The past is irrelevant, right, old man?

An old castle protected on all sides by a sturdy fort sits atop a hill that is not too lofty in elevation. People are still taken aback by this castle's large and majestic structure, even though it appears to have stood for hundreds of years.

This castle is not a ruin that has been abandoned to the ravages of time. Instead, it is a castle maintained to a high standard and not weaker than or even more potent than a castle in another kingdom.

This castle was bustling with activity, from carriages driving through the gates every few hours to several soldiers marching around the expansive castle grounds. There was also a kitchen staff preparing meals for the castle's residents.

Those who heard it trembled in response, as the sound of their piercing screams was accompanied by the sound of swords or other metal weapons clashing.

They had a higher volume of work than usual today. In the banquet hall, the maids were busy preparing delicious food and beverages while the soldiers went through welcome practice to learn how to greet someone appropriately.

At a distance, it can be seen that three carriages are making their way up the hilly road toward the ancient castle.

It didn't take long before the three carriages pulled up in front of the gate, and once they did, the sturdy gate was opened wide without a hitch, and a loud voice from one of the soldiers announced their arrival.

"The young master and princess Alice have arrived."

On the castle grounds at that time, thousands upon thousands of soldiers could be seen lined up with their bodies facing in a straight line toward the carriage.

Precisely, towards the carriage in the middle, these soldiers' faces were filled with excitement and admiration as they awaited someone.

There were a few individuals who particularly stood out among these soldiers. One of them was an old geezer who had a stocky build and stood well over 6 feet tall.

He was just a few steps ahead of the other regular soldiers who were standing there. This individual's peculiarities were accentuated by the bulky and robust-looking armour that he wore.

Beside him stood several exceptional individuals who were on par with this grizzled veteran. Indeed, they were the generals in charge of the troops in this castle.

They didn't have to wait any longer because suddenly, one of the female guards riding on the carriage got off, walked over to the door, and opened it. It was a magnificent carriage in the middle.

_________________

- Hadrian Pov -

"young master."

When the door to the carriage was opened, I could hear a loud boom coming from the soldiers who had moved outside and were now kneeling in front of me.

Alice was taken aback by the sight unfolding in front of her at this particular moment.

When I saw the excitement on their faces, I gave a small smile and said, "As always, you guys exude an incredible amount of passion."

When they heard my comment, the prominent individuals in the front, including the old geezer, stood up from where they were kneeling.

Every single one of them exhibited a unique facial expression. Some appeared to be smiling, while others lacked any expression whatsoever. However, the vibe that they exuded was extraordinarily sharp and menacing, especially this old geezer.

They appeared to be looking for instructions from me, as all of their eyes were fixed on me.

"Hey, you guys don't have to take everything quite so seriously. This time I took my cherished younger sister Alice to have a look at this place," I said while stroking Alice's head as she hid behind me and gave the impression that she was nervous.

"Welcome, Princess Alice," the old geezer said with a broad smile on his face. He appeared to be a friendly old man living in the countryside.

"Hmm... after seeing Princess Alice, I realize that the three of you do share a striking resemblance."

Alice, upon hearing the words spoken by the old man, inquired out of curiosity, "Have you ever met sister Emilia?"

"Yes, of course, I used to go to the castle quite frequently. However, given that you were a baby during that time, it is understandable that you do not recall those visits," Alice's expression changed upon hearing this, indicating that she appeared to comprehend something.

"The past is irrelevant, right, old man?" I said while staring directly into the eyes of the old geezer and maintaining a blank expression.

"hahaha of course, as the young master pointed out, the past is irrelevant. What's important right now is to eat. I'm sure you two are hungry, right?" The old geezer in front of me hurriedly responded to my comment while attempting to change the subject. Even his laugh at the end appeared awkward.

"Come on, young master, please enjoy the banquet that the Geist Legion has prepared for you. Sascha even pitched in to help prepare it, and I'm confident that the young master will find it satisfying."

After hearing that, I couldn't help but smile, and I walked toward the castle door casually while maintaining my silence.

Alice hastily followed behind, but before doing so, she turned around and gave a sidelong glance to one of the female soldiers standing with her head bowed.

When the woman looked down, her face was partially obscured by her lengthy hair, but you could still make out the expansive grin on her lips.

When the generals saw Hadrian and Alice enter the castle, they immediately followed in their footsteps. However, before the generals could enter, the old man gave orders to the thousands of soldiers who were still kneeling from earlier, "It is imperative that you all continue your routine training and get yourselves ready to fall in line with the young master's orders at any moment."

Following that, the banquet got underway. Hadrian took a seat in the furthest chair, with Alice sitting next to him.

The individuals currently seated and dining with Hadrian are those who we previously observed to be exceptional.

While the other soldiers were still kneeling, these particular individuals knelt for a while and then stood up to talk with Hadrian. The other soldiers remained kneeling.

During this banquet, I spoke with them about a variety of topics, ranging from their training to the development of the assignments I had given them to other mundane issues.

Alice was sitting at the same table as the woman she had seen earlier, but the other woman kept her head lowered while she ate slowly so that Alice could not see her face.

The fact that this woman possesses a peculiar quality prompts Alice to keep an eye on her from time to time.

Following the conclusion of the banquet, I travelled with Alice and the elderly gentleman. As we made our way through the castle, we caught a glimpse of the many activities carried out by the soldier in this castle area.

In the area surrounding this magnificent castle, I can make out many structures that appear to be barracks for the military and a variety of other structures that are heavily protected by soldiers.

We made a stop at a castle garden that was so stunning and expansive, Alice and I sat by the fountain there to enjoy the rare serenity that can't be found in the capital city.

In the meantime, the hefty old man maintained his upright stance and continued to stare at Alice and me. His face would break into a wistful smile every once in a while.

Suddenly, Alice, who had been feeding the fish by dipping her hand in the fountain, uttered the following phrase, "Hey, big brother, why are we hanging out in this place?"

"I told you, I want to trade you in for a new younger sister," I said while raising my arms to the sky, taking in the fresh air, and shutting my eyes.

While she continued to splash around in the water, Alice continued to ask, "So you want to train me?"

"There's no way, I'm way too busy right now to teach you something," I said.

The old geezer had been listening in on Alice and my conversation when all of a sudden, he made a suggestion, "I would be honored, young master, if you would let me instruct princess Alice."

"old man, if you're the one in charge of teaching, my greatest fear is that Alice will develop a robust body just like you," When he heard my words, the old geezer could only laugh and scratch his head while still wearing a helmet.

"The meal that Sascha prepared earlier was really tasty, so as a gift from me, I want her to teach Alice for a few days beginning tomorrow," I said it in a calm and collected manner. Sascha is indeed the right person to instruct Alice in the use of her magic.