Rain had a way of making old things look sad.
The manor of House Valerius stood atop the northern cliffs like a monument to a forgotten age, its white stone walls streaked with years of wind and salt from the distant sea. Hundreds of banners bearing the silver lion of the family swayed in the storm, illuminated by lanterns that burned with pale blue mana flames.
Tonight, however, no one was admiring the view.
Nearly every member of House Valerius had gathered inside the Grand Hall. Nobles dressed in embroidered coats lined the marble floor, their voices hushed as they waited for the Awakening Ceremony to begin.
At the center of the hall stood a young man with black hair and gray eyes.
Arin Valerius.
The eldest son of Duke Cedric Valerius.
The future head of one of the five great noble houses of the kingdom.
Or at least, that was what everyone had believed until today.
Arin quietly stared at the crystal sphere resting upon the pedestal before him. It was larger than a human head, swirling with golden mana beneath its surface. Every Hunter in the kingdom had touched one during their Awakening.
Most awakened Classes.
Some awakened destinies.
A few awakened legends.
Three years ago, the Crown Prince had awakened as a Dragon Knight.
Last year, the daughter of House Ravenshade had become an Archmage.
And tonight, everyone expected House Valerius to produce another monster.
"Young Master Arin possesses the purest mana circulation among the younger generation."
"I heard the Guild predicted at least an S-Rank Class."
"No less should be expected from Duke Cedric’s son."
Arin ignored the whispers.
The truth was, he wasn’t nervous about awakening.
He was nervous because none of this should have existed.
Magic.
Mana.
Hunters.
Monsters.
Two lives ago, these things had only existed in books and games.
The memory had grown hazy over the years, but he still remembered fragments of his previous life. A small apartment. Endless nights in front of a screen. The excitement of exploring virtual worlds.
And then...
Nothing.
No dramatic accident.
No truck.
Just darkness.
He had opened his eyes as the heir of House Valerius.
At first, he thought fate had blessed him.
After all, who wouldn’t want to be reborn as a noble in a world of magic?
Then reality had arrived.
His father was distant.
His relatives were ambitious.
And nobles, regardless of the world, remained nobles.
"Brother!"
A small voice pulled him from his thoughts.
An eight-year-old girl pushed through the crowd despite several servants attempting to stop her. She wore a dark blue dress that was slightly too large for her, her black hair tied into uneven twin tails.
Lyra Valerius.
His little sister.
And perhaps the only person in the entire manor who loved him unconditionally.
"You promised you’d smile today!" she whispered as she tugged on his sleeve.
Arin chuckled despite himself.
"Did I?"
"You did."
"I don’t remember."
"Then your memory is bad."
Several nearby nobles frowned at the interruption, but Lyra paid them no attention. She had inherited their mother’s eyes—bright silver and impossible to intimidate.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a poorly folded piece of paper.
"I made this."
Arin unfolded it carefully.
It was a drawing.
A stick figure wearing a crown stood beside a much smaller stick figure holding a flower. Above them were the words:
BIG BROTHER THE STRONGEST.
For a moment, the noise of the hall faded.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Lyra puffed out her chest proudly.
"When you become the strongest Hunter, don’t forget to build me a giant room."
"A giant room?"
"With a library."
"You don’t know how to read."
"I’ll learn."
He laughed.
Somewhere along the way, he’d forgotten that he was supposed to be nervous.
"Arin Valerius."
The voice of the Master of Ceremonies echoed through the hall.
"It is time."
The hall fell silent.
Arin handed the drawing back to Lyra before stepping toward the pedestal. Hundreds of eyes followed him.
His father’s expression remained unreadable.
Duke Cedric sat upon the raised platform at the end of the hall, his silver hair illuminated by mana lamps. He looked less like a father and more like a king passing judgment.
"Place your hand upon the Crystal of Providence."
Arin did as instructed.
The moment his fingers touched the surface, warmth spread through his body.
Golden light erupted from the crystal.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"It shines brighter than the Crown Prince’s!"
"Incredible!"
For a brief moment, even Duke Cedric’s expression softened.
Then the light vanished.
The crystal darkened.
Silence.
The Master of Ceremonies frowned.
Moments passed.
Then more.
Nothing happened.
The old man’s expression slowly shifted from confusion to disbelief.
"T-This..."
Murmurs spread throughout the hall.
"What happened?"
"Why hasn’t the Class manifested?"
"Impossible."
