Chapter 577 – The Growing Lord.

“A letter from Father?”

Arthur asked with a hint of confusion on his face. He was in his study with two others. One was his trusted maid and bodyguard, Mary. The other was his most capable ally, Roland, known to most as High Commander Wayland.

“Yes, Lord Arthur. It arrived as soon as we returned from Aldbourne.”

Mary replied as she handed him the letter bearing the Valerian seal.

“Do you want me to step out?” Roland asked. He had sensed that the matter might be personal.

“No. Stay. It is probably related to the culling. But this seal.”

Arthur said as he examined it more closely. Something about it felt wrong. It was not just the familiar stag that represented his house. A forest surrounded the emblem along with four shields, suggesting something more. This was not a letter meant only for him. Others had received it as well. It was a summons to the Grand Assembly.

Arthur turned the letter over in his hand. The wax seal caught the morning light, almost as if daring him to break it. Mary and Roland waited in silence, sensing the weight of the moment. After a short pause, Arthur pressed his thumb to the seal and broke it.

His eyes scanned the contents quickly at first, then slowed as the message sank in. When he finally lowered the parchment, his expression was unreadable. His face had turned to stone.

“They are calling the Assembly within a fortnight. Attendance is mandatory for all nobles who hold ruling rights.”

“Even you? Is this about the culling, or something else entirely?”

Roland asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

“We still have the courts reviewing the succession claims in Aldbourne. Could this be something Theodore is behind?”

Arthur paused for a moment as he took in Roland’s words and then replied.

“That possibility is zero. The only person who can summon the Grand Assembly is my father. Yet something about this feels wrong. Normally, it takes a full month to complete the monster headcount. Roaming beasts must be counted too. After that, the winners are announced and a grand ball is held.”

He fell quiet, unsure of the letter’s true purpose. It felt too sudden. Something had changed. Perhaps it was the state of Isgard that had forced his father’s hand.

“Perhaps they just want to assess the damage across the realm and assign duties directly?”

“Or they want us to give them funds for the rebuilding efforts.”

Roland added, his tone grim.

“A public show of unity, followed by a quiet shakedown.”

It was a simple idea, but Arthur was not convinced. Would they truly summon so many nobles only to demand money? His father, the Duke, could issue a decree and face no opposition. There had to be more to this summons. If he had received a letter, then his brothers would have too. That meant he would soon be in the same room as many who had despised him for years.

“Two weeks.”

Arthur murmured.

“Can I do it in two weeks?”

Roland caught on to what the young noble was referring to and responded quickly.

“Well, it’s possible. You have been preparing for a while now. If that is the case, you might be able to manage it on the second or third attempt.”

“Second or third…”

Arthur repeated quietly. He was not sure where Roland’s confidence came from. He had expected to have more than a month for the next step in his plan, which was to reach Tier Three. There had been a strong chance he would be invited to the ball that followed the culling, and he had hoped to display the personal strength he had gained.

With Roland’s help, he had trained relentlessly. He had leveled many of his skills and pushed himself to the peak of Tier Two. The progress he had made in such a short time was nothing short of remarkable. He had believed that, once others saw his growth, they would finally begin to take him seriously.

That had been the plan. But now, with only two weeks left, he faced a challenge that even the most talented usually needed a full month or more to overcome.

“A lord’s work is never that simple…”

Arthur mumbled to himself, though he was not alone in his efforts. Roland was not there just to read the letter. He had come for another purpose entirely: to help Arthur retain memories from within the Ascension Space. From what Arthur had heard, Roland had made real progress in that field and had already helped Durendal and Curtana advance through some of the more difficult classes. The class Arthur was pursuing was especially challenging to attain, so he needed all the help he could get.

“It is not impossible, so why don’t we just begin? Every second counts.”

Roland said.

“I suppose you are right, my friend. In a way, the Grand Assembly works in our favor. My brother Theodore will be unable to move his forces.”

Arthur replied. There were strict rules regarding the Assembly. Once it was announced, all ongoing battles and disputes among the nobility had to cease immediately. That meant Theodore could not make a move to retake Aldbourne, even if he wanted to. Although the trial would be postponed, the delay would give them precious time to reinforce the city with additional golems and troops.

It would give them enough time to establish a proper defense and prevent even a larger force from breaching the city. At present, Sir Durendal, Lady Curtana, and Sir Wischard had remained behind to defend Aldbourne. The knights equipped with runic prosthetics had proven to be their most powerful assets. However, despite their strength, the prosthetics required frequent maintenance—something only Roland fully understood.

Even so, Arthur had other matters to focus on. Reaching Tier Three would finally allow him to step beyond the role of a helpless bystander. It was the only way he could stand on equal ground with the others and defend what was his.

“Well then, I put myself in your capable hands.”

After disposing of the letter, Arthur turned to Roland, who was meant to assist him in retaining memories from the Ascension Trial he was about to undertake. Roland gave a curt nod and gestured toward the exit with a gloved hand.

“I have already made the arrangements, but we will need to move to my own workshop. The underground level of the mansion is not suited for this kind of procedure just yet.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Procedure?”

Arthur repeated, raising an eyebrow at the choice of words. He chose not to question it further. Roland had never given him a reason to doubt his loyalty. The mage-engineer had proven himself trustworthy more than once.