"No."
Darvin's voice rang through the office, sharp and unyielding.
He didn't even glance up from the document in his hand, his eyes fixed on the words as if Akamir wasn't there at all.
The Duke looked like a man who had aged years in a week.
An untrimmed beard shadowed his face, and his once-lustrous midnight-blue hair, cascading like a river of ink, now hung dull and lifeless.
Akamir tilted his head, confused. "Why not?"
"It's forbidden for nobles to live in Eldergrove," Darvin replied without looking up. "They don't call it a death sentence for nothing."
"But it's still part of our territory, isn't it?" Akamir's tone remained calm. "Can't I at least see what's there?"
"No." Darvin remained firm in his words. "I already told you. Going there is like giving away your life."
"I'm not asking for any help from the family."
Akamir's words made Darvin pause, falling into a moment of silence.
"All I want is to go ther—"
Baam!!
A sudden slam by Darvin on the table sent a shockwave all around the office room.
"Do you think I'm stopping you to save our family resources!?" he growled, voice laced with anger.
"..."
Akamir remained silent as he looked down at the Duke.
Darvin closed the document in front of him and set it aside.
He reached for the wine glass on the table, hesitated, then pulled his hand back, choosing not to drink.
"We have already lost so much." Darvin continued, his voice filled with exhaustion. "Don't do anything reckless now."
'Should I just make a run for it?'
The thought crossed Akamir's mind, but he dismissed it just as quickly.
Starting from scratch would take a lot of time and leaving now would only make things worse.
'I can't put my trust in Lucien remaining silent.'
Akamir lowered his head as he thought for a while.
"Then what do you want me to do?" he asked, looking back at Darvin.
From what he had noticed about the Duke, one thing was sure—.
'He likes to be in power.'
His obsession with power was clear to him and it couldn't have been more obvious.
'Even after losing his son, he hasn't stopped his plans.'
Darvin leaned back in his chair.
"...You will join the Pendora Academy." He muttered, staring at Akamir. "Lay low for the next three years. Make connections, if possible."
Akamir blinked twice.
'Running away doesn't seem so bad now.'
The last thing he wanted was to grovel, to wear a mask and pretend for the sake of gaining favor.
A type of guy who would do almost anything just for the sake of making connections.
'Even thinking about it makes me sick.'
"To make Aldric let his guard down," Darvin added, "I've arranged your engagement to a baron's daughter."
Akamir tilted his head in confusion. "Pardon?"
"She's the only daughter of the Edevane family. Former knights, recently granted nobility."
Darvin explained, picking up a glass of wine.
"But don't worry too much. When I become the next king, the engagement will be called off."
Akamir blinked, the words sinking in slower than he expected.
"I see." he replied, voice flat.
Akamir had already gotten a rough idea of what Darvin was planning.
He let out a soft chuckle at the thought.
'So, he still plans to use Inara to gain control over the kingdom.'
But it seems the only difference is that now, he plans to marry her instead of his son.
'Even if Inara is against it. Would she have a choice?'
In the game of thrones, you either win or die.
There is no middle ground.
'Hm? Is this bloodlust?'
Akamir softly tapped at his own heart.
Even without inheriting Asher's personality, he could still feel traces of his emotions.
'Feels like he would kill his father for taking Inara away.'
Knowing how Asher framed his own brother, it wasn't far-fetched.
But Akamir pushed those thoughts aside and focused.
From what Akamir could think, Lucien would definitely kill Inara unless he could gain from leaving her alive.
'When you fight monsters long enough, you begin to think like them.'
And Lucien was the monster who Akamir had fought a lot of times.
He was well aware of what tactics he would use to seize the throne.
Smiling, Akamir looked at his Duke once again.
"I refuse the engagement." He replied, his voice filling the entire room.
Darvin's face immediately darkened as he stared into Akamir's crimson eyes.
"And I refuse to crawl under someone just to make connections."
"...."
Darvin slowly tapped on the table as he glared at the boy.
"What do you want?"
Darvin asked, catching up with the meaning behind his words.
With a slight bow towards him, Akamir turned around.
"I'll leave for Eldergrove at dawn."
He announced as he turned around and walked towards the door.
"Give me one month. When I return, I'll do whatever you command."
Saying so, he opened the door and walked out.
---
Darvin leaned back with a weary sigh, eyes drifting to the ceiling in silence.
Morris' death had crushed him—so much so that he couldn't comprehend the aftermath.
"And now he is behaving like a rebel."
He mumbled loudly, eyes still on the ceiling.
Lowering his hand, he clicked a button at the bottom of his desk.
A few seconds later—
The door of his office slowly creaked open as a tall man walked inside.
The Head Knight Gorgon bowed his head slightly. "You need something, Master?"
"…I heard Asher's been training with the knights."
Darvin's voice was quieter now.
"How's he doing?"
Gorgon took a moment to think.
"A lot better than anyone who has just started using swords." He said simply. "...Better than Sir Morris when he started."
"In your opinion, what is his potential?" Darvin asked in a soft voice.
Even though he tried to hide it, there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.
Gorgon shook his head with a defeated sigh.
"If only he had started training seriously early on." He mumbled with regret.
Darvin remained silent for a while.
Then—.
He opened his document once again.
"Send four of our best spies," he said coldly. "I want to know everything he does this month."
The man bowed. "As you wish."
Darvin returned to his work only to halt the next instant.
"Has Asher stopped calling me father?"
He mumbled, his voice thoughtful.
It was hard not to notice, as he had always done that.
But....
"Maybe it's overthinking."
Darvin was too busy to care about that.
***
The next morning, as sunlight bathed the Vyavan Dukedom, a carriage rumbled across the long stone bridge.
"Hmm."
Akamir, sitting inside the carriage, hummed as he looked at her.
"What are you doing here?"
Zia looked calmly at the boy.
"You surely don't want to go anywhere without me." She replied simply. "Who would look after you if not me."
Akamir clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked out of the carriage window.
Three knights moved along with them on their own horses.
'They look alright.'
He quietly assessed the knights as he looked at the forest scenery all around them.
'We have a lot of time.'
He thought, picking up the book placed beside him.
Akamir turned the page curiously.
"Let's learn some magic."
They might be useful in building his new base.