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—yo...

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 watch...

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 c...

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 S...

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. 2025-09-20 09:25:16 +0000 UTC View Post

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 frustra...

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...

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...

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...

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. 2025-09-17 15:23:13 +0000 UTC View Post

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 yo...

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 lun...

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 c...

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 ...

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 flic...

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 l...

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 ...

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 no...

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 ...

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, th...

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 thei...

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...

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.<...

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 ...

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-ear...

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. Th...

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 sto...

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 ...

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 a...

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 buil...