Adrian surveyed the wreckage of the training room.
A punching bag lay in the corner, torn to shreds, with deep, fist-shaped indents visible in the tattered remains. The barbell in front of him was twisted and warped, bent under the sheer weight he'd lifted. Even the metal itself bore the imprint of Adrian's palms.
"Damn..." Adrian whistled, impressed. "If that's what zero percent of my strength looks like, I can only imagine what the rest is like. I guess my baseline strength is enough to destroy metal."
He'd asked Grim to acquire some fitness equipment so he could test his initial strength.
Unlike the British magical community, many international magical societies had integrated non-magical advancements into their daily lives. It had taken the house-elf less than fifteen minutes to have everything ordered and set up in the magical training room.
Flexing his hands, Adrian smiled to himself as he left the now-demolished room.
Back in the opulent living room, Adrian settled onto the couch, taking a moment to consider his new reality.
"Tomorrow, I'll head to Gringotts to claim the Lord's ring," he mused. "After that, I need to decide which magical school to apply to. In the meantime, I'll rely on my personal library for my education. It has everything I could need, from the basics to the most obscure and ancient forms of magic."
The Tepes family had historical records that stretched back to near the time of the Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia. Most magical communities were unaware of just how ancient his family was, which made sense. Over the ages, the Tepes had kept their existence more than secret. Only the goblins and a few other sentient magical creatures had any real historical connection with the family.
'I wonder if the family history is even real,' Adrian pondered, 'or if it's all just fabrication? Maybe I was placed with a family that died out long ago.'
Judging by the magic he'd seen displayed in the library, he was certain the family held many secrets, secrets that would need to be uncovered.
'For now,' he decided, 'I should grab something to eat and continue exploring the grounds. Tomorrow's going to be a busy day.'
_____
"Master Tepes, please wake up!"
A groggy Adrian opened his eyes to Grim's voice. He turned over to see the eager house-elf bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Noticing that his master was awake, Grim smiled and clapped his hands. "Happy Birthday, sir! You are now an adult!" With a snap of his fingers, Adrian's breakfast appeared beside him.
Smiling, Adrian sat up and devoured the meal.
'If anything, I'm taking Grim with me to other worlds. I don't think I could live without his cooking,' Adrian thought, inhaling each mouthful.
It took fifteen minutes for Adrian to be fed, washed, and dressed. Grabbing Grim's shoulder, he grinned, anticipating what was to come.
"Let's go! It's time to become an adult!" Adrian cheered.
A momentary buzzing sensation enveloped him, and darkness flickered across his vision. The next moment, Adrian and Grim stood before a large, white building. Its architecture resembled Gringotts in London, but with a key difference: this building was impeccably maintained. It stood tall and proud.
Walking inside, Adrian followed Grim to a specific goblin teller on the far right. As they approached the podium where the goblin sat, Grim coughed to attract the creature's attention.
"Welcome to the Romanian branch of Gringotts. How may I help you?" the goblin asked. His voice was slow and calm, yet held a grave undertone.
Adrian stepped forward and placed his Gringotts key on the counter. "I need to speak with my account manager."
The goblin glanced at the key, his eyebrows shooting up as he recognized the account it accessed. "Mr. Tepes, it's good to see your family account being used once more. Please follow me. I will take you to Goremouth," he said in a hushed tone. He quickly descended from his seat and led the pair to a door behind his desk.
They were soon moving down a narrow hallway, passing many doors, each marked with a family name, until they reached the very end. The goblin knocked on the door, then turned to Adrian and Grim, nodding once before departing.
"Enter!" a loud voice boomed from within.
Grim opened the door, stepping aside to allow Adrian to enter. As Adrian walked into the room, he was met by a goblin much larger than any he had seen so far in the building. This goblin wore a suit of armor and had a sword strapped to its side. His eyes were sharp and hard, like those of a seasoned warrior.
Taking a seat, Adrian smiled and observed Goremouth.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Heir Tepes. I am Goremouth, branch manager of Romanian Gringotts. I assume you're here to claim your lordship?" Goremouth asked, quickly opening a desk drawer and pulling out a knife and a piece of parchment.
"The pleasure is mine, Manager Goremouth. You're correct; I'd like to claim my lordship and learn about my family's situation" Adrian replied, appreciating the goblins' directness.
