The Elestar: Zero

We stepped down from the cart and looked toward the door, where we were greeted by the steward of the house.

"Good day. Flame Sage, Duke Alaris is expecting you. My name is Gustav. I am the steward of this household."

"Good day. Where is the Duke himself?"

"I must apologize on his behalf. The Duke is unable to come out himself. Our master is currently feeling unwell."

"In that case, lead us to the Duke."

"Please, follow me."

Gustav bowed his head respectfully to my master and invited us in, leading us into the house.

I walked in behind my master. As we entered, I carefully examined the house. Anyone stepping through the front door would first notice the intricately decorated staircase leading to the second floor, then the large portrait hanging slightly above the stairs.

In the portrait stood a man around 40 to 50 years old, wearing ceremonial military attire, with jet-black hair.

[That must be Duke Alaris... Judging by his appearance, it must be from his younger days.]

Following Gustav, we turned toward the corridor on the right. As I admired the beauty of the house, my master and Gustav engaged in conversation.

They spoke with each other respectfully, maintaining proper manners and decorum.

"Flame Sage, may I ask you a question?" Gustav asked politely.

"Go ahead, what would you like to ask?"

"Who is the boy beside you?"

"My student."

"I mean no disrespect... Is your student blind?"

"No."

"Then why is he walking around with his eyes covered?"

"Some things are best left the way they are."

"My apologies for the inappropriate question."

"It's alright."

As I walked behind them, I was amazed by the splendor around me.

[How much did it cost to build a house like this? Even the paintings here are probably worth more than what I could earn in a lifetime.]

While I was still marveling at the luxury, I started falling behind my master. He quickly warned me:

"Don't fall behind!"

"Got it!" I replied confidently.

After that, Gustav led us to a large room. As I looked inside, I saw the sofas arranged neatly around a table. Each one was upholstered in animal hide.

The windows across from the entrance let in light, enhancing the grandeur of the room.

"Please! Wait here. With your permission, I'll go inform the master."

"Go ahead," said my master, granting him permission.

Once Gustav left, my master went over and sat on one of the sofas. I joined him, settling into a seat. He looked around as if searching for someone.

Not long after, Gustav returned and called my master away.

"Mr. Valorant, Duke Alaris is expecting you."

"Attu, stay here! Don't touch anything!" my master instructed before leaving.

I nodded and said to myself:

[I don't plan on doing anything anyway.]

Valorant left the room with Gustav.

"This way," Gustav said, leading him up the stairs toward the Duke's bedroom.

He opened the door for him. Valorant entered. The room was dim, and a man lay in the bed. A weak, tired voice came from the man.

"My dear Valorant, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me," he said, walking further inside.

"I'm sorry I couldn't greet you at the door… and for speaking to you in such a state."

"It's alright. I can see your condition and I understand everything."

"As far as I know, you're doing well."

"Better than you, clearly."

"Don't say that… My condition brings joy to no one—except my enemies. Was your journey difficult? In these cold winter days?"

"Not at all."

"Gustav told me… you've taken on a student. What is his name?"

"His name is Attu."

"If he convinced you to take him as a student… then he must have some kind of special talent."

"Yes, you could say that."

"Indeed… It's young people like him who ensure the peace of our nation."

Understanding the Duke's condition, Valorant quickly got to the point, not wanting to strain him.

"You're right. So, why did you summon me?"

"As you can see, my condition is dire," he said, coughing harshly mid-sentence. "My time is coming to an end. You must have already understood that."

"You probably have at most one month left, don't you?"

"As always, you can see a lot at a glance. Yes… I will die soon. I've written my will — about who will inherit my estate and who my successor will be."

"You want me to protect them, right?"

"You almost guessed it. I don't ask you to protect them for life. Just escort them to a certain place."

"Who is it, and where should I take them?"

—

After my master and Gustav left, I sat alone on the luxurious sofa in the spacious room, enjoying the silence. While I was sitting, I suddenly felt someone watching me. Someone was standing near the doorway, staring at me.

I could feel someone's gaze behind me. Not just watching — I could even hear their breathing. I quickly turned my head to see who it was.

At that moment, I saw a girl around my age standing near the door. She had long, shiny hair, beautiful eyes, and was wearing a long black dress.

[Who is this girl? Judging by her expensive clothes, she must be related to the Duke — maybe his daughter.]

As I looked at her, she quickly hid behind the door.

I knew she hadn't left but was still standing just behind the door, so I tried not to look in that direction.

[She's still behind the door. Why is she hiding? Did something happen? No, it doesn't seem like it — if she needed anything, she would've said something. And why does she hide every time I look at her? But when I look away, she watches me again. Maybe I should just ask her.]

So, I stood up and walked toward the girl who had been watching me.

"Hello!"

As soon as she saw me approaching, she ran away down the corridor. I followed her to the door, but by the time I got there, she had already vanished. Still, I sensed that someone had been standing behind that door for a while.

"Mr. Gustav!"

Gustav stepped out slowly from behind the door.

"Impressive. Even though I stood silently without making a sound, you still noticed me. Not everyone can do that."

"You've been hiding behind the door since you returned from escorting my master to the Duke."

"You're proving yourself as Valorant's student. Do you have any questions?"

"Who was that girl?"

"That girl is our master's granddaughter — Anna."

"She seems… different."

"Perhaps it's because she saw someone her own age."

"How old is she?"

"Twelve."

"Yeah… we really are the same age."

Then, noticing that besides the servants, I hadn't seen anyone else in the house, I asked:

"Where are Anna's parents?"

"They died several years ago. She is the Duke's only remaining memento from his son. Normally, Anna doesn't speak to anyone. But today, she's unusually active."

"Because someone her age is here?"

"Yes, exactly. Perhaps you could have a small conversation with the young lady."

[A conversation? What would I even talk to her about? We live in completely different worlds. I doubt we'd find a common topic.]

"That's kind of you, but I think I'll stay here," I said, and went back into the room.

As I was returning, I noticed Mr. Gustav watching me silently. It was as if he hadn't expected that kind of response from me.

Ignoring that, I sat back down on the sofa and continued waiting for Master Valorant.

[When will he return? If they're talking this long, maybe they haven't seen each other in ten years.]

Lost in thought, I suddenly heard something hit the window.

*Tap

"What was that?" I said, standing up and walking toward the window.