NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: BROTHER
The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of crimson as the translucent moon began its quiet ascent. In his office, Edgar sat in his chair, focused on his work. He paused, lifting his eyes to the fiery horizon outside the window, and removed his glasses. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. Exhaustion clung to his every movement.
"Another long day," Edgar muttered to himself.
A small smile crossed his lips as his gaze fell on William, who was fast asleep in a chair across the room. The little boy's tiny frame rested peacefully, still clutching a pen. It was clear that William hadn't left the office all day.
Shaking his head fondly, Edgar rose from his chair, scooped up the sleeping boy, and quietly left the room. He carried William through the grand hallway, where servants bowed as he passed. He stopped at a door—William's room. Raising a finger to his lips, Edgar signaled the servants to remain silent before stepping inside.
Gently placing William in his cradle, Edgar leaned down and kissed his son's forehead. "Goodnight, my son," he whispered. Then, with practiced care, he stepped out and closed the door with a soft click.
The room was silent, but William's sapphire eyes snapped open, gleaming like jewels in the dim light.
[HA HA HA! YOU'RE QUITE THE ACTOR, AREN'T YOU (¬‿¬) ? ]
William remained silent.
[NOW, TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU'VE FIGURED OUT! I CAN'T HOLD THE EXCITEMENT ANYMORE!]
William yawned, stretching lazily. "Ahhh… I'll tell you tomorrow, Wiz. I'm too tired tonight."
[NO, YOU CAN'T, YOU BASTARD! IF YOU DON'T TELL ME NOW, I WON'T LET YOU SLEEP! :( ]
A soft laugh escaped William's lips. "You're too impatient, Wiz." He sighed. "Fine, I'll give you a summary. This world is exactly like the one in the novel. It consists of five main continents: the Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern continents, and the Central Plain.
"Elves rule the Northern Continent, dwarves the Southern, dark elves the Western, humans the Eastern, and the Magic Tower stands as the ruling force on the Central Plain. The Magic Tower acts as a mediator to maintain peace among all races."
William's voice dropped conspiratorially. "The Eastern Continent, where we are, is ruled by the Salajic Empire under Emperor Ymir II. This empire has governed humans for hundreds of thousands of years. It's divided into four regions.
"The northern region, governed by the Duchy of Milan, is cold and infertile but boasts the strongest military, defending against waves of magical beasts. The southern region, governed by the Cerchi and Anjou families, is the empire's breadbasket. The eastern region is ruled by the Duchy of Bavaria, while the western region is managed by noble houses like Capet, Wintermere, Ironhart, and Drakemont. The capital itself is influenced by families like Archy, Medici, and Valois."
[AGH… THAT'S TOO MUCH TO REMEMBER:( ! ]
"You'll have to, Wiz," William replied, smirking. "We'll be meeting all of them soon."
Their conversation was interrupted by the soft click of the door opening. William quickly shut his eyes.
A figure approached, leaning over the cradle to whisper, "Sweet dreams, young master." It was Baroness Mowbray, William's nanny. She retired to her bed next to the cradle, settling in for the night.
[HEY! WILLIAM! DON'T FALL ASLEEP ON ME!]
[HEY,HEY! WILLIAM (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ ]
But William's whispered command cut Wiz off. " window, off."
The room fell silent.
The chirping of birds greeted the next day. William blinked awake to find a five-year-old boy peering down at him. The boy's green eyes glowed like emeralds, his silver bangs falling messily over his face.
"Jack de' Medici," William thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. "My older brother, the eldest son of the Medici family—and the second male lead of this story. He'll fight alongside me to defeat the demon lord summoned by the dark elves. But for now, he's just a cute little kid."
"Good morning, William," Jack cooed, his voice soft. William reached up, grabbing Jack's bangs tightly.
"Ow!" Jack winced, though he chuckled. "Do you like my hair, William? When you grow up, you'll have hair just like mine."
William didn't respond. Instead, he smiled mischievously.
[YAWN… WELL THAT WAS QUIET A NICE SLEEP]
[OH MY!WHO IS THIS ADORABLE LITTLE CHILD?]
"That's my older brother," William whispered to Wiz.
[BEAUTY MUST RUN IN YOUR FAMILY.]
Jack tried placing William back in the cradle, but the boy began crying instantly. "Don't cry, William!" Jack picked him up again, and William immediately quieted, giggling.
Then again when Jack tried placing William he started crying and when he picked him up he quieted.
"This is unfair," Jack muttered. " Please don't do this to me brother.If Mother finds out I'm not at the training ground, she'll scold me!"
But no matter what he tried, William refused to let go. Sighing, Jack relented. "Fine. I'll take you with me."
Looking cautiously down the hallway, Jack darted toward the training ground, carrying his younger brother.
In the training ground, a towering man with a strong build stood waiting, his dark hair tied neatly back. He checked his pocket watch impatiently. "Late again," he muttered to himself.
When Jack finally appeared, panting and out of breath, the man's sharp gaze fixed on him. "Good morning, young master. Care to explain why you're late—and why you've brought the young master with you?"
"Good morning, Sir David!" Jack saluted awkwardly. "It's a long story. But William wouldn't let go of me!"
David raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. "Do you expect me to believe that?"
"It's true! Watch—if I try to put him down, he'll cry!" Jack lowered William to the ground, only for the boy to giggle happily.
"Well," Jack stammered, "look at that—he's not crying anymore!"
David's expression darkened into a menacing smile. "Congratulations, young master. Since you're such a caring brother, I expect you to set an example—and work twice as hard today."
Jack groaned in defeat. " Its unfair"
[HA HA HA! THIS TEACHER OF YOURS IS PURE EVIL! ]
William smirked. "Not as evil as me."
He turned to David, his sapphire eyes gleaming. "Third eye," he whispered.
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Sir David
Race: Human
Age: 38
Level: 70
Essence: Fire
Stats:
HP: 5,100 / 5,100
Essence: 10,350 / 10,500
Strength: 7,050
Agility: 7,000
Intelligence: 110
Durability: 7,000
Skills:
Fireball
Flame Wave
Blaze Shield
Phoenix Strike
Solar Flare
Flame Cage
Burning Spear
Domain of Burning Hell
William's thoughts darkened. "Sir David, my father's personal guard and the head of the Medici military. In the novel, he fought bravely but likely died during the dark elves' attack. He doesn't know yet—but his fate is sealed."
Author: sorry the chapter is short as I was feeling unwell I could not write it long. Please live a comment if you enjoyed this chapter .