Chapter 4

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Chapter 4: The Long Night Of Storms

The rain came silently.

Elan returned to his room and began packing some things. He placed those worth keeping into various boxes to make room for the new viscount.

Even though the other party had said he wouldn’t touch his belongings, Elan didn’t trust his uncle.

After carefully placing the valuable books into a box and locking it, Elan handed the key to Moon and nodded at him.

Moon nodded back and attached the key to his keychain.

Elan looked out the window. The sun was about to set, but the dark clouds had arrived before the sunset.

A storm was coming. Their small boat would soon face the fierce winds and rain, leaving the viscountcy under the cover of night to escape to the imperial capital.

“Elan, before you leave, go see your father. His knights have already erected his tombstone.”

“Okay.” Elan agreed.

……

After some time, Elan, now dressed in black, opened the door and walked out. He climbed up the hill behind the estate, eventually reaching a gate. He stepped into the Yalan family cemetery.

His father was buried next to his grandfather, making it easy for him to find. He had walked this path for sixteen years and knew it well, as he brought flowers to his grandfather every year. But today, he would say farewell to his father.

He stood before the newly carved tombstone, its surface dim under the cloudy sky. It seemed that all of Yalan’s glorious achievements had been buried with him, leaving only the poets to sing of his deeds in the future.

Crows circled overhead, cawing incessantly. The noise annoyed Elan, so he picked up a stone and threw it at them.

As expected, he missed. The crows didn’t scatter, continuing their noisy circling as if mocking him, living up to their reputation as devouring demons.

Elan ignored them, as the heavy rain had started to fall, and the crows wisely flew away.

He knelt before his father’s grave, silently staying there for a while. Then he took a small statue from his pocket and buried it in the soil. He had spent a lot of time that afternoon carving it, but his craftsmanship was poor. Even with Moon’s help, the statue was still crude, barely resembling Yann.

He sat quietly, letting the rain, which had begun as light drops, turn into a continuous downpour.

The sound around Elan gradually faded. It felt like the onset of tinnitus, and his world became silent as his body grew colder.

Just as he was about to completely succumb to the silence, a fierce fire ignited within him, starting deep inside. He suddenly opened his eyes, and his black pupils could clearly see the flow of water elements in the air.

Gianna was right—Eran indeed resembled his mother more, at least in appearance. However, the magical talent he had long neglected was now suddenly unleashed, like a beast freed from its chains, ready to rampage through the world.

“Go to the Royal Academy of Magic.” A phantom appeared before him, seeming like a distant call or perhaps an echo from memory.

Anger burned in his chest, pointing him in a clear direction.

He had to go.

……

Night had fully fallen, and the quiet Yalan Castle was lit up. Unnoticed by anyone, Elan and his knight set off on their journey.

They didn’t carry much, only the necessary food and water, along with a change of clothes. Elan was not a pampered noble, he often traveled around the territory with his father.

Yann enjoyed disguising himself as a commoner, merchant, or traveler, with Elan accompanying him as his son. They often ventured out to experience life firsthand. As a result, even though the citizens approved of the lord’s policies, they had never truly met him.

They didn’t recognize that those passing travelers were actually their lord.

The dark night, accompanied by cold winds and relentless rain, did indeed conceal their presence, but it also made their journey more difficult.

The bone-chilling cold relentlessly assaulted their bodies, making them increasingly fatigued. This was the longest night Elan had ever experienced.

“Are you okay, my lord?”

“Out here, just call me Elan. Not many people know my real name. As for a surname, call me Yarahato.” He borrowed the butler’s surname, and Moon likely wouldn’t mind.

In fact, one could say Elan was practically Moon’s child.

“Alright, then, Elan, are you okay?” the knight asked again. Elan nodded, indicating he was still in good condition.

He didn’t feel cold, or rather, his awakening talent allowed him to use magic to divert the major flows of wind and water elements, so the storm barely touched him.

Sorota, on the other hand, was in a bad state. At first, he had tried to wear his armor, but now, with autumn approaching, he was only an apprentice knight, shivering from the cold.

Fortunately, Elan had brought an extra rain cloak, and after putting it on, Sorota felt much better.

“We still have about ten hours of travel along this dark road…” Elan silently calculated the time they needed to reach their first stop, where they would meet the people who would help them.

Afterward, they would obtain fake identities and head to the imperial capital.

……

“Elan Yalan is dead, killed in the rebellion. The rebellion was quelled by the arriving Roger Yalan, who reluctantly inherited your title.” Moon had told him this before they left. It was an obituary Moon had prepared long ago, only adding Roger’s name.

It had been lying in the drawer since Yann went to war three years ago, until today, when it was finally put to use.

If he could, Moon would have preferred never to use that obituary. He stared blankly at Yann’s portrait, he had known the outcome the day Yann chose to leave.

In what felt like a single day, Moon had aged ten years. His time was growing shorter, even though his strength had reached the level of a fifth-tier patrol knight. He couldn’t resist the approaching end. He had to clear all obstacles before he left, and that would take time.

……

Three hours later, Elan and his companion finally emerged from the stormy area. Although it was still night, it was relatively more comfortable. The storm, while making their progress difficult, also kept large predators at bay. However, as soon as they left the storm, they encountered a black bear.

The black bear, as large as a mountain, blocked their path, its wet fur shaking off water droplets. Elan could tell it was very hungry.

If they didn’t want to become its meal, they had to go around it.

They cautiously moved out of the bear’s territory. Although the bear’s sense of smell was usually keen, the recent rain had dulled its nose.

After successfully avoiding the bear, they finally left the viscountcy’s territory and the rain zone four hours later, only to be greeted by the howling of wolves. Elan and Sorota exchanged glances and immediately decided to speed up, trying their best to leave the forest. The night’s darkness hid their tracks, and under the cover of the illuminated castle, Without anyone knowing, Elan Yalan fled his homeland.