In a room somewhere in Levido's headquarters, which is filled with sparkling lights.
A girl in a flowing pajama stared blankly at the door.
'What the hell is he doing here?'
The girl thought about the boy who had just left.
He appeared out of nowhere like he was making a declaration of war. 'I want you to nominate me for liberation,' he said.
No one had ever done such a stupid thing in the past two Harvest Rites.
"No, of course not."
Most seeds were too afraid to even look at the girl, so they just kept their heads down. But the boy didn't seem to be acting without a plan.
"I heard that the border is a barren wasteland with nothing there."
He was not uneducated, as his manners when visiting and his lack of frivolity when facing him showed. He was so consistently polite that he was initially mistaken for a newly hired butler.
"There's a limit to being arrogant."
The girl pouted her plump lips. It wasn't just the seeds from the indirect branch who avoided her. Even the seeds from the core family did the same. Even the immature brat Miley, who strutted around like he was from the core, avoided the girl.
"Hmm~"
A chuckle mixed with a snort escaped her lips. The girl rested her chin on her hand and let her imagination run wild.
Liberation is a special event that only happens once in a lifetime! It would be too boring to defeat cowards who are not even close to your feet. But if it was that kid from earlier.
'It would be fun.'
The corners of her mouth turned up slyly. Her clear, large eyes shaped into a mischievous crescent moon. It was a frivolous expression she never showed outside, but what did it matter? There was no one to see.
*Knock, knock.*
The sound of a knock rang out, and the girl quickly composed herself. A maid entered and bowed her head modestly.
"Miss April, the clan leader is here."
"Yes. It's tomorrow."
'How would it feel to make someone like that kneel? The mere thought is thrilling.'
April continued to imagine this with an expressionless face.
* * *
Kyle was in a position like he was riding a horse. On his bent thighs rested the customary barbell. Although there were large weights on each side, the balance was harmonious, and there was no shaking.
"Do you really have to draw so much attention? There are suitable equipment around. What are you doing by yourself?"
Bipar was a kid from the indirect branch. They had used the training hall together in recent days but never really spoke. Maybe he was going through some emotional changes with the liberation approaching.
"I'm just training in the training hall."
"You broke Miley's favorite toy, didn't you? She must be fuming already, so don't drag the other kids into this mess."
For a moment, Kyle couldn't grasp what was being said. As he stared blankly, Bipar glared back at him.
"Don't rile up Miley! I absolutely have to be liberated this year!"
"Bipar, let's just stop this and go."
Siri and Ormang approached next to Bipar. They too were likely from the indirect branch. It was heard that those from the core and the hot springs use their own personal training halls.
"Anyway, if you're from the indirect branch, act like it and stop making a scene. If we get hurt because of you, I won't let it slide. Just you watch."
Bipar glared until the very end before turning away. His demeanor was like a frightened porcupine bristling its quills.
It was pitiful. Considering he was a fast-growing Lutentus, he must be just about fifteen now. If he lacked strength, he should strive to become stronger. Hiding in the corner out of fear of standing out was not the way.
"You're still young. You'll have many opportunities. So keep striving. You can't achieve anything by just shrinking away."
Bipar's steps halted. When he turned around, he looked flustered.
"What, what are you saying? You're younger than me, but you talk like an old man. Ugh."
With that, he shrugged his shoulders and walked away again. A sigh was heard from beside him.
"He's pretending not to know till the end... You should understand it. Everyone's on edge because of the liberation ceremony. Normally, they are all nice kids."
"I'm not bothered. But what does 'old man' mean?"
"Huh? Oh, it means you talk like an uncle, right? It's a bit old-fashioned."
"·····Molson. Bend your thighs more than that."
"Ow, ngh!"
Molson, who was imitating Kyle at his side, trembled but lowered his body even more. Being able to talk meant he still had some leeway. Kyle stood up and placed another piece of metal on Molson's thigh.
"Uhmm······!"
This pose would allow him to distribute his ki more smoothly to his lower body. Molson bit his lip but didn't complain. It was a great attitude of being faithful to his studies.
"You're doing well."
Even if he was a Lutentus, he couldn't help but be tired. He had to face the limits of his physical strength and, at the same time, endure the poison of the shackles. It was heartwarming to see him silently follow his orders.
"Just keep holding on. I'll tell you if it's too much."
Kyle turned away from Molson, who could only nod in response, and picked up the wooden sword lying on the ground. He knew he shouldn't neglect his growth just because he was helping Molson train.
Kyle stepped forward the moment the wooden sword flipped over his back.
*Whoosh*
The wooden sword sliced through the air. The sword stopped just before reaching the knee line. Kyle repeated the motion of raising the sword and then swinging it down. He performed a basic downward slash, but each time he swung, he changed the distribution of ki flowing through his body.
'A bit more lively.'
As his feet got faster, the speed of his sword swings also increased. The flow was interrupted in the middle as he struggled to adapt to the changed tempo. He planned to practice until this process became as natural as flowing water.
Kyle had never learned anything about martial arts, whether it was swordsmanship or the use of ki, from anyone. He didn't regret it, though. He could imitate what Lavida had said in passing and the movements he had made on the battlefield. Even considering the 150-year gap, no one had achieved more than Lavida. The moment he surpassed Lavida would begin when he had completely followed in his footsteps.
