Chapter 8: Gate keeper
The carriage rolled forward, the surroundings filled with servants tending to their tasks. It reminded him of a medieval movie Abel had seen before, yet this was unfolding directly before his eyes.
Something differed from the usual view he had seen on TV. It was just the servants and maids doing things that defied the laws of physics. Abel saw a seemingly young maid floating to the sky as her dress fluttered wildly in the wind. Then, looking at another servant, Abel saw a young man, a frail young man that barely had enough muscle to lift such a huge trunk, that weighed tons, with ease.
Looking at the auspicious and colorful birds flying freely in the sky, each bird delicate and beautiful. Each chirp of the bird was like nature singing a hymn. Looking at the birds while the carriage was moving slowly, a thought suddenly came into Abel's mind: why was there no cloud?
Abel, taking advantage of the fairly wide window offering a clear view, exposed his head through the wide gaps of the window. Abel squinted his eyes, no matter how hard he looked, there was not a trace of the cloud, not even a tinge. After looking around for a bit, trying his best to ignore the giant scarred man, Abel soon gave up. "Wow, even the sky was magical here," he muttered to himself.
With that, the following half hour was uneventful, with little to break the monotony. Aside from a giant burning bird that passed by them, nothing really interesting happened. Until, Abel noticed that the carriage's slow pace was slowing further.
Noticing that, Abel asked Sebastian, who was driving the carriage, "Is something wrong, Sebastian?"
"Nothing much, young prince," Sebastian replied. "We were just about to get out of the Reysmith grounds."
'So a portal then?' thought Abel.
So again, Abel poked his head out, and there he saw what seemed to be a black hole threatening to suck in the surroundings, yet the black hole's color was red, making it ominous. Beside that portal was a single large tree, standing lonely among the grassland, and there resting in the shadow of the tree was a simple hut that was made from hay and dried leaves. Resting behind that little hut was an old man with a long beard, swaying in a rocking chair.
'The gatekeeper.'
It was not Abel's first time encountering this. Even though he rarely went out, one must pass through the gate. So Abel was quite familiar with the old man.
The old man's name and identity were unknown even to the heir. That was strange for the old man. What's more, according to rumor, this old man was the gatekeeper of the Reysmith family even before the Great War.
Looking at the old man, Abel muttered a thought, "Will such a rumor be really true?" Yet Abel refused to dismiss it.
The carriage gradually stopped, and the old butler, Sebastian, got down from the carriage. Even the giant scarred man, Brimeborg, who was silently guarding behind the carriage, made a step towards the old man sitting in the rocking chair, resting under the shadow of the tree.
As the two made a step, they soon came near the old man, and both the butler and the giant scarred man bowed and lowered one knee. In a respectful tone, Sebastian announced, "My Lord Gatekeeper, The young Prince Abel Reysmith, a scion of our esteemed House, stands before you with a resolute heart. He yearns to venture forth and claim his own domain, a castle that shall become a testament to his burgeoning independence. With utmost humility, we beseech your leave to pass through this hallowed gateway. May your blessings accompany us on this momentous journey, ensuring the Prince's safe arrival at his destined abode."
Sebastian paused for a second before he and the scarred-face man bowed their heads further and spoke in a respectful and earnest voice, "Please..."
The two bowed their heads, refusing to even move. Yet the old man who was sitting in the rocking chair did not even open his eyes nor have any reaction, except that the color of the 'gate' changed from burning red to golden.
"What are they doing? The gate has opened up, why didn't they still move? Could they perhaps fail to notice the gate has opened?" Abel muttered in confusion. 'Maybe I should remind them.'
Just as Abel was about to speak, "Se-"
"Please... The Lord Gatekeeper...." the duo lowered their heads further. Yet the old man still didn't even react, as the old man continued to bask in the shadow of the tree.
"P...please..." Even this time, the scarred-face man spoke even while lowering their head more than their forehead touched the ground.
Looking at the ridiculous situation, Abel couldn't utter a word. He swallowed his saliva, a knot forming in his stomach. Something was wrong, terribly wrong! He focused on the old man, searching for any sign of recognition.
'What if I join them? Surely that old man must have some reaction or something...' Abel thought, a flicker of frustration igniting within him. He was the heir, after all...
With that thought, and believing himself to be the only one who could solve the situation, Abel decided to open the carriage door.
Stepping out with one foot on the ground, a fierce yell erupted.
"DO NOT GET OUT!!" Sebastian's eyes, usually gentle and calm, were now wide with fury.
The shout sent Abel flying back into the carriage with a powerful impact that almost caused it to tilt. A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat as he gasped in pain.
'What happened? What happened to me?!' His mind reeled in confusion.
"Please..." came the pleading voice again.
Despite the throbbing pain in his body, Abel forced himself up and glanced outside. He saw the old man, still emotionless, peacefully swaying in his chair under the shade of the tree. As if in a different dimension, he seemed oblivious to the chaos he had caused.
After a long, tense silence, Sebastian raised his head and spoke in a grave tone, "Thank you for opening the 'gate,' The Lord Gatekeeper." With that simple sentence, the two bowed once more before slowly walking back to the carriage.
But their movements held a different air now. They emanated a dangerous aura, as if readying themselves for a battle. Looking at them, Abel's heart pounded like a drum.
He felt a sense of impending danger, a primal fear clawing at his insides.
"Everyone, ready yourselves," Sebastian's voice, hoarse from the earlier shout, announced. The atmosphere thickened with tension, almost suffocating. Abel, completely lost, could only stammer, "Sebastian..."
"I'm sorry, young prince," Sebastian interrupted, his voice heavy with regret.
Looking at the grim faces of his escort, Abel realized he didn't understand a single thing that was happening.
'What the hell is going on?' Despite his injuries, the carriage began to move again. This time, Brimeborg, the previously silent giant, took the lead, his scarred face unreadable.
Abel knew, with a chilling certainty, that something big was about to happen. Stealing another glance back at the old man, his blood ran cold.
The old man, who had been seemingly unmoved, was now looking directly at him. Even from a distance, Abel could feel the intensity of the gaze. He mouthed something silently, but the distance muffled the sound.
"Huh? What is that old man saying?" Abel scrambled to the window, his curiosity warring with his fear. As the carriage passed through the golden gate.
The gate swallowed the carriage whole, leaving the old man alone, peacefully baskig under the shade of the tree
with a peaceful expression, the old man slowly crept a smile onto his face...
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
stone