EPISODE 32

Reagan pressed his eyes tightly, trying to hide his agitation. Before he knew it, goosebumps prickled his arms.

Though they were blood-related, Hariba often felt like a monster to him. At times, it seemed Hariba lacked the essential qualities that made someone human.

He hadn't always been this way. The first signs of Hariba's strange behavior emerged two years ago at the Second Prince's birthday party. Shortly after, Hariba abruptly left for Ulkah, claiming he had something to study.

Reagan hadn't wanted to send him. Ulkah, though renowned for alchemy, was far from reputable. It was a city teeming with alchemists who would stop at nothing for their research. Some even called it the worst city in existence, a claim not entirely unfounded given its atmosphere and lack of security.

When Hariba returned from Ulkah, he no longer concealed his impulses. Reagan had also heard rumors about Hariba's association with dangerous individuals.

A moment later, Reagan said, "What does killing her have to do with the blessing ceremony? Even if Lucia dies, the ceremony can still proceed. Her funeral can wait until afterward."

"I heard that Luan Badniker isn't mentally strong," Hariba said.

"Nevertheless, it is a risky task. The chances of getting caught are too high. Have you forgotten where we are?" Reagan retorted.

Though the Iron-Blooded Lord was absent, this was still the main house of the Badniker family. Elders, knights, and even Grand Masters were present. While there were countless ways to assassinate someone, Reagan doubted they could do so without being discovered.

Reagan looked at his son. "Hariba."

"Yes."

"Calm down."

It was sincere advice. Reagan believed that a certain degree of ruthlessness was necessary to excel, but Hariba had taken it too far.

Hariba fell silent for a moment, then bowed. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need to worry about Luan. The latest piece of information suggests that he is already a rat in a trap. Killing him is only a matter of time," Reagan said, rising from his seat.

He opened the curtains, and bright sunlight streamed in.

Reagan narrowed his eyes. "A rookie without any blessing has no chance of escaping the Jewel Mountains. There's no need to worry."

"I understand."

"You may go."

Hariba bowed again and quietly left the room.

Reagan turned his gaze to the window. Beyond the beautifully maintained garden lay a lush forest.

This was the main house of the Badniker family, a place reserved for the chosen few. Thanks to the blessing ceremony, he now occupied a guest room. His stay was temporary, but if Hariba became a member of the Badniker family, this serene view would be his daily reality.

There are four days until the blessing ceremony.

Reagan decided to wait with a calm mind.

***

Of course, the Badniker family wasn't the only one participating in the blessing ceremony. All the empire's nobles, whose names even a country bumpkin would recognize, had gathered for the occasion. However, few families could rival the Badnikers—almost none.

The Goodsprings were the sole family in the empire whose name carried comparable weight.

"I am going to die of boredom," muttered Seren, the Goodspring family's third daughter.

Her face wrinkled in displeasure. She had already spent two weeks in the Badnikers' home, and her initial excitement had long since faded.

At first, she had been captivated by the stunning mansion nestled deep within the enchanting forest. It had felt like stepping into a fairytale, a sensation she hadn't experienced in years.

The scenery remained breathtaking for the first few days, but by the end of the first week, the novelty had worn off.

As Seren grew accustomed to the beauty, the drawbacks became glaringly obvious. The city was too far away, and she couldn't even leave the forest, let alone visit the city.

She knew about the Butterfly Forest's reputation—a place where only those of Badniker blood could navigate the paths. In addition, she had heard that dangerous monsters inhabited the deep forest.

At this point, Seren could no longer tell how this place was different from a prison. To make matters worse, the endless banquets had become unbearable; the mere sound of music made her nauseous.

"Why did I even come to a place like this?" she grumbled to herself.

How great would it have been to hold the blessing ceremony at the Goodsprings' home?

Seren's family was one of only three—alongside the Badnikers and the imperial family—that could preside over the blessing ceremony.

If she were lucky, Seren could participate in the blessing ceremony held by her family.

This time, however, she chose to attend the Badnikers' event.

Her true aim wasn't just the ceremony but the infamous retreat that followed—the Six Weeks of Despair, a grueling training camp rumored to transform even the most inept into capable individuals.

Many wondered why Seren, a Goodspring, would seek such an ordeal. The Goodspring family had produced countless blessed heroes, and their training was no less rigorous than the Badnikers'.

Then why was she trying to participate in the Badnikers' training camp? What was her reason?

Seren scanned the large auditorium, filled with boys and girls of various ages. Today was the final inspection day, the last step before tomorrow's blessing ceremony. Everyone, even those who had secluded themselves in their rooms for weeks, had gathered early for the occasion.

The ceremony always had a protagonist, determined by the number of blessings received. Naturally, the more talented the individual, the greater their chances of standing out.

Seren was confident she would be this ceremony's protagonist. Still, she acknowledged a few rivals—the Dosretagas' eldest son, Helvins' third son, Rubietas' youngest daughter, and Hyde Woodjack's only son, the empire's strongest ranger.

Each was notable in their own right, but one individual demanded the most attention.

Seren's gaze settled on two annoyingly handsome men—one with black hair, the other with red. These rare colors, seldom seen even in the empire, marked their lineage. The dull black hair belonged to the Badnikers; the fiery red, to the imperial family.

These two were the Badniker family's second son and the empire's Fourth Prince.

These bastards are like parasitic brothers, Seren inwardly cursed the two men, though she couldn't deny the crowd's fascination with them.

