Edited by: Chip

It would take a week for Atlas’ martial arts teacher to come, so his new adoptive parents found some tutors in the capital to help him with basic subjects like history, math, magic theory, and etiquette. 

Atlas was not opposed to learning, but he was a bit slow. His teachers realized this and let him take his time, not rushing like other young masters. 

Plus, Atlas was blessed by the Dragon God and the God of Light. He could be a worm and they would still worship him. 

Everyone was tolerant of Atlas, even coddling him. If it was any other kid, he would grow up to be a spoiled brat, but Atlas had memories of being an adult, so he was grateful and kind. 

Atlas was also finally going to meet Cyrus’ fiancée. 

Once a week, if there were nothing too important, Cyrus and his fiancée would meet up. Her name was Sophie Norrs and her mother was the Chief Imperial Court Magician while her other parent was in charge of the Duke’s territory. Her family’s status was the same as the Alnhart’s. 

Atlas and Cyrus were sitting in the parlor room, waiting for Sophie’s arrival.

Atlas was wearing casual noble wear that young kids like him would wear when they went out to meet their friends. It was easy to move in but had all the basics that nobles needed to wear. He had a ribbon tie, suspenders to hold up his trousers, and a white short-sleeved dress shirt. 

Cyrus was wearing a similar outfit, just in different colors.

“Do you think she will like me?” Atlas was a bit nervous about meeting new people. 

He was also very insecure about this and it would take some time for him to realize that he could just be himself without worrying about whether people liked him or not.

Even though he was quick to get along, his initial reaction was to be nervous until he met the person. So far, he has been able to get along with everybody, but he knew that there would be people who didn’t like him regardless of how he was. 

Cyrus knew how Atlas was when meeting new people, so he did what he could to help ease his anxiety. “She will definitely like you. She acts cold and graceful, but deep down, she has a heart of gold. She tries to be everyone’s big sister, even if she is a bit younger.” 

“She sounds a little like you. Maybe that’s why you get along well with her.” 

Cyrus had never seen himself that way. Was that how he looked in Atlas’ eyes?

He was cold because he had to be. He had to grow up much faster than the kids his age. He protected himself from his previous life’s parents. His mother hated looking at his face because he looked more like his father than her. After his father cheated on his mother, she grew to resent him and his father to the point that she often pretended he didn’t exist. 

If she did acknowledge him, she would constantly tell him that he was ugly, worthless, and just like his piece-of-shit father. Well, those were her word choices. 

That coldness was a form of protection, not his personality. He didn’t know how to tell Atlas that. 

“Is that how you think I am?” He couldn’t help but ask. He was curious as to how Atlas really saw him. 

“Well, there are different kinds of cold personalities and I don’t know which one she is, but your type of cold seems… scared and vigilant. You have a lot of walls built around your heart, only letting those you trust and love come inside, but you won’t ever let them tear down your walls.” 

Atlas knew he wasn’t the brightest light bulb but he was once in the writers' department for a video game company! He could at least describe people, right? Just like he would with the characters he brought to life! 

Cyrus was shocked that Atlas was spot on! Atlas’ emotional intelligence was much higher than his academic intelligence, but it was the first time he had seen it in action. 

“That…” he was a bit uncomfortable but he still needed to respond, “Yeah, I guess I really am like that.” 

Atlas knew there were many things that Cyrus didn’t want to talk about with him yet. Even if they met up every night to get to know each other, Cyrus still had things he kept deep inside his heart, afraid to show other people in fear of how they would react. 

He never tried to talk to Cyrus about things he didn’t want to talk about. Even if Atlas was an open book, he knew not everyone was the same. In time, Cyrus would open up to him more and more, but for now, he would stay by his side until Cyrus was ready to talk with him. 

“Being able to protect yourself is not a bad thing but you have to remember that you have people who care about you, like me!” Atlas gave a gentle smile, one that seemed to understand all of Cyrus’ worries but would never force him to do or say anything. “I can’t do much, but when you are ready, I will be your shoulder to cry on and a listening ear, just like you have been with me.” 

Cyrus felt his heart warm. He was glad that he had met Atlas. 

At first, he was worried that he wouldn’t get along with Atlas, but thankfully, Atlas was someone with a pure, gentle, and kind heart. And it wasn't fake kindness either. He was a ray of sunshine in a dark and gloomy forest. Every living thing seemed to gravitate toward him, hoping to be able to bask in his sunlight. 

