Chapter 7
A soft breeze flowed through the marbled corridors of House Velebrandt's inner estate, carrying with it the scent of blooming silverlotus flowers from the garden courtyards. The chime of distant bells, used by maids to signal meal shifts, echoed faintly—yet for Lucien Caelum Velebrandt, heir to the western gate of the Empire, today's rhythm was more familiar than before.
It had been a week since his brutal—but exhilarating—training with General Knight Rex began. Each morning was a test of endurance, each swing of the sword a chorus of aching limbs and sweat-slicked skin. And yet, he craved it.
"Again," Rex would bark, the sun just peeking over the estate's skyspires. And again, Lucien would lift his wooden blade with shaking arms, jaw clenched and fire burning in his chest.
But it wasn't just his physical body evolving. In the quiet moments between drills, Lucien began observing the world with a different lens—no longer a reincarnated soul merely surviving, but a noble heir absorbing the responsibilities of his birthright.
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In the afternoons, Lucien often sat in the grand library under the golden sunlight filtering through stained-glass windows, diving into thick tomes about the "Sword of the West"—an ancient martial philosophy exclusive to his bloodline.
> "To protect the Abyssgate is to know that a single misstep invites oblivion. The sword is not for pride, but for judgment. Not for glory, but for mercy."
He took notes, scribbled in ink with a quill too heavy for his still-childlike hands. He asked questions. He remembered answers. He began to truly understand what being the heir of House Velebrandt meant.
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It was during one of these lessons with his mother—Archduchess Seraphina Lysandra Velebrandt, daughter of the Emperor himself—that Lucien first learned of the town beyond the gates.
"The Velebrandt Estate is no mere manor, Lucien. It stretches far beyond these marble halls. Merchants, craftsmen, guildmasters, even adventurers from distant kingdoms—many find refuge and prosperity under our banners. Over six million people, to be precise."