Thalion Ashbourne was Magnus's hero.

To Magnus, all the cheers and praise that he and the other three received should have gone to Thalion instead.

From the outside, the Four Clans and Seven Houses looked like nothing but prestige and splendor. But to enjoy that shine also meant bearing the heavy burdens tied to it. Lost Angel had once been glorious, but after wave after wave of disasters, that golden brilliance faded, leaving behind nothing but a small, broken city.

The place that used to be celebrated was now a joke, always finishing dead last in federal tournaments. People even called it the "default bottom rank," a punchline for every other city-state.

As a member of one of the Four Clans, Magnus felt that shame more deeply than most. Every time the federal tournaments came around, their strongest members went out to represent Lost Angel, only to come back in disgrace—and every time, the people's disappointment grew heavier.

Magnus grew up watching this cycle of failure. Unlike the common folk who saw it only on television, he saw it with his own eyes.

From a young age he watched his clan and the other three step into the spotlight with fierce determination, only to return hollow-eyed, crushed under the whispers and jeers of the crowd. Every time it happened, Magnus's heart ached. It wasn't just the clan's failure—it was his pride being torn apart too. He would sit quietly on the old stone walls by the square, watching the warriors return in silence.

He could still see it clearly, his uncle Kael, once Magnus's hero, stumbling back after a humiliating first-round defeat. The crowd didn't say a word, but their eyes said it all—disappointment, doubt, exhaustion. The years went by, and Magnus grew up surrounded by failure stories. The elders still talked about the golden age, when the clans had once been unbeatable warriors. But by his time, those stories were nothing more than distant legends.

In training, he saw the veterans push themselves to the limit, but the shadow of defeat always loomed over them.

Then Thalion Ashbourne appeared.

At sixteen, he shocked the nation during the National Hero Entrance Exam, seizing first place in the federal rankings with a score no one had believed possible.

Through his school years, he crushed prodigies from rival cities one after another, dragging Lost Angel up the rankings almost by himself.

Every win was like thunder shaking the stadiums. Step by step, he carved the image of someone who couldn't be beaten.

Because of him, Lost Angel's name blazed bright again, echoing across the federation.

He brought back the pride that had been buried for years and opened a brand-new era for the city. And that was just the beginning of his legend.

At eighteen, he was formally named heir of Clan Ashbourne, receiving a share of its power.

The Ashbournes were an ancient and formidable clan, long known for their strength yet content to remain withdrawn, rarely interfering in the city's affairs.

Nobody expected that on the very day he took charge, Lost Angel's entire world would flip upside down.

With the might of Ashbourne at his back, he tore down the bloated, corrupt bureaucracy, rooted out graft, and rebuilt order. He made the system clean, efficient, and transparent.

In education, he broke the old chains and built a new path, training talent based on real ability instead of empty titles.

In law enforcement, he pushed through tough reforms that turned a sluggish force into an elite unit.

At an age when most were still reckless kids, he already bore the air of a true leader, with a clear head, decisive and far sighted.

In only two years of reform, Thalion revived Lost Angel, turning an old, weary city into something alive and full of spirit again.

Magnus didn't really get the politics of it all. What he knew was simple, when he watched the federal tournaments, he no longer had to feel the crushing disappointment of seeing Lost Angel lose every single time.

It wasn't the same as when Thalion himself stood in the arena, but thanks to his reforms, Lost Angel had gone from the tournament's permanent bottom rank to a team everyone had to take seriously.

But maybe the heavens don't favor the talented. At twenty, Thalion left Lost Angel for the frontlines.

At twenty-one, he came back broken—covered in scars, his legs crippled. Everyone grieved for him, mourning the waste of such talent.

But the world doesn't stop spinning. It didn't take long for Thalion's brilliance to fade from people's memories.

Magnus didn't blame anyone—time moved on, people changed, and the memory of a hero who no longer stood among them was bound to fade. That was natural.

But Magnus would never forgive anyone who dared to look down on him. And right now, someone like that stood before him.

Clan Ashbourne had a marriage contract with House Goldvale—or rather, a debt of gratitude that the Ashbournes were bound to repay.

