Lord Draven.

"Keep your back straight".

"Arms stretch forward and maintain your stance" a loud voice commanded as a cane struck the back of Shadow.

He ignored the pain, rather he pretended to endure the pain.

Five years had passed since the day he made his promise to Aunt Lisa, Five years he had waited and trained himself, becoming stronger with every passing season.

Though he was still very far off from where he wanted to be, but he was strong enough now. He flexed his muscles and made another vertical swing with his training sword.

After his Father, Lord Draven had found out that he had created his own mana core, he ordered that Kael be sent to be trained to become a knight of some sort.

Something about raising the prestige of the Draven family. Shadow couldn't care less.

The man who commanded the training was well known amongst the soldiers of the Draven Household. He was a knight, more importantly an Aura user.

Shadow couldn't understand why he had decided to remain faithful to the Draven family while he possessed aura.

Those who had been blessed with aura were given first class citizenship, just below Royalty. There was an entire caste that Shadow was not aware of, he had been too busy spending the last five years training and finding all that he could about the Demon Cult.

He had found nothing.

After he had taken control of the cave five years ago, and subdued the Ogre's and Goblins. He had returned a few days later and saw all the monsters slain.

Dismembered and butchered. Not a single evidence left. He had run into the cavern he had seen and saw it destroyed.

Not even remnants of the bodies had been seen, luckily he was able to avoid the trap they had set only due to his shadow attribute.

As soon as he had entered the cave, the walls caved in simultaneously, burying him inside. Luckily, he had turned into a shadow and slipped inside to further investigate.

Subsequently, he had lost all contact and clues about finding the cult. The only way for him to find such was to leave the Draven family, escape and find his way out of here.

He gave another vertical swing again, executing it so perfectly the Knight watched him with amusement.

"Boy, come here" he called Shadow over. Reluctantly, he walked over to the Knight. The other soldiers still carried on with their vertical swings.

It was a simple basic training used to maintain balance and strength.

He had done those swings more times than he had bothered to count.

"Kael is your name, isn't it?" He asked.

Shadow nodded. In truth, he didn't know the name of the Knight, he didn't know the names of anyone in his family, except Aunt Lisa. He didn't care for anyone else.

"You have a well toned body and good form, who trained you?" The knight looked him up and down, observing his body and muscles.

"No one sir" Shadow replied. It was the truth, after he had found the way people from this world trained and became stronger with mana, he applied his knowledge from his past world and made numerous breakthroughs.

"... Impossible" the knight stopped and looked at him with cold eyes, "I do not like being lied to, boy" the knight released a bit of his aura.

The pressure was enough to make every single soldier stop and stare in shock. But Shadow was unfazed, he had trained this mana to such an extent that such farces or taunts were useless before him.

But, he couldn't let that be known about him.

Alright, time to pretend, I guess. He sighed Inwardly.

Shadow methodically took a step back and knelt on one knee, the air felt heavy itself, and he intentionally reduced his mana protection, his body immediately felt the strain from the aura being directed towards him.

Shit! I hate feeling oppressed.

At that moment, Shadow decided that learning aura wouldn't be so bad to add as an arsenal… If it was possible.

"I'm the bastard son of Lord Draven! You think anyone would train me?" He gritted his teeth as he spoke. He glared at the knight who looked at him with calm indifference.

Suddenly, the Knight withdrew his aura. The pressure left as relief flooded Shadow's body. He stood up shaking slightly but stood his ground and looked at the Knight.

His eyes unfazed.

He was supposed to show fear or respect, but deep down he was an assassin, for fifty long years at that. Getting rid of his habits would be next to impossible.

From beyond them, a soldier with a spear in hand ran forward. He looked at the knight and nodded with respect. Then looked to Shadow and pointed.

"Lord Draven orders your presence!" The soldier said.

What?

"Do not be late" the soldier finished and strode away from both of them. Shadow stood shocked, perhaps dazed.

This wasn't something he had ever expected, not to mention that it was the first time he was about to see his father. Lord Draven, the man who abandoned his mother to die alone.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. Trying his best to hold back on his emotions.

"Well boy, it seems you're done for the day. We shall discuss matters of import later on. Just between you and me" the knight said with a calm gaze before turning his attention back to the other soldiers.

Aaahh. What the fuck.

Shadow threw his training sword to the side and ignored the look of those who watched him do so, he walked straight to the Lord like that.

Filled with dirt and sweat. Maybe he was being petty, or he wanted to find an excuse to abandon the family and run away.

But that was good enough for him.

He found his way into the main house, where the direct children of Lord Draven lived, he was the only child of Lord Draven who didn't live here.

He passed the guards and ignored their questions. Everyone knew who he was, no one just cared enough to ask, and he didn't care enough to be bothered.

He climbed the stairs directly into the Chambers of Lord Draven, he could feel his shadow with shadow sense, his range had reached more than ten kilometers.

Without knocking on the door, he banged it open and saw Lord Draven for the first time. Shadow immediately regretted not knocking on the door.

The first time he ever saw his father and he was naked in bed with another woman in a very… Unsettling position.