Occult Awakening: From Commoner to Archmage

They reached the villa in far less time than he would have by foot. The two guards rode massive horses decorated in the Duke's colors. The beasts were sleek and powerful, their coats brushed to a polished sheen, with tack and reins worked in deep leather and bright metal fittings

Terry held a banner with the familiar insignia on it, which caused people to give them wide berth wherever they moved.

Even if they hadn't carried the banners, there would still have been significant space given, as they were both Knights.

They had brought a third horse along with them, allowing Luca to ride alongside. It was an odd feeling to be constantly stared at wherever he went, as it was something he wasn't familiar with at all.

All his life, Luca was used to intentionally hiding in the shadows whenever he could, and he still would for the foreseeable future. But this...

'I could get used to this.'

Upon reaching the villa, the two knights were ushered in through a side gate that he had not seen before. The front gates weren't left unguarded despite their absence, and instead new guards had replaced them.

The side gate led to a vast horse range, with tons of space for riding. It was quite empty though.

They rode the horses to a stable filled with many different types of horses and exotic breeds.

Luca dismounted, staring around at this area of the villa he had never seen before. His eyes were drawn to a location far down within the stable, behind a metal-locked door.

It radiated a vague energy that he couldn't quite make out.

There was something strange behind the door, and he was willing to bet it was an Esoteric Beast.

Still, he tore his gaze away. This wasn't what he came here for.

"Me and Terry will be over here a while," Jack grinned, holding a small flask.

"Yeah, you just follow that path through that garden and you should make it to the main entrance.

The young miss ain't in her room today, she's in the great hall. If you're lucky, Alfred will be in the waiting room to help you introduce yourself. If he isn't there, well… good luck."

Luca nodded, taking in the instructions while thinking about the last statement.

"If I'm lucky? What does that mean?"

"Oh, you'll see."

Luca took the ominous words with a grain of salt, but still placed them at the back of his mind in preparation for a disaster to occur.

"Have fun drinking on the job," he called out one more time as he gripped a satchel and began heading the way they told him.

This part of the garden was as beautiful and well-trimmed as the one at the front of the manor. It was an ocean of color: red, yellow, purple and more.

Rows of roses, lilies, and flowers he couldn't name bloomed in full. The paths were clean gravel, crunching faintly underfoot, and narrow streams of water ran between flowerbeds to feed the roots. Each plant sat in its own area yet still combined seamlessly to form a living canvas.

Luca couldn't help but admit that it made an impression even on him.

Eventually, the plants receded as he stepped out of the garden and was met with the familiar well-trimmed bushes and lawns of the front porch. The fountain still spewed as much as it did when he first came here.

Two angel-winged statues sat on both ends of the house.

"That one's new."

He stopped at the large oakwood front door and banged using the knocker. The door opened for him, and a woman that looked to be in her twenties answered. She had plain brown hair and hazel-colored eyes.

She wore a black and white maid outfit and bowed upon seeing him. The maid was rather pleasant to look at, all things considered.

"Welcome. Lady Erina has been expecting you."

Luca flashed a warm smile at her, causing her heart to flutter shyly. Then he looked around the waiting room. Alfred was indeed nowhere to be found.

"Where's Mr. Alfred?"

The lady gave a respectful look. Luca was rather handsome, and anyone invited by Erina surely had to be someone of some importance or the other. In any case, he was surely more important than her.

"He's handling some things for the Duke presently. Is there an issue?"

"No, no issue at all," he hummed.

"Shall I take your coat and lead you to the Great Hall, sire?"

Luca's heart skipped a beat. The glyph for concealment was still only carved on his coat. If he removed it, stronger people would be able to detect his energy with ease.

"No need for the coat. I won't be long, anyways," he said smoothly, not betraying any emotion in the process.

"Understood, sire. Right this way."

She led him into the familiar long, wide hallway with red walls, decorated with paintings of predecessors hung on the walls. The hallway was lined with small sculptures and other art pieces sitting on pedestals.

Soon enough, the hallway split into two paths. The second path was the one that led to the staircase, which he could use to get to the second floor where Erina's room was located.

As for the other, he had never been through that one. It looked more like the previous hallway, but with several doors in the way.

The smell of several dishes wafted through the air and tickled his nose. It made him realize that he hadn't eaten throughout the entire day.

'What a terribly long day.'

He had fought two men, started a bar fight, escaped from three men, killed a man, and escaped from a beast all in one day. And it wasn't even lunch yet.

The maid walked down the hall briskly, her face betraying no emotion again. Then, as she reached the end of the hall where a large door lay, she stopped.

"This is as far as I can go, sire. Miss Erina is waiting for you inside. I implore you to be respectful when you get in."

He nodded while Terry and Jack's words still rang through his head.

Without waiting for his response, the brown-haired maid turned back and returned to her post at the waiting room.

Luca took a deep breath and pushed the wide oak doors open. A loud hushed buzzing of conversation hit him all at once, and it receded as they saw him.

It was so silent that a pin drop could be heard.

His eyes scanned the room, landing on Erina, and a figure that was unmistakable—the Duke.