In the beautiful cutscenes and stunning illustrations that appeared after every major story arc.
Orion always wore a confident smile and a fearless expression that perfectly matched his sharp, charismatic gaze.
But the child standing on the dirt road right now looked absolutely nothing like that legendary hero.
He was significantly younger than Fainyx remembered from the game, appearing to be right around his own current age, which was incredibly far from the teenage version shown in the main storyline.
Instead of radiating an aura of overwhelming confidence, the young boy simply looked incredibly shy.
Orion hesitated for a long moment before stepping fully out of the broken carriage, his small hands nervously clutching the fine fabric at the edge of his sleeves.
His luminous golden eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings with clear anxiety before eventually landing on Adam.
When the eldest brother offered a polite, reassuring nod, Orion straightened his posture awkwardly and executed a bow that was just a little too stiff for a noble of his standing.
"Thank you so much for your help..." Orion mumbled, his voice carrying a soft, wavering tone that Fainyx had never expected to hear from him.
Fainyx could only stare in silent disbelief.
This was certainly not the fearless, bold protagonist who always charged directly into impossible battles without a single moment of hesitation...
This was genuinely just a normal child, and an incredibly quiet and timid one at that.
In the established lore of the game, Orion was destined to achieve absolute greatness.
He was meant to enter the prestigious Royal Academy, surpass every single rival, overcome every tragic plot twist the world threw at him, defeat terrifying calamity class threats, and ultimately stand at the very center of every major historical event.
Eventually, that boy was meant to stand bravely opposite the final villain of the entire game, the terrifying Demon Lord.
Fainyx forced his racing heart to calm down, taking a deep breath as he looked closely at the golden haired boy again.
He absolutely was not supposed to meet the protagonist yet, especially not this early in the timeline.
Fainyx had originally planned on perhaps encountering him far in the future during the chaotic academy arc, but certainly not out here in the middle of a random forest, and definitely not under these bizarre circumstances.
Adam continued speaking calmly with the rescued knights, completely unaware of his youngest brother internally panicking inside the safety of the carriage.
Meanwhile, Orion's nervous gaze began to drift around the area until, for the absolute briefest of moments, his shining golden eyes met Fainyx's crystal violet gaze through the open carriage window.
Time itself seemed to completely still around them.
Fainyx tensed, wondering if it was a look of recognition, but he quickly realized it was simply innocent curiosity.
Orion was the first to blink, swiftly looking away with flushed cheeks as he became incredibly flustered by the sudden eye contact.
Fainyx leaned back slowly into the plush cushions of his seat.
'He is so incredibly small and shy...' Fainyx thought, his mind spinning. 'This specific part of his life was absolutely never shown in the game...'
Of course it never appeared, because the official story only truly began during Orion's teenage academy days.
'But more importantly, I am not even supposed to exist in this world. I am an unpredictable variable, a complete anomaly living within a story that already has a rigidly fixed path. And now, simply because I decided to step outside the estate with my brothers, we have officially met the main protagonist years earlier than we ever should have....'
'I suppose I really messed things up today... Should I just ask to go back home instead? I really do not want to get deeply involved in the main storyline...'
He exhaled a soft, troubled breath and shifted his gaze toward Liam, instantly noticing that his energetic older brother was vibrating with the desperate urge to jump outside and properly greet the new child.
"Hey, Fainyx," Liam whispered with a massive, plotting grin.
"Maybe we can formally invite that kid to come ride with us!"
Fainyx kept his face perfectly blank and offered absolutely no verbal response, but his mind screamed a frantic plea.
'Please don't say that...'
Choosing to monitor the situation, Fainyx quietly manipulated his ambient magic to discreetly transmit the sounds from outside directly into the carriage.
He listened carefully to the ongoing conversation, quickly learning that the Sterling family's carriage had suffered a completely shattered wheel during the monster chase.
The desperate knights were politely asking if their young master could temporarily ride along with the Nocte family, offering generous monetary compensation for the sudden inconvenience.
Weinhart listened to their plea and asked calmly, "Where exactly is your final destination?"
"We are heading directly to the capital," the leading knight replied respectfully.
Weinhart offered a slow nod of understanding before turning his composed gaze toward Adam. "Young Master, shall we permit the young lord to join us in our carriage?"
Adam considered the heavy request for a brief, calculated moment before answering.
"I will ask my younger siblings if they are comfortable with the arrangement first." He excused himself gracefully and stepped back up to the open carriage door.
"Liam, Fainyx," Adam began, his tone serious and measured. "The Sterling carriage is severely damaged and cannot be driven. They are formally requesting that their young master ride with us for the remainder of the journey to the capital. Do you both agree to this?"
"I absolutely do not mind at all~" Liam answered immediately, practically bouncing in his seat with joy.
Adam then turned his expectant gaze directly toward Fainyx.
The youngest brother hesitated for a brief, agonizing second as he weighed his very limited options.
It would look incredibly suspicious and cruel to flatly refuse such a basic aristocratic courtesy.
Furthermore, abandoning a small, helpless child in the middle of a dangerous, monster infested forest was simply not an ideal solution, even if that specific child happened to be the world's absolute center of gravity.
