Chapter 3: Chapter 003
Alvin had three mystical items in total. Two of them were given to him by the family butler shortly before he died. The third one was something he had acquired in the one year as a bounty hunter and adventurer since that day.
He had also obtained a few other mystical items and potion ingredients, but he had sold them all as he either couldn't deal with the negative side effects or didn't have a good use for it. Alvin deeply remembered the incident back in his hometown that changed his life forever.
Over a year ago, the Hans family was a marginalised yet well connected noble family with a fief in East Chester County. His father, Baron Avril Hans, was well respected and connected in the Loen Kingdom, being a close confidant to some of the bigwigs in Backlund. He was doing very well for himself, and as his only son, Alvin was expected to take over for him one day.
Alvin was raised in a perfectly fulfilling environment as an eventual heir, and had knowledge of politics, business, and combat instilled into him from a young age. Alvin was also exceedingly talented, and absorbed everything like a sponge.
A year ago, during the month of February, his father, Avril Hans visited Backlund as per usual to rub elbows with the top brass of the country. He used to have such a visit every year, and there was nothing unusual about this one. He would usually send a letter back every now and then when he was in Backlund. But after a few days, he stopped sending letters, or responding to letters sent from back home. It was a bit worrying, and some retainers were tasked to go and check on him and bring back word.
But the retainers also varnished. The last contact with them was a letter they sent just after they reached Backlund. Now, Alvin and his mother started to get a bit worried. Just as Alvin was prepared to go to Backlund himself, news arrived from Backlund.
The news was shocking to say the least. The official letter signed by the Backlund police department and the special operations department stated that Avrill Hans had been mugged and murdered by a few street thugs. The letter also mentioned that the thugs were identified, and killed when they resisted arrest, and that the body of Avril Hans was cremated and buried as it was too incomplete and horrifying.
Alvin was filled with disbelief. It sounded like a coverup rather than what genuinely happened. But considering that the documents were signed by both the Backlund police department and the special operations department, he knew that it must be someone with a lot of pull covering this up.
He maintained his rationality as he was always taught, and decided to lay low for a while before seeking clues to what really happened and who was responsible.
He comforted his mother and started preparing for all the formalities for him to inherit his father's title.
All the preparations were rushed to completion shortly after. He would inherit the title in his territory on March 21st, and would then go to Backlund for formal initiation after.
But on March 16th, he heard some shocking and previous news. His mother had suffered an accident when she was coming home from a picnic. Her carriage fell off the trail, and his mother landed on her head and was dead. He rushed to the site of the accident immediately.
At first glance, it looked like a typical accident. But Alvin, with his keen powers of observation noted that his the distance his mother was from the carriage was more than the distance she would have been in if she was flung from the carriage. On a closer inspection, he noticed that there was wax and a faint aroma of lavender near her corpse. From the limited knowledge of Beyonders that Alvin had, he knew that his mother was probably killed and her spirit was channelled by someone to find out about something.
Without time to properly mourn or process everything, he hastily ordered her cremation and burial in the local church. He figured he was the next target, after his father and mother. Hence, he then raced home and began packing everything useful he had that could fit in a small suitcase. He managed to come up with deeds for some valuable property that was secretly purchased by his father, some jewellery, documents regarding the safe houses, secret bank accounts, storehouses and such other things of the Hans family, stocks and bonds, and all the cash he could find.
He then made plans to secretly sneak into Backlund and meet up with a few of his father's friends. He could inherit the title there, and then come back after asking for protection from the churches. After that, he would be the Baron and would be much more difficult to harm.
Alvin picked what he thought would be the best time, and arranged for his departure from the manor and arrival at Backlund. Once there, the cash, bonds, and property would allow him to live comfortably for a while and serve as bribes to smoothly inherit his title and receive protection from the churches. If he was lucky, he could even persuade someone to tell him the method to become a Beyonder, and successfully acquire some ability to protect himself.
But unfortunately, while that was a sound plan, there was trouble looming over him in his immediate vicinity that he had failed to notice.
As he was about to leave the house, he was stopped by Grayson, the old and frail butler who lived in the manor since Alvin could remember. He wasn't a very nice or helpful person despite being a butler, but Avril Hans seemed to trust him immensely. Hence, even though they weren't familiar, Alvin also didn't have his guard up against him.
"Are you going somewhere young master?" asked Grayson in a hoarse voice.
"Well Grayson, I might as well tell you the death of my parents seems way too suspicious. I suspect that I am the next target of whatever this is. Hence, I decided to leave for Backlund. I will stay there until I inherit my title and receive some protection and them come back" said Alvin.
"That is a decent idea young master. But I am afraid you can't do that" said Grayson.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone