Perhaps because of how unusual it was to hold it at the Black Lion Castle, the Lionheart Coming-of-Age Ceremony this year was particularly majestic.

However, apart from that, it wasn’t particularly special and it didn’t take all that long either. Although the blessings delivered by elders were all worded slightly differently, their contents were practically the same. Don’t shame the Lionheart clan, and take responsibility for your own actions….

Of the three siblings, Cyan had been appointed as the representative. This was because Eward wasn’t able to attend, and also because Cyan was the closest in line to inheriting the position of Patriarch.

Without hiding his heightened emotions, Cyan placed his hand on his chest and swore an oath. Eugene and Ciel stood a step behind Cyan and repeated the words of Cyan’s oath along with him.

And just like that, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was over.

“Although there are a few months left until we’re legally adults, since we’ve already had our Coming-of-Age Ceremony, you could pretty much say that we’re all grown up,” Cyan claimed with a confident nod as they were on their way back to the castle keep. Placing his hand on Eugene’s shoulder, Cyan made an offer. “In that case, should we go grab a drink together, brother?”

“You really are a pretentious prick,” Eugene snorted and brushed off Cyan’s hand.

Cyan’s expression twisted into a pout, as if to deny that he had ever been anything like pretentious, and he pressed on. “So, how about it? Won’t this be our first time grabbing a drink?”

“I’ve gone drinking before,” Eugene informed him.

Cyan faltered. “What… did you say? When?!”

“While I was in Aroth,” Eugene explained.

Cyan’s eyes trembled in shock at this casual reply.

There had once been a time, when Cyan was going through puberty, that Cyan, like many other boys, had started to think that some unhealthy habits were really cool. The fifteen-year-old Cyan had come to admire the wandering knight-errants that appeared in many sagas. The drifters who were kind to the weak, and merciless to their enemies. Badasses who wore sloppy old cloaks, enjoyed alcohol and cigarettes, and brooded in their solitude even as they received the love of many women….

However, the only women to be found in the main estate were the servants; for Cyan, these servants were viewed first as the dependents of his family, and only then as women. This meant that they couldn’t be treated as objects of his affection. As such, Cyan had given up on the love of women, and instead had tasked...