“I guess that’s everything.”

I was packing up the things I would need on my adventure before leaving the house tomorrow. A bunch of clothes suitable for a long journey, my toothbrush and stuff like that.

I grinned excitedly like a child in my bedroom. The most obvious reason for this journey was because I’m bored and just wanted to explore the outside world. However, there’s another reason that wasn’t as childish.

I came across a bottleneck in my magic and swordsmanship training. I’ve reached my limit of training alone, I need experience in the wide outside world. That’s the only way of becoming stronger.

I was supposed to sleep now, but there’s something else that I need to take care of before leaving. I picked up Night and snuck out of my room.

It was nighttime, and I walked alone along the dark hallway. I headed outside and stopped in the middle of the garden. It was a beautiful scene but that wasn’t the reason I came here.

“What are you doing in my house?” I asked the shadows that are moving sneakily towards the mansion.

Assassins, I figured they would come after the presentation. Either to steal the techniques that were never revealed or to kill my father, the Count to prevent him from rising in power from this discovery. Apparently, my father also predicted the same thing. As expected of a great man.

Suddenly, a shadow jumped towards me from one of the bushes. It aimed a knife at my throat and approached quickly. However-

Shiing

I disappeared and quickly appeared behind the shadow. The shadow’s upper body suddenly fell and blood spurted out. I swung Night to remove the bloodstains.

“!!”

A faint sound of disbelief could be heard from the other shadows. Normal people wouldn’t usually hear the sound but my heightened senses caught everything, revealing including their positions.

I disappeared again and appeared behind another shadow, the shadow didn’t notice until after I beheaded it. I disappeared again before the decapitated head reached the ground and appeared behind another shadow.

They were really weak. It must have been some idiot who sent them to the residence of a Great Mage. I guess their purpose was to steal whatever technique is stored here, but I still caught them in the end.

“Ackk!”

I kept cutting down one shadow after another until 8 out of the 9 shadows in the garden fell lifeless on the ground. The smell of blood wafted in the air. I was standing by a corpse covered in black clothes covered in blood stains and turned my head to look straight at the remaining shadow with cold eyes.

The shadow had a terrified look in his eyes, I couldn’t see his whole face hidden under a mask but it wasn’t hard to imagine the look on his face.

Crunch Crunch Crunch

The sound of my footsteps on the gravel could be heard loud as I approached the shadow. I stopped in front of him and lowered my face towards his and asked a question.

“Who sent you here?”

“Do you think I’d tell you that?” the shadow said with an angry tone that didn’t match his expression.

Even with such a terrified expression, he’s still keeping his mouth shut. I’m impressed, but I have no time to play around. I cut off his left leg hearing the answer. The man stared wide-eyed at his bleeding leg and screamed painfully.

“AAHHHHHHH!”

“What about now?” I asked while smiling.

Did I always have this side to me? Let’s not think about it.

“You bastard! How is a child this strong!” the now one-legged shadow started to take his anger out on me.

What did I do wrong? I just asked a question. He didn’t even answer my question.

“Is that so?” I said before cutting his right leg.

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY LEGG!”

Ugh, so loud. I kicked his face so he quiets down. It didn’t work.

“Who’s there- Young master! What are you doing here?”

Henderson arrived with a group of soldiers at the loud screaming of the shadow. This noisy bastard.

The soldiers looked shocked at the sight of me covered in blood standing in front of a mutilated man surrounded by corpses covered black.

One of the soldiers couldn’t take it and threw up at the bloody scene. Henderson looked at me with an unsettled look and asked.

“Did you do all this, young master?”

“Of course I did, why else would I be standing here and all these assassins dead?” I answered indifferently.

“Oh sorry about that.” I lifted my foot that was on the shadow’s face.

“Treat him and find out who sent him. And clean up this mess.” I ordered the soldiers.

The soldiers didn’t move at first, they look confused still by the situation.

“Come on, hurry up! Let’s get to work.” I clapped my hands cheerfully to wake them up and encourage them.

The soldiers turned their attention to me and started carrying out my orders.

“Young master,” Henderson called out to me.

“Yes?”

“Nothing.”

“What was that?”

I looked at Henderson funny.

***

“Are you alright, Richard?” my father asked me with a worried look.

“I’m fine, father.”

I was standing in my father’s office to report the situation with the shadows.

“I thought I told you I’d take care of assassins.”

“It was an accident that I stumbled across them.”

“In the garden?”

“I wanted to look at flowers.” I calmly said.

“Hmm.”

Father still suspected me, but I gave my excuse so confidently there was nothing he could do about it.

“Oh yeah, don’t tell mother about this. Let’s not worry her.”

I don’t want my mother to scold me like the time I fainted from qi deviation.

“Sure.” my father agreed.

“I should clean myself now.”

I’m still covered in the shadows’ blood, the smell is getting unpleasant now.

“Go ahead.”

“Thank you, father. Goodnight.”

I exited my father’s office to take a shower and went to bed after that.

***

The next morning, I was putting my small baggage inside a carriage. It was a normal carriage instead of the fancy ones. I don’t want to show off the fact that I was a noble after all.

“Are you sure you don’t need to bring anything else?” my mother asked me.

“It’s fine, mother. I could just buy things at the store if I need something.”

My mother smiled at my answer, I could see her eyes welling up with tears. She suddenly hugged me tightly.

“Take care of yourself, Richard.”

“Don’t worry about it, mother. I’m strong.” I said while flexing my arms.

My father smiled warmly at the sight. I looked at him.

“I’m going, father.”

“Take care. Here.”

He handed me a bag filled with gold coins. I already have money of my own, in small changes even, but having more money is always welcomed.

“Thanks.” I was so moved I forget to use honorifics.

“Let’s go.” I pulled Harry into the carriage.

Chris was also at the coachman seat beside the actual coachman. He was the bodyguard my father assigned to me. I’m not worried as I know his strength well.

The carriage started moving and I waved at my family as I left the manor.

My adventure is finally starting from today onwards.