An Unforsaken Tie

After interacting with Leon, Axel suddenly saw another notification pop up in front of him from the system window.

<+5 𝘈 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯>

Axel smiled this time. The last time this notification popped up, he had extra points for a reality check. But this new friend, pretty much like Elias, didn't insult him this time. Instead, he had a pretty decent character, even though sometimes, he tended to get a little hyper-active, just like Elias. Axel didn't quite mind. As he listened, he realized that Leon was a pretty much a tattler.

From their conversation, Axel also learnt that Leon had the unique psionic of hallukinesis, the ability to create illusions. 

"That's such an amazing ability! You must be quite powerful Leon…"- Axel commented in fascination. He wondered how cool it'd be if he had chosen this power instead of his boring cryokinesis.

"Oh, honestly, it's nothing… I can only make mere illusions, like an animal or a bird. I'm still trying to make human illusions, but it's really, really difficult! I don't know if I'll ever be able to master it!" He slowly placed his face on his right fist.

"Don't say that! I'm certain that you will master it eventually. After all, human illusions are quite difficult to produce. With the proper training and guidance, you'll definitely do it!. By the way, from the conversation we just had, I could deduce that you don't mind the duke's actions much. I get it that he was trying to protect us and all, but I genuinely feel that the killing part was rather superfluous. He could have had a little mercy. He probably would've also gotten the information as to who sent that assassin."

"I could realize that you don't like him, but honestly, I don't like him either. But I can't blame him for his ruthlessness."

"Why is that so?"- Axel questioned, perplexed by Leon's unprecedented answer.

"Well, most of us really pity him for it. Don't even ask him about what happened."

"I don't understand! Why?"- Axel questioned again.

"Ok fine, I'll tell you I guess. His childhood was rather…unpleasant."

"How?"

"So well, uh… He was the first son of the former emperor and his first wife. Till the age of eight, he lived a good lifestyle, but he wouldn't speak much. He wouldn't even stand up for himself when his cousins bullied him."

"That's so unlikely of him!"- Axel remarked; his mind was in a mess from the confusion.

"I know! But he was a really quiet kid back then, and his mother was also a kind lady, revered by many, but was also sometimes mistreated because she didn't belong to the aristocratic families. They say that the emperor had married her to set an 'example' for other kings to accept commoners as their wives. But unfortunately, his father cheated on his empress with another mistress from the Villiers family. He kept his affair a secret for a pretty long time, like two years? 

"Two freaking YEARS? NOBODY I mean…nobody noticed?"

"Well, rumour has it that his advisors were aware of it and were the ones helping him to keep it a secret. Soon, those two even had a son, Jaques, the current emperor. Finally, the empress found out about their affair as well as their secret love child. She was livid! She did everything in her power for justice,e but after all, she wasn't from a powerful family. And alas, she was denied justice."

"That's just…cruel."- Axel had never read about this fact in the novel and genuinely felt bad. 

"I know, right! Then…since she tried to oppose the emperor, she was arrested under false charges of treason. Some say she is still in the dungeon of the Imperial Palace, while others claim that she is dead."

"W-what?! T-then… what happened to the duke?

"What else could happen? He was stripped of his rights and his royal surname was also taken away. But I guess his father pitied him and let him live in a different palace in the royal garden. From the age of nine, the poor man was no longer allowed to visit his mother. He was ill-treated everywhere he went; his stepmother, stepbrother and even his father, thus acquiring the title of 'royal bastard'. Even his nannies didn't attend to him properly, often letting him starve. Poor thing!"

 "Oh my…"- Axel slowly recalled how much he missed his mother, who too had passed away due to cancer when he was eleven. He had cried, and cried as eventually his tears had dried up. He was mistreated by his father and stepmother as well. He realized how much in common he and Arthur had.

"But he was determined to get his royalty back, by the surname of his mother, Franciszek. He trained hard and captured our town of Paisiville by defeating the Theloreans. As per the laws and on his stepsister Isabelle's demand, he was finally granted this town as his own property by the emperor Jaques. The palace was also gifted to him. Then, slowly after collecting enough revenue, to form an army for himself, he started constructing the headquarters."

"W-wow…From a bastard to a duke. Its really impressive. He must have worked really hard. I guess the mental torture he had to suffer as a child caused him to become so…cold."- Axel responded, feeling really sorry and guilt washing over him for judging the duke so quickly. 

"Who wouldn't grow cold after such torment?! On top of that, he doesn't even know if his own mother is dead or alive."

"But isn't he royalty now?"

"Yes, he is…But his father strictly forbade him from entering the imperial dungeon. Even if that cruel man is dead, his rules must be followed. So you see… I don't like him for specific reasons, yes, but he is still a human, isn't he. He does have the right to carry his own personality."

"Hm. I guess I was too quick to judge him. I feel really sorry now! But…How do you know the entire story?"

"Well, everyone from the capital city, Vermillion, knows about his story. The story eventually reached us here at Paisiville. Let me tell you… Even though he smiles during events and speeches, he's still probably hollow on the inside. Some say that he is emotionless."

"I see… I'll ask him when I get the chance and courage," - Axel said as he smiled gently.

"That could be considered never…"- Leon laughed.