Galaxy's First Ruler

Aldrich was used to standing in a place where none wanted his presence.

All his life, people were giving him looks. Looks strange enough for a third person to understand, but Aldrich had always been a little different. In a glance, he could notice if the mass of people didn't want him to present. So when Enok mentioned him as Bastard and all the nobles lined up there nodded their heads, Aldrich couldn't help but remember a few parent-teacher conferences from his childhood.

This memory was sudden, as it came after crossing the barrier of time. A time equivalent to many millions of years or even more. There was nothing pleasant or unpleasant about those memories. But through these memories, Aldrich got to see the faces of his parents flashed by his eyes. A smile came upon his face, so sincere that almost none got to understand the pain hidden behind it.

Alas, following some unknown Will, there were a few who didn't misunderstand this smile like that of a shameless one. Few at one point of their lives had smiled just as the same.

One of these people was Trifon, who was lucky enough to be looking in Aldrich's direction. Another was Amalia, who hadn't taken her eyes off Aldrich's mask since the time she had noticed him staring at her. And the last was the fourth girl, who had come along with Earl Frida. Her black eyes stirred, and for no reason, the corner of her eyes became wet.

Unaware of the karma caused by this single innocent smile, Aldrich buried the two gentle faces deep in his heart. His two, now emotionless, white eyes matched that of the yellow eyes of Marquess Harold, who seemed to size him up from afar.

"One should learn from Ingegards how to make a hill out of a mole? Hahaha!"

The child-like laughter resounded in the ears of many, and Earl Frida's eyes squinted unnaturally at Enok. But Enok seemed not to hear a word of the Marquess as he kept looking at Amalia, hoping to get her attention.

Marquess Harold smirked as Amalia gave her hand for Enok to kiss, following the custom, and shouted.

"Let's go, I am hungry. Kid! I hope you have all my favorite treats."

"Haha! Of Course, and a little surprise too," said Earl Drago.

Aldrich had a little idea of this surprise Drago spoke of. As he saw the two Earls led by Marquess Harold coming towards him, Trifon neared Aldrich and put a hand around his shoulder. It looked like a father pacifying his son, but Aldrich had already raised his eyebrows at this gesture.

Trifon pretended like Aldrich's dearest friend and spoke.

"Ahh! Love. What a feeling! Ancestor, I didn't know you were so romantic."

"…"

Aldrich did not know what to say. Even though Trifon was known for his cunning in the circle of Dreamers around him, he couldn't guess Aldrich's emotions just from a slight smile.

Marquess Harold was about to pass by Aldrich and Trifon when he halted and looked up towards Aldrich. Aldrich could feel him looking beyond him towards the pole on his back, and little by little, Harold's eyes narrowed and a grave look appeared on his face. But before the two Earls could ask him anything, Harold let out a deep laugh.

"Hahaha! Son, so what if there is a white rose among the red ones. A rose will always bloom grandly. Come with me."

Following behind Marquess and Earls, Enok clenched his teeth and scoffed at these words. Amalia's arched eyebrows perked up, hearing her father praising someone, and even the yet nameless fourth girl kept staring at Aldrich like never before. Vivi lifted her chin as she saw Amalia's tall figure a few steps ahead of her. The hint of jealousy on her face was vividly visible.

Aldrich saw Earl Drago nod his head towards him and was about to take a step when the smell of blood and piss overtook the entire Manor's surroundings.

Tap-Tapp-Tappp!

The sound of footsteps was everywhere and nowhere, too. Marquess Harold's yellow eyes lit up with the sprinkle of starlike dust. Even the two Earl's faces became serious enough to call them pale. The blood-pissy smell made almost all Dreamers under the Rank of Viscount nauseated. And a few Rare Dreamers guarding the outskirts of the Manor even vomited on the spot.

Tap-Tapp!!

The footsteps were coming closer and closer, but they also felt like going farther and farther. Aldrich looked out at the end of the long path and his heart stirred as he sensed something. This was a feeling Aldrich was most familiar with, and this feeling materialized as a single word in his mind.

'LAW…'

Aldrich became happy as he couldn't recognize the nature of this Law even remotely. It meant that he would soon come in contact with a new thing to learn.

"Congrats… Daddy."

Contrary to the thoughts of Aldrich and Sha, the high Ranked Dreamers weren't that eager for this person's coming here.

Tap!!!

A final tap echoed, and everyone got to see a man in a white uniform, covered in dozens of medals. On his left arm, there was an insignia of a sword running through a starry spiral. It felt like the sword was going through the entire Milky Way Galaxy, and would soon cut it in half.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Tap…

This tap was even fainter than all the previous ones combined, and with it, the man vanished and reappeared in front of the Marquess and two Earls.

"Retd. Commander of UGF, Marquess Nicholas Askr of House Lost Steps, congratulates Earl Drago Goranov on his Territory Bestowment Ceremony."

"This wasn't the answer to my question."

The seemingly 10-year-old boy, Marquess Harold, approached Nicholas and stared into his eyes. Aldrich couldn't feel any trace of Law coming out of Harold's body, but the retired Commander seemed wary of him nonetheless. As Marquess Nicholas heard Harold's condescending tone, he let out a slight smile and his words struck everyone's hearts like a Death Knell.

"What?! Don't tell me, you are asking me to deny a King's command? Haha!"