Chapter 5 On the way back home from the capital

Elena sat across from him inside the carriage, posture straight as always. Beside Amos sat several shopping bags filled with things he had insisted were “necessary for Ambrosia,” a very large plush rabbit that Amos absolutely did not spend fifteen minutes choosing carefully for her. The carriage was full of stuff from their shopping, so Ambrosia has to go in another carriage with Lord Aros.

The carriage rocked softly as Amos gazed out the window.

“Elena.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve reached a conclusion.”

“That is rarely a positive sign.”

Amos ignored her.

“I need a backup plan.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

“That narrows nothing down.”

Amos clicked his tongue softly.

“The capital confirmed it.”

“What?”

“The existence of protagonists.”

Elena remained silent.

Amos pointed dramatically toward the sky.

“The princess.”

“Evelyn.”

“She is a trouble.”

“What.”

“She definitely one of candidates to kill me.”

“Is that so.”

“It absolutely is.”

Amos leaned back into his seat with the expression of a man who had seen the inevitable collapse of civilization.

“The beautiful imperial princess. Natural charisma. Ridiculously talented. Strong political backing. Friendly but dangerous. That’s heroine material.”

“Sure.”

“You should start to understand what i have been saying.”

“Nope.”

“What a shame.”

Amos folded his arms.

“And that’s not even the worst part.”

“There is worse?”

“She thinks in a weird way.”

Elena thought for a moment.

“Are you sure it isn't just your feeling?”

“I am.”

“The way she looks at me is the way one would look at a bird dancing.”

Amos pointed at her accusingly.

“She smiled way too much.”

“What if this becomes one of those stories?”

Silence.

“Elaborate.”

“The adopted sister gains powerful allies that is the princess and eventually defeats the villainous noble brother(me) after uncovering his crimes.”

“You haven’t committed any crimes yet.”

“That is not reassuring.”

Amos buried his face into his hands.

“Elena. Listen carefully.”

“Yes.”

“I have realized something important.”

“You are delusional?”

“No.”

He lifted his head.

“Do you know what always come with plan.”

His voice grew quieter.

“A backup plan”

“I need another identity.”

Elena blinked once.

“Another identity.”

“Yes.”

Amos leaned forward.

“Think about it. If noble Amos becomes doomed”

He pointed at himself.

“Then someone who is not Amos could survive.”

“You are still the same person.”

“Not legally.”

“That is not how identities function.”

Amos ignored her.

“I’ll build a new life outside of current one.”

“For?”

“Insurance.”

“You are nine.”

“I’m preparing early.”

“For what exactly?”

Amos’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“Freedom.”

Amos leaned against the window again.

“The Kyros name is powerful,” he muttered.

“Most people would consider that to be a fortune.”

“It is.”

A pause.

“But they fail to consider the weight of such name”

Elena watched him silently.

His expression tightened slightly.

“I want a place that belongs to me alone.”

“I don’t want to wake up one day trapped as ‘Amos.’”

Elena looked at him quietly for several moments.

“You are overthinking again.”

Amos sighed.

“I knew you’d say that.”

“Yes.”

She folded her hands neatly on her lap.

“Still.”

Amos glanced at her.

“You are not entirely wrong.” Elena agreed with him.

He blinked.

“You agreed?”

“Partially.”

“That’s basically a miracle.”

“Everyone should have contingency plans.”

Amos stared at her.

“Elena.”

“Yes.”

“You’re surprisingly supportive today.”

“I am always do.”

“Oh.”

Silence settled briefly.

Then—

“So,” Elena continued calmly, “what exactly is this backup plan?”

Amos’s expression slowly brightened again.

At once, Elena regretted asking.

“We become adventurers.”

“No.”

“Too late. I already thought about it.”

“Those changes nothing.”

“We disguise ourselves.”

“No.”

Amos grinned.

“Elena.”

“Yes.”

“We’re going to become the greatest adventurer in history.”

...

Several days later.

Deep inside Amos’s room.

The curtains were shut tightly. The doors locked. Multiple artifacts borrowed from the treasury glowed faintly across the table.

Elena stared at the scene in silence.

“Young Master.”

“Yes?”

“Did you sneak into the treasury again.”

Amos, currently standing on a chair dramatically with a cloak over his shoulders, pointed toward her.

“Because greatness requires sacrifices.”

“That is not reassuring.”

“It’s very true.”

The room was strewn with papers—fake names, regions, elaborate backstories, notes on accents, combat skills, and potential routes.

Elena looked at one page.

“Why is there a section labeled ‘badass things to say and do.’”

Amos immediately grabbed the paper.

“That is a confidential information.”

“That confirms my concern.”

Amos hopped off the chair and spread his arms.

“Elena.”

“Yes.”

“The time has come.”

“No.”

“The time has already arrived.”

“You are making that statement without my consent.”

