Whiteclarks(2)

-Tap. Tap. Tap.

"So, you've lost your memories?" Arin asked, sitting behind the massive desk in his chamber, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the wood. His gaze was fixed on the papers in his hand, not bothering to meet my eyes.

"Yes, Father," I replied, my voice steady despite the tension building up inside.

"I see." His fingers stopped their tapping as he finally looked up. Those piercing emerald eyes met mine, and for a second, I felt like he could see right through me.

Arin Whiteclark, one of the three Dukes of Calonia. The man who shares a close bond with King Marciel Thorne himself. And now, the father of the body I was inhabiting—Lucian Whiteclark, his only son.

Right now, I was standing in front of him, trying to explain my 'disappearance.' Well, technically, it wasn't my disappearance, but the former Lucian's. It didn't make things any easier. While Arin had been in the royal capital, his son had vanished, and I was the poor bastard left to pick up the pieces.

"Memories, huh?" Arin murmured, his eyes still locked onto mine. It felt like he was waiting for me to slip up.

I held his gaze. What could I say? I stuck to the same excuse—I lost my memories. What else could I tell him? The truth? That I wasn't even his son but some guy from another world who ended up in his son's body? Yeah, right. That would go well.

"Right…" Arin said slowly as if considering my excuse. He returned to his papers, but the tension in the room didn't let up.

Because of my sudden disappearance, I had caused a lot of trouble for the Corallia Duchy. Duke Ed Corallia even sent out knights to find me. All of this because I'm supposedly engaged to his daughter, Vivianne Corallia. Yeah, I have a fiancée. Didn't see that one coming either.

The previous Lucian had made plans to visit her, but, surprise, he disappeared instead. Now, I had to apologize for something I didn't even do. Fucking fantastic.

As I stood there, trying not to sweat under Arin's gaze, my mind drifted back to Earth. My brother Neo, my Uncle, my Aunt—they're still there, fighting to survive against those creatures. And as far as they know, I'm dead. But I'm not going to let that be the end of it. I'll find a way back to them. I have to.

"Lucian," Arin's voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. "What are your plans now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

"You're sixteen now," he said, leaning back in his chair. "In two years, you'll be eligible to enter the Magic College. Have you thought about your future?"

Magic College. Yeah, I've heard about it. In this world, magic is everything. They use it for everything—lights, communication, even mundane tasks. If there's any chance of me finding a way back to Earth, it's going to be through studying magic. And if I can get stronger while doing it, all the better. I'll need power if I'm going to protect my family back on Earth.

"Lucian?" Arin prompted again.

I blinked. "Yes, Father. I'll prepare over the next two years and work on recovering my memories."

Arin nodded slowly, though his expression remained unreadable. "Good. But don't push yourself too hard."

I raised an eyebrow. Was that concern I heard? "Y-Yes, Father."

"Alright, you're dismissed," he said with a wave of his hand, his attention already back on the papers in front of him.

I hesitated for a moment. "Father,"

He glanced up. "Yes?"

"I… there's something I need to say..."

***

After Lucian left the study, Arin set the papers down, a lingering unease gnawing at him. His son, who had been missing for a week, had returned—but not quite the same. There was something off, something he couldn't put his finger on. Lucian had claimed to have lost his memories, and while that could explain some things, it didn't account for all of it. He was acting differently—formally like they hadn't shared years of casual father-son conversations. He called him "Father" now instead of the familiar "Dad."

And then there was the request. "Please train me in swordsmanship."

Arin furrowed his brow. The Whiteclarks were known for their mastery of the sword, combining it with wind magic to create swift, lethal strikes. But Lucian had never shown much interest in the family's legacy. Sure, he'd learned the basics, but his heart had always been set on becoming a scholar. He'd spent hours in the library, pouring over books and research, with little care for the physical demands of the sword. Arin never pushed him. Lucian was his only child, born of love between him and Liana, and he'd always believed in letting his son chase his own dreams.

The Duchy didn't require strength to lead—it required wisdom, insight, and strategy. Arin had been certain Lucian would excel at that. He'd never doubted his son's intelligence. But now, that same boy was standing before him, determined, asking to be trained in the sword.

Arin rubbed his temple as the thought churned in his mind. Lucian wasn't just asking—he was serious. His eyes had been focused, and his resolve undeniable. The biggest surprise, though, was that Lucian had broken through to the Adept stage. At sixteen, that was unheard of. Most teens his age barely scraped the mid or low levels of the Initiate stage. Lucian had always been brilliant when it came to magic, but this... this was different.

"Something's changed," Arin muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. He could feel it in the way Lucian carried himself. His son had come back, but he wasn't the same well it might be due to his memory loss.

His attention drifted back to the reports scattered across his desk, the weight of the kingdom's troubles pulling him back to reality. "Sudden Rise of Monster Activity in Blackthorn Forest," he read aloud, his voice low.

"More Kidnappings of people around different cities in the Kingdom." He flipped to another page.

"And the appearance of a Black Creature near the Bartos Kingdom Border."

"Sigh...."

He sighed deeply, the heaviness of responsibility settling in his chest. The kingdom was facing unrest on all sides—monsters, kidnappings, and now reports of strange creatures near Bartos. 

