The next morning arrived quietly in the Astran castle.

The banners were hung with meticulous care, the corridors were clean and the ceremonial arrangements were all in place. The castle had done everything it could do and was now simply waiting for His Majesty to arrive.

Meanwhile, in the Duke’s office...

A peculiar sight was unfolding.

A soldier knelt obediently before the duke’s desk. He was young and road-dusty, his uniform disheveled as if he had made his way there as quickly as he could. He kept his head bowed, his hands rested flat on his knees, and waited in silence for the duke to speak.

The Duke sat behind his desk with the letter open before him.

"..."

He had already read the message twice. His expression did not change much between the first reading and the second, at least not in any obvious way. But there was a slight tightening around his eyes and jaw that had not been there before. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Something was off.

As expected, Aldric, standing quietly to the right of the desk, noticed it at once. He knew that look well. It was the duke’s way of showing displeasure, even if he said nothing out loud.

Something in the message had clearly not sat well with him, and whatever it was, it had left him troubled.

Aldric looked at the letter, then at the Duke’s face, then at the letter again.

What could possibly be written there to draw such a frown from a man known to remain composed even when his brother had stolen everything?

The Duke then set the letter down on the desk and leaned back in his chair. Without saying anything, he simply closed his eyes.

The room was deathly quiet. Even the soldier on the floor did not dare breathe too loudly.

"..."

After nearly a minute of silence, Aldric could no longer hold back.

"My lord, Is everything all right."

The Duke opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for another beat before answering.

"The King’s carriage will be delayed... by a week."

Aldric’s brows came together.

A week. He turned the thought over in his mind and sat with it for a long moment, trying to make sense of it. But no matter how he looked at it, it did not add up.

The king’s visit had already been announced. The entire duchy had been preparing for days, perhaps longer, making sure everything would be ready in time. It had also been confirmed through multiple letters and official exchanges.

And yet, here it was.

A full week delay.

He frowned slightly, still trying to understand it. Why change it now, after everything had already been put in motion?

"By why, my lord?" he asked. "This seems strange."

The Duke shook his head slowly, picking up the letter once more.

"I don’t know the full details. The message comes from the King’s chief advisor, and the language is deliberately vague. It only says that an unexpected situation has arisen and that the Left Guardian has been dispatched on an urgent mission. In light of that, the visit is postponed by one week."

Aldric’s expression darkened.

The Left Guardian.

***

The King of Hermes was a strange ruler. He was powerful in his own right and a mage of real skill, but what defined his rule just as much was his deep fascination with talent. He valued it above almost everything else. Where other kings sought wealth or land, he sought people of ability.

For many years, he made it his mission to gather such people around him. He held grand banquets and invited promising individuals to attend. He ordered competitions so that talent could reveal itself in open display. When rumors reached the capital about someone remarkable, he sent formal summons without delay. It did not matter where the person came from or how small their background was. If the talent was real, the King always found a way to bring them to his court.

This habit of his became well known throughout the kingdom. People spoke of it often, sometimes with admiration and sometimes with unease. Some saw him as a patron of greatness, while others wondered if anyone truly gifted could remain free for long.

Among all the stories tied to his rule, one remained especially famous. Even after eleven years, it was still told in the duchy and beyond.

It was the story of the twins.

They were born into the family of a baron, a house of minor standing with little influence. No one expected anything unusual from them at first. Yet both children showed extraordinary talent from a young age. Their growth did not slow as they grew older. Instead, it only became more remarkable.

The older sister reached the rank of Arch Mage at the age of twenty five. This alone would have been enough to draw attention across the kingdom. But the story did not end there. Just eighteen months later, her younger brother achieved the same rank. Two Arch Mages from the same family, and so close in time, was something no one could ignore.

The news spread quickly. It moved from village to village, then from city to city. Each retelling made it sound even more impressive. By the time it reached the capital, the story had already taken on a life of its own.

The King heard it, and he did not hesitate.

He sent his summons at once.

By the time the twins arrived at court, he had already made his decision about them.

He chose them as his Guardians.

The older sister became the Right Guardian. Those who had seen her magic often struggled to describe it. They said her control over mana was so fine and exact that it felt less like fighting and more like an artist painting their canvas. Every movement was precise. Nothing was wasted.

The younger brother became the Left Guardian. He followed the old way of fighting, where the sword and mana were not separate but moved together as one. Stories about his limits differed from person to person. Some claimed he had already reached the level of a Grand Mage. Others believed he would go even further.

What most agreed on, however, was this. Both he and his sister had already stepped into a realm far beyond ordinary mages, and no one could clearly see how far they would go in the future.

***

Dispatching the Left Guardian meant something had happened that required that specific quality of power deployed at speed.

"Did the letter indicate the nature of the mission," Aldric said.

"No," the Duke said. "The advisor’s language is intentionally vague. An unexpected development requiring immediate response. Nothing more."

He looked at the letter on his desk without picking it up.

"Which tells me either the situation is sensitive enough that it cannot be committed to paper, or the advisor himself does not fully know."

Aldric absorbed this in silence.