Chapter 4: Childhood

In the lavish mansion, there was much to be seen from the various rooms to the expensive decorations all over the place, but what many didn't know was that below it all, there was a dungeon to prisoners and misbehaving servants, up for punishment.

Among the cells, there was one occupied by the purple-haired and-eyed young hero, Nostro, lying on the ground of the cells chained to the wall. In the cell with him, there was a bowl of cold soup just sitting there.

"... Hurgh..." He grabbed his head as he woke feeling like he had been run over multiple times.

After a few minutes of dealing with it, Nostro sighed and looked around seeing that he was in the dungeon, he sat up and looked at the chains, and they were bronze.

"Escaping wouldn't help me..." He grabbed his head feeling the drilling pain once again.

"You're a fool... Why would you do that, when you could have just ignored it?" Feila revealed herself floating in front of him, and staring with a frown.

"Ignoring gets tiring, and I've done that for years. I've got the means to fight better than before now, so of course, I used them." Nostro forced a smile despite the pain.

"Better than before?" Feila raised an eyebrow.

"Did you think I didn't fight before because I was weak? I just did it only near figures of authority, since they would kill me otherwise, like they tried to yesterday." Nostro smiled like a demon thinking about it.

"... It's been 3 weeks..." Feila sighed as she shook her head.

"Ohhh... Then I only have 10 days to grind before It's time... What a pity..." Nostro pouted at the notion.

"You truly are weird, Ero Hero..." Feila narrowed her eyes and stared at him intensely.

"I am? Thank you. Now, am I already getting spied on?" Nostro smirked and rubbed his chin.

"...." She just stood there looking at him in silence.

"Come on, you know what I'm talking about." He insisted.

"Yes... Just don't think about it." Feila was surprised by his awareness.

(So the King really is that type of bastard, but he's not getting his way. Instead, I'll give him a taste of his medicine, the Princesses and the Queen are lovely women.) Nostro smiled demonically to himself thinking of it.

From there, he just sat there waiting until the punishment came to him. After he drank the whole bowl of soup, he began humming to himself as there was not much he could do.

Eventually, he heard footsteps, and they were getting closer.

"I guess It's time... This will hurt..." He mentally readied for whatever punishment would come his way.

However, it was not one of the baronesses, but instead one of the head maid's daughters, Nila.

She came in with a wide warm smile, her short blonde hair waving as if there was wind, and her glistening emerald eyes locked onto the young hero, before saying. "Yo, Nostro! Happy Birthday! I know it's late for that, but I'm happy you are awake."

In her muscular arms, a basket could be found with a small blanket over it.

(She's quite the sweetheart for that... But I can't let that bastard know how I feel. Sorry Nila) Nostro thought to himself.

"Get lost airhead, I don't need your pity," Nostro replied.

"Geez! You don't have to be mean. I'm just trying to help, ya know. Still happy to see you ate the soup. I brought another bowl, and was wondering if you are still hungry." Nila smiled ignoring his comment as a bad-faith joke.

 "I guess your head is as thick and empty as always. Leave." Nostro frowned as he spoke.

"Hey! Shut it prick, I'll help you regardless of wether you want it or not." Nila pouted with a mean mug.

"Tch! As if I would need your help. Stop bothering me already." Nostro did not budge.

"Can you get over yourself for once? You don't have to put on some act." Nila yelled at him clearly mad at this point.

"I guess I really have to spell it for you. If I am being honest with you, I was just being nice because I had to be. I hate muscular masculine girls like you." Nostro had no emotion in his face as he said this, being as cold and distant as he could be.

*Splat* *Crack*

At that moment, Nila threw the soup bowl in the basket at his face, spilling the soup on him and cracking the bowl on his face. As soup and blood spilled off his face, he held his face down.

"I don't know what's up with you, but I'll stop bothering you. I hope you're happy! I made all these for you! You can have them! I'll never do it again don't worry!" She yelled at him and then continued to throw hot honey-filled buns at him until she ran out, before walking away looking furious.

Leaving behind a bloody, soup and honey-covered Nostro, who could only sigh.

"You're very disgusting, you know that, right??" Feila revealed herself again floating around him, and looking pissed as she spoke.

(Yup... I really am... I would like to say, but I can't.) Nostro shook his head.

"I was just being honest now that I don't need that annoying airhead." Nostro forced a smile.

"I'll never understand what the Goddess saw in trash like you, those guards were right about you, but even then... You were still chosen, so I'll work with you. Let's make this journey as quick as we can." Feila spoke and didn't even wait for an answer simply disappearing again.

