John Landragon

John Landragon was a proud heir.

His whole life, he was praised a gifted knight apprentice, and eventually a gifted leader. He possessed a natural charm that drew peasants to follow his lead in battle, and his eloquence allowed him to be acknowledged by other noble heirs.

His fate as the eldest son of the Landragon Family was clear to everyone. He was the perfect heir. Strong, popular and handsome, he was born into a knight household with great prospects. His contributions to the territory were amazing already, for he had uprooted several bandit organizations and networks of spies.

However, John knew that Frederick was reluctant to give up on his Viscount Title. For John to inherit the household, he would have to wait for Frederick retiring. However, the latter just couldn't bring himself to let his monstrous son take over.

Others might buy John's act. However, it was what it was: a mere act. Frederick had raised his son to be a very strong and efficient tool against other territories. John was perfect in almost all aspects. He was a dangerous man.

However, this dangerousness came with a price: John was not capable of empathy. Each action of his was calculated and sly. If it benefitted him and the territory, he would make the right decisions. This was a good thing in itself, but it wasn't always a good thing. He would never hesitate before sending his own men as sacrifices in a battle, if it meant saving more of his soldiers in the end. The end was justified, but the means weren't.

Riding his horse, John had just come back from a hunt with his squires and companions. The latest piece of news had struck him like thunder: "What are you saying, my brother is back?"

John squinted. He had never expected his little cowardly brother Arthur to ever come back from the exiled and acursed Naarth Island. His brother just didn't have the guts to survive such a bloodthirsty place.

"So what? In the end, acolytes are inferior to knights", John scoffed.

John's whole life had been built upon the superiority of knights. The Royal Knight Academy was indeed a place where the kingdom's strongest knights had gathered. Records of grand knights killing Magi were commonplace there.

However, the truth was different. Even though some Grand Knights had accomplished this great feat, most of magi were much stronger than Grand Knights in reality. This wasn't due to magical power being more powerful than knight techniques, but rather due to the Magi's numerous magical artefacts that could raise one's strength.

The same could be said with acolytes.

Although most acolytes could die from a knight of the same level, Arthur could probably easily take care of intermediate level knights thanks to his four magical artefacts.

John still decided to meet his younger brother. John was a maniac, someone who would look at every detail with scrutiny, trying to eliminate any variable that might prevent him from inheriting the household.

He had been scolded more than once by his own father because of his lack of honour. However, there was no one more committed to make the Landragon Household an unparallelled and strong territory than him.

As he entered the castle, he could see the servants gossiping, whispering in their ears. Some maids seemed infatuated, while soldiers were in admiration.

'What sorcery is that?'

In the dining hall, two men were sitting opposite to each other, with countless plates filled with luxurious food. The etiquette would have required John to wait for his father's authorization before entering, but he could not endure it anymore.

Was it really Arthur Landragon, his own brother?

The child who had left the castle as a cowardly boy had returned as a warrior with scars and terrifyingly dense muscles. Anyone could tell how strong Arthur had become just by glancing at him. Yet, his terrifyingly strong killing intent that leaked from his eyes unknowingly produced some kind of charm that drew others to him.

Arthur seemed...realiable.

John could not endure it when Arthur smirked at him.

'So this is the effect of the spell [Charm], huh...', Arthur wondered