Legacy of the Silver Flame

Raphael Earhart

I opened my eyes. It felt like only half an hour had passed, yet my body ached as if it had been out of commission for an eternity. I looked around.

The brown walls and the empty space of the training hall were just as they had been before, confirming I was still here. As the last memory before I blacked out replayed in my head, a shiver ran down my spine.

Damn, who knew my sister could be so sensitive about a harmless joke?

I thought over the fight again and what had led up to it. No, this had to be some kind of misunderstanding—nothing else could explain her outburst.

Sitting up from the bench, I glanced around the hall, trying to figure out who had pulled me out of the splintered mess that Aurora's "kindness" had thrown me into. My gaze landed on the far end, where my sister was talking to Kazimir.

It looked like I had him to thank for not being in pieces. That guy really was a master healer. I tried to catch some of their conversation, but Aurora suddenly turned her gaze toward me. Seeing that I was awake, she said something to Kazimir. The two of them began walking toward me—Aurora in the lead, Kazimir, as always, trailing behind.

I squinted, trying to make sense of the strange gestures he was making.

What the hell? Are you praying for me?

With his perfectly trimmed beard, Kazimir, dressed in a white coat and dark trousers, slowly bowed his head and clasped his hands together as if he was performing some kind of ritual. For a moment, I thought it might've been better if I had just played dead.

As they drew closer, I could finally take a good look at my sister. As usual, she was stunning. She wore tight-fitting trousers tucked into tall boots, and over that, a long-sleeved white top with a hood. Her waist was perfectly accentuated by her clothing, and the subtle outline of her toned abs only enhanced the look. Her snow-white hair, normally loose, was tied into a long ponytail that faded into a soft blue at the tips.

Anyone who saw her would've been intimidated, regardless of gender.

"I wonder how many suitors she'd have if she wanted to marry?" That random thought crossed my mind.

— If you're awake, get up. We still have time before dinner, let's continue the training, — her voice snapped me back to reality.

Right... with that attitude, she's going to be single for life.

The awe I felt from her beauty vanished instantly. The urge to get out of there grew stronger with every second.

— Sis, maybe we could postpone? My back still hurts, — I tried to smile, though I wasn't entirely sure how convincing it was.

— Nope. Up you go. You need to train if you want to win the tournament.

Ah, right. The Initiation Tournament…

The thought of the upcoming event popped back into my mind. The Patriarch himself had invited me to it. I recalled Alonzo's words: "I'm waiting for you at the tournament."

Aurora was right. I really did need to get stronger. But since when was getting beaten to a pulp considered "training"? I'd rather have a more gradual buildup of strength instead of taking punches day after day. Sure, there was some value in that, but I was convinced there were other ways to train—ways that didn't involve broken lips and bruises. Like sessions where you focused on controlling your abilities and honing your technique. After all, in this world, you had to be ready for anything. I wanted to grow smartly, not through constant suffering.

— Aurora, maybe take it easy on me? I'm just a ten-year-old kid, and you're attacking me like I'm an adult.

— If you were an ordinary ten-year-old, I'd agree with you. But when it comes to the "Young Prodigy of the Earharts," sorry, no mercy.

Her face twisted into a sarcastic grin. Even I had to admit that nickname was ridiculous.

Ever since I showcased my abilities at the family gathering, the Earhart media services had been using me as a symbol to boost the family's prestige. I didn't mind, of course. It provided me with a shield against competitors like the Sawyers or Alcion. But...

"Young Prodigy of the Earharts"? Seriously? Who came up with that?

Just hearing the nickname was enough to make me cringe.

— Even so, I'm still a kid. Sure, I'm stronger than other kids, but that doesn't make me invincible.

— Oh really? And who nearly killed Theo during training last year? — Aurora jabbed back.

The memory came to me faintly. Yeah, that was right before Theo left for the Academy. He thought he'd gotten stronger and, for some reason, decided to provoke me. In the end, I beat him so badly that his departure got delayed by a month.

At least I didn't kill him. Only because my desire to be stronger was higher than my desire for revenge.

I sighed, lost in thought, unsure of how to respond.

— Now that you get it, stand up. We've still got about an hour left.

— Fine… — I grumbled, reluctantly pushing myself up from the warm bench.

Training with Aurora started again. And, as usual, that evening, I got my ass handed to me.

***

I collapsed onto my bed after dinner, half-conscious, staring blankly at the ceiling, letting my mind wander over trivial thoughts. But my pointless train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a familiar female voice.

— Hey, brat! What are you doing? Feed me!

Lifting my head, I searched for the source of that demanding voice and spotted a graceful woman sitting at my desk. Her long pink hair cascaded down onto a white dress with red accents, which left her shoulders and thighs exposed, giving her an almost intimate allure. The most amusing detail was the fox ears peeking out from beneath her hair, adding a strangely cute element to her appearance.