Goremouth nodded and pushed the knife and parchment towards Adrian. "A single drop of blood will suffice. This is simply to confirm your identity and any additional lineage you may possess."
Adrian picked up the knife, pausing for a moment. He wondered if ordinary steel could even pierce his skin.
"My clan has managed your accounts for centuries. We are aware of your... 'durable bodies.' Your forefathers gave that knife to my clan, specifically for occasions such as this. It's unique," Goremouth explained, anticipating Adrian's thoughts.
Smiling, Adrian pricked his finger. He waited for the blood to well up, but noticed the knife hadn't worked. He pressed harder, finally feeling the sharpness against his skin. A single drop of blood quickly fell onto the parchment, and his cut healed instantly.
Handing the knife back to Goremouth, Adrian gave a sheepish smile. "I guess I'm a little more durable than most." The tip of the blade now showed a slight bend.
Goremouth chuckled and put the weapon away. They sat in silence as the blood spread across the page. Adrian peered at the words that became visible.
Name: Adrian Fahrenheit Țepeș
Age: 11
Qualified Lordships: House Tepes (Romania), House Le Fay (Britain)
Adrian stared at the parchment, his mind reeling with questions. 'Why would he make me the heir to the Le Fay line? Is it because I'm now Alucard, who specialized in Dark Magic, just as the Le Fay line was known for?'
"How can I be the qualified lord to Le Fay, Goremouth?" Adrian asked. "I have no knowledge or memories of my mother. Is there a way we can see the history of my parentage?"
Goremouth chuckled as he reread the parchment. He waved his hand in the air, causing the page to burst into flames, and then spoke a phrase in the goblin language.
"Unfortunately, Gringotts doesn't keep detailed family trees that far back. In Britain, for example, it's much easier to track families with lines that began less than a thousand years ago. The Tepes and Le Fay lines pre-date those by a considerable margin. Fortunately, the magical world knows both your families as founding families of magic."
As Adrian tried to grasp the sheer scope of the family he'd been granted, a smaller goblin entered the room. He carried two small wooden boxes, which he placed on the table in front of Adrian.
Knowing what was coming, Adrian opened the first box. Inside lay a silver ring, set with a large ruby. A shield with a moon at its center was engraved on it, and the words 'Fides et Mors' were etched around the outside.
Placing the ring on his finger, Adrian felt a wave of warmth surge through his body. The heat spread through his bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves, finally settling in his brain before fading away.
Goremouth smiled as he watched the ring resize itself on Adrian's finger.
"Congratulations, Lord Tepes. Your ring's magic is quite unique; even we goblins envy it. Wearing it will gradually impart information about politics, nobility, and your family's magic. Furthermore, compulsions, potions, and Legilimency will no longer work on you. We're not even sure how that's possible!" Goremouth exclaimed, his voice filled with happiness, though Adrian detected a hint of envy.
Grinning, Adrian opened the second box and placed the ring on another finger. This ring had the same silver band, but the stone was a deep amethyst. The ring featured an engraved raven in the center, along with the words 'In Tenebris Vigemus.'
The same sensation washed over Adrian, though this time it was more subtle than with the Tepes family ring.
Looking up at Goremouth, Adrian raised an eyebrow, seeking the goblin's knowledge.
"The Le Fay ring serves only one purpose: to gradually bestow upon the current lord knowledge of the family's magic. Both the Tepes and Le Fay families kept no physical books as a precautionary security measure."
At those words, Adrian gained his first valuable piece of information from the rings. He willed the Le Fay ring to merge with the Tepes one, to remain hidden unless he needed it to be seen.
"Well, Goremouth, this has been quite a shock to me. I assume you will keep my secondary lordship completely secret?" Adrian inquired.
"Of course, Lord Tepes Le Fay. Gringotts will always safeguard your families' secrets. As the accounts with the largest funds in the magical world, and partial owners of Gringotts itself, we strive to ensure your satisfaction."
Adrian had suspected as much. Two families with histories stretching back further than most countries wielded considerable power.
Standing up, Adrian nodded to Goremouth. "That's all I needed to know. I'll visit the vaults at a later date. I believe I need to address my future schooling now."
Goremouth bade farewell to Adrian, and he left the office. Following Grim, they exited the Gringotts branch and apparated back to Tepes Manor.