A groan escaped me as the persistent voice outside my door pulled me from sleep.

  My attempts to delay the inevitable moment of waking up were shattered by the relentless knocking.

  “Good morning, sweetheart! Time to get up!” The voice quickly took on a tone that was far too similar to my mother’s, the only one who still insisted on calling me like a child.

  Maybe if I ignore her, she’ll eventually give up.

  “Arda, the ceremony is only a few hours away. You need to start getting ready,” she pressed on, her knocking growing louder.

  Can’t you just go without me?

  “I know you’re pretending not to hear me!”

  And if I were?

  “If you’re not out of bed in one minute, I’ll make sure your collection of you-know-what magically disappears.”

  Sleep vanished from my mind in an instant.

  How does she even know about that?

  During one of our many short trips, I’d stumbled upon a parchment illustration of one of history’s most famous heroes—Belphor the Weaver, as had been named for his extraordinary strategic abilities. Obviously, I bought it right away.

  The seller had mentioned that a new illustration featuring a different hero would have been released every month.

  Now, my collection boasted twenty-eight of these prints, called Vestiges of the Heroes.

  I was proud to say I’d collected them all. It hadn’t been easy, but I had managed. They may not be particularly rare or valuable, but I was pretty proud of it.

  I’ve gone to great lengths to keep it a secret… And yet, here we are.

  “Fine,” I grumbled, reluctantly sitting up. “I’m coming.”

  Opening the door, I surrendered to my mother, saving my collection from her metaphorical clutches. She followed me inside with a smug smile on her lips.

  “As pretty as a rose, aren’t you, Arda?” She teased.

  “All thanks to you, Mother.”

  This scene had played out countless times over the years. It was practically tradition at this point.

  She didn’t miss a beat. “I had no doubt.”

  With a chuckle, she ruffled my already messy hair. “Come on, get dressed, dear. Everyone’s waiting for breakfast,” she said as she threw open the windows, letting the crisp morning air in.

  The sun had been up for a couple of hours already.

  “Yes, Mother,” I grumbled, my voice sounding still a little raw and slurry. “Do I have to wear the new suit?” I asked absently, searching for something to tame the wild beast that was my hair.

  “Do I really need to answer that?”

  Since when does a question get answered with another question? I shook my head in disbelief.

  “I suppose not,” I sighed, reaching for the new suit.

  Downstairs, everyone was waiting.

  I half expected it to be a trick to make me hurry up.

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  The dining hall was noticeably emptier than it had been the night before; most of the guests were likely still asleep.

  “Good morning, young master,” Lelya greeted me first.

  She was seated to Baryon’s left, one seat away from Father.

  “As late as always,” my father good-naturedly remarked, gesturing for me to sit.

  Thankfully, he didn’t look particularly annoyed.

  I guess I’m not that late after all.

  I took the seat beside Lelya, the only one who wouldn’t comment on my tardiness.

  The moment we were all seated, the waitstaff began bringing out food with remarkable efficiency.

  As we ate, my parents took the lead in the conversation, starting with a long-winded introduction; while they talked, Lelya handed me a tray that had just been placed on the table.

  They went on about the epic saga of their evening, held hostage by the endless monologues of some old friends they hadn’t seen in ages.

  Just as I’d predicted, they didn’t return until a couple of hours past the Hour of Silence—meaning well past midnight, only a few hours before dawn.

  Told ya, I couldn’t help but throw a smug glance at my master. I won our little unspoken bet.

  We didn’t actually bet anything, but it sure felt like a victory.

  I caught Baryon rolling his eyes, barely suppressing an amused smirk.

  Taking my time, I sipped my tea, pretending to be fully engrossed in their story.

  Perhaps that was why, when I finally spoke up, everyone turned to me with mild surprise.

  “By the way, what exactly is today’s ceremony about?” I asked no one in particular. “I promise I won’t run away if it’s too boring.”

  Father let out an exasperated sigh before answering. “It’s a ceremony to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Empire’s founding. Oh, and also the thirteenth birthday of the crown prince.”

  No grand state secret, then. I thought, sagging in my chair. A little disappointing, but it might still turn out interesting.

  “Do we know what’s planned?”

  “A theater event for the Empire and a private banquet for the prince’s birthday. We were personally invited by the Sidereal Emperor, it’s a great honor.”

  A great honor, sure, but it sounds like it will be dreadfully dull.

  “The prince is about your age, Arda,” my mother chimed in. “Maybe you two will become friends.”

  I raised my hands in surrender, setting expectations right away. “I’m not making any promises, but I’ll do my best.”

  “You’ll surely get along,” she assured, leaning slightly towards me. “If I remember correctly, the prince should be interested in legends and heroes, just like you, Arda.”

  That instantly made the guy a little more likable.

  “Wait a second now,” I frowned. A thought had been buzzing in my head ever since this grand ceremony had been revealed.

  “Aren’t theater performances usually held in the early afternoon?” I asked, receiving a nod in confirmation from Baryon.

  “Then why did we have to wake up so early?”

  I had almost let it slide, but at this point, it was a matter of capital importance.

  “Surprise!” Mother chirped, sounding far too pleased with herself.

  Have I been dragged out of bed for no reason at all?

  “That’s what your mother would like to say,” my father cut in, preventing things from escalating.

  “While official festivities are indeed starting this afternoon, we have another matter to attend, one that requires your presence,” he explained.

  I gestured for him to continue.

  “Some old friends of mine traveled from the distant Kingdom of Trasin. Thanks to their connections, they managed to find someone willing to teach you the Phantom style.”

  A surprised gasp escaped me.

  I didn’t expect him to find a master so quickly. More than that, I was surprised that these friends had come from Trasin. That kingdom was across multiple seas.

  “I appreciate you granting my wish so quickly,” I said earnestly, barely avoiding excitement from leaking into my voice.

  “Don’t mention it. Ah, and one more thing,” he added. “My friend’s eldest son has been an adventurer for quite a few years now. I thought he could answer some of your questions… or maybe even convince you not to follow in his footsteps.”

  Did someone spike his wine last night? I blinked several times, double checking what I just heard him say. I never expected to get their approval—at least, not this easily.

  What had changed their minds?

  “I-I don’t know what to say…” I stammered.

  “A simple ‘thank you’ would be a good start,” my mother suggested.

  I’d never thanked someone so many times in one sitting.