The Cazenarch main hall was truly a sight to behold.

Magnificent symbols at the bottoms of each of the twelve columns lit up the lower levels of the hall and engulfed it in a brilliant glimmer. A beautifully purple rug ran down from the throne down the center while banners drape from the walls.

High, stained glass windows were framed by veils colored the same purple as the banners. The curtains were adorned with fancy tassels and gold crowns

In the front of the room lies a throne, gilded with fine reddish-gold prints. It was elevated from the perspective of the hall, making one have to look up to greet the holder of the throne.

The hall itself was incredibly spacious, easily able to hold more than a hundred people. That was the purpose of it, of course. The more the merrier.

Men from all spheres of life collected here, the only thing linking them being their interest in the Cazenarch family, and their nobility.

It was through this that Batain found himself talking to two of the bitchiest people he'd ever met. That title didn't really mean much considering Batain often forgot what he didn't like about a person, other than the fact he didn't like them.

"So I told the whore, I'm the man of the house now so you listen to my rules."

"Of course, of course."

"It's ridiculous, isn't it? Expecting me to listen to her like I'm some peasant. Don't tell her I said any of this, though. She still owns the family mansion and all of our land."

"It really is ridiculous. Mothers can truly be like that, and don't worry about me telling anyone, I'm not that kind of person."

By that point, Batain had extricated himself from the conversation and was surfing throughout the crowd of people in the hall. He hated large parties like this one. It was a huge distraction from what really mattered to Batain, that being talking to Lucas.

After Lucas had unintentionally handed Batain's ass to him, it drove the man into a minor depression. His scars were marks of pride. There was nothing to be proud of in getting caught off guard by a four year old.

However, ironically, it was the kid who brought him out of that depression. Each day, the kid came to his room, asking to learn more. At first, it was more conduit magic. Then it was amplification magic. Then, one day, the kid asked him to spar.

Just like most of his decisions, he'd agreed on a whim but each fight was more and more interesting with Batain seeing flaws in his own combat he didn't know existed. Of course, they couldn't really be exploited by Lucas because of his weakness but it was still shocking to see and be witness to.

He'd been coming for months by now, and by this point, Batain had fully put his ego aside, devoting time to actually mentoring Lucas. While he'd admitted the kid had talent at first, he hadn't really bothered putting too much effort. Now, he actually started to look forward to teaching him.

This was why parties like this were a waste of time, never mind that it was his father's birthday or the fact that his father had only held a large party like this one other time: the time he'd announced the competition.

Speaking of the competition, at least that was going well.. for Batain. No one really had the time to focus on rivals when they were all trying to combat some faux religion. It was the longest something like this had really ever lasted.

It was a huge mess he was personally glad he didn't have to take part in. Trying to maintain your stability under the sabotage and propaganda was difficult. By Empre, it had even spread to the other duchies though it had also been suppressed there more.

Batain had nearly left the hall when suddenly the doors opened, revealing a towering man with strikingly blue eyes. His grayish blonde hair was cut short, almost reminiscent of a crew cut which only added to his intimidating demeanor. His features were hard, seemingly set in stone, with a scar that ran down his cheek only emphasizing this fact.

A stone that seemed to crumble as he looked around the filled hall, before looking down. "My third son.. Batain." The way he phrased it seemed to be a question but his tone indicated it was a statement, as if he'd just decided Batain's name was indeed Batain.

"Hello, father." Batain was about to kneel but the man stopped him with a hand on the shoulder.

"Don't kneel yet. Also don't leave yet. My announcement is about to start. You can kneel during it and leave after." His voice was gruff, holding a roughness that forced one to listen to it.

Batain's usual sarcastic tone and deadpan expression vanished in front of his father, and as he passed, Batain turned back to follow him. Somewhat surprisingly, he looked back and saw Etrea following his father as well. Less surprising, some of his siblings were there as well.

Thecla was in front and judging from the bright smile she gave Batain, she would've given him a strong hug did it not breach etiquette. He lined up behind his second older brother, Comte, who looked unbothered as usual.

