The Magenta family had left Draven Manor under a clear sky, the carriages slowly moving away on the cobbled path. Sélène, for her part, had departed with a heart lighter than she had ever thought possible. Kael's promise, though still uncertain in some aspects, was like a ray of light in a world otherwise dark for her. One month of engagement... one month before she could truly decide the course of her life.
But for Kael, it was a different matter altogether.
Once again, he found himself without a real purpose to fulfill. The administrative responsibilities of his manor were taken care of by his assistants, and the military affairs were at peace, far from the turmoil of battles. There were no great missions left to undertake, no conquests to achieve, and worst of all, no knights to train to fill his schedule.
This left him... bored. And when Kael Draven was bored, he never did things by half.
Thus, he found himself wandering the manor in search of someone to torment, and he knew exactly who would be the perfect target: his sister Elyna.
He found her in the grand music room, sitting at the piano, playing a soft melody. Her concentration was total, her fingers dancing across the keys with calm precision. She was completely absorbed in her music, unaware of the world around her.
He silently slipped into the room, a mischievous smile curling on his lips. He knew exactly how to disturb her. After all, who else but him could afford to interrupt Elyna in her moment of peace?
He crept up quietly, then, in one swift motion, positioned himself just behind her and theatrically cleared his throat.
"So, the great pianist, still composing a melody to charm the nobles?" Kael said, his voice deliberately exaggerated.
Elyna startled violently, almost dropping her sheet music. Her eyes, usually deep with calm, widened in surprise.
"Kael! You... you scared me! Why can't you ever leave me in peace?" she exclaimed, turning around, one hand on her chest.
"Because, my dear sister, you're always so serious!" Kael replied, sitting on the couch near her. "You really should relax. Why don't you let me play for a bit? Maybe I could learn to play better than you!"
Elyna looked at him skeptically.
"You really want to try playing the piano? With your two left hands?" she said, a playful smile on her lips.
"Hey, I'm a man of many talents!" Kael responded, shrugging with feigned pride. "I could very well play the most complex piece in musical history in the blink of an eye."
Elyna rolled her eyes, a smile of amusement forming on her face.
"Really? Then show me your talent, dear brother."
Kael stood up with an exaggerated look of concentration, heading toward the piano. He sat on the bench and placed his hands on the keys, ready to pretend to be a musical genius. But instead of playing anything respectable, he began pressing the keys at random, producing a cacophony of discordant sounds.
Elyna burst out laughing.
"Oh my God, that's... that's the most modern piece I've ever heard!" she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Kael gave her a theatrical look of challenge.
"You have no appreciation for avant-garde pieces, do you?"
She shook her head, her laughter subsiding.
"I have no idea what that was, but it was... something." She stood up and approached him. "You know, you could maybe try focusing on something useful for once."
"Well, actually, I have an idea!" Kael replied, abruptly getting up from the piano. "What if we went on an adventure? Let's go bother the people in the village, or even better, a good combat training session!"
Elyna stared at him, incredulous.
"You want to train, you?!"
"Of course!" Kael said, grinning, then added in a more serious tone, "But not for real. Just a little friendly sparring, you know, just to make sure my skills stay sharp."
Elyna sighed. She knew her brother was always looking for ways to entertain himself, and often, that involved somewhat... reckless games.
"You're incorrigible," she murmured, but her smile made it clear she wasn't truly angry. She loved her brother, despite his excesses.
Kael approached her, a falsely serious look on his face.
"So, are you coming, or are you too busy playing the piano?" he asked, winking.
Elyna hesitated for a second, then, with a mischievous smile, she replied:
"Alright, but only if you promise not to blow me up in a display of strength."
Kael shrugged.
"I promise nothing."
They left the music room, and in the halls of the manor, another day full of laughter and adventures began. The calm of the manor would be disturbed, but this time, it wouldn't be by enemies, but by Kael's irrepressible energy and Elyna's (sometimes exasperated) patience.
And who knows? Perhaps by tormenting his sister, Kael would eventually learn a little more about his own limits and those of his family.
On their way to the garden, Kael and Elyna continued their lighthearted conversation, but suddenly, a scream pierced the air. Kael, his eyes wide, froze upon spotting a familiar figure.
"The gluttonous demon!" he shouted, like a man who had just seen the embodiment of evil. He lunged forward, raising his fist toward the figure, his voice trembling with horror. "It's him, it's him, the scourge of excessive food!"
The figure in question was none other than Calvin, the young man Kael had once saved, who, since then, had let himself... go. He was no longer the lean, energetic young man he had once met; no, Calvin had become a mass of flesh, a true calorie bulldozer. There he stood, holding a huge package of pastries in his hands, a satisfied smile on his face, as though nothing was amiss.
Elyna turned to Kael, smiling shyly, while Calvin, still holding his enormous treasure of sweets, gave her a lost but sweet smile. She waved gently at him, sending him a compassionate smile.
"Calvin, you... you ate all of that?" she asked softly.
Kael, still in shock, shook his head frantically, completely disturbed by the sight.
"No, no! It's a trap!" Kael cried, pointing at Calvin as if he had uncovered a diabolical plot. "This isn't possible, a human cannot get this... big! It's just a demon in disguise!"
He rushed toward Calvin, looking furious, but Elyna gently stopped him by the arm, still smiling.
"Kael, calm down. It's just a boy who loves food."
But Kael would not be swayed. Anxiety grew with every step Calvin took, completely unaware of the storm brewing around him. Kael, with eyes full of determination, shouted:
"Captain of the Knights! Now!"
The Captain of the Knights, who was never far when Kael yelled, appeared in a flash. He looked as exhausted as he was resigned, probably tired of Kael's unpredictable orders.
"Yes, master?" he asked, somewhat reluctantly.
Kael, pointing at Calvin, ordered:
"I want this... this man to undergo the hardest training ever! He'll walk until his feet no longer touch the ground! He'll run, he'll sweat, he'll prepare to face the fight of his life! And all of that... with a sack of potatoes on his back!"
The Captain of the Knights paused, first observing Kael, then casting a perplexed look at Calvin, who was still smiling absentmindedly with his pastry bundle. Then, he nodded with a professional kind of resignation before turning toward Calvin.
"Follow me, young man."
Calvin, still completely unaware of what was happening, looked up at him.
"Uh, who are you... ? What do you want?" he asked, eyeing his food with a slightly worried expression.
The Captain of the Knights answered coldly:
"Training. You'll follow it. Whatever you do, don't resist. It's for your own good."
"Training? But... I'm already training..." Calvin replied, taking another bite of pastry.
Without waiting for a response, the Captain of the Knights grabbed him by the arm and began to lead him away. Calvin, seemingly overwhelmed but also curious, followed docilely, casting worried glances at Kael and Elyna.
"Is this really necessary?" Elyna asked, watching the scene with amusement.
Kael, still determined, shrugged.
"He needs to understand the gravity of the situation. It's not just about food... it's a matter of survival!"
A few minutes later, heavy footsteps echoed in the air, accompanied by groans that seemed to intensify with each passing second.
"My stomach!" was heard in the background.
Elyna turned to Kael, frowning. "Do you really intend to...?"
Kael, with a nonchalant expression, shrugged.
"No. But he's going to have to pay the price. Maybe he'll finally stop eating everything he sees!"
The sounds of Calvin, now far away, continued to reach Kael's ears, but instead of feeling guilty, he couldn't help but smile.
There was nothing more satisfying than teaching a good lesson to those who didn't take life seriously, right?
And all of that, of course, with a bit of humor.
In three days of training, Calvin will be seen as the weakest being that exists.