CHAPTER 41: HIDDEN CREST — RAGNA

But then the system went further, pulling back another layer... not just a scan, but a vision.

And Eran saw it.

Not with his eyes, but with the sight his system granted him.

[ HIDDEN CREST DETECTED ]

Association: LLINX CORE

Mana Tier: GRADE A

Disguise Status: ACTIVE

__________________________

*System

Warning: This individual does not belong to Grade C.

A band of light — no, a chain... wrapped like a phantom around the newcomer’s wrist, glowing faintly as if it had been burned into his very skin. It wasn’t visible to anyone else. To the naked eye, his sleeve was flawless, his stance impeccable.

No one else seemed to notice. To the outside world, he was just a polished, well-dressed noble walking into the hall like any other.

But to Eran’s system, the truth was seared into reality.

This wasn’t the Nexus Crest of a Grade C. No, the mark was sharper, more intricate, the sigil of something far older, and far more dangerous.

LLINX.

Eran’s gaze hardened, tracking the subtle flare of that hidden sigil. The Llinx Association... not Nexus. But This wasn’t just another noble entering the hierarchy and the chambers of the Grade C.

This was someone from far above it.

The mana pouring from that hidden core was heavier, sharper, like a storm pressing down on the air. Far more potent than anything a Grade C chamber should even be able to contain.

And yet, here he was, wrapped in a perfect disguise.

A high-born predator, walking calmly into a den of sheep.

For the first time, Eran’s stare shifted, confusion cutting through his usually calm face, his expression darkening as if a shadow passed over him.

Not that anyone else could see.

No one else in the hall looked concerned. Selene’s attention was on the Dire, Nyssa’s posture perfectly formal, Miyu’s expression quietly unreadable. They saw a noble.

But Eran saw a rival.

This doesn’t add up, Eran thought, his jaw tight. To everyone else, he’s just another Grade C transfer... but beneath . A Grade A, wearing a mask no one else can pierce.

And worse — a rival with a system like his.

On his other hand under the newcomer’s wrist, hidden from every eye but Eran’s, a faint blue core pulsed a sigil-like brand tethered to his very mana. Eran’s system flared bright, translating what no one else could see. This was no ordinary crest. It was a seal, one designed to mask his true rank and bind his strength, keeping him perfectly disguised as a Grade C noble.

SYSTEM SCAN INITIALIZING...

[DETECTIONMASKED CREST IDENTIFIED.]

ANALYSIS: Suppression Core — Active.

FUNCTION:

Strength Concealment / Rank Suppression / False Classification: Grade C.

The words burned across Eran’s vision, and his jaw clenched. He wasn’t just some noble sent here as a goodwill gesture.

And no one else in the hall had the faintest clue.

When the newcomer reached the hall’s center, he stopped, posture perfect, head slightly lowered as though respectful. The Dire began to speak, introducing him to the rest of the nobles.

But Eran wasn’t listening.

His eyes were still fixed on the glow only he could see... that chained, living sigil pulsing against the newcomer’s wrist like a heart. It was almost taunting him, whispering that everything about this "transfer" was a lie.

Then the noble moved.

He turned slowly, deliberately, to face the gathered crowd. His gaze drifted over the chamber, sweeping lazily across the nobles in attendance, until it landed on Eran.

And stayed there.

The hall stayed silent, the Dire’s voice carrying on, but for Eran the world narrowed to that one stare. For a heartbeat, it felt as though two hidden systems clashed in the open air, whispering to each other through their masters.

The newcomer didn’t speak. Didn’t even move. He just held that stare, as if daring Eran to break it first.

And then...

The noble slowly looked away, severing the connection with a lazy flick of his head.

But before he did, a grin flickered across his face, so faint most would have missed it, just a single curve at the edge of his mouth, there and gone in the space of a heartbeat.

Only Eran understood it.

His chest tightened. His expression, calm until now, darkened for the first time, though no one else seemed to notice.

His system keeps reading, data streaming across his vision, filling the edge of his sight with information no one else could see.

WARNING: Restricted Access

[NOTICE: Unable to read full stats; Current Rank (Grade D) cannot access information on Grade B or higher stats profile.]

[SUGGESTION: Level up to Rank III to access full parameters ]

Eran’s brow twitched. Normally, that would’ve been the end of it. He could only read stats below Grade C; everyone else’s power was a blank wall to him.

But this one... this raven-haired boy with his quiet, razor-sharp presence... His system kept feeding him something. Not full stats, but enough to make Eran’s chest tighten.

Because he carried a hidden system.

Just like him.

That was why Eran could sense him at all.

His arms folded loosely across his chest, his face as calm and unreadable as ever. Inside, though, his mind stayed sharp, following every flicker of data until the stream cut off.

Just then, movement at his side broke the silence... Miyu shifted slightly. Her violet eyes flicked toward him, her gaze curious. For a heartbeat their eyes met, silent understanding passing between them.

Eran let the corner of his mouth curve into the faintest smirk, just enough for her to catch it, before turning his focus back to the front.

The Dire’s speech rolled on, deep and measured, before his tone shifted, a call for attention.

"Today," he announced, "a new noble joins our halls. Show him the honor due his station."

A ripple of silence spread through the chamber as the boy stepped forward from the Dire’s side.

He moved with calm precision, each footstep measured, his posture perfectly controlled.

To anyone else, he looked like just another noble stepping into the hall... calm, collected, perfectly at ease among the Grade C elites.

But Eran’s system had already whispered the truth about him earlier.

"My name is Daiven," he said, his voice smooth, measured, hiding nothing yet revealing even less.

He stood tall before the gathered nobles, bowing his head with a polite nod.

Eran’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

For the briefest heartbeat, their gazes locked again across the distance, not with open challenge, but with something quieter, sharper.

Like two predators recognizing each other while hiding beneath calm façade in a crowded den.

Then it was gone.

The hall accepted his introduction without question, just as the parchment declared.

But Eran knew.

His thoughts flicked back to the system’s earlier warning about Ragna’s true identity

But he let his expression smooth into calm neutrality, arms still loosely folded at his chest.

No one else noticed the flicker of heat that passed between them, the silent knowledge shared only between him and the boy now standing at the center of the hall.