As he was absorbed in his swordplay,
*Boom! Boom-! Boom–!*
The sound of a drum rang out three times in succession, growing louder each time. In an instant, all movement within the training hall ceased. Soon, each of the disciples' attendants approached and began to adjust their clothing.
"That's noisy."
Tanya, who had been waiting on the side of the training hall, also approached him briskly.
"Sir Kyle! I have prepared your change of clothes! Would you like to change right away?"
Kyle shook his head.
"I need to shower first."
Tanya blinked and looked around. Everyone was getting ready to leave in a hurry.
"The headmistress said to hurry······ If you shower, you might be late, right?"
"It can't be helped."
His clothes were disheveled, and he was sweating from the intense training. To be asked to move to another location in this state. To Kyle, that was next to impossible.
Finally, a servant appeared at the entrance of the training hall and cupped his hands to his mouth to shout.
"The lord will soon arrive! All seeds, please gather in the nursery!"
It had been exactly one week since they arrived in Levido. It was time to see the face of the one who had become the lord of Lutentus after Lavida.
"Molson. Aren't you getting ready to leave?"
While everyone else was leaving, Molson was still in a horse-riding position.
"*Panting* Yes, you didn't say to stop... *panting* did you?"
"Now it's enough. Get up."
"Ugh!"
* * *
The lord's arrival was a signal that the liberation ceremony was about to begin.
Nearly twenty seeds gathered in the nursery, along with Lutentus' knights and the children who had already been liberated. People lined up from the entrance where the lord would come in.
The nursery was filled with more people than ever since they arrived in Levido, but there was only silence. This was due to the strange tension between Han-ya and Edwin, the eldest son of the second wife. To be more precise, it was because Han-ya was glaring at Edwin as if he wanted to kill him. Edwin, on the other hand, was ignoring him and looking straight ahead.
The order of the line-up was also determined by the status of each person's family. Kyle was at the very back of the line, right in front of the knights.
And the one who would welcome the lord from the front was Edwin. Next to him was April, whom Kyle had visited last night. April was the only one wearing a simple white dress with a thin leather belt, standing out among everyone else in armor or training clothes. And even though it was a place where the sun could not shine her platinum hair seemed to sparkle. Her posture was very elegant.
'I wonder if she used a good oil. It looks quite tempting.'
The few strands of hair that had come loose were already bothering him. The animal oil used in Nabu didn't make his hair smooth enough. At that moment, April turned her head.
Her large eyes, which were too big for her small face, scanned the surroundings. Her gaze was fixed on Kyle's face. April giggled, then frowned, then turned her head back forward.
'What is that?'
Kyle was puzzled for a moment.
*Boom–!*
A loud drumbeat sounded once, and the nursery door opened wide. The seeds of Lutentus bowed their heads, and the knights raised their swords to their chests, slammed them to the ground, and simultaneously raised their heads to bow.
"Greetings to the lord of Lutentus!"
Zahar von Lutentus, the current lord of Lutentus.
He made an appearance in the cultivation chamber.
He was tall, probably over 2 meters, and his shoulders were broad enough for an adult to lie down on.
Even though he was alone, accompanied by only one servant, his presence was enough to dominate the entire nursery.
'He said he had been in seclusion for a year.'
Sure enough, his hair and beard were growing wildly, untamed. His face was more angular than Lavida's, but his golden eyes, which seemed to contain flames, were strangely similar. Even that face, smiling leisurely.
But Zahar's gaze seemed to be directed at him.
'Huh?'
Kyle finally looked around. Except for Miley and April, the seeds lined up behind him were shaking uncontrollably. Was it because of the aura emanating from Zahar's body? For Kyle, who had experienced Lavida right next to him, it was a familiar aura.
"It's been a long time, everyone."
It was a soft voice that did not match his imposing figure. With those words, Zahar withdrew his aura, and the children who had been shaking began to breathe heavily.
"Dad. You must have worked hard."
The first to speak was April, who was standing in front. April walked up to Zahar with a click of her heels and hugged him. Zahar's thick hand rubbed April's back.
"Ha ha! Of course, only a daughter can take care of her father. Edwin. She looks like you when you were young."
"Is that so."
Edwin smiled as he gently brushed his hair back. Miley approached him hesitantly.
"I missed you."
"Miley. You seem to have grown taller. But you still have a long way to go. Are you doing any exercises to grow taller?"
"Yes. I do it every night."
Zahar roughly ruffled Miley's auburn hair.
It was a scene that was no different from any other family. Of course, if you exclude the children who were standing behind them like a backdrop. The difference in how the core and indirect children were treated was stark as if even a transparent wall had been lowered.
"It had to be this way."
Zahar was the one who had killed all of his siblings and ascended to the throne.
He had many children, but his attention was only on the few with the talent to succeed him. The words "It's been a long time" in his first greeting did not reach the indirect branch children, including Kyle.
That's why he was curious.
"It's nice to meet you, Father. I'm Kyle from Naba."
What would Zahar's reaction be to this?
