The semester ended quietly, without any major events or disruptions. Bastion and the girls completed their studies and graduated without issue, alongside Aurelia and her party. Julius also graduated without incident.
They were handed a certificate and some recommendation letters for guilds that would be interested in them. Bastion and Seraphina received one for the Crafters' Guild, while Lilia received one for the Mages' Guild. This left everyone wondering why they hadn't received one for the Adventurers' Guild, but it didn't matter.
Shortly after, they departed for Aurenthal to attend Aurelia's coronation. Both Bastion and Seraphina had received letters with strict instructions to make their way there as soon as the semester ended.
Traveling in two carriages, the group embarked on a two-week journey, leaving the northern mountain range behind as they made their way south toward the capital.
"It's been a while since I've been to Aurenthal," Bastion said, glancing out the carriage window as he reminisced.
"Same here," Seraphina replied. "I would've loved to take a proper tour last time, but I was too busy."
She smiled and nudged him lightly. "We should go on a date."
"I'll take you out after the coronation," Bastion said. "We should have some free time before we return to our territories."
"Yay!"
Lilia leaned forward from her seat. "What happens to me after you go back to your territory?"
"You can come with me," Bastion said. "There's a Mages' Guild in Brightstone, right next to my future estate. You'll be able to study as much magic as you want there until I officially become Duke."
They continued chatting until the silhouette of Aurenthal's castle rose in the distance.
Once they arrived, the group began to split up. Lilia went to find her parents, while Bastion and Elyra made their way toward his family's quarters. Seraphina, Cyrus, and Emberlyn headed to their own section of the guest palace to reunite with the Phoenixharts. Aurelia, Tobin, and Julius, meanwhile, were escorted by heavily armed guards to the main palace where the current royal family resided.
Neither Bastion nor Seraphina was particularly worried about Aurelia, given her significant backing. They saw no positive outcome in attempting to imprison or harm her, so they parted ways without much concern.
Bastion had just settled into his assigned room when a knock came at the door. Elyra opened it and stepped aside, allowing Sibelle to enter who turned to formally address Bastion.
"Your presence is required in the study, Young Master," Sibelle said.
Bastion stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. She hesitated, struggling slightly to return the gesture given the formality of their positions, but Bastion didn't care. He had missed her.
"It's good to see you doing well, Sibelle."
"Young Master," she scolded gently.
Bastion chuckled, then let her go and followed her to the study, where he once again came face to face with his parents. They sat behind a desk while Bastion stood across from them with a straight and formal posture.
"Son," his father, Darius, said with a hint of emotion. "Congratulations on taking down the Demon Lord. You have done your duty to this family and the kingdom."
"Thank you, Father, but I cannot claim any credit for it. I was merely on the sidelines, watching without contributing anything."
"Be that as it may, each of you will undoubtedly receive rewards. I am proud of you, son."
"Thank you, Father."
"I've called you here to give you the schedule of events and to say our farewells."
"What do you mean, farewells?"
"Along with the appointment of Aurelia as Queen of the Kingdom of Brilliance, we, the predecessors, will also be handing over our positions. You will inherit the Dukedom of Diamondhart. Cyrus will inherit the Dukedom of Phoenixhart. The Lionhart family will be removed as the ruling royal line."
"And finally, Aurelia will marry her king, that young lad Tobin, while you will marry Seraphina. After the ceremonies, your mothers and I will be leaving for the Central Empire to begin our own journeys."
"I don't know anything about the Dukedom yet. How am I supposed to run everything? I don't even know our family's entire history," Bastion asked in slight panic.
"Don't worry. Everything will become clear when you reach my study. I've left everything there for you to learn on your own. You have nothing to worry about."
"May I ask what plans you have once you reach the Central Empire?"
Darius hesitated, only to be nudged by an elbow from Esmeralda, Bastion's mother.
"We plan to join the Goddess's personal army. It's similar to the royal army here, except it serves only the Goddess of Brilliance."
