[On your first day waking up, you noticed a blonde girl, about three years old, sleeping beside you.]
[You gently woke her, and when she stirred, she greeted you with a pure, innocent smile, calling you "big brother." You instantly recognized her—Margaret Nearl, your adoptive younger sister.]
[Memories began to resurface. You remembered that you had been adopted into the prestigious Nearl family for about a year now.]
[Back then, your name was Ray Schneider. Your parents had died in the war when you were only a year old. You had almost no memories of them, as they often left you in the care of a hired nanny while they went off to fight. When the war ended, they never returned.]
[Upon news of your parents' death, you were sent to an orphanage. Your paternal relatives had long severed ties with your family, because your father had fallen in love with your mother—an Infected. Ever since then, the entire Schneider family had scorned you. No one wanted to take you in. The legacy and reputation of your knightly parents were stripped away by these malicious relatives, along with all the wealth they had amassed. Even your surname—Schneider—was taken from you.]
[You grew up alone in that orphanage until the age of four, when fate intervened. Schnitz Nearl, head of the Nearl family, encountered you by chance in the capital marketplace. Though you weren't from the same city, you recognized him—Schnitz, son of a war hero, was renowned as the man who had helped end the war.]
[Schnitz claimed that your parents were once his close comrades and had asked him to look after you should anything happen to them. But of course, you didn't believe him. If that were true, why had he waited so long to find you after your parents died?]
[After being adopted by Schnitz, you received a new surname—Ray Nearl. You were introduced to your adoptive mother, Yolanta, who didn't show the slightest hint of disdain. Instead, she looked at you with a gentle, sorrowful gaze and pulled you into a warm embrace. In that moment, you felt as if you'd truly met your mother.]
[A year passed.]
[Now you are five years old and officially a member of the Nearl family. You've grown close to your adoptive sister, Margaret, who is two years younger than you. She adores you like a real older brother, often sneaking into your bed to hear bedtime stories.]
[You also developed a bond with your grandfather, Kirill, a legendary war hero said to have defeated an Ursus army of 3,000 with just 42 knights. He earned the title "The Dawn of Kazimierz"—the one who led the first and final victory over Ursus, forcing them to sign a peace treaty out of fear of his strength.]
[Then there's your uncle, Młynar, Schnitz's younger brother—only ten years older than you. The two of you often discuss history and play chess together. Młynar has never managed to beat you and always asks for a rematch every day.]
[You also came to know someone from a branch of the Nearl family—Sophia, daughter of Kirill's younger son, which technically makes her your aunt. Though just one year older than you, every time she visits, she charges in and hugs you tightly, calling you "little brother," much to Margaret's dismay.]
[You and Sophia are close, often training together in swordsmanship under the watchful guidance of Grandpa Kirill himself.]
[Besides you and Sophia, others who frequently joined the training sessions included Uncle Młynar and your adoptive father, Schnitz. Despite being the head of the family and the most skilled swordsman among the Nearls, even Schnitz admitted he was still no match for Kirill and continued his training diligently.]
[So every day, without fail, the back garden of the Nearl estate was filled with the sight of family members training hard with their blades. There were occasional absences—Młynar would sometimes report to the army for knight training, and Schnitz had to travel to train other knights. Even Sophia missed some sessions to learn the arts of commerce and etiquette expected of nobles, as her side of the family specialized more in trade than war.]
[Yet amid all that, there was one person who never missed a single day of training—you. Even after night had fallen and others had long retired, you would still be out there, swinging your sword.]
[Perhaps it was because you knew, deep down, that you lacked the natural talent others possessed. Even though your new body was far stronger than your original one, when it came to swordsmanship or Originium arts, you lagged far behind the rest of the Nearl bloodline.]
[Six years passed. You came to realize that every single member of the Nearl family had been born with a gift for knighthood—not just in swordplay, but in Originium mastery as well. Sophia had mastered the family's signature "Aura Coating" technique in just one week.]
[And your younger sister, Margaret? At the age of four, she could summon aura to envelop her lance after only twelve hours of practice. That was the fastest anyone in the family had ever done it—second only to Schnitz, who took one day, and Młynar, who took two.]
**[You, on the other hand, took six years.]
[Now ten years old, you are the longest in the Nearl family's history to master the Aura Coating technique.]