“Thank you, Atlas. I will be sure to let you know when I am ready.” 

He didn’t know when he would be ready, but with Atlas by his side, he was sure he had a safe place to heal the wounds from his past life… 

*****

After the heart-to-heart conversation, it took ten minutes for Cyrus’ fiancée, Sophie Norrs, to arrive at the parlor room. Right on time for their meeting and not a minute later. 

When Atlas saw Sophie for the first time, he was blown away by how graceful and elegant she was. She had long, navy blue hair and blue eyes. Just looking at her eyes, she had Water as her highest Magic Attribute. Her hair was put up into an intricate bun with braids. There was a blue crystal flower hair accessory to the left side of her bun. It matched the color of her eyes.

She was a white, blue, and gold mid-calf length bouffant dress. It had a floral design made out of blue crystals and gold sparkles sporadically surrounding it. It wasn’t a puffy dress, so she was able to comfortably sit down in it. To her, it was a more casual outfit because she was not wearing a tight corset. 

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Cyrus.” She gave a curtsy in Cyrus’ direction. 

Sophie perfected her curtsy so she was confident and natural. 

Then she turned to Atlas and gave a similar curtsy. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I have heard many things about you from Lord Cyrus and it is wonderful to finally be able to meet you, Lord Atlas.” 

Atlas gave a cheerful smile while responding to her greeting, “It’s nice to meet you too, Miss Sophie. Cyrus has said many good things about you.” 

He wasn’t that good at formal speech, but Sophie knew he wasn’t used to it, so she didn’t take any offense to it. 

“Miss Sophie, there is no need for formalities since it is just the three of us. Please, sit down and join us for tea.” Cyrus motioned her over to the sofa in front of them. 

Sophie told her guards to wait outside and she walked over with her maid. This maid was a young lady who seemed to just hit adulthood. She had brown hair and green eyes, showing that her highest affinity was with Wind magic. Her hair was long and put up into a simple and neat bun. She wore a western black and white maid outfit that didn’t show any skin except for the top part of her neck, her face, and her hands. She did have an emblem embroidered onto her outfit to show that she was a maid of the Norrs family. 

The Norrs ducal family emblem was a wide crest shield with an open book in the center. It also had a crystal orb in front of it. This family emblem was given to the most influential Imperial Magician’s family who served the Emperor since the founding of the Hirean Empire. Her mother was the head of the Imperial Court Magician’s and she would take her place as the child with the most magic power. 

Sophie sat down while her maid, Loren, poured her a cup of tea before standing behind the couch. As a veteran maid, Loren made her presence small so Sophie, Cyrus, and Atlas could continue their conversation as though no one was there. 

Sophie was a bit surprised by Cyrus’ and Atlas’ appearance, but she knew that she could not comment on it. She already met Cyrus with his original appearance, different from the one he used when he was in disguise. What she was surprised about was his two different colored eyes, which she had not seen the last time she saw him. 

She was extremely shocked to see Atlas’ appearance though. It took everything in her power to not bow and worship. His appearance was written in holy scriptures and was the closest to their main God, the Dragon God. The only thing that was different from the scripture was his gold left eye and his purple right eye. 

Knowing Cyrus and his purple eyes, that meant, Atlas was also blessed by the God of Light. For the two of them to be blessed by the same Gods… Even though she was the same age as Cyrus and Atlas, she knew the gravity of the situation. The Hirean Empire and the Holy Kingdom would do everything to get their hands on these two. The former had intentions of worship while the latter had more sinister intentions.

She was quiet while looking at them, so Cyrus started the conversation. He picked up some finger sandwiches that he thought Atlas would like and gave them to him. 

“It has been a while, how have you been, Sophie?” 

Sophie woke up from her stupor and replied, “I have been well. My days have been mainly focused on studying and socializing. How have you been? You are not injured from your trip are you?” 

“No, as you can see, I am alive and well. It is a relief that you are doing well though.” 

The two began to have some back-and-forth small talk. Atlas just listened, focusing on how two nobles conversed with each other. 

Cyrus said to talk without formalities, but it was a lot more formal than Atlas was used to. The two didn’t seem to mind talking about small things like the latest social event or what they have studied. They also talked about what Cyrus has been doing since they last saw each other.

It was a long talk, but Atlas didn’t interrupt. He sat quietly and joyfully in his seat, munching on sandwiches and cookies. He learned a lot from this conversation and hoped that he would be able to perfect formal speech soon!