Tbate: Starting Anew

Chapter 19: Failure

Lucas Wykes POV

I was walking through the halls of our mansion towards my father's office. He called me home suddenly just after I exited my last dungeon. Is he finally going to be proud of me for reaching A rank? I hope so.

As I reached his door I knocked.

"Come in!" sounded his harsh voice from the inside.

As I stepped in I saw my older brother standing in front of his desk. Both of them looked at me with different emotions. My brother's face showed pity while my father looked... angry?

"Lucas! How can you be such a fucking failure?" He shouted at me. "I was already starting to think that all the money I poured into you was wasted when you only achieved B rank, but now I see that you're truly useless. You had been an adventurer almost a year longer than that Note brat and yet he's still above you in rank!"

"But father I am merely a 1 rank away from him, I can catch up!" At my words, he merely began to laugh.

"You? Catch up? My contact in the guild just informed me he's getting SS RANK!!! THE FIRST IN DECADES!" He shouted slamming his fist into the table.

"Father calm down, I'm telling you there is no chance that Note is actually the Prince. The Prince can't be older than 12 while Note is probably just a high silver core dwarf, with some weird beast will. The royal family merely wants to show to the world that their prince is powerful while the real one is probably sipping tea in the castle right now." My brother argued from beside me.

"Well then, I have an idea." Father smiled at us.

He suggested to Bairon that at the upcoming summit that was being held between the races with all royal families and their lances present, that he should challenge the prince to a duel. There was no way that the 'impostor' would be present as the prince so if his power matches an SS class adventurer's then the prince is really Note is not he can be exposed as a fraud. Father thinks even if he's really Note his strength won't match that of Bairon's, since only the lances have achieved white core. That would mean that the elves are merely trying to deceive the world.

After we left my brother stopped me in the hall.

"Lucas, just know that what you have achieved is still outstanding for your age okay? Father is just way too obsessed with wanting our family to be on top again. Especially compared to elves." He said trying to console me.

"I DON'T NEED YOU PITY!" I shouted at him before walking away.

How dare he try and console me? Father is right I deserve a higher rank than that brat! SS my ass. I'm sure it's just because he's royalty otherwise he would be much lower than me.

Arthur POV

I walked into Kaspian's office in the Xyrus guild. He only told me to be here not what he wanted. As I stepped in her immediately greeted me with a wide smile which I already found very suspicious. As we began talking, I realized what was going on. The Twin horns reported what happened in the dungeon, to the newly established guild in Zestier. They contacted Kaspian since he's the one who has been in continuous contact with me. After explaining how he got the information he moved on to the point of the meeting.

"Note, you are the first person in 5 decades to be promoted to rank SS." He stated happily. "Before you ask why, you singlehandedly defeated 7 elderwood guardians and a forest queen, while protecting a party of adventurers."

"I wasn't alone. My bond also killed a few of them." I replied trying to lessen the onslaught of praise, but it was futile.

"If your bond did it, than it just as well have been you in the eyes of the guild. You can not refuse this rank up."