At first, everyone believed Lilith Goldvale—the beautiful, kind, and talented girl—would be the one to stand by Thalion's side. No one objected. Lilith Goldvale was good enough in every way—her looks, her grace, her potential, her aura. She was the picture of the perfect bride any upper-class family would have desired. The two of them seemed destined for one another.

But then, House Goldvale suddenly announced that Lilith was only an adopted daughter. Their long-lost blood daughter, Mai, was the true fiancée promised to Thalion.

Of course, Clan Ashbourne had verified Mai's identity multiple times. It was confirmed beyond doubt that Lilith was adopted. Even so, Magnus couldn't help but feel that it was unfair.

He had been displeased—maybe even a little contemptuous. Sure, Mai was Goldvale's real daughter, but she was just some country girl raised in the Outer Wall. Magnus told himself he wasn't the kind of man who cared about class, but still… not just any girl deserved to stand next to Thalion Ashbourne, his hero. It wasn't about her origins. Even with Thalion crippled, only a woman who was beautiful, elegant, and full of promise could be worthy of standing by his side.

And then came the battle between Inferno Knuckle and Silvermane, which completely changed Magnus's view.

Though there were some mistakes at the end, Inferno Knuckle's victory clearly depended on Mai, who still had the guts to stay and support in a fight far above her level.

That courage alone was enough to make Magnus look at her differently. And when he looked closer, he realized—she was beautiful, confident, capable, and her upright figure carried more elegance than any upper-class lady.

For the first time, Magnus felt that Mai truly did deserve to stand beside Thalion. A hero like him needed a woman with that kind of resolve. But that respect didn't last long.

Rumors spread that Mai had her eyes on Lilith's boyfriend, Solis Pendragon—better known as Solstice—the charming young master of Clan Pendragon. People whispered that Mai wanted to wedge herself into their relationship because she believed Lilith had stolen her life, and now Lilith should "make it up to her" by handing over "the better man."

Magnus burned with rage. To him, it felt like both Goldvale sisters were mocking his hero. They were treating Thalion as though he wasn't good enough, just to chase after someone richer and more powerful.

If Thalion had still been whole, Solis Pendragon would've been nothing compared to him—just a spoiled young master leaning on his family's name!

And so, Magnus's feelings toward Mai became tangled. He acknowledged her talent and courage, yet he couldn't stand the thought that she might look down on Thalion.

In a flash of anger, he had started moving toward her the moment he recognized her. But once he stood before the slim figure that barely reached his waist, Magnus didn't know what to do with her.

Deep down, he knew Mai's feelings were her own business. After all, she was just an ordinary girl dragged into the messy politics of the upper class. But resentment doesn't always listen to reason.

Then Magnus came close enough. Mai slowly lifted her head from her phone.

Bright as twin sapphires, her eyes lay calm as a moonlit lake, reflecting his towering figure through their long, curled lashes. Her face was delicate, her skin smooth as lotus petals, almost glowing, translucent and radiant. The golden sunlight streaming in through the glass blended with her aura, making the whole space feel brighter. For a split second, Magnus's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't even know why.

Mai's calm gaze lingered on his face for only a moment, then drifted past him, to the crowd parting aside to make way for him. Her lashes trembled slightly, as though she had just realized something. Without saying a word, Mai stepped to the side, giving him a clear path, Then she quietly lowered her head and went back to her phone.

All held their breath for the drama to erupt, yet the supposed main character quietly stepped aside, no different from the rest.

A few curious onlookers craned their necks, trying to see what had her attention on the screen. They caught a glimpse of the headline from a famous gym blogger: "Shocking Truth: Your Muscles Don't Grow From Tiny Tears Like You Think!"

Someone couldn't hold back a small chuckle. The sound echoed in the quiet hall, but before it could spread, Magnus's sharp glare swept across, cutting the noise dead.

Mai finally lifted her head again, sensing his gaze still fixed on her. Realizing the hostility in his eyes, she slowly tucked her phone into her bag, one foot sliding subtly back.

Magnus caught it immediately—a loose guard. It looked casual, but she was ready to react at a moment's notice. He found himself appreciating her even more. Yet the more he thought her worthy of Thalion, the hotter the flames of anger burned within him.

Unable to hold it in, Magnus growled, "I'll make sure to take good care of you in this exam."