The Sovereign System.

"My lord, we have reports that Luke Nero has taken refuge at Clayton City." A man spoke up, his knee planted on the ground and head bowed in respect.

A figure sitting behind an opulent desk frowned.

He had a prominent brow and wrinkles around his eyes. The taut leather-like skin spoke of his tough life underneath the burning sun, while his burgeoning muscles hinted at his combat abilities.

After thinking for a while, the figure waved his hand dismissively.

"No matter, that butler will likely have already blended in to the populace." He said, running a hand through his thick black beard.

Though he spoke dismissively, he felt a surge of irritation.

'That damn Sebastian. We could have used his skills.' He remarked in his heart. Yet he knew just how loyal the man was to Count Nero. 

Not only did he successfully escape, he also traveled closer to the border where the Kingdom's eyes were most focused on.

The figure stood up from his chair and addressed the subjects in the room.

"Send word to the King that both Count Nero and his son have fallen in battle. Say that I, William Nox have deterred the invaders and rallied Valan City and am humbly awaiting his verdict."

"Understood!"

After receiving the information, those present shouted in affirmation before exiting the room and leaving William alone.

William slowly walked towards the large glass window and looked out over the city, a small grin creeping onto the corner of his mouth. "This is all mine now," he muttered, his eyes flashing with greed.

"Ahem…"

The soft cough startled him. William spun around, his hand reflexively gripping the hilt of his sword. His muscles tensed, ready for a fight.

A shadowy figure stepped into the dim light, revealing a lithe frame cloaked in dark robes. His face was hidden behind a mask of cloth, and though small in stature, he exuded a sense of danger that made William's skin crawl.

Seeing the figure, William's posture slackened, though the tension in his eyes remained.

"So, it's you…"

The figure chuckled softly, his voice low and resonant. "Mmm. How do you like your new position as head of Valan City?" His words dripped with an almost mocking tone, as though he already knew the answer.

William clenched his jaw, turning his back on the figure and staring out at the city below, his earlier grin now gone. "What is it that you want?"

"Oh, come now," the figure chided, his voice like silk. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten our deal?" His words carried a chilling undercurrent, a reminder of power that lay just beneath the surface.

William paused, his hands subconsciously balling into fists.

"All eyes will be on Valan City now, for at least two years. As long as you can wait till then, our deal is still valid."

"Oho? I don't remember this being part of our agreement." The figure's reply came, dark amusement lacing his words.

A rush of cold fear slid down William's spine. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, but the reality was suffocating—there was nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.

His skin prickled as cold steel pressed against his neck, and his breath hitched. Fear surged as the blade's sharp edge bit into his flesh.

'I'm dead.' The thought flashed in his mind, panic spreading like wildfire.

A cold voice whispered in his ear, each word a blade cutting into his resolve. "What makes you think you have any choice in the matter?"

His mind raced, scrambling for a solution, for leverage—anything to pull him out of this chokehold of fear. But nothing came. Nothing but the oppressive weight of the dagger on his throat.

Seconds stretched into eternity. Silence hung like a noose around his neck, tightening with every moment the figure held him in place. When the blade was finally removed, William exhaled shakily, the air rushing from his lungs as if he'd been suffocating.

He turned, expecting to see the robed figure still looming over him. But the room was empty. His throat tightened, and for the first time in years, William felt truly helpless.

"Two years, not a day more." The figure's voice echoed, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once. "I'll be keeping an eye on you…"

The echo faded, leaving behind a silence that weighed heavily on William.

He staggered to his chair and collapsed into it, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

***

After arriving at an Inn and paying for the night, Luke and Sebastian went upstairs to take a break. It had been a long 3 days, especially if they included the almost 8 hour layover at the Military office.

By now it had already reached dusk and was famished.

"How did you do it Young Master?" Sebastian asked, still in disbelief.

Though he was the one who put Luke forward to take the officer's exam, it seemed that he was the most surprised at the outcome.

"It was because I read all those books…" Luke replied succinctly.

"All those books? Wait, you read them all?" Sebastian stared at him, mouth slightly open as though he'd just heard the most absurd thing in the world.

"You were there… What did you think I was doing? Just flipping them open for fun?" He replied sarcastically.

At some times Sebastian seemed far too capable, yet seeing the mystified expression on his face right now, it made him seem human.

Of course how would the butler know that he had a skill such as Scholarly Pursuit which allowed him to essentially absorb information directly from the pages of any book he read.

Luke let out a small sigh, deciding to explain himself a little.

"It's part of my blessing," he said simply. "A skill, if you will."

"Is that so…" Sebastian mused, promptly closing his jaw.

Luke felt Sebastian's stare lingering on him, but he couldn't tell what the butler was thinking.

'Does he doubt me?' Luke thought, feeling a hint of anxiety. The last thing he needed was for Sebastian to suspect him, after all, he was hiding plenty of secrets. 

Who knew how the butler would react if he found out that he'd replaced his Young Master.

GROWL~

"Ah… I'm starving." Luke groaned, clutching his stomach.

Sebastian's face morphed into one of slight amusement before the man rolled his eyes. This small gesture eased his anxiety, forcing out a imperceptible sigh of relief from Luke's mouth.

The butler rose to his feet, dusting off his coat. "Let's go get some food at the tavern then," he stated, his voice tinged with a mix of exasperation and fondness, not unlike that of a doting father.

