Chapter Four: The Return of Legends
Edward POV
The sun hadn't risen yet, but I was already awake.
Not from excitement.
From nerves.
Word had reached the estate the night before: My parents were coming home.
That didn't happen often. Maybe once every few months, sometimes less. The "heroes of the people" had entire nations to tend to, after all. A kingdom to protect. A military to lead. A magic academy to manage.
And I? I had… their name.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror while adjusting my uniform collar. I tried to straighten my posture, just like Father would. I combed my hair the way Mother liked. I kept telling myself today would be different.
Today they'd look at me and see their son—not a disappointment.
Not a shadow.
⸻
By the time the gates opened, I was already standing in the courtyard, hands behind my back, as formal as I could manage.
The royal carriage arrived with little fanfare, flanked by elite guards in silver and crimson. They didn't need introductions.
Everyone in the kingdom knew them.
From the carriage stepped Duke Maximilian Saber, known across the continent as the Legendary Sword Hero—tall, regal, with silver-blond hair and a scar across his jawline. His presence alone seemed to press down on the air.
And behind him, floating gracefully in flowing sapphire robes, came Lady Emily, the Arcane Bloom, her eyes glowing faintly with magical residue. Calm. Measured. Distant.
They didn't smile when they saw me.
They inspected.
Like generals surveying a cadet.
⸻
"Edward," Father said, voice cold and sharp. "You've grown taller."
"Yes, Father. Thank you, Father."
Mother stepped forward and placed a hand briefly on my shoulder. "How are your studies?"
"Going well. I'm improving," I answered.
Lie.
Then came silence. Heavy. Lingering. No praise. No comfort.
They turned and entered the estate, flanked by guards.
Just like that.
"Oof," came Lord Astaroth's voice in my mind. "That was… brutal. You sure they're not the demons?"
"Shut up."
"You're really trying to win their approval, aren't you? It's adorable. Painful. But adorable."
I gritted my teeth. Not because he was wrong—but because he wasn't.
⸻
Later That Evening – The Saber Estate
Dinner was formal. A long table. Polished silverware. Ten chairs, only three used. No laughter. No warmth.
My mother spoke mostly to the butler about academy policies. My father reviewed military dispatches while eating. Neither of them looked at me.
I sat up straight, chewed slowly, said nothing.
Until—
"How's your progress with the blade?" Father asked.
I swallowed. "I've been training every day. I've improved my balance, and my speed—"
"Have you activated the family technique yet?"
I froze.
"No… not yet. I—I'm working on it."
He exhaled through his nose, not quite a sigh. More like disappointment made manifest.
"Magic, then?" Mother asked, turning her eyes toward me finally.
I shifted in my seat. "Still struggling. My affinity is low—"
"Unacceptable," she said.
The silence was louder than any scolding.
"You are a Saber," Father said, his tone more steel than voice. "You are my son. You will not humiliate this family in front of the world."
"I'm not trying to—"
"You exist under our name. That is enough to set expectations."
I clenched my fist under the table.
That was when I heard Astaroth's voice, smooth, biting:
"They speak of legacy, yet treat you like a stain on it. I was right—they're afraid. Afraid of what you might become. And afraid of what you might uncover."
"Uncover what?"
"Later," he said. "You're not ready yet."
I didn't ask again.
⸻
That Night – Edward's Room
I stared at the ceiling.
They were home—and yet it felt like they were further away than ever.
All I wanted was to show them I mattered. That I wasn't just some placeholder for their bloodline.
"Then stop trying to be them," Astaroth said suddenly. "And start becoming something else. Something greater."
"You keep saying that, but how?" I asked. "The competition's in a week. I'm not ready."
"You're more ready than you think. Tomorrow, I'll show you something. But you'll have to sneak out."
"Sneak out? Why?"
"Because what I'm about to show you is something your noble little family buried."
He paused.
"A place that was once sacred. Now forbidden. And in it lies the truth… of who your father really is."