"Marciel, my old friend," Arin muttered, closing his eyes briefly. "You've left me quite the mess to clean up."

He leaned back, rubbing his eyes as the strain of it all started to wear him down. "I already have my own problems to deal with..." he trailed off, letting the exhaustion take over for a moment.

***

After leaving the study, I walked down the hallway with Collete following behind me. 'I hope Arin agrees to train me.' The request to learn swordsmanship was a big one, but I needed to get stronger. I couldn't afford to stay weak. As I walked, I glanced out the windows. The garden outside was a beautiful sight, with rows of white and blue roses, scattered among other vibrant flowers. The peaceful view was calming, even though my mind was elsewhere.

'Oh, I almost forgot.'

"Collete," I called out.

"Yes, Young Lord?" she replied, her voice polite.

"Can you take me to the library?" I asked.

"Of course, sir. Please follow me," she said with a warm smile.

I nodded, falling into step behind her. Honestly, she looked even more beautiful when she smiled. After a few moments, we stopped in front of a large wooden door. Collete reached out and slowly opened it.

-Creak

The door groaned as it opened, revealing a massive room filled with towering shelves stacked with books.

"We've arrived, Young Lord," Collete said softly.

"Thank you, Collete," I replied, stepping into the library. The room seemed even bigger once I was inside, with rows of shelves stretching almost as high as the ceiling. The sheer number of books was overwhelming. 'Woah.'

I walked further into the room, scanning the shelves. There was so much here, but I knew exactly what I was looking for—books on the basics of elemental magic and swordsmanship. Those were my priorities right now.

I needed the books on elemental magic to further improve my control over the wind element and, ultimately, to strengthen it. The books on swordsmanship were equally important—after all, I had no real experience with swords. It was all foreign to me.

The librarian was sitting at his desk, completely absorbed in a book. I couldn't help but notice the flushed look on his face and the giggles escaping him. I bet it's erotica—I mean, how could it not be with that reaction?

"Uhm..." I cleared my throat, making a small noise to alert him.

"Ah! Y-Young lord..." He startled, quickly hiding the book behind him.

'Yup, I was right. Erotica.'

"I need some books," I said, my warm smile still in place. "Elemental magic and basic swordsmanship, please."

"Yes, sir!" He quickly shuffled the book out of sight and hurried off.

"Halt, Mister!" I called, a mischievous grin spreading across my face. "Give the book to me."

"Umm... Umm, Young lord, this bo—"

"It's an order."

"Y-yes, sir," he stammered, hands trembling as he handed the book over.

I glanced down at the cover. 'The Lady And Her Knight'. I raised an eyebrow, glancing at the librarian, whose face was now beet red. He quickly turned and scurried back to the shelves. I flipped the book open and began reading a few lines...

["Sir Cedric," she purred, tossing her veil aside, "Do you always guard your sword so fiercely, or is it only when a lady's about to take a closer look?"

Cedric, who had spent more time polishing his armor than courting, fumbled with his gauntlets. "M'lady, I—"

She took a step closer, her breath warm against his cheek. "I've heard your sword is the finest in the kingdom. I'd like to test it out."]

'Okay, yeah, that's enough.' I slammed the book shut, my face flushed and my ears burning.

"Young Lord," a voice called from behind me.

Startled, I whipped around to see Collete. "Y-Yes?" I stammered, trying to cover the book.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine," I said, waving my hands in a hurry.

"Young Lord, what is that book?" She tilted her head, her eyes filled with suspicion.

"It's... it's nothing really," I muttered, still trying to hide the cover.

Her brows furrowed, but she didn't push further. 'I'm taking this with me,' I thought, holding the book a little closer and covering the title.

Before long, the librarian returned with three books in his hands, and he handed them over to Collete.

"Three books?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Young Lord," he said, smiling nervously. "Two of them are on Elemental magic, and one is on Swordsmanship basics."

"I see, thank you," I said, giving him a polite nod.

"Umm... Sir, my book?" he asked in a quieter voice.

"Oh, this? I'm keeping it," I said with a grin, watching his hopes slowly deflate as he walked back to his desk.

*

"Thank you, Collete."

"It's no problem, Young Lord," she replied, setting the three books on my desk.

"Then call for me if you need anything else."

-Click.

I watched her leave and the door softly clicked shut behind her. Now I was alone. Time to dive back into 'The Lady And Her Knight… Wait, no.' I slapped my face lightly, shaking my head. I turned and grabbed the book on basic swordsmanship instead.

Flipping it open, I began reading. The pages were packed with all kinds of stuff—postures, attack types, blocking, and how to perform the moves. It wasn't too complicated, but I knew I had to do more than just read these pages. I had to practice.

"It starts now," I muttered to myself.

Tomorrow, my sword training and magic lessons would begin. Two years until I entered the College. Maybe I'd find something about portals there—or anything that could help me get back to Earth. But I couldn't just train for two years. I needed to know more about this world, about the people in it, the dangers, and the weird stuff that brought me here in the first place.

Once I had a grip on swordsmanship and my magic, I planned to go out and explore. Maybe I could find something that would get me home. Back to my family.

'But... would they even recognize me?'

I lay back on my bed, closing my eyes, letting that question linger. The day would pass, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change.