The Master of Ceremonies checked the crystal twice before swallowing nervously.
"H-He has... no Class."
Silence.
The words seemed to linger in the air.
No Class.
In a world where even commoners awakened D-Rank abilities, Arin Valerius had awakened nothing.
A noble laughed.
Then another.
The sound spread through the hall like wildfire.
"Impossible!"
"A Classless?"
"The heir of House Valerius?"
Someone began whispering.
Others didn’t bother lowering their voices.
"What a disgrace."
"House Valerius is finished."
"A waste of noble blood."
Arin remained still.
He had expected many things.
This wasn’t one of them.
The crystal had reacted.
He had felt something.
So why...
"Silence."
Duke Cedric’s voice immediately brought the hall to order.
The Duke slowly rose from his seat and descended the stairs.
Each step echoed throughout the chamber.
He stopped before Arin.
For several long seconds, neither spoke.
Then, in a voice devoid of emotion, the Duke said, "Is this some kind of joke?"
Arin stared at him.
"No."
"You expect me to believe that my son—the heir of House Valerius—is Classless?"
"I didn’t choose this."
"No. You simply became it."
The words struck harder than they should have.
Around them, the nobles watched in silence.
Arin realized something then.
His father wasn’t angry.
He was disappointed.
And somehow, that hurt more.
"The succession rights of Arin Valerius are hereby revoked."
The declaration echoed throughout the hall.
Even the nobles looked surprised.
"Father—" Arin began.
"You will address me as Duke Cedric while in this hall."
The correction was colder than winter.
"The laws of House Valerius are clear. A Classless individual cannot inherit noble authority."
Lyra stepped forward.
"That’s not fair!"
"Lyra," the Duke said, "return to your place."
"No!"
Every head in the hall turned toward the little girl.
"My brother isn’t a disgrace!"
"That is enough."
"He reads to me every night! He helped Old Ben when he got sick! He—"
"LYRA."
For the first time in her life, the Duke raised his voice at her.
The girl froze.
Tears began forming in her eyes.
Arin gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It’s okay."
"No, it’s not!"
"It’s enough."
The Duke took a deep breath.
"Arin Valerius, effective immediately, you are stripped of your title, inheritance, and claim to House Valerius."
The rain outside intensified.
"You will depart for the frontier tomorrow morning."
The hall remained deathly silent.
Exile.
For a Classless noble, it was practically a death sentence.
The frontier was a land of monsters, ruins, and forgotten battlefields. Most Hunters avoided it.
"Do you have anything to say?" the Duke asked.
Arin looked around the hall.
At the nobles trying to hide their satisfaction.
At the relatives who suddenly refused to meet his eyes.
At the servants who had once bowed whenever he passed.
Then he looked down at Lyra.
Her small hands were trembling.
"No," he said quietly.
The Duke’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"No?"
Arin shook his head.
"If House Valerius has no place for me, then I won’t force one."
For the first time that evening, surprise crossed the Duke’s face.
Arin turned around and began walking toward the exit.
"Big Brother!"
He stopped.
Lyra ran after him, grabbing the sleeve of his coat.
"I’m coming too."
The entire hall erupted into chaos.
"Absolutely not!"
"Young Lady, you cannot!"
"Don’t be ridiculous!"
Arin knelt before her.
"Lyra."
"You said family stays together."
His heart sank.
"I did."
"Then I’m going with you."
"It’s dangerous."
"I don’t care."
"You’ll miss your room."
"I’ll get a new one."
"You’ll miss your books."
"I’ll get more books."
He almost smiled.
"Lyra—"
"If everyone else can abandon you, then I can abandon them too."
Silence descended upon the hall once more.
Even Duke Cedric appeared stunned.
The little girl wiped her tears with her sleeve before declaring, with all the confidence an eight-year-old could muster:
"I choose Big Brother."
Arin didn’t trust himself to speak.
For the first time in sixteen years, House Valerius felt unbearably small.
That night, the rain continued without end.
And somewhere beyond the walls of the manor, beneath a sky hidden by storm clouds, something stirred.
Something ancient.
Something that had waited a very, very long time.
Far beyond the reach of gods and kings...
A blue screen flickered to life.
«SEARCHING...
COMPATIBLE USER FOUND.
PROJECT ELYSIUM ONLINE INITIALIZING...
PLEASE WAIT, PLAYER.»
The message appeared only once.
And then disappeared.
No one saw it.
No one except the Classless heir who had just lost everything.