With a deep internal sigh, Fainyx slowly nodded his reluctant agreement.
Satisfied, Adam returned to the awaiting group outside. "Your young master may gladly join us," he announced with proper noble grace.
"Your knights will naturally remain outside to guard the perimeter, while the young lord may ride safely inside our carriage"
The Sterling knight bowed deeply in immense relief. "We are eternally grateful for your profound kindness, my lord."
Orion followed his knight's example, executing another clumsy, nervous bow toward his saviors.
A few moments later, the heavy carriage door swung open once again. Adam entered the cabin first to reclaim his seat, closely followed by the trembling golden haired boy.
"Thank you so much for graciously letting me ride with you today," Orion murmured softly, his cheeks still dusted with a timid pink flush.
Fainyx offered a very small, polite nod in response to the greeting, then immediately turned his gaze away to stare blankly out the glass window.
He was purposefully avoiding any further eye contact, desperately trying to maintain a safe emotional and physical distance from the walking plot device.
'He really does look incredibly cute and harmless as a child...' Fainyx admitted to himself.
'But I know for a fact that in the future, he becomes ridiculously popular with every single heroine he encounters.'
Liam, however, had absolutely zero concept of personal space or boundaries, instantly leaning forward with explosive excitement.
"Hey there! Are you deeply interested in my little brother Fainyx?"
Fainyx froze completely in his seat. Slowly, he turned his head to glare daggers at Liam, his mind screaming in absolute horror at the ridiculous question.
'What on earth are you saying to him?'
Liam simply grinned back, completely unfazed by the glare. "I saw you! You kept looking over at him while you were standing outside!"
Orion flinched violently at the accusation, his golden eyes widening in sheer panic.
"I really did not mean to stare! I just wanted to ask him a simple question..."
"Oh, you can totally ask me instead!" Liam boasted proudly, puffing out his chest. "I am his big brother, so I naturally know absolutely everything there is to know about Fainyx!"
'You absolutely do not know anything,'
Fainyx mentally sighed, feeling a massive headache forming behind his eyes. He deliberately turned his gaze back to the passing forest, deciding that letting Liam run his mouth at least meant he could avoid direct interaction with the protagonist.
But then, Orion gathered his fleeting courage and spoke again, his voice remarkably earnest.
"Um... I actually wanted to ask if he would like to be good friends with me."
Fainyx's internal thoughts instantly exploded into absolute chaos.
'What in the world do you mean by friends?! We literally just met five minutes ago! Why are you asking something like that so incredibly suddenly?!'
Despite the violent turmoil raging inside his mind, Fainyx's outward appearance remained a mask of completely flawless, stony indifference.
Orion nervously twisted the soft fabric of his trousers, continuing his heartfelt explanation.
"I do not really have any close friends my own age back at my estate, so when I saw you, I thought that maybe we could get along..."
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the carriage. Fainyx hesitated, his brilliant mind rapidly calculating the terrifying variables of the situation.
If he cruelly refused the boy's innocent offer, would that simple rejection drastically alter the overarching story? Would Orion's fundamental personality twist into something unrecognizable? Would a single broken heart create a butterfly effect of entirely unpredictable and catastrophic consequences for the future timeline?
'This is unbelievably troublesome...' Fainyx concluded with deep resignation. In the very end, he realized he truly had no other viable choice.
Fainyx looked directly at the golden eyed boy and gave a single, small nod of acceptance.
Orion's pale face lit up instantly, blooming with a radiant, utterly blinding smile.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
Liam clapped his hands together happily, completely thrilled by the rapid development.
"This is actually Fainyx's very first time making a real friend too!"
Adam nodded calmly in agreement, taking it upon himself to gently explain his brother's unique circumstances. "Fainyx was born with a rather weak constitution, so he has been forced to stay inside the safety of our mansion for the vast majority of his life.
Furthermore, he possesses a medical condition where he absolutely cannot speak using his voice."
Adam leveled a serious, protective gaze at the young noble. "Is that reality going to be alright with you?"
Orion looked thoughtfully at Fainyx for a long moment before shaking his head with firm, unwavering resolve.
"I really do not mind that at all," he declared, his voice carrying a sudden, surprising wave of pure confidence.
"I am honestly just so incredibly happy to finally have a true friend."
For one breathtakingly brief moment, the timid aura surrounding the boy completely vanished, and he looked drastically different.
He looked remarkably closer to the legendary, unshakeable hero that Fainyx remembered from his past life.
'I suppose that at his very core, Orion is still Orion...' Fainyx noted with quiet respect.
Orion then leaned forward eagerly, politely asking to know his new friend's name.
Fainyx calmly reached into his coat, retrieved his elegant writing tools, and smoothly wrote out his response.
[ Fainyx Von Nocte. I am very pleased to finally meet you. ]
Orion read the note and smiled brighter than the afternoon sun.
"It is wonderful to meet you too, Fainyx! Please, just call me Orion!"
Fainyx offered an agreeable nod, which caused Orion to smile even wider before suddenly becoming incredibly flustered by his own boldness, quickly raising his hands to hide his burning red face.
