea Marquisate after retireht of the Lea Marquisate
Benjamin couldn’t hide his disappointment, but said
“You have a calhly before you act You will becoure even at Lea Marquisate”
“No one can know for sure, Benjamin”
“I wish to plead for you to reconsider, but I will respect the decision you have made out of love”
“Thank you, Sir Benjamin”
Lea Marquisate was the House of Luke’s fiancée, Isabelle His becoht of the Lea Marquisate was the prerequisite for his e to Isabelle Benjaue
After a while, the familiar castle of the Esteban Earldoia
“It’s been exactly five years since I’ve seen that castle”
He couldn’t help but feel relaxed in the place he had run around as a child As they approached, the soldiers guarding the castle door by the reeted Luke
“Congratulations on your retire Master Luke”
“Thank you all”
The inside of the castle had barely changed since he had left Luke gazed over the sights with a look of reluctance Luke did not find it easy to leave the castle he had visited for five years for a new life as a Knight of the Lea Marquisate
Kurotan had been walking silently with the reins of Luke’s horse in his hands Luke dismounted from the horse when they reached the Lord’s residence
“Kurotan”
Kurotan bowed silently, and Luke pointed to the training field that stretched in front of the Lord’s residence
“I will go and meet with the Lord You can train in the basics of the sword in the meantime…”
Kurotan saluted and ran towards the training field, sword in hand Benjaht
“Then, Sir Benjamin, I am off to see the Lord”
“Yes I shall have a stable hand take your horse”
The Lord’s residence reuided Luke towards the office of the Lord
Knock Knock
A low voice vibrated out of the office at the knock
“Come in”
Luke opened the door and walked into the office A ed man with sharp eyes looked up from his desk It was Luke’s older brother, Reynold
Reynold stood up with a bright smile when he saw Luke
“Luke You have finally returned”
“Yes, Lord”
“We are not in a for brother So, the past five years h for you? You have had a hard time, my brother, in faraway territories”
Luke scratched the back of his head as an aard expression crawled onto his face
“It was not too difficult It seerown more white hairs?”
“There are a lot of things to worry about after beco the Lord Sit”
Luke sat on the sofa while Reynold called a chambermaid to prepare tea Luke met eyes with his brother, older than him by more than twenty years
They came from different mothers Earl Esteban, their father, had lost his first wife to illness and remarried
Reynold was the son of the first wife and Luke the second That hy Luke and Reynold were born with twenty plus years between them
However, the four sons and three daughters did not cause any chaos within the family and were close with each other Reynold handed Luke a cup of tea as he asked
“I have heard you took in an apprentice knight?”
“It’s true”
“I am curious as to why you would take in an old commoner without even a payment froht out decision, considering your disposition”
“Thank you for believing inbrother”
“That aside, let us talk about the sacrifices you havefrom the House?”
Luke sed
“I have so to report to you first”
“What is it?”
“I have passed down the House’s sword art to ht, Kurotan”
“You have probably passed down the basics, once again considering you don’t make irrational decisions”
“Yes”
“Good I won’t make this issue a problem as you have reported it honestly”
Luke continued on carefully
“I ask this very reluctantly, but I do so anyways”
“What is it? Speak”
“I wish to pass down an Aura flow ht Kurotan Would it be possible?”
“What?”
Reynold’s eyes widened Fro completely ridiculous
An Aura cultivation technique did not get passed down to even the branch families of a House How could it be passed down to a ht?
“I don’t understand what you see in a ht”
“…”
“I trust you are not asking this without reason Explain your reasoning to me”
Luke opened his mouth immediately
“I aards to the Aura cultivation method of the Esteban House”
“Of course”
“It is to , however, that the House is in possession of other Aura cultivation technique Those are theto”
“Heum”
Just as Luke had said, the Esteban Earldom possessed multiple Aura cultivation techniques that were not the unique Esteban Aura cultivation technique There were techniques that had been spoils of territorial wars that they had won, or techniques bought off of fallen noble Houses