[Even though everyone, including Grandfather, tried to comfort you—saying the reason your progress in training this skill was slow was because you didn't have the blood of the Nearl family flowing through your veins—it didn't mean you lacked talent. Some people without Nearl blood could never wield the aura blade in their entire lives. That was why everyone in the Nearl family was so proud of you for successfully mastering the aura blade at such a young age, even without being born into the Nearl bloodline. It proved that you were worthy of becoming a knight of House Nearl in the future]
[Their joy was so immense that House Nearl hosted a grand celebration—not only to honor your achievement but also to welcome the birth of Shanin's second daughter with his wife, Yolanta. They named her Maria Nearl]
[The event was lively and filled with laughter. Gifts were given out during the celebration. Your adoptive father presented you with the Nearl family's signature sword. As for Margaret, she received a spear—her weapon of expertise. Your adoptive father said he was incredibly proud that you and Margaret would one day become part of the Nearl family's knights, and he promised that he would personally witness your knighting ceremony when the time came]
[Grandfather Kirill gifted you one of the Nearl family's armguards, a piece of training equipment. Since Margaret was already the most capable member of the family, giving her a weapon or training tool felt unnecessary. Instead, he gave her a custom-made shield and told both of you that he saw the spirit of great knights within you. He admired your dedication to training without ever complaining and said that one day, you and Margaret would become the greatest knights Kazimierz had ever known. Your father and Uncle Muyana, hearing that, couldn't resist teasing—saying Grandfather had said the same thing to them in their youth—only to be chased down and smacked by him, to everyone's amusement]
[Your adoptive mother, a renowned knight herself though not of Nearl blood, couldn't train in aura or Originium skills of the family. However, she was incredibly skilled in archery and knife combat. She had taught you how to use a bow and frequently took you hunting. While those were basic lessons, she believed that one day you'd make use of those skills and build upon them. She gifted specially crafted bows to both you and Margaret]
[Seeing the gifts everyone had given, Uncle Muyana couldn't help but complain, wondering what was left for him to give. He had originally planned to gift you a custom-made sword, but after seeing what your elder brother had already given you, he changed plans. Fortunately, he had anticipated this possibility and had prepared a second plan. He gave the sword to Sophia and gifted you a handbook—a compendium of sword techniques that he had trained in with] Grandfather over the past ten years]
[You were overjoyed with the gift and thanked your uncle repeatedly. Muyana was very pleased to see you happy and even gave a smug grin toward his older brother. For training enthusiasts like them, a gift of such value was more than enough to bring joy. For Margaret, he gave her a large textbook instead—knowing full well she disliked studying—causing her to scowl immediately]
[Sophia gave you a wristwatch she had saved up for and bought herself. For Margaret, she gave beautiful clothes, as she noticed Margaret never wore anything fancy. In truth, it wasn't that Margaret didn't have such clothes—she just didn't like wearing them unless it was in front of her brother]
[Margaret gave you a yellow scarf she knitted herself. On it was an image of a blue pegasus with hair that resembled yours. Though the design looked a bit silly due to her inexperience, you were deeply touched. You gave her a pair of red gloves you had knitted yourself in return. You also gave other handmade gifts to everyone else: a scarf for your adoptive mother, a knitted hat for your adoptive father, a sweater for Grandfather, a cloak for Sophia, a teddy bear for Maria, and a knitted tote bag for Uncle Muyana]
[When Muyana asked why he got a bag, you confidently replied that it was because he always forgot and left his newspapers lying around. This bag would ensure that wouldn't happen anymore. Everyone burst out laughing, and Uncle Muyana smiled before giving your head a gentle rub with affection]
[These joyful days lingered long after the celebration ended. You wished moments like these could last forever, and you felt truly bonded with this family—as if they were your real one]
[But sadly... happiness like this never lasts long]
[Two years later, Kazimierz announced that the Ursus army was advancing into Kazimierz's border without authorization, breaking the peace treaty. War was declared once again, ending the 11 years of peace]
[Kazimierz issued a national call to arms for all knights and soldiers, and opened recruitment for new ones as well—an ominous sign that the Ursus army was far stronger than before]
[Your father, Uncle Muyana, your mother, and Grandfather Kirill were all summoned to join the war by military command]
[Upon hearing that war had returned, you too wished to join the battlefield alongside them. However... you were still underage and not eligible to enlist. Though knights had the right to participate in war, you had not yet been officially knighted. Becoming a knight involved many steps—earning merit, reaching the age of 15, and undergoing an official ceremony]
[Even if you were officially a knight, your parents would never allow you to go. They comforted you instead, entrusting you with the responsibility of taking care of the younger ones in their place. They told you this was only a small war—not a mobile city-scale conflict like the last one. They promised they wouldn't be gone long, that it would likely end in under a year. They swore before you, Margaret, and little Maria that they would return as soon as they could]
[And, as your adoptive parents said, the war did indeed end within half a year]
[But there was one promise they failed to keep...]
[Your adoptive parents never returned]