But once the initial shyness broke, Orion officially started talking, and he talked a lot.
He enthusiastically rambled about the sweet desserts he had eaten the day before, described a vibrant carnival he had recently visited with his family, and happily recounted the exact way his father had carried him on his shoulders.
His voice started out a bit quiet and hesitant, but it very quickly found its footing, bursting with endless confidence as he began talking absolutely nonstop.
Fainyx suddenly remembered that the in game version of Orion was also an infamous chatterbox.
Throughout the original storyline, the protagonist was famously known for speaking endlessly until his exhausted party members desperately begged him to stop, which rarely ever worked.
That specific, annoying personality trait had actually been explicitly listed on his official character profile.
As the journey dragged on, Fainyx slowly grew more and more mentally exhausted by the sheer volume of words.
He simply sat perfectly still, nodding occasionally to pretend he was deeply invested, quietly listening and stoically enduring the verbal assault.
Even Adam and Liam, who usually loved chaotic energy, eventually began to feel a profound sense of pity for their silent little brother.
"Do you think we should forcefully stop him from talking?" Liam whispered loudly to Adam, looking slightly overwhelmed himself.
Adam shook his head with a grimace. "We cannot do that, it might make the poor boy feel terrible."
Mercifully, a sharp, authoritative knock suddenly echoed from the outside of the carriage door. Adam quickly pulled back the heavy velvet curtain to see one of their mounted knights riding alongside the window.
"My lords, we have finally reached the edges of the capital," the knight announced clearly.
The speeding carriage slowly began to decelerate, eventually coming to a brief halt at the massive city gates for a mandatory security inspection.
The heavily armed guards immediately recognized the prestigious insignia of the Nocte family and respectfully allowed the grand carriage to pass through without any further delay.
Fainyx pressed his face close to the glass window and instantly froze in absolute wonder.
The grand capital city was a sprawling, vibrant masterpiece that felt overwhelmingly alive. Massive crowds of boisterous people completely filled the cobblestone streets, showcasing a breathtaking diversity as elegant elves, sturdy dwarves, and unique demi humans all moved seamlessly together through the bustling thoroughfares.
Endless rows of colorful market stalls lined the winding roads, featuring everything from a kind old woman selling polished red apples to a massive butcher expertly preparing fresh, raw meat for eager customers.
The incredibly rich, mouthwatering scent of heavily spiced, grilled food drifted lazily through the warm afternoon air, wrapping the entire city in a comforting embrace.
This was truly the very first time Fainyx was seeing the sheer magnitude and beauty of this fantasy world with his own two eyes.
Orion suddenly spoke up, his previously booming voice now incredibly soft and subdued.
"I suppose I will be leaving you all here..."
His words carried a very heavy, unmistakable hint of deep disappointment at the prospect of saying goodbye so soon.
Liam immediately brightened the gloomy mood with a wide grin. "Hey! You do not need to be sad! You can always just come visit our estate next time or just write in a letter for fainyx here!"
Orion's golden eyes widened with sudden, desperate hope. "Can I really do that?"
"As long as you formally send a letter ahead of time," Adam replied reasonably, offering a rare, gentle smile.
"I am absolutely certain our father will gladly allow the visit."
Orion beamed with pure joy. "Then I will definitely write to you!"
The carriage eventually pulled over to a safe plaza, and the Sterling party gracefully stepped out onto the cobblestone streets.
Orion and his dedicated knights bowed deeply and gratefully to their noble saviors one final time.
Right before completely walking away into the massive crowd, Orion paused and looked back over his shoulder to lock eyes with Fainyx. He offered one last, brilliant smile.
"Let us definitely meet again next time, Fainyx!"
And with that final promise hanging in the air, the golden child disappeared into the sprawling city.
Fainyx let out a long, quiet exhale of sheer relief, letting his tense shoulders finally drop.
'Finally, the storm has passed...' he thought to himself.
He quickly turned his attention back to the magnificent city stretching out before him, feeling a powerful, undeniable excitement quietly bubbling deep inside his chest.
Though his delicate face remained a mask of perfect, aristocratic calm, his crystal violet eyes hungrily lingered on every single wondrous detail the streets had to offer.
'I really am living out my life in an entirely different world...' he realized with a profound sense of awe.
'Or rather, I am truly living inside the universe of a game.'
"Come on, let's go!" Liam cheered loudly, forcefully grabbing Fainyx's small hand and practically dragging him forward. "I am going to personally show you absolutely everything!"
Fainyx simply nodded his head in quiet agreement. He chose to keep his silence, even though his past life's memories ensured he already intimately knew every single inch of this sprawling place.
He knew the layout of every dark alley, the location of every secret hidden corner, and even the exact password to enter the notorious underground black market.
Still, looking at Liam's overflowing, genuine excitement, and realizing that this was technically his physical body's very first time ever stepping outside the estate walls, he simply could not find the heart to refuse the tour.
And so, hand in hand with his chaotic brother, Fainyx bravely stepped forward into the vibrant heart of the capital together.