Days passed.
Weeks passed.
Months passed.
During the past few months, Ethan had lived a very fulfilling academic life.
Oscar Asta had withdrawn his order to have Ethan killed. When the latter got wind of it, Sebastian and Ethan’s Other Half only chuckled.
They even said that the Patriarch of the Asta Family must've finally realized that sending mbers of his family to assassinate Ethan was akin to sending pigs to be slaughtered.
The one who brought this news to Ethan was Nicole, whose face was filled with contempt as she talked about it.
After everything that had happened, the young lady no longer felt that putting effort into becoming the Matriarch of the Asta Family was worth it.
In the end, she said that she would rather live the remainder of her life to the fullest.
When he heard his close friend say such a thing, Ethan felt that there was a hint of sadness and regret in Nicole’s voice.
But, whenever he asked if she was having any problems and if there was anything he could help with, Nicole would only brush off his concern and say, “The only help you can give is to serve as a bed warr.”
Their talks would always end at that point, and no further discussion would follow.
To his surprise, the Magistratus indeed acted against Zack Kerr, asking the latter to compensate the Gremory Family for hiring rcenaries and bounty hunters to kidnap them.
Since the Magistratus had already put their foot down, Langston’s father naturally had no choice but to comply and pay ten thousand gold coins as compensation for ‘scaring’ Ethan’s Grandma.
That ager amount of gold might be nothing to Ethan’s current wealth, but it was still a bitter pill for the Kerr Family to swallow.
Since then, they kept a low profile and no longer bothered Ethan. There were even talks that, at the end of the school year, Langston would transfer to Nightfall Academy, which was located in Grandshire.
Of course, whether these rumors were true or not, everyone would only find out when the next school year started.
Ethan had poured his ti and energy into studying, training, and spending quality ti with his lovers.
Then, it finally ca.
There was only a week left before the school year officially ended. When that ti cos, Brynhildr Academy would close its doors for a few months in order to prepare for the next school year. Soon, the academy would welco the next batch of First Years who would enter its ancient halls.
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Inside Dud Manor…
“George, I’ll leave everyone in your care,” Henry said as he rested his hand on his best friend's shoulder. “It’s now up to you to guide them and ensure that all of them will have an enjoyable ti here in the academy.”
“Henry, I told you that you should just repeat a year,” George wiped the tears that were falling from his eyes. “I’m not suited to beco Head Prefect. I’m the most irresponsible person here, and you know it!”
Ethan, Luna, Lilian, Noah, and the rest of the mbers of the Dud Manor chuckled when they heard George’s complaint.
“Yeah… Now that you ntion it, I’m starting to feel anxious about leaving everyone in your care.”
“You bastard! I dare you to repeat a year! I dare you!”
Henry couldn’t help but scratch his head because he couldn’t possibly do that. He already had plans after graduating from the academy, so there was no way he would repeat a year just to make George happy.
“It will be fine, George,” Ethan said as he patted George’s back. “Sir Henry is about to enter a bigger world.
“That’s Sir George to you, Ethan,” George said as he kept on wiping the tears that wouldn’t stop falling from his eyes. “You always call Henry, Sir Henry, but you just call George.”
“Um, it’s because Sir Henry is a very respectable person,” Ethan replied. “As for you… well… I guess you are worthy of a little respect?”
“Just a little?! I am worthy of a lot of respect!”
“Mmm. If you say so.”
Ethan couldn’t help but avert his gaze, making Henry and the rest of the mbers of Dud Manor laugh out loud.
George’s face reddened a bit, but in the end, he joined in on the laughter.
Henry couldn’t help but feel his eyes moisten because he would miss his best friend and his Manor Mates.
Although they still had a week to spend ti with each other, he felt that now was the perfect ti to bid his farewell to everyone.
The mbers of Dud Manor felt the sa way, so they thanked Henry for everything he had done for them, making George, who was already emotional, cry a river of tears.
“Sir Henry, thank you for everything,” Ethan said with a smile. “When I was feeling lost and wondering if I truly belong here in Brynhildr Academy, you were one of the people that always looked out for and made sure that I felt like I belonged here.
“I hope that our paths will once again cross even after you have left the academy. I will pray for your happiness.”
Henry smiled and patted Ethan’s shoulder. “It is I who should be thanking you. Having you during my last year here in the academy has brought a lot of excitent that I haven’t felt in years.
“We even won the Clash of Manors, which is sothing that I will always rember even when I am no longer here. Also, thank you for helping take control of my Legacy. Without your help, I’m sure that I would’ve had a hard ti beating it into submission.”
Henry truly felt grateful to Ethan. If it weren't for the latter, then the Legacy that he had acquired would have slipped through his fingers.
Fortunately, the two of them managed to defeat it in the end, allowing Henry to beco stronger than ever before.
“I’m sure that all our paths will cross again,” Henry said as he looked at everyone.
He was doing his best to prevent himself from tearing up again, not wanting to make his farewell a sad event.
However, George’s bawling was infectious, and soon, the dependable Head Prefect of Dud Manor covered his face with his right hand and cried as well.
When everyone saw Henry show a mont of vulnerability, they also teared up, with so of the girls starting to cry as well.
Soon, Luna and Lilian were already crying on Ethan’s chest, while the young man lightly patted their heads, in order to help them calm down.
Although he wasn’t crying, his eyes were moist. He was only using his willpower to prevent others from seeing him cry.
His First Year at Brynhildr Academy had many ups and downs.
The doubts, the anxiety, and the inferiority complex, as well as the feeling that he truly didn’t belong here, made Ethan’s first months truly difficult.
But after many ups and downs and even going back to the past, Ethan finally understood that this was indeed the place where he rightfully belonged.
A place where he, a magically crippled individual, was able to gain strong bonds and friendship with those who had decided to get to know him better.
A place that nurtured and allowed him to know what true magic was all about.
Dud Manor was such a place.
‘I’m lucky to be part of this family,’ Ethan thought as he kissed Luna’s and Lilian’s heads, not caring if others were to see him right now.
He was with the people who cared about him, and the people whom he cared about as well. Everyone here was his family, so they already knew that Luna, Lilian, and a few other ladies were his lovers based on his interaction with them.
That day, an impromptu celebration party was held in Dud Manor.
They raided the kitchen, brought heaps of food to their Manor, and partied all night.
Although they knew that they would once again shed tears of sadness when they bid farewell to each other in a week’s ti, all of them knew that wherever they went, they would always be a part of Dud Manor.
“These kids grow up really fast,” Sebastian comnted with a faint smile on his face.
“Yes.” Ethan’s Other Half nodded. “All of them are good kids. I’m glad Ethan ended up in Dud Manor instead of another Manor.”
Sebastian agreed with his partner in cri and looked at the teenage boys and girls who were having the ti of their lives.
If possible, they wished that Ethan could remain happy forever. But, they also understood that he wasn’t ant to live an ordinary life.
Even so, they hoped that his happiness would last a long ti, for dark tis were ahead.
Soon, he would go to Midgard, where he'd finally learn his true identity. Whether he was prepared to learn the truth or not would depend on the life experiences and the bonds that he shared with the people, who had now beco an irreplaceable part of his heart and life.
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