It was only natural. Neither had been seen publicly in the weeks leading up to the ceremony, having secluded themselves in their rooms.

Mysticism, or something like that?

At that moment, the black-haired man turned her way and smirked unpleasantly. "Isn't this the young lady of the Goodspring family?"

Seren held back the urge to insult him and replied coolly, "It is an honor to be recognized by the famous Young Master Hector."

"Haha

. There is no need for formalities. Come here. Have you greeted Lantus yet?" Hector asked her.

She found his superior tone annoying.

Truthfully, she had no desire to approach him, but mentioning the prince left her with no polite excuse to refuse. Even without an audience, he invoked Lantus' name like a close friend to flaunt his influence.

Just then, Lantus glanced her way with a gentle smile.

Seren forced a stiff smile in return and was about to respond when the auditorium door opened abruptly. A man of average build, face, and attire entered, yet his presence instantly put the young heroes on edge.

Meanwhile, the man stood on the platform and spoke calmly. "Hello. I am honored to meet such young heroes today. My name is Luke Badniker."

Though his name was ordinary, his status was anything but. He was the head of one of the Badnikers' knight divisions, the Iron-Blooded Knights—Knight Commander Luke. He was also the Iron-Blooded Lord's younger brother.

Despite his plain appearance, his voice carried a commanding weight. "Thank you for gathering so early in the morning. Today's agenda is simple—identity verification. It won't take long."

His words alone were enough to dampen Seren's spirits. For some reason, his voice also made her uneasy.

It is amazing.

Just a few decades ago, the Badnikers couldn't even compare to the Goodsprings. To be precise, their influence was far more limited before the Iron-Blooded Lord took the helm. While they were always a prestigious family within the empire, they fell short in many areas compared to the Goodsprings.

Then what about now?

If one stopped a passerby on the side of the road and asked them to compare the Badnikers and Goodsprings, how many people would choose the latter?

In the meantime, Luke's emotionless voice continued, "The schedule was announced three days ago, so anyone absent today will also miss the blessing ceremony.

"The process is straightforward. Please respond when I call your name. If one doesn't answer after three calls, they will be considered absent. Please be attentive. Also, I apologize in advance for omitting honorifics. Let's begin now. Corman of the Tenfield family."

"Here."

Naturally, no one would be foolish enough to miss this.

What kind of opportunity was the blessing ceremony? While money and power could solve most of the world's problems, exceptions always existed.

"Leonis of the Tumaron family."

"Here."

The blessing ceremony was exclusive to those who carried the blood of heroes and possessed the aptitude to subdue demons. Only through the god's blessing could the hero's blood fully awaken.

"Seren of the Goodspring family."

"Here," she answered promptly as her name was called.

Suddenly, she felt eyes turn toward her from all directions.

Some of the family's children whispered rudely.

Their comments ranged from, "Is that the third daughter of the Goodspring family?" to "Her hair color is unusual," and "She looks fine, but I heard she is unstable."

Seren remained calm, accustomed to such reactions.

Her composure nearly faltered at, "Her temper worsened after the marriage talks with the Badniker family fell through."

The marriage talk is bullshit.

It had been forced from the start, and she had never seen the other person's face. In fact, she couldn't even recall his name.

Was he the lunatic who sold the family's sword?

Marriage talks between prestigious families were rarer than people often assumed. Moreover, the Badnikers and Goodsprings represented their empire, and the betrothal had nearly been finalized.

In such cases, the reason was often simple—something was wrong with those involved. It was a traditional way to deal with a family's troublemaker.

The talks ultimately collapsed because the young master of the Badniker family had gained a notorious reputation.

Thanks to that fool's recklessness, Seren could finally heave a sigh of relief. Her desire to contribute to the family remained, but not in this way.

By the way, what was that fella's name again? She had heard it but couldn't quite recall. It was definitely Lu—

"Luan of the Badniker family."

That's right, Luan Badniker. Wait—what?!

Seren finally raised her head.

Was he going to participate in the blessing ceremony, too?

She was uncertain.

Much had changed since Seren's participation in the ceremony. But she had heard that Luan had attended the first blessing ceremony earlier this year and received no blessings—an unprecedented failure for a member of a Great Family.

Naturally, Seren was aware of this as well. This was the decisive reason their marriage had been called off.

"Luan of the Badniker family." Luke's dry voice echoed through the auditorium once again.

Didn't he say that anyone who failed to respond by the third call would be marked absent? It seems that the coward hasn't shown up despite being chosen by the family. I guess one disgrace is enough.

Seren couldn't fathom why the Badnikers had given Luan another chance.

"Luan of the Bad—"

At that moment, the auditorium door burst open.

Every head turned, including Seren's and Luke's on the podium. Moments later, most people frowned.

A beggar stood at the entrance. Even from a distance, his shabby appearance and stench made one want to pinch their nose.

"What is this...?" Seren muttered, flustered.

Although she criticized the Badnikers for living in the countryside, she didn't think that way. After all, the main house stood on land as secure as that of the imperial family.

The knights guarding the entrance stepped forward.

"Stop."

"This isn't a place you can enter recklessly."

Their politeness was commendable, but their tone carried an unmistakable threat.

However, the beggar's attitude was even more surprising. "Really? The butler told me to come here."

Only then did the knights feel something was off. "Excuse me, is your identity..."

The scruffy man glanced around and said, "I'm the youngest of this house."