Aldes walked down the palace corridor toward the training ground. The rooms he passed looked majestic. The high stone walls were painted with a combination of dark blue and gold accents that reflected the morning sunlight. His footsteps echoed rhythmically on the marble floor.
In front of the iron gate of the training ground, two guards stood tall. Upon seeing Aldes' arrival, their eyes widened. Both hurriedly straightened their backs and saluted. Their weapons clattered against their armor.
"Master Aldes!" greeted the first guard with a loud voice.
"Morning, Master Aldes!" added the second guard.
Aldes glanced at them and nodded slowly. "Morning."
The first guard gathered the courage to ask. "Are you going to train, Master?"
Aldes frowned. He stared at the guard's face with an expression of wonder mixed with disbelief at the stupidity of the question. He cleared his throat softly.
"No. I came here to kill you," Aldes answered flatly.
The first guard instantly went pale. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His mouth opened slightly, holding his breath. "M-m?"
"Yes. I know you are corrupt. I know what you did," said Aldes.
The facial muscles of the two guards tensed. They glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. Their hands trembled on their spear shafts. Both lowered their heads, casting their gaze to the stone floor, not daring to look into Aldes' eyes.
Oi oi don't tell me they are actually corrupt? The fuck? Aldes thought in surprise.
Aldes fell silent seeing their reaction. He thought for a moment to find a way out of the situation he had just created himself.
Aldes let out a long sigh. He looked up at the ceiling briefly, then glared sharply at the two guards. He lowered the tone of his voice.
"Run seven laps around. After that, return double the amount. With that, I might forgive you."
Aldes paused his sentence. "I give you seven days. Put it back where you took it from."
The first guard opened his mouth to protest. "M..."
The second guard immediately elbowed his partner's waist and shook his head quickly. Both immediately nodded obediently. They turned around and started running away from the gate.
Aldes stepped forward past the iron gate and entered the corridor area. He chuckled softly. "Truly ridiculous."
The area behind the gate was quiet. The walls were decorated with intricate stone carvings. The air inside felt cooler. There were no other guards there.
Still empty. Am I the first to arrive? Am I late?
Aldes walked down the long corridor. Along the corridor walls hung a row of large paintings in thick wooden frames. Aldes stopped walking. He was amazed by the details of the paintings.
The first painting showed a man riding a black horse. The man raised his silver sword high into the air.
The second painting showed a red scaled dragon flying in the sky. A human sat upright holding the reins on the dragon's back.
The third painting displayed a golden crown. A thick red liquid dripped down, staining the edge of the crown. Three pairs of disembodied hands reached up from below, jointly supporting the bloody crown.
Art in this world is not too bad. What is the meaning of these paintings? Aldes thought, feeling amazed and curious about the meaning of the paintings in front of him.
"Beautiful, isn't it."
A voice cut through Aldes' thoughts from behind.
Aldes' back tensed. He immediately turned around.
A man stood only a few steps away from him. The man had long red hair. A burn scar was clearly visible stretching across his left cheek. He wore all black clothing. His right hand gripped a sword. The man's red eyes stared at Aldes very calmly.
Aldes held his breath. Since when was he there? Teleportation? His aura cannot be felt at all.
The original memories of this body responded instantly. Aldes recognized the man in front of him. He was Laurtius. His biological brother, and also the second most likely person to become the successor to the kingdom's throne.
Laurtius tilted his head slightly. His eyes narrowed, looking Aldes up and down.
"Did something happen?"
Laurtius's voice sounded flat yet oppressive.
"Do you finally want the throne, Aldes?"
Aldes did not answer immediately. He stared calmly into Laurtius's red eyes. His chest rose and fell slowly, regulating his breathing rhythm so he wouldn't look nervous.
Want the throne? Why would he say that? Is it because I went to train that he concluded that? Wait, does that mean the original owner of this body never wanted the throne or what? Aldes thought.
"I am just bored," Aldes said flatly.
He turned his face slowly, looking back at the details of the bloody crown painting on the wall.
"Bored..." Laurtius repeated the word.
The corner of his lips pulled upward, forming a mocking smile. He chuckled softly.
"Thank goodness you are starting to care about your future."
Laurtius turned his body to face the training room door.
"But it will be troublesome if you suddenly want to become king. My rivals will increase."
He looked back at Aldes and tilted his head.
"Ah, impossible. I do not need to worry because my rival is you."
Laurtius stepped forward, passing Aldes's shoulder toward the entrance. His footsteps sounded heavy, striking the stone floor.
"You will probably train for three minutes at most," Laurtius said without looking back.
Aldes glanced at his brother's figure from the corner of his eye.
This guy is like a bully type. Huh, in any world there must be people like this, Aldes muttered in his heart.
Aldes let out a long sigh. The cold air of the corridor filled his lungs. He turned around to stare at Laurtius's back.
"Enough time to defeat you," Aldes said casually.
The sound of Laurtius's boots instantly stopped.
Silence enveloped the corridor for a few seconds.
Laurtius did not turn around or reply to those words. He immediately resumed his steps into the training room.
After being satisfied observing the paintings, Aldes followed him inside.
The training room was tightly sealed and shaped in a very large circle. On the ceiling, ancient symbols and large mural paintings were drawn. The floor of the room was made of clean white stone that reflected the bright light from the crystal chandeliers above.
On the edge of the room, wooden storage racks containing swords, spears, and shields were lined up. A spectator tribune made of stone tiers encircled the main area.
There were three people standing in the middle of that white floor.
First, a white-haired man with a black eyepatch on his left eye. He wore a tight, all-blue combat outfit wrapped in a thick red cloak.
Second, a red-haired woman. She wore the exact same uniform and cloak as the man.
The third person was Laurtius, standing with his back to the two of them.
Aldes's memories responded automatically.
Based on the information in his head, those two people were the strongest Guardians in the kingdom. They served as private combat instructors for the royal family members.
The white-haired man stared straight at the entrance. His face showed clear surprise.
"Aldes..." the man said in a low tone.
"Did you lose a gamble?"
Aldes raised one eyebrow. He put on a confused expression hearing that question.
Just how rarely and how lazy is this guy actually?! Aldes cursed in his heart.
Seeing Aldes's reaction, Laurtius laughed out loud. He folded both arms over his chest.
"Hahahah! I told you. I told you there was a surprising thing this morning."
The red-haired woman standing next to the eyepatch man initially put on a confused look.
But slowly, the tension on her face softened. She took a step forward, approaching Aldes. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Welcome, Master Aldes."
She bowed her head slightly.
"Good to see you."