Maxwell learned more about his life with each passing day. He is the third son of Marquess. A great privilege by many for his future of extravagance is set. But compared to his peers, the life ahead is nothing but a bore. As the third son, his inheritance is nothing but drop compared to the inheritance of the firstborn son. He'll have enough money to buy a large cottage at most. Maybe a few acres of land or a smaller vineyard. If he manages to make an earning, he'll have to surrender a fraction of it to the main branch of the family. If he makes a name for himself, people will see it as a talent born from the blood of a Vanderbilt, not of his merit. He may be a man of nobility, but he is also shackled by it.
As such, Maxwell decided to escape from his fate as soon as possible. Of course, it's difficult to just escape on the spot. The world out there is daunting and full of danger. He may have the gracious blessings of the Pantheon but he is still a man, a mortal begets with weaknesses. Maxwell stayed for a bit in the Vanderbilt manor. Played the role of an obedient son in the omnipresent vision of his absentee father. His father, Deidrick Vanderbilt, is a man of solitude and duty. The man is handling the defense of a large territory of the country. Their enemies are vicious and his keen sense of duty is one of this realm's only vanguard against the horde. The only time his father acknowledged his presence is when he asked what blessing he got from the Marking Ceremony. Maxwell lied, of course. The fewer people who know his talents, the better.
Days passed and Maxwell spent that time earning as much knowledge and tools that can help his life in the outside world. He saved up the allowance of 5 silver coins he got every week and hid lightweight clothes in a place hidden from the servants. Then there is a fact with the blessings he got. He may have a high level in the elements, but without the proper mental game and knowledge, those powers remain inaccessible. He would sneak away in the middle of the night to the small forest nearby. There he would train his elemental powers and even dabble in manipulating his skin with flesh magic. The best he could do so far is conjure elemental projectiles and launch them at supersonic speeds. Then he could also change his hair and eye color permanently.
But at last, the day of Maxwell's plans would reach its peak momentum. He already saved enough money to buy a small lodging, learned the map, and marked the next possible towns where he can stay. If he finds himself in danger, he has this shortsword he stole from the forge. It's sharp and with his skills in swordsmanship, using it feels natural. Although, he knows that he could still improve by a whole lot if he learned more of the proper techniques.
It pains Maxwell to leave without the proper farewells. Especially to Alexander who took care of him all these passing weeks as if he was a little brother. When the moon was gone and clouds turned the night even darker, Maxwell made his move. He leaped out of his bedroom window, the knapsack of his belongings clutched on his back. His nimble feet danced from roof to roof, until he reached the edge of his father's household territory. The guards stand on each tower but given how dark it is, it was easy for Maxwell to climb down with a rope and escape to the world beyond.
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Come morning, the entire region of Andorre would learn of the news about the missing son Marquess Vanderbilt. Searches were made far and wide, from the main roads to the obscure ones. They searched possible places where a frail child could run off to. People would first blame the local brigands who stole the child for ransom. Come tomorrow and nobody has put their demands for the boy's safe return. Even the notorious group 'Vengeance' - a bane to the Vanderbilt's - remained silent on the matter. Deidrick placed a bounty of 100 platinum coins for whoever could find his son. This is such a huge travesty for the Vanderbilt name. They are the protectors of the realm and yet, they could not protect their son. Adventurers of experience and the lack thereof would band together to find a white-haired boy with golden eyes. They searched for days and always came back with none.
Of course, they would return empty-handed for Maxwell had already disguised himself when he knew that he was far away from the Vanderbilt manor. Obsidian hair with a streak of white as a reminder of who he was. His eyes of gold turned jade green. He traveled on foot and stayed out of the main roads as a precaution. Although, trekking on the smaller roads presented him with more danger. Like the case where a lone brigand thought that he's easy picking. The brigand demanded that Maxwell give him all his belongings or else.
"Or else what?" Maxwell said. "You'll cut me with that rusty sword?"
Indeed, the man has a rusty sword. When their blades met, the man's feeble weapon snapped to two. Maxwell slashed his sloppy attire to ribbons and turned him into a shameless display. The nude man realized his predicament and ran away with the sorry state of a dick between his legs.
As daybreak came, the city of Dresit came to the horizon. It's a trading settlement broken by rivers into countless islands and stitched together with bridges. Maxwell settled first in the first inn he saw. There he replenished his aching bones. Maxwell is surprised that he managed to walk that far in a kid's body.
Maxwell would wake a day later, thankful that nobody crossed him wrong during his stay. He entered far from the city's main gates which meant that he was in one of the city's many slums. Although, the place looks far from your usual low-income neighborhood. There are tons of people around, each doing their job. Half-naked men are lifting and exchanging cargo. Ship captains wait by the wharves where officials inspect their cargo and impose the proper tariffs. Then there are adventurers carrying a drawing of a white-haired boy. They are asking people if they've seen the boy from the picture. One adventurer caught Maxwell in the eye and was about to go near when he realized that Maxwell had the wrong hair color.