“Guardian.”
It was a word steeped in history, in myth, in duty. A protector, a shield, the one who stood between chaos and order. Legends spoke of celestial beings who descended from the heavens to guide mortals, of ancient warriors who guarded sacred relics, of silent sentinels who watched over kingdoms from the shadows. It was a title that evoked power, reverence, and responsibility.
But here, in this world—his world—its meaning was far more precise.
To the common man, a guardian was simply one responsible for a child, a caretaker until they came of age. But in the political sphere, it was something else entirely. It was not about guidance or even personal protection. It was about legitimacy. About power.
Thaddeus knew exactly what Lucavion meant. This was no plea for mentorship, nor was it a request for safety. This was a move made with full awareness of its implications. In the empire, to be granted a guardian was to be acknowledged. A political orphan could become someone of importance. A nameless warrior could gain the weight of nobility. A rogue could suddenly find himself with standing.
Lucavion was not merely asking for Thaddeus to back him—he was asking Thaddeus to tie his own name to his existence.
This was not a favor. This was a gamble.
If Thaddeus agreed, it would mean taking Lucavion under his banner, ensuring that the empire saw him as more than just an anomaly. His victories, his failures—his very actions—would reflect upon the Thaddeus Duchy. It would mean that Lucavion, the Sword Demon, the disciple of Starscourge Gerald, would move through the empire not as a wandering swordsman, but as someone under his jurisdiction.
It was a request that no sane noble would grant lightly. It was one that could shift the delicate balance of power, that could set eyes upon him—dangerous eyes, questioning eyes. After all, the empire had never forgotten Starscourge Gerald. That man’s name was whispered in war councils, studied in military academies, feared by those who had seen what he could do.
And now, his disciple was asking for a place in his house?
Thaddeus’ fingers curled slightly at his side, his breath measured. This was not a small thing. This was dangerous.
And yet—
As he looked at Lucavion, at the unwavering confidence in his posture, the way he met his gaze without flinching, without waiting for permission—Thaddeus knew something else.
This boy did not make meaningless requests. He did not speak without calculation. And above all, he did not ask for things he did not intend to earn.
If Thaddeus granted him this, if he accepted—
There would be no turning back.
Thaddeus’ expression hardened, his golden eyes narrowing as Lucavion’s words sank in.
“What? What did you say?”
The sharpness of his voice cut through the air like a blade.
Even Aeliana, who had remained composed through most of the conversation, stiffened, her amber eyes widening in sheer surprise. For a moment, she almost thought she had misheard him—but no. Lucavion’s posture, his expression, that irritating ease with which he carried himself—it all made it clear. He had meant exactly what he said.
And that was insane.
Aeliana knew how the political world worked. Even if she had been bedridden for years, she had not been absent from it. The children of noble families were born into it, raised in its currents, forced to learn the invisible lines of power before they could even wield a sword or hold a pen.
And to ask for this?
To ask for a Duke—a pillar of the empire—to become his guardian?
That was not something anyone with sense would dare say so casually.
Thaddeus felt the weight of her reaction mirror his own, but he schooled his expression quickly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yes. The word ‘Guardian.'” His voice was lower now, more controlled. “What do you mean by that?”
If—by any chance—Lucavion had meant something else, something lesser, something different from what they understood in noble society—then it was better to clarify now.
Better to know for sure.
Because if he truly meant what Thaddeus thought he meant—
Then this was not a request that could be answered lightly.
Lucavion exhaled through his nose, his smirk still there but tinged with something quieter—something dangerously close to amusement.
“You both know what I meant.”
His dark eyes flickered between Aeliana and Thaddeus, taking in their shock, their disbelief, before settling fully on the Duke.
His meaning had been crystal clear from the moment he spoke.
And he had no intention of pretending otherwise.
Lucavion let the silence stretch, letting the weight of his words settle in the room. Then, with a lazy roll of his shoulders, he exhaled, tilting his head slightly.
“But if you want me to elaborate, then let that be.”
His voice remained light, but there was no mistaking the deliberation behind it.
Thaddeus said nothing, merely watching, waiting.
And then—
“I want the Duke to back me up for the future things that I am going to cause.”
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
Aeliana inhaled sharply, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and outright frustration. She knew it. She knew Lucavion was insane, but to hear him say it out loud—with that casual, almost amused tone—it was enough to make her fingers twitch.
Thaddeus, on the other hand—
He exhaled slowly.
Then—
A hand went to his forehead.
His fingers pressed against his temple, his jaw tightening as he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Not in anger.
Not in fury.
But in sheer, undeniable frustration.
‘What kind of person have I brought into my house?’
It wasn’t enough that Lucavion had already entangled himself in Aeliana’s fate. It wasn’t enough that he was the disciple of that man. It wasn’t even enough that he carried an energy that did not belong to this world.
No.
Now, he wanted the Duke of Thaddeus to back him up for whatever madness he was planning to unleash in the future?
Thaddeus exhaled again, slower this time.
Lucavion’s voice echoed from the side, his tone light—almost too light.
“Now, now… Of course, I am not someone who would drop such a word without any context, right?”
He said it as if he were a reasonable man.
As if the absurdity of his request wasn’t hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
Thaddeus slowly lowered his hand from his forehead, exhaling through his nose.
Aeliana, arms crossed, fixed Lucavion with a look of pure disbelief, her amber eyes narrowing.
And in that moment—
Both father and daughter stared at him.
Not with anger.
Not even with shock anymore.
Just a single, unwavering look that carried one very specific thought—
“You are absolutely the kind of person who would do something like that.”
Lucavion met their eyes.
Paused.
Then sighed dramatically, lifting his hands in mock surrender.
“Well, I might be one…” he admitted, lips twitching in amusement. Then, before either of them could respond, his tone shifted, just slightly.
“But, let me ask you a question.”
His dark eyes flickered back to Thaddeus, studying him, waiting.
“Duke.”
A pause.
“What do you think about the current Royal Family?”
The room, already heavy with tension, seemed to still. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire
Thaddeus’ golden gaze sharpened instantly.
Aeliana, who had been moments away from snapping at Lucavion, fell silent.
Because that—
That was not an idle question.