By the time Viola managed to stabilize her second Overdrive attunement, her fire flowing smoothly into a flicker of water mana without losing balance, Lord Torvares had returned from his rounds.

His stride was confident, his tone brisk as he called out a few final orders to the men stationed around the estate. The courtyard stirred with motion as armored guards saluted and dispersed, moving to their assigned positions across the grounds and along the perimeter walls.

When he stopped before Viola, his gaze softened just slightly. “You’ve improved,” he said. “Keep at it.”

Then, in that same composed tone, he added, “While I’m gone, you’ll be in charge of the entire Torvares territory.”

Viola straightened immediately, eyes wide. “Me?”

“You,” Torvares confirmed. “You’ve trained for this, and it’s time to act like a Torvares, not just fight like one. Keep the roads safe, oversee the trade routes, and handle any disputes among the population. The Lionsguard will assist if necessary, but this domain is yours to hold.”

For a heartbeat, Viola’s usual bold confidence faltered, but only briefly. She exhaled, then nodded sharply. “Understood.”

Torvares’s expression softened, though his posture never did. “Good.”

As the guards moved to secure the outer gates, Ludger watched the formation with a faint frown. Something wasn’t adding up.

“…You’re not planning to bring any of them with you?” he asked, gesturing toward the soldiers taking up their posts.

Torvares glanced at him, his tone calm as ever. “Some of my best men are already stationed in the capital. Escorting them from here would only draw attention. Besides, ” he looked toward the wagon where Kharnek was checking the supplies and Darnell was adjusting the harnesses, “I have you three. I doubt we’ll need an army.”

Ludger arched an eyebrow. “You’re trusting your safety to a northerner who solves diplomacy with a war cry, a guard captain who’d rather be anywhere else, and an eleven-year-old who’s still technically underage.”

Torvares gave a faint smirk. “Exactly. Unpredictability is a weapon, Ludger. No one expects a caravan like this to represent the Lionsguard.”

Ludger crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Don’t expect an eleven-year-old to risk his neck for you, then.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Torvares said mildly. “I expect you to use your head instead. That’s what makes you useful.”

Kharnek’s laugh rumbled across the courtyard. “Hah! He’s got you there, lad.”

Ludger sighed, muttering, “That’s what I was afraid of.”

Torvares adjusted his gloves, the faintest gleam of amusement in his eyes. “If that’s settled, we leave at first light. The Empire is waiting, and I’d rather keep them waiting as little as possible.”

As he walked past, Ludger watched the old man’s silhouette against the setting sun, still steady, still sharp despite his age.

“Unpredictable,” Ludger repeated quietly, glancing at Kharnek and Darnell. “That’s one way to describe us.”

Kaela, lounging nearby, grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. With this group? The Empire won’t know what hit them.”

Ludger wasn’t sure if that was comforting or a warning.

Ludger had never stayed overnight at the Torvares estate before. He’d always come and gone for business, meetings, reports, training sessions with Viola, but never slept under that roof. And after one evening there, he decided he preferred to keep it that way.

The manor was too polished, too structured. Every servant moved like clockwork, every hallway echoed with decorum, and Lord Torvares himself seemed to exist in a constant state of quiet authority that left no room for rest. Even dinner had felt like a strategy session.

By the next morning, Ludger was already regretting letting the old man come along.

Not because Torvares wasn’t capable, far from it, but because he took command of everything.

The caravan’s formation, the travel route, even the seating arrangement inside the wagon. Torvares directed it all with that same measured tone that made people instinctively obey. And though Ludger respected him, it still grated on him to take a back seat.

He’d grown too used to calling the shots in Lionfang with his father, setting the pace, planning the defenses, leading missions. Now, every time he opened his mouth to give an order, Torvares had already issued one three seconds earlier.

Still, it couldn’t be helped. The old man wasn’t just another companion. He was the sponsor of the Lionsguard, their political shield and financier. And that meant Ludger had to let him lead where it mattered most.

He watched Torvares ahead of the group, speaking with Darnell about Imperial checkpoints, his posture perfectly balanced even while riding. The kind of presence that made people stop and listen, not through intimidation, but through sheer composure.

Ludger sighed quietly, adjusting the strap of his pack. He’s better at leading men on a battlefield of words, he thought. That’s his domain.

And maybe that was fine.

Perhaps it’s better this way, he admitted to himself. He commands the negotiations, I handle the fight if things go south.

A balance of steel and strategy, old wisdom and young adaptability. It wasn’t the leadership dynamic Ludger preferred, but it was the one they needed for what lay ahead.

Still, as he glanced at the back of Torvares’s head, he muttered under his breath, “Just don’t expect me to salute you.”

Kaela, riding beside him, tilted her head. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Ludger said flatly.

Kharnek, overhearing from behind, laughed. “Sounds like someone doesn’t like being second-in-command.”

Ludger didn’t deny it, he just looked forward, the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

We’ll see who ends up giving orders when the talking stops.

After saying their farewells to Viola and Luna, the group set off once more, this time in a new carriage.

The sleek, rune-etched frame rolled smoothly over the cobbled roads leading out of Meronia, its interior far more comfortable than the Lionsguard’s standard wagons. The Torvares crest gleamed faintly on the front panel, and the horses were of the finest Imperial stock, strong, fast, and unnervingly well-trained.

Before they left the gates, Darnell busied himself attaching insignias to the carriage. On the front, he fastened the Torvares family emblem, a silver and red bull engraved over a dark green shield. On the back, he placed the Lionsguard crest, the stylized lion’s head carved into bronze.

Ludger watched him do it with a raised eyebrow. “You’re mixing symbols,” he said.