(It's a pity so much of her food went to waste, I love her cooking. I'll save what I can.) Nostro picked up the honey-filled buns that didn't fully break and began picking them up from the dusty floor before eating them.

Not one bit worried about his currently healing wounds.

From her hiding, Feila was watching him, unsure if he was just that hungry or if there was something else going on.

"It's still the same, just like a sunset. I already feel better." Nostro mumbled to himself.

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Walking through the corridor Nila had her hands clenched, aggressively whispering to herself. "That jerk! I was just trying to help... It doesn't matter since he wants me to hate him so bad... I mean, he was putting on an act... Right?... No! Don't think about that. Fuck him!"

Sighing, she continued moving trying to seem calm, but her mannerisms and heavy movements told on, making it rather obvious, to someone looking from the outside, and her mother noticed but chose to give her some time.

Her duties today involved cleaning dust from various rooms. Going inside, she would open the windows then.

"Wind Magic: Wirling Breeze." Creating a sort of wind gust she redirected it with her to gather all the dust, then launched out of the window far into the distance.

This was something that she was more than used to doing, and she continued until she was done, having been able to get her mind off things through her work.

After a long day of helping to keep the mansion tidy, Nila went to the backside where the garden could be found going deep into it and eventually reaching an area with a ravine.

There she began to use her wind magic to create strong winds dancing in sync with her, and at that time a memory flashed in her mind.

"The way you dance with the wind... It's so beautiful, you look so free... Like a sunset in after a long day, you give me hope for a better tomorrow. I'll make a self-request, please never stop dancing, it will keep me going." A smile on his face and his voice sounded genuine, warm and so full of love, even though it had happened when they were both 8, she could never forget it.

The dance continued as more moments flashed.

"My mother hates me now!" She had said in tears, during some other cold night.

"No, she's just mad you aren't doing what she expected, parents do that sometimes. You're lucky yours is pretty understanding, just let her cool down. So, why don't we dance instead?" He with his ever-so-present smile had gotten up and extended his hand to her.

One which she took, they were just 12 but their ballet could have been a show, a magical performance.

That night they danced until the sun was rising.

As her dance continued another memory resurfaced.

"I am too weak... I can't do this... The way it hurts... I can't... Just kill me." He was the one crying that time, too weak not to.

"... Did you forget the selfish request you made me?.. Are you letting the baronesses break it?" She hugged him as she asked.

"Of course not, but I am not strong enough to watch you dance one more day... The things they feed me to keep me going will kill me." He was too tired and had lost his smile.

"Then let me make one selfish request myself, so long as I keep dancing please, watch me." That day he smiled again taking her request to her, they were 16, and he would never dare forget this moment.

This dance came to an end as she had her last flash of a moment.

"I don't think I amount to much in the end... Am I really only alive to be used by those two? I thought I was destined for something a bit greater..." His voice was as sober as his face.

"Dummy, don't say something so stupid. I'm right here you, jerk." She pushed his shoulder.

"Yeah, of course... I could never forget, I'll keep watching you dance." He smiled as she pulled him into another ballet that lasted until the sun rose.

"Look at you, no longer two left feet. Maybe we could just dance together instead." Nila said and they were just 17, and only one year had passed.

Even so, in such little time, a castle built over the years had crumbled.

"You liar, you couldn't even watch me dance, how could we dance together?" She sighed as she watched the sunset, and somehow she had a small smile on her face.

Coming from behind with a tight hug was her mother, Florine.

"Look at you all moody. I thought I told you, that only a smile fits a pretty face like yours." She smiled as she kept hugging her daughter.

A woman with red hair and green eyes, wearing a maid outfit that suited her curvy figure.

"I know... That jerk just broke his promise, that's all. Just like you said, I guess he doesn't need me anymore." Nila let herself be taken in by her mother.

"I say a lot of things, sweetie, most of them you should listen to, but sometimes I also get it wrong or speak without knowing. Your sisters will tell you all about it once they are back." Florine caressed her hair.

"... Thanks, Mom..." Nila let her thoughts fade and enjoyed that moment with her mother as the sunset.

Despite being curious among other emotions over what was said, Florine chooses to stay quiet and hold her daughter.

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Back in the dungeon, footsteps could be heard approaching slowly but surely.

(It seems the time has come. I'll have to be calm and take whatever punishment is given to me.) Nostro sighed internally getting mentally ready for it.

It would be a balancing act as he could not give in too much as none of the women in the house would be safe so long as they were involved with him.

Only what felt like a second had passed before she stood right in front of him, an imposing woman with silvery hair, carrying her sapphire eyes devoid of any strong emotion looked at the young hero silently as if waiting for him to go first. Dressed like a lady of frost, baroness Yvine sighed, ready to say something.