“I don’t need your consent for saving our lives.”

“It's your life and you absolutely do.”

Amos ignored her entirely.

He pulled away the cloth covering several artifacts on the table.

“Behold.”

Silence.

A silver armored chest piece rested there, sleek and elegant. gold lines pulsed faintly beneath the surface like moving mana veins. Beside it rested a delicate crystal pendant emitting pale blue light.

Elena stared at them.

“You stole more artifacts.”

“I borrowed them.”

“You broke into the treasury again.”

“I had authorization.”

“You were banned after the last incident.”

“I forbid you to tell this to Father.”

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Young Master.”

“Yes.”

“One day, Lord Aros will genuinely lock you inside the estate.”

“He can try.”

“That sentence alone proves his future concerns valid.”

Amos picked up the black chest armor proudly.

“This,” he declared, “is the legendary magical armor.”

“Elaborate.”

“I took it from one of my ancestor armor stands.”

“Of course.”

Amos continued anyway.

“It automatically adjusts appearance proportions through mana reinforcement. Height, frame, presence. It’s perfect.”

Elena blinked once.

“You are planning on using an ancient magical artifact to pretend to be older.”

“Yes.”

He held it against himself, and the armor immediately reacted. Silver mana spread lightly across Amos’s body before settling into place smoothly. His figure change, frame became taller, leaner, older. His face partially obscured beneath the armor’s high collar and shadowed hood. His childish softness faded into something colder and sharper.

Elena stared silently.

“…Oh.”

Amos grinned triumphantly.

“Impressed?”

“Worried.”

“That means it works.”

“It means guards will search us first.”

Amos ignored her.

Then he pointed dramatically toward the crystal pendant.

“And now.”

“No.”

“Your turn.”

Elena stared at him flatly.

“I refuse.”

“You already agreed.”

“I never agreed.”

“This is advanced identity crafting.”

“This is forced.”

Amos walked over and held out the pendant.

“Come on.”

“No.”

“You’ll look good with it.”

“I already look good enough.”

She sighed softly.

“What does the artifact do?”

Amos brightened instantly.

“It’s an illusion-type artifact. Changes height, facial structure, voice slightly, eye shape, hair color if supplied enough mana”

“Yes.”

Elena took the pendant slowly.

The crystal shimmered faintly in her hand.

“And the identity?”

Amos immediately straightened. He slammed a paper onto the table.

“Observe.”

Elena looked down.

Then blinked. His voice changes a sounded a bit older. Like a voice belonging to a young adult.

“Eoghan Rise.”

Amos placed a hand on his chest proudly.

“My new identity.”

“Why.”

“It should sounds western.”

“You have never been west.”

“That’s why nobody can fact-check me.”

Elena stared at him.

Amos nodded sagely.

“Thank you, I know you are thinking about my greatness.”

Then he pointed at her name.

“And you.”

Elena looked.

“Selena Blanks.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

“You changed one letter.”

“It has personality.”

“That is also called laziness.”

“It has your personality”

Elena closed her eyes briefly.

“Young Master.”

“Yes?”

“You spent hours creating fake identity and this is the best you produced.”

“Indeed.”

“This is pathetic.”

Amos ignored the insult.

“Now then.”

He crossed his arms.

“Repeat after me.”

“No.”

“You are Selena.”

Silence.

“I am Selena.”

“Excellent. And I am Eoghan.”

Amos’s posture immediately changed.

His expression sharpened slightly.

His voice lowered.

“I am Eoghan of the western frontier.”

Elena stared.

“Why are you standing like that.”

“It’s part of the persona.”

Amos exhaled heavily.

“Fine. Again.”

He pulled the hood lower over his face.

“I am Eoghan.”

A pause.

“A wandering mage-knight from the west.”

Elena activated the pendant.

Soft light covered her body.

Her appearance shifted gradually.

Her black hair lengthened slightly, now carrying a faint silver tint beneath the light. Her face matured subtly, becoming older and sharper. Even her height increased enough to resemble a young woman rather than a girl.

Amos was captivated.

“Oh.”

Selena looked down at herself calmly.

“It works.”

Amos stared a little longer.

“You look good.”

“I know.”

Selena adjusted the pendant slightly.

“And our background?”

Amos immediately lit up again.

“We’re travelers.”

“From?”

“The west.”

“Specific location?”

“Very west.”

“That is not a place.”

“It’s distant enough nobody will question it.”

Selena sighed softly.

“You truly built this identity around avoiding accountability.”

“Great thinking, right.”

She stared at him quietly for a moment.

“Eoghan.”

Amos blinked.

Amos smiled faintly beneath the armor.

“Yeah.”

Selena adjusted her sleeves.

“Then what now?”

Eoghan’s grin widened.

“Now?”

He pointed dramatically toward the window.

“We going to become an adventurer.”

“So, we are sneaking out through the back gate.”

“That too.”