Four years later, Bastion was finally ready to be introduced to the public. The first change in his new life was being given his own room.
Three years prior, he had been moved from his oversized playpen to the castle's private library—a section closed off to all servants and occupants to the castle.
At least, he thought it was a library. For all he knew it was just a large room stocked with enough books to last him a lifetime.
This meant he no longer had to request books from Sibelle; everything he could possibly want to read was already within his reach.
Though he was still confined to a single room and served meals there, the space was large enough for him to exercise, practice his steadily growing magic, and indulge in an endless supply of books.
Now, his elemental abilities had advanced to the point where they could injure a regular person, though they still lacked the power to kill outright. Progress in Free Cast Magic was a slow grind, but he remained committed.
Another major change was the beginning of his knight training.
The Diamondhart family took its name from an ancestor who had discovered a precious diamond. What the storybooks omitted, however, was that this ancestor had somehow managed to integrate the diamond into his body, awakening a powerful Class known as Diamond Knight.
Classes were roles granted by the gods to individuals over the age of eighteen, bestowing unique Skills and Abilities, essentially powers given to their chosen people. There were many Classes, each with its own requirements, but the Diamond Knight stood out as one of the more useful ones.
This Class granted its wielder a powerful Ability capable of resisting bodily status effects such as bleeding, paralysis, poison, infection, and disease. It also provided a significant boost to magic resistance and mana regeneration, making it more magic-oriented than most knight classes.
The Diamond Knight was the legacy of the Diamondhart family, and only those born of their bloodline were said to be capable of inheriting the Class.
Bastion doubted they were truly the only family in the world with access to this Class, but within the kingdom, the Diamondharts held a clear monopoly over it.
Another significant shift in his daily life was that he was finally allowed to dine with his family.
"This way, Young Master. Please follow me," Sibelle said as she led the way forward.
Bastion followed, quietly taking in the sights of the castle beyond the confines of his library and playpen.
The interior resembled a grand mansion more than a fortress, with pristine white walls, vaulted ceilings, and soft carpets covering the even stone floors. If not for the towering structures visible through the library windows, one might forget it was a castle at all.
They walked for ten minutes before arriving at the dining hall, opulent didn't begin to describe it. A massive crystal chandelier bathed the space in a soft, magical glow, while murals of House Diamondhart's legacy adorned the gold-trimmed walls.
Velvet-upholstered chairs lined a polished mahogany table, each attended by a silent servant holding silver cutlery and folded napkins despite the absence of dishes or occupants. Crystal centerpieces shaped like roses shimmered gently with ambient magic, and the faint scent of lavender hung in the air, completing the picture of extravagant elegance.
Seated at the head of the table was his father, Darius Diamondhart, a powerful Rank 2 Knight. To his immediate left sat Bastion's own mother, Esmeralda, a Rank 2 Dancer.
Esmeralda bore no family name, being a former commoner.
Contrary to the noble-centric tales familiar from Earth, marrying a commoner wasn't considered scandalous in most noble circles, so long as the individual possessed ability and talent.
Next to his mother sat Yvette Rosenvale, a Rank 1 Archer, and beside her was Celeste Vaindara, a Rank 1 Mage. Both were daughters of nobles under Darius's command.
Seated beside the wives were three of Bastion's half-sisters, all preparing to depart for the Royal Academy. Their futures were expected to end in marriage to nobility after graduation, unless they could prove their worth to their father and forge a different path.
Bastion had been informed that most of them had chosen to marry into noble families rather than strike out on their own. The sole exception was Liliane, Yvette's daughter and the youngest of the group, who dreamed of becoming an adventurer.
She had already earned their father's approval, along with a generous parting gift to give her a head start in her chosen career.
To Darius's right sat three of Bastion's half-brothers, each slated to enroll at the Academy in the coming years. Their futures followed the same pattern as their sisters: marry into other noble families unless they could prove capable of standing on their own.
Bastion had also learned that these brothers had already declared their career paths and impressed their father enough to earn parting gifts expected to sustain them for a century.