"Why? I thought you wanted to go off on your own journey. Why would you choose to subordinate yourself even further?"
"You'll understand once you read the books in my study."
Bastion nodded, deciding not to press for more information. He didn't like being kept in the dark, but at the same time, he understood it must be frustrating to explain something that had already been written down for him.
They continued their discussion on the specifics of the ceremony, as well as what to expect and the proper decorum. Before Bastion left, his mother pulled him into a tight embrace that felt like a final goodbye.
He returned to his room afterward, carrying a troubled expression.
-----
The next day, Bastion was scheduled to meet with the Phoenixharts, the Lionharts, and the Steelharts for a private banquet. No nobles were to be present except for the king, the three dukes, and their successors.
He dressed in his usual formal blue and gold suit while Elyra dressed in her usual simple black dress.
Once they arrived at the small banquet, Bastion noticed that everyone was dressed in the color schemes matching their family emblems: blue and gold for the Diamondharts, red and gold for the Phoenixharts, gray and gold for the Steelharts, and purple and gold for the Lionharts.
Everyone wore warm smiles and kind eyes as they interacted, giving Bastion the initial impression of a secretly hostile relationship beneath the surface, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. They genuinely got along well with one another.
If Bastion had to point out one odd thing about the banquet, it was that everyone looked young. No one appeared to be a day over 30, and it was honestly quite jarring. He could almost imagine them all being born in the same year and attending school as classmates.
A second, lesser oddity was how happy the king and queen looked as they watched Aurelia speaking with Seraphina. They gazed at her as if she had delivered their child, their faces full of gratitude, pride, and unmistakable joy.
The only person who wore anything close to a sour expression was Julius, who looked as though he had completely given up on life.
"It looks like Julius isn't taking the news too well," Cyrus commented.
"Heard he tried asking for Aurelia's hand but got shot down," Darius added with a chuckle.
"He was pretty high up in the clouds, so the fall was understandably devastating," Bastion said.
The three future dukes were huddled together as usual, except now each of them had a demihuman attendant standing behind them. Elyra the Wolfkin was with Bastion, Emberlyn the Lizardwoman with Cyrus, and Celia the Tigerkin with Damian.
Another group in the room consisted of the current dukes, the king, and their wives, all of whom shared a similarly close relationship.
Aurelia and Seraphina were off to the side having some girl talk, while Julius and Tobin kept sneaking hostile glances at each other.
To Bastion, it was a comical setup.
"So, do any of you have any idea how to run a dukedom?" Bastion asked.
"No."
"Nope."
"Aren't you already the duke?" Bastion asked Damian incredulously.
"I spent the past year attending annoying banquets, getting to know all the nobles, and introducing myself as the duke, but I haven't actually done anything as a real duke yet. They gave me some paperwork, but I just shoved it off to my steward."
"I was told to read the books in the study they prepared," Bastion said.
"Same here," Cyrus added.
"This whole secrecy thing is really starting to get annoying," Damian muttered.
"We're practically children in their eyes, so it's understandable," Bastion remarked.
The age difference was quite significant, based on Bastion's calculations. The king and queen, for example, had ruled the kingdom for over a thousand years. Their reign had been stable and free of any major issues. They were fair to both commoners and nobles, and they consistently stamped out any agitators.
As for the dukes, similar stories surrounded them, so it was safe to say that everyone here ruled with a steady heart and mindset, with no ambition beyond maintaining order.
To Bastion, it was clear they weren't monarchs or nobles in the traditional sense, but caretakers and managers. They maintained the status quo and never aspired for more.
Not that he would be any different once it was his turn to take the duke's seat.
The banquet went on for quite a while. Bastion met Seraphina's parents, who maintained a reserved tone toward him. His mother, meanwhile, absolutely adored Seraphina, who responded with a heavy blush.
The king gave a brief speech, thanking Aurelia for her role in defeating the Demon Lord and stating with quiet confidence that she would rule well as queen.
The banquet wound down after the final toasts were made. All that remained was the coronation, set to take place the following day.
-----
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