Darnell just shrugged, tightening the last bolt. “Makes sense, doesn’t it? I serve House Torvares, not the guild. And technically, we’re representing both.”

Ludger folded his arms. “Or we’re doubling the number of people who might try to stab us on the road.”

“That too,” Darnell said, deadpan, and climbed up to take the reins.

The carriage rolled forward, passing beyond the city walls and into the open countryside. The distant hum of civilization faded into the rhythm of hooves and creaking wood.

Inside, the air felt… heavier.

Lord Torvares sat upright across from Ludger, hands resting calmly on his cane. Kharnek was beside him, humming a northern drinking tune under his breath. Kaela sat next to Ludger, surprisingly quiet, though not for long.

After a few minutes of silence, she straightened her posture, clasped her hands together, and smiled in what was clearly her attempt at professionalism. “So,” she began, “I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Kaela. Wind mage, part-time teacher, and occasional disaster.”

Torvares’s gaze lifted slightly, the faintest glint of amusement in his sharp eyes. “I know who you are, Miss Kaela.”

Her smile stiffened. “You do?”

“I receive reports from Lionfang regularly,” he said smoothly. “Your… colorful behavior has been mentioned more than once.”

Kaela’s expression froze, then she forced a laugh. “Ah, I see many are keeping me famous.”

“Arslan writes frequently,” Torvares continued evenly. “Usually about his son, but sometimes about the people orbiting him. You were mentioned as a recent addition to that orbit.”

Kaela cleared her throat and tried to recover some dignity. “Right. Well, I’m… considering joining the guild. Still deciding.”

Torvares tilted his head slightly. “Because of your sister?”

That earned him a brief, genuine smile. “Partly. She’s learning fast. I wanted to keep an eye on her. Maybe help.”

Before Torvares could reply, Ludger leaned back with his usual dry tone. “We could use more variety among the ranks, true. But we weren’t exactly missing a homewrecker.”

Kaela’s head snapped toward him. “Would you stop calling me that?”

“Accuracy matters,” Ludger said calmly.

Kharnek burst into a deep, rolling laugh that filled the carriage. Even Torvares’s lips twitched faintly before he looked out the window, pretending not to hear.

Kaela groaned, rubbing her temples. “I swear, you’re impossible.”

“And yet,” Ludger said, resting his chin on his hand, “you keep showing up.”

She glared at him but didn’t answer. For a moment, the carriage fell quiet again, only the soft rattle of wheels and the muffled sound of wind outside.

Torvares finally broke the silence, his tone dry. “If this is how you all communicate, the Empire won’t need to negotiate. You’ll destroy each other before we arrive.”

Kharnek laughed even louder. “Aye, but it’ll be fun to watch.”

Ludger just sighed, looking out the window as the capital road stretched ahead, long and uncertain. “Fun” wasn’t the word he’d use.

The journey stretched on under the muted hum of carriage wheels and distant birdsong. The road to the capital was long and winding, dotted with checkpoints and trade wagons that gave respectful distance once they saw the Torvares crest.

Ludger had expected Lord Torvares to dive straight into strategy, discussions about negotiation terms, how to handle the Imperial envoys, what tone they’d use with the Velis League. That would’ve made sense. The man was usually all discipline and calculation.

But instead, once they were well clear of Meronia’s outskirts, the old lord broke the silence with an unexpected question.

“How are the twins?”

Ludger blinked, caught off guard. “…What?”

Torvares turned his head slightly, eyes still sharp but carrying a faint warmth. “Elle and Arash,” he said. “Are they healthy? Growing well?”

Ludger frowned faintly, still processing the shift in topic. “They’re fine,” he said finally. “At least when I’m around.”

He leaned back, tone dry as usual. “They’ve developed a habit of trying to rip my cheeks off whenever I am with them, but aside from that, everything’s under control.”

Kaela stifled a laugh behind her hand. Even Kharnek smirked, clearly picturing the scene.

Torvares gave a small, amused grunt and looked out the window, his expression softening as the scenery rolled by. “You should be more present when they start running,” he said. “That’s when the real chaos begins.”

Ludger tilted his head. “You’re speaking from experience?”

The old man’s gaze went distant, his voice lowering. “Viola was unstoppable when she was three. She’d run through the manor like a storm, bump into tables, walls, servants, anything in her path. She was covered in bruises half the time, but she never cried.”

Kaela’s smile faded slightly, listening. Even Kharnek quieted down.

Torvares continued, still watching the horizon. “It was a lively time. The house felt… alive with her laughter. But when her mother started getting sick, that changed. The running stopped. The sword took its place.”

The weight of his words lingered for a moment.

Ludger nodded quietly. “She found her way to cope.”

“Yes,” Torvares said softly. “And I didn’t stop her. Maybe I should have. But strength was all I could give her then.”

Silence filled the carriage for a few breaths, broken only by the steady rhythm of the wheels.

Ludger looked out the window as well, his expression unreadable but thoughtful. “Then she turned that strength into something useful,” he said. “Most people would’ve just broken.”

Torvares gave a faint smile, not quite pride, not quite regret. “She’s her mother’s daughter. That spirit doesn’t fade, it only changes shape. Violette had a weak body, but she was smart and had spirit.”

Ludger nodded again, and for a moment, the two of them shared a rare, quiet understanding, one built not on duty or power, but on the small, fragile things worth protecting beneath both.

Then Kaela broke the silence with a mutter. “And here I thought we were going to discuss diplomacy.  I am relieved.”

Torvares chuckled lowly. “Patience, Miss Kaela. Family first, politics later.”

Ludger exhaled, half in agreement, half in resignation. “That’s going to be a long later, isn’t it?”

Torvares smiled faintly, eyes still on the road. “It always is.”

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