Chapter 212: Grava Mansion

An emblem depicting a hammer and shield was emblazoned on the tall white gate, its surface gleaming faintly as though forged from precious metals.

The emblem, expertly crafted, radiated both strength and honor—symbols of protection and discipline.

Beyond the gate stood a grand mansion, towering like a miniature castle.

Its architectural style was reminiscent of the Victorian era, complete with ornate gables, tall arched windows framed with carved stone, and iron-laced balconies that curled like ivy around its façade.

The building was painted in elegant hues of soft white and ash gray, with intricate cornices lining the rooftop like the trim of a noble cloak.

Tall marble columns flanked the entrance, and a wide double door, which was polished and adorned with silver fittings, waited at the top of a short flight of steps.

The gray slate roof rose in tiers, punctuated by elegant dormer windows and slender chimneys that reached into the sky.

Vines crept along the lower stone walls, carefully trimmed as if even nature was made to respect the order and grace of the estate.

Every element of the mansion, from the sharp symmetry of its structure to the timeless refinement of its color palette, exuded a quiet authority—an unspoken testament to the noble family that dwelled within.

In front of the gate stood a boy.

His black hair and eyes were reminiscent of obsidian.

"Finally... I’m finally home..."

He muttered under his breath as he laid his eyes upon the grandeur of the Grava Mansion.

"I wonder how Mom and Dad are doing... I’m excited to see them."

Their semestral vacation had just started, so he took this chance to return home.

Since the Grava Mansion, like the Royal Academy, was located in the Royal Capital, he only needed to take a carriage as it was not very far.

At this moment, another voice sounded not too far away behind him.

"Are you finished with your monologue? Can’t we go in now?"

Hearing the ever-familiar feminine voice, the boy turned toward the direction, "Can’t you let me be, Dahlia?"

"Come on, Gustav. You’ve been standing there for ten minutes and acting like you’re the main character of some book." The girl, Dahlia, complained as she walked past him.

"Why are you even here?"

"I don’t know, maybe because it’s my home too?"

She replied as she pressed the doorbell mounted on the wall beside the grand gate.

"Hey! Why did you do that?" Gustav complained.

Dahlia, without looking at him, responded, "Why, you’re not done with your monologue yet?"

"Y-Yes..."

Hearing his words, she could only look at him speechlessly.

Unfortunately for the boy, the door beside the gate had already opened.

"May I inquire who is at the gate—"

The old butler was not able to finish his words as he bowed the next second.

"It’s pleasant to meet you again, Young Master and Young Miss. Master Doron and the Duchess will surely be thrilled to see the both of you."

Gustav immediately handed over his bag as he entered without as much as glancing at the butler.

"I’ll go see Mom first."

"Very well, Young Master. I’ll take care of your luggage."

The butler then looked towards Dahlia, "How about you, Young Miss? Would you like me to take care of your luggage as well?"

"I’ll be fine, Mister Edmund. I’ll go to my room first before going to Uncle Doron."

"Understood, Young Miss. Please, after you." He said, gesturing for Dahlia to proceed before closing the door behind them.

Dahlia’s shell pink hair flowed softly along with the breeze, while her pale pink eyes wandered over the grandeur of the mansion’s courtyard.

"No matter how many times I see this, it still feels amazing..."

***

At this moment, an elegant lady was immersed in reading through documents in her office.

The interior was richly decorated, with paintings adorning the walls and an exotic beast fur carpet underfoot.

Chairs and sofas upholstered in deep maroon cushions surrounded a coffee table carved with intricate designs.

Bookshelves filled the corners of the room, while a large window behind the lady’s desk let in warm sunlight, casting a gentle glow throughout the space.

A chandelier hung from the ceiling, its crystals catching the sunlight even though it was not lit.

Knock— Knock— Knock—

Hearing the knocking on the door, the elegant lady spoke without looking away from the papers in her hands.

"Edmund, I thought I told you not to disturb me unless it’s an important matte—"

Creak—

Hearing the opening of the door, the elegant lady looked up with a fierce stare.

However, upon seeing who was at the door, her gaze softened.