Though the premise felt a little weird, Luke didn't mind it. After all, they had to play the part of father and son, regardless of his true feelings.

Some time later, Luke let out a satisfied sigh as he fell back onto the bed, kicking off his shoes for the first time in days. The cool air hit his sore, aching feet, and for a blissful moment, he allowed himself to sink into the mattress, relishing the relief. But then—ugh. The smell hit him like a wall.

"Go and get yourself cleaned up," Sebastian commanded, pinching the bridge of his nose with a disgusted look. "Tomorrow, we'll need to acquire more clothes."

Luke groaned, tempted to stay put, but even he couldn't ignore the stench that wafted from his feet. "Err… where's the washroom?"

"Down the hall," Sebastian replied, his voice sounding oddly nasal, the pinch of his nose affecting his usual serious tone.

Reluctantly, Luke dragged himself out of bed and made his way down the hall, peeking into the open door. His shoulders drooped at the sight of a basin filled with murky, uninviting water. It looked more like something one would find in a back alley than a place to clean yourself.

He sighed deeply, staring into the grimy water.

'I miss home...'

The thought hit him harder than he expected. Warm showers, soap, and the comfort of fresh towels—things he had never fully appreciated until now.

He stood silently, contemplating what his life had become.

Was this how commoners were treated in this world? Would he have to live like this for the rest of his life?

As the thought crossed his mind, Luke grit his teeth.

'Those damn assholes… You dare turn me into a commoner?' He seethed inwardly, showing intense hatred. He inwardly vowed to enact vengeance on the traitors of Valan City.

He reluctantly got undressed and stepped into the basin, gagging as he smelled the tainted water and leftover filth of those who'd used it beforehand.

Luke stood waist-deep in the basin, his entire body recoiling as the murky water clung to his skin like a second layer of grime. 

The smell was unbearable, a mix of sour sweat and something metallic that made him gag. Just as he was about to try and wash himself, Sebastian's voice echoed from the hallway.

"Ah Young Master, I forgot that I needed to change the water."

Luke turned to Sebastian who blankly stared at him with puzzlement in his eyes. 

A stark silence echoed between them as their gazes locked.

Luke's face then began to crumble as he proceeded to retch, doing his best to get out of the disgusting water, almost falling in the process.

"Se—bastion! F-Fresh Water." He said between his retching, pointing at the basin.

His naked body curled up on the ground as he fought to keep his breathing under control, leaving Sebastian to look on incredulously.

Luke glanced up at Sebastian, catching what looked like pity in the butler's eyes—though he couldn't be sure. There was no time to delve any deeper as he was doing his best to keep the contents of his stomach at bay.

Thankfully, he heard the sound of water draining a moment later, followed by footsteps leaving the room. After a few minutes, Luke sat up from the floor, still feeling queasy from the harrowing experience of bathing in others filth.

Just as he was about to get up, he saw a clump of hair attached to his toenail.

"EEEEEK!"

He let out a squeal, quickly thrashing his foot around in order to try remove it.

The sound of rushing footsteps entered his ears, but he didn't care. He was too focused on the clump of curly hairs that had attached themselves to him.

"Young Mas—"

The moment Sebastian stepped inside the room, the clump of hair detached itself from Luke's toenail, finding its mark on Sebastian's cheek.

The butler froze, his expression darkening.

[Your subordinate Sebastian is about to enter a frenzied rage]

"…"

Luke saw the notification from the system appear in front of him and felt his blood turn cold.

"S-Sebastian... please calm down," he shrieked, backing away slowly as the butler stood perfectly still, the hair still plastered to his cheek.

An hour or so later, Luke found himself curled up in bed, his embarrassment still not yet forgotten. Thankfully Sebastian had been able to pull himself out of his impending rage, but that didn't stop him from dishing out a harsh lecture.

He rolled over, seeing that his butler was already asleep for the night. It seemed that the past 3 days had also taken its toll on the guy.

Luke willed the system to open, navigating his way to the quest he'd completed after passing the Military Academy exam.

[Please choose your reward:]

Spear Proficiency: Considered the Dragon of weapons. Wield your spear like that of someone with 10 years experience.

Sword Proficiency: Most popular and one of the easiest to learn, yet hardest to master. Gain 10 years experience of wielding a sword.

Bow Proficiency: Lethal and effective, though looked down upon as cowardly. Gain 10 years experience of Bow handling.

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. 

'This system is crazy!' He shouted inwardly.

With absolutely no battle experience under his belt, the system was giving him a way to get stronger and therefore increase his likelihood of survival.

However, just the mere thought of battling someone to the death face to face caused Luke's stomach to crawl. He had seen people die in this world, yet he was never the one to do the killing.

Not to mention, he didn't have the confidence to be able to come out on top, even with the added help from the system.

'Sword and Spear… It's too dangerous.' 

They were both melee weapons that required him to be close to the target. The closer he was, then the more likely he could mess up and get injured or even killed.

But the bow…

A ranged weapon, one that would keep him at a distance from danger. No face-to-face combat, no blood splattering across his hands as he struck someone down. 

It was perfect for someone like him—someone who wasn't yet ready to embrace the violence of this world.

"I guess that leaves only one…" He said, having made up his mind.

[Congratulations, you've acquired: Bow Proficiency.]