His father sent a slight glance into the crowd, forcing Nathan to extricate himself from the girls he was talking to, and join the procession. The crowd had long since opened the path to the throne and quieted down, allowing the walk to the throne to go along smoothly.

Once they reached the throne, the children all dispersed around it, standing in formation by seniority, while their father sat down on the throne. Sebastian looked into the crowd, briefly catching his wife smiling up at him, before staring straight forward.

"I greet you all as Count Regis Cazenarch of the County of Guilm. It's on this day that I turn 66 years old. I-"

Regis was immediately cut off by the sound of the doors to the hall slamming open. In walked a man, or rather a boy. He stood at 5'11 with blonde hair that crept along the sides of his face to his chin, emphasizing his boyish face. Walking silently, he took his place just a few feet behind and to the right of his father.

Regis continued, the same calm expression on his face. "I will not take up too much of your time. This is a party after all. I'd just like you all to remember my goal in ruling this county. My family and this county are inextricably linked. What is good for it is good for us and vice versa. Because of this, I can only wish for my family to grow stronger, for the good of this county, to bring prosperity to it."

There were quite a few visible frowns among the partygoers, especially among the representatives of the Kingdom of Liyonne. Was this not a slap in the face to the kingdom that the county served?

"And to make my family stronger, I asked them to partake in a little game of intrigue. To obtain as much private land and power within the county as possible without harming their siblings."

Even more frowns appeared. Most of them had known about the game but to hear it publicly was another matter. It was quite a simple concept. A king would allow his potential heirs to attempt to play diplomatic games, and give the crown to whoever not only won those games but also had the power to back their intellect. It depended on the king, but that was the issue. It depended on the king. Regis was not a king but a count. Publicly admitting he started a King's Game was like stating he was a king, or at least that he felt he deserved to be a king.

The speech continued for a brief time as Regis continued to talk about his goals as count. However, by the end, nearly everyone was either confused or infuriated.

Never had Regis behaved like this before. Clearly either the age or the power was getting to his head. And his children were the same. They either showed a lack of respect or a lack of presence, especially the one who'd just arrived.

Most of them didn't recognize Leroy Cazenarch, Regis' oldest son. They couldn't necessarily be blamed though. He rarely showed up and participated in the general region's affairs, often venturing out to who knows where. As such, they assumed the supposed boy behind Regis to simply be a particularly rude son of his.

Regis concluded his speech with his true announcement. "In only a few months, I will announce the winner, and give over my throne. I would appreciate if you all came in 7 month's time to witness the change, and give your support."

With that, the man ended the speech with some pleasantries, before getting up from his throne to the sound of lackluster applause. Once Regis got up, it seemed as if Leroy would simply walk right out but a meaningful look from Regis saw him falling back in line.

The family then proceeded to walk out, most feeling the new time crunch of Regis' decision. Plans had to be rethought and reconfigured.

Once the royal family left, the party lit up once more, continuing until late. Men waddled out, clearly intoxicated, their wives complaining to each other about it, despite also being drunk beyond belief.

Lucas had never been allowed to go to the party, as he was only five. He'd had his birthday in the months following what he now dubbed his 'Awakening.' It hadn't been anything large, just a simple birthday party that he mildly enjoyed.

Still, despite the additional year onto his age, his parents apparently still found it ludicrous to let him explore. It was through this that Lucas learned the wonders of 'the cool uncle.'

Batain did act like a manchild sometimes but it was that lack of maturity and care that enabled Lucas to grow, and stimulate himself. Being talked at for hours by a middle aged woman just didn't do it for him. Being treated like an equal and getting exposed to potentially dangerous material and knowledge did.

It was in this search for stimulation that he wandered the halls. He hadn't been through the entire mansion yet but Lucas reckoned he had it mostly mapped out. It was simple childish curiosity.

Turning a corner towards the library, he was greeted with the sight of a little girl, a few years older than him. When he rounded the corner, she turned towards him, her gaze complex. When he blinked though, she disappeared.