The combination of her mature, feminine beauty and animalistic cuteness never failed to fascinate me every time I looked at her.

— Hey, don't stare at me like that! You look like you want to eat me up... Though I wouldn't be opposed, — she winked, a playful blush crossing her face.

Rolling my eyes in mild irritation, I sighed. How many times had she flirted with me like this already?

You're probably wondering who she is. This is the very same fox I saved with Erin five years ago in the Velheimort Forest when she was being attacked by wolves. After that incident, Aurora told me that the fox jumped into her arms and hasn't left my side since. My sister thought the little creature would make a perfect pet for me, and thus, she ended up in my room.

I had mixed feelings about her—an odd blend of fondness and annoyance.

But here's the kicker: we later discovered that this fox was actually a Kitsune, a mythical fox from the Eastern Continent with magical abilities. She could even transform into a humanoid form under certain conditions.

I quickly decided to name her Harumi. According to the Eastern characters, it means "Spring Beauty." It sounded fitting, so the name stuck.

Over the past four years, Erin, Aurora, Kazimir, and I took care of her, trying to figure out her extraordinary abilities. Kazimir found that Harumi had a strange seal within her body that was blocking her true powers, which explained why she was in such a weakened state when we found her. The seal was unusual, and none of us could decipher its origin, which meant we had no way to break it.

As for how Harumi ended up on the Central Continent when she should have been in the East? That remained a mystery. There was speculation that she was captured by smugglers and brought here through the black market, but we never got any definitive answers.

Then, four years later, after one of my training sessions, I walked into my room and found a beautiful woman lying on my bed. Ha, thinking back on that moment, I almost killed her—assuming she was some killer. Strange choice for killer to fall asleep in their victim's room, but still.

After waking the startled woman, I learned that she was, in fact, Harumi. Other than the loss of her powers, she remembered nothing before the wolf attack. When everything became clear, we instinctively formed a contract, as evidenced by matching tattoos on our right wrists. The tattoos resembled rings of magical runes, with lightning-like streaks running through the center.

It reminded me of how knights tame various beasts, summoning them as partners for life. Thanks to our contract, we now shared thoughts and strength.

We noticed something interesting: as I grew stronger, the seal within Harumi weakened, and the number of her tails increased. We came to the conclusion that when I reached the rank of Circle Knight, Harumi's full power would be restored, and her current two tails would grow into nine.

For the past year, Harumi had been living with me in my room, and no one but a few close people knew about her. Everyone else thought she was just an ordinary, albeit cute, fox, and no one minded.

Sleeping next to her was a unique experience... especially because Harumi loved to tease me, often bringing up intimate topics.

Sleeping beside her felt like sharing a bed with a twenty-year-old woman. It bothered me at first, and for the first few nights, I couldn't sleep at all. Don't get me wrong—I'm not some overly righteous kid; mentally, I'm about twenty-five myself. But even so, I didn't know how to deal with Harumi.

Is she my pet? Or my girlfriend? In her fox form, she's an adorable little creature, but in her human form, she's clearly a mature woman. Does that make her my wife? A fox-wife… that sounds interesting… Wait, no! I'm getting sidetracked.

Oh, and thanks to our contract, Harumi knows about my regression. She's been instrumental in helping me suppress Dark Raphael, whose attacks have lessened significantly over the past year. I haven't even needed to harm myself to keep him in check.

Pulling myself back to the present, I refocused on Harumi.

— You're not a dog, Harumi. Go find your own food.

Harumi pouted and leaped onto the bed, shaking me by the shoulders.

— Don't be so heartless! You know I can't do that!

I allowed her shaking to continue, sighing in defeat and looking away.

— Fine, fine. Back off.

Finally giving in, I pushed her gently away. Channeling mana through my body into my spatial ring, I pulled out a tray with three dishes. It held a serving of grilled redfish, the aroma of which made Harumi lick her lips, a bowl of snowy white rice, and a dessert in the form of a strawberry-topped cream cake. The meal was completed with a fresh vegetable salad that created a light, summery atmosphere.

Harumi eyed the tray hungrily but then stopped and looked at me, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

— Where's the drink? And don't tell me it's that uzvar again?

Oddly enough, Harumi and I shared nearly identical food preferences. Maybe it was due to the contract, or maybe we were just perfectly in sync.

— Of course not, — I replied, pulling out a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

— Yay!

Harumi's face lit up with a childlike smile, and she eagerly returned to the table to dig in.

I watched her eat for a few minutes, my mind drifting back to the upcoming tournament and the sheer amount of work I still had to do before then.