Riley opened his eyes to find that it was already dawn. He had fallen asleep without knowing, how embarrassing. He straightened his back when he felt something slip from his shoulders. A blanket? He carefully put it away and reached for the note on the table.

'Do come down for breakfast after you're ready. I've sent someone to escort you.

-Steven'

He blinked and set the paper back down, walking towards the door and turned the knob, opening the door. A servant just outside the door greeted him with a bow before escorting him to the dining hall.

Riley was walked to his seat, just opposite Steven. He sat down nervously, staring intensely at the array of cutlery laid in front of him. Steven seemed to notice and broke the silence with a cough.

"We were just talking about you," He smiled reassuringly, gesturing to him. "Father, I would like you to meet Riley. He saved me yesterday."

"It's an honor, sire." He nodded slightly, still keeping his hands together.

The Grand Duke seemed to space out for a moment, observing Riley carefully. He was intrigued by his appearance, perhaps? In any case, it wasn't helping Riley overcome his nervousness any.

"…Father…?" Steven peered over. "Are you alright?"

He blinked and looked back at Steven, before he realized he probably made Riley uncomfortable with the stares. He took a breath and leaned back onto his chair.

"I'm fine, but this…friend of yours…where is he from?" He enquired almost suspiciously.

"Not very far away, just in the next town." Riley answered quietly, much to the Grand Duke's surprise.

"I see," He frowned. "You look…very much like him."

'Him'? Riley raised a brow, perhaps he knew about his parents? Then again, it would be too much of a coincidence should it be true.

"Yes," The Grand Duke continued, taking a sip of tea. "This mansion has been here for a very long time, passed down from generations to generations. There was once a person who looked like you, and he served this mansion."

"Like…me?"

"Correct, and I heard from Steven that you are able to read and manipulate aura, yes?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "He had the same ability as you. His name was Aaron."

Somehow, the name struck him as nostalgic, even though the name was common and he heard it a few times, it was the first time he felt this way. It was as if it was resonating to him.

It was then he found out a few things about Aaron. Asides from their similar appearances and abilities, Riley shared some traits with him – that included the drive to protect the things he held dear. Aaron had a Lucario as his partner, and carried a staff with him, said to be a symbol of his command over aura.

He was a kind person at heart, but also very formidable. He fought valiantly in the harshest of battles and was revered as the Unbreakable Knight. That was when people began to address him as 'Sir Aaron'.

After breakfast, the Grand Duke led them to the memorial hallway where a painting of him and Lucario was hanged on the wall. He appeared gallant, holding his staff to the skies. Riley look fixedly at it thoughtfully before he realized how much they looked alike – almost a splitting image.

"It's very unfortunate," The Grand Duke sighed, turning his back to look outside the corridors. "We lost him due to the great war a century ago. He was summoned by the King, and he never came back. The only thing they found was the staff."

"Where might it be?" Riley enquired, his curiosity roused.

"It's in a case, in the next room." He gestured the both of them to follow him, and he led them into a room with glass cases, each with an object that held a certain significance to Sir Aaron.

The moment Riley stepped into the room, he felt a pulse. It was more of a wave, but he could tell it came from a corner. He immediately laid his eyes on the staff, encased behind glass.

It was where the wave was coming from.

He gulped, shifting closer to the staff, the wave getting stronger with each step he took. The pulses emanated from the crystal sitting on the metal – as if it had a life of its own.

"Excuse me, sire…" He turned back a little. "May I have a closer look?"

The Grand Duke hesitated.

"It's very important, but….alright." He retrieved the staff from the glass case and carefully handed it to Riley.

The moment it was in Riley's hands, the pulses grew stronger and started shaking. It unleashed a piercing blue light, and he had to bring his hand up to shield him a little from the light. The light eventually dimmed, but he could still feel the wave, only this time, he felt pulses sent to every inch within his being.

It recognized him as an aura user.

"The crystal…what…was it?" Riley asked hesitantly, still overwhelmed.

"Aaron mentioned that it was supposed to amplify his abilities to manipulate aura to his advantage in the journal we found," The Grand Duke replied. "It only reacted like that to him, so it means you are like him, more so than we thought."

"…I'm not sure if I can be as great of a man as he was." Riley said quietly, looking down.

"I believe you can," He placed a hand on Riley's shoulder. "I believe…Sir Aaron would also like you to have that."

Riley glanced at the staff, then at Steven. He appeared more confused than he was. Even though he was still unsure if he could shoulder this burden.

He looked on as the Grand Duke left, he wasn't sure what he could do, but he decided to try what he can. Even if it meant taking on an important task, he would give anything to protect Steven, to prove his gratitude.

But at this point, he wasn't quite sure if it was gratitude he felt, or something else entirely.