"Mom, it’s me."

It was Gustav, wearing a smile on his face.

"Son, you’re home!"

Glorietta shot up from her seat and rushed to the door, throwing her arms around him.

"You should’ve told me you were coming—I would’ve prepared something! I missed you so much."

Gustav hugged her back, "I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you’ve succeeded in doing so! By the way, I really liked how you were able to defeat Alisa from House Borghildr."

"What, you were there!?"

"Of course, I went to watch your and Dahlia’s matches."

"But you must’ve seen me repeatedly falling for her feints..."

"Don’t stress too much over your mistakes. What matters is that you keep trying and work hard to move past them, alright?"

Gustav smiled, "Yes, Mom!"

"But it seems like we’ll need to train hard this vacation, don’t you think so?"

He saw the smile on his mother’s face and felt a knot form in his stomach as he swallowed nervously.

***

In the training hall located at the rear of the Grava Mansion...

This space was reserved exclusively for members of the Grava Familia due to the prohibition against nurturing private forces within the Royal Capital.

The hall featured a floor of reinforced stone, durable enough to withstand the full force of a four-star aura art or a master-rank magic spell without as much as a scratch.

Spanning more than a hundred meters in length, the rectangular training ground was lined with weapon racks on either side, each holding high-quality weapons, both steel and wooden.

At the center of the floor, the emblem of a hammer and shield was intricately engraved into the stone, a subtle yet unmistakable display of wealth and prestige.

A man in his late thirties sat cross-legged in the center of the hall, a war axe resting across his lap.

Doron sat in silent meditation, eyes closed, his presence exuding quiet intensity.

At this moment, an image was currently being created inside his mind.

In the black canvas of his thoughts, thin white lines began to take shape, outlining the entire training ground in a ghostly sketch within his mind.

The white outline was so detailed that it even captured the smallest intricacies of the training hall.

Even the weapons were vividly visualized as the whole hundred meters or so was completely depicted inside his mind.

[Seismic Sense]

Doron was currently training his earth elemental aura art when he felt something amiss.

There was nothing in his mind that indicated the approach of anyone, but his senses, which were honed by his years of experience, said otherwise.

Thus, without even opening his eyes, he reached out with his hand and accurately grabbed the ankle of the foot that was threatening to kick the side of his head.

Tap—

The sound of a foot landing on the ground softly resonated through the stone floor.

In that instance, the outline of a person immediately appeared inside Doron’s mind. Everything from the person’s hair down to her shoes was depicted.

He opened his eyes to find the bottom of a shoe staring back at him.

Gently nudging the ankle aside, Dahlia’s smiling face came into view, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back right after your exams? I could’ve come to pick you up."

"It’s fine, Uncle. Besides, I want to surprise you too."

"Hmmm... Is this what you meant by surprise, attacking me out of nowhere?"

"Hehe, can you let go of my foot now?"

"Okay..." A smile crept up Doron’s lips as he tightly held Dahlia’s ankle and threw her into the distance.

Whoosh—

In an instant, her body flew through the air at high speed.

"Not fair!"

"You’re the one who started it."

Seeing Doron slowly stand up and look at her, Dahlia smiled as one of the steel swords flew through from the weapon rack and served as a foothold for her in mid-air.

"Oho, you’re choosing to spar with steel weapons from the get-go? Let’s see if that confidence of yours holds up!"

After speaking, a chant immediately left his lips.

[Mountain Splitter]

Seeing his ever-so-familiar stance, Dahlia felt surprised, "Using your signature aura art from the get-go!?"

However, fighting spirit rose from deep within her heart.

Doron was a Master Warrior, someone at the Four Star Realm, while she was merely at the Late Stage of One Star Realm in the path of aura and Early Stage in the path of mana.

However, despite the difference in realm, Dahlia felt determined to overcome the aura art before her.

And so, using all of her strength, chants soon resounded in the training hall.

[Burning Sword Ember]

[Sword of the Lightning Sprite]

"That won’t be enough." Doron commented with a smile.

However, his smile froze in the next second as he heard another chant from her.

[Art Fusion]