---
Vexin – The Outer Hills
The sun dipped low as Aeron returned to the place few still called Blackthorn estate.
What remained of the once-mighty noble house stood like a forgotten monument—vines curling through cracked brick, scorched timber holding up weary roofs. Birds nested freely in the rafters where once guards stood. The gates hung half-off their hinges, swinging in the wind with a mournful creak.
Time had spared nothing here. Not the banners that once flew proudly above the rooftops, nor the cobbled stones polished by generations of footsteps. Even the air carried the scent of withered glory—smoke, damp moss, and ash.
He stepped through them slowly, silently.
Not as a boy coming home.
But as a man stepping into the bones of a past life.
The courtyard was empty. No servants. No family. No waiting hearth. Just overgrown grass and moss-covered stone paths that split toward shattered stables and dead fountains. Weeds cracked the paving stones. Rust clung to the iron torch holders.
And yet…
It's still standing.
Not proud. Not strong. But standing.
And that meant something.
Sometimes survival was its own quiet defiance.
---
Main Hall – Twilight Dust
He pushed open the doors.
They groaned but held, swinging inward to reveal the hollow core of what was once a grand house.
Tattered drapes swayed listlessly in the wind. A torn family banner clung to the far wall, its colors dulled to the shade of dried blood. Dust lay like fog on broken furniture. A grand chandelier still hung above, though two of its crystal branches had fallen, shattered on the floor below.
Aeron stepped over them without pause.
Silence met him, thick and solemn. Not the kind of silence born from peace—but from vacancy. Absence. The kind of silence that settled after too many goodbyes.
He reached the main corridor, lined with portraits dimmed by age. His eyes moved across them slowly, reverently.
His grandfather—tall and stern, painted in his battle uniform, eyes like polished steel.
His father—younger, smiling faintly, a glass of crimson wine in hand, roguish charm frozen in oils.
His mother—gentle-eyed, soft features framed in lavender, with a sunflower brooch pinned near her collarbone.
All gone.
— War, sickness, sabotage... And in the end, silence.
He didn't sigh. He didn't grieve.
He remembered.
And he kept walking.
---
Old Sitting Room – Dimming Light
He reached the old sitting room—once a place of warm fire, crackling laughter, and family dinners. Now dark, cold, and cracked at the edges. The hearth was choked with ash. The walls bore water stains. A single chair remained upright, its cushions moth-eaten.
He sat in the center chair. Dust rose in lazy spirals.
His cloak shifted around him as he leaned back, eyes closing briefly.
Then came the sound.
[Ding]
---
[Void System: Base Link Detected]
Legacy Core Identified: Blackthorn Noble Estate
Status: Crumbling
Functionality: 8%
Ownership: [Confirmed – Heir: Aeron Blackthorn]
Family Lineage: Severed
Name Authority: Active
[ Would you like to bind the Blackthorn Estate as your base of operation?]
[Y/N]
---
Aeron blinked once.
Then: "Yes."
A soft hum pulsed through the walls. Faint lines of light traced beneath the wooden floorboards—barely visible, like the heartbeat of something long asleep.
---
[Estate Bound: Blackthorn Manor – Core Initialization]
Void Sovereign Base Activated
Core Level: 1
Features Unlocked:
[Estate Menu]
[Estate Upgrade Tree]
[Foundations of Command – Passive Management Menu]
[Voidstone Tracking – 0/100]
[First Quest: Awaken the Manor]
---
[Quest: "Awaken the Manor"]
Objective:
Restore the Main Hall's Integrity (0/1)
Reinstate the Blackthorn Crest (0/1)
Cleanse Dust of Neglect (0/3 rooms)
Rewards:
+150 EXP
Title: [Keeper of Ashes]
Unlock: Estate Storage Room
Optional:
Complete within 24 hours to gain bonus [Void Affinity +2%]
---
Aeron rose.
His voice, dry and low, broke the silence.
"So… I have to even sweep the floors now?"
A small, mirthless chuckle escaped him.
"How did that boy survive till now… with all these things?"
He shook his head.
No system would do it for him. No hidden power would lift stones or cleanse grime. If he wanted to rebuild, it began like this—with his own hands.
He walked to the corner, pulled off his cloak, and picked up a broom left hanging from a broken wall hook.
"Well, it's my home now. Gotta do something about it."
He began to sweep.
Each drag of the bristles felt both absurd and sacred.
Dust lifted. Time shifted.
And for the first time in years, the Blackthorn estate felt alive.
---
Hours Later – Crest Room
The Blackthorn crest—once a proud mosaic of red fire encircled by black thorns—lay half buried under rubble and ash.
Aeron kneeled beside it.
He didn't use magic. No commands or shortcuts.
He cleared it by hand.
Stone by stone. Shard by shard. His nails cracked. His fingertips bled. Still he worked.
Until, at last, the sigil was visible again.
The once-vibrant reds were faded to rust. The black thorns chipped, edges broken. But it was there. His family's mark. His legacy.
His hand touched the worn edges. His fingers curled.
Not from emotion.
But from intent.
They left you in dust. All of them. But you're not done yet.
A system tone echoed quietly.
---
[Main Crest Restored – 1/3 objectives complete]
+50 EXP
Symbol of Legacy: +1 Estate Morale
Hidden Bonus Unlocked:
Family Echo: "You make us proud, son."
---
He paused.
For a moment—just a flicker—it felt as though the stone beneath his palm was warm.
He stood.
A smile tugged at his lips without his knowing.
A quiet one. Not triumphant.
But real.
---
Final Light – Over the Hills
As the last golden light spilled over the Vexin hills, Aeron stepped outside.
The wind blew against his shirt, carrying the scent of old smoke and fresh grass. The Blackthorn banner still hung limply above, its edge torn and mold-stained.
He walked up the outer stair, climbed the stone base, and pulled the fabric down.
It felt heavier than he remembered.
Inside, he found an old cloth and a bucket. No magic—just water, soap, and time. He scrubbed the dirt away, fingers aching, arms trembling slightly.
Once done, he climbed back up and pinned it anew.
The sigil of Blackthorn, though faded, now flew clean and visible against the sky.
Not proud. Not defiant.
But unashamed.
"A proud son, huh…" he murmured.
[Ding]
---
[Quest Complete: Awaken the Manor – Partial Completion]
EXP Gained: +150
Title Gained: [Keeper of Ashes]
Void Affinity: +2%
Blackthorn Estate Core Upgraded (Level 1 → Level 2)
---
A new panel opened before his eyes.
---
Estate Functions Unlocked
Room Restoration (Unlocked)
Servant Recruitment: Locked
Defensive Wardlines: Locked
Summoning Circle: Locked
Library Archives: Locked
---
Aeron stood atop the estate's broken balcony, staring into the twilight.
Below, Vexin stretched into a sea of quiet forests and slumbering roads. Faint torchlights twinkled from distant villages.
The world beyond whispered promises and threats. But none of it mattered—not yet.
This ruin, this broken place, this legacy drenched in ash—
It was his.
And from ashes…
He would begin.
.
.