The eldest of those present was Lucian, who aspired to become a local adventurer. Next was Maximus, who aimed to build a career as a merchant. Lastly, there was Victor, who had no ambitions beyond marrying into a noble house chosen by their father.
There was nothing wrong with being a lazy mook when nobility was involved, money was the least of their concerns, after all.
To Bastion's knowledge, he had one full-blooded brother who was currently not in attendance due to duty, Alexander, the firstborn and commander of the Dukedom's standing army. He was a Rank 1 Knight.
Bastion took his seat next to his father and quietly waited for dinner to begin. Noble manners were taught to him over the past year, and based on Sibelle's judgment, he was ready for the meanderings of high society despite being only five years of age.
"How are your studies going, Bastion?" his father suddenly asked, a poor attempt at kindling a fatherly relationship.
"Well in advance based on the curriculum, Father. I believe I can already graduate from the Royal Academy if I were to be given all their written exams," Bastion replied respectfully.
"Very good. Your combat training will start tomorrow, so get an early night's rest."
"Yes, Father."
"How is your magic training going?" his mother asked.
"Slow, but well within expectations, Mother."
"That's good," she sighed.
She didn't like the estranged relationship she had with her second son, but it couldn't be helped. They had planned to dump their problems onto him and his tiny shoulders.
Once dinner was served, Bastion immediately sensed something was wrong with the soup in front of him. It was similar to the feeling he often had regarding other people's futures, only this time, it concerned his own. And it apparently ended in his death.
"I believe this food is poisoned, Father," Bastion said calmly, prompting gasps from the surrounding servers.
It was a dangerous accusation; they could easily be mistaken for the culprits.
"Sibelle."
"I will take care of it, Master," Sibelle replied with a bow before her shadow swallowed her whole.
The soup on Bastion's table was promptly replaced, and dinner resumed as if nothing had happened. No one spoke of the incident again.
At the end of the meal, his father suddenly announced, "I declare that my heir shall be Bastion Diamondhart, effective upon his graduation from the Royal Academy."
Bastion was stunned. He expected outbursts or harsh protests, but instead, the room filled with resounding applause.
"Congratulations, brother."
"Take good care of the Dukedom."
"Good luck running the place."
Came the words of his half-brothers and half-sisters.
Speechless, Bastion chose to remain silent. He had an inkling this would happen, he'd seen hints in the books he'd been made to read at just one year old. Still, he hadn't expected to predict it so precisely.
After dinner, no explanation was given to Bastion as he was quietly ushered by another maid to his new room.
It took some time navigating the maze-like corridors of the castle, but they eventually arrived.
To call the room extravagant was an understatement. It was larger than Bastion's entire former home, with high arched ceilings adorned in gold leaf and softly glowing crystal lights. A grand four-poster bed stood at the left, draped in silk and bearing the Diamondhart crest.
Thick velvet curtains framed tall windows, while a private balcony offered a view of the moonlit gardens. To the right, a rose-stone bath steamed gently beneath a painted ceiling, completing the room's royal splendor.
The maid tucked him in, bid him goodnight, and dimmed the magic lights before quietly leaving.
Bastion lay still, trying to fall asleep, but the earlier attempt on his life lingered in his thoughts.
'Were assassinations so common that no one bothered to react?' he wondered, his mind racing.
The unfamiliar sensation of danger, cold and sharp, settled in his chest.
Sure, he had died before, but that death had been sudden, without warning. This danger, however, was raw and primal. It carried a finality that his first death had lacked.
He shifted restlessly, unable to quiet the growing unease gnawing at him. It felt as though the events from earlier were merely the beginning of something far darker.
In fact, he had a nagging feeling he was not alone in the room, as if unseen eyes were watching him from the shadows.
He tossed and turned on his oversized, lavish bed, the silky sheets doing little to comfort him, until the moon was at its highest and the door silently creaked open, the slightest breeze hinting at an intruder.
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath