The child who had just lost his family said that he desired enough power to change the entire world.
At that moment, Eldarin felt a pleasure close to forbidden rising within her inner world.
‘All I did was pressed down with a little refined mana. That was all….’
The child before her quickly assessed the situation and gathered the destructive energy within himself.
An ordinary child would have either fainted or gone even more berserk.
‘As expected, my eyes were not wrong. This child truly has talent.’
Eldarin was satisfied by the cold venom embedded in Kaian’s eyes and the burning desire that lay beyond it.
She pulled up the corner of her mouth and smiled.
“Then let us make a contract. I will hide you in Eldergrove. I will feed you, shelter you, and personally teach you magic.”
Kaian wanted exactly that, but he could not help asking why.
He swallowed once before speaking in a determined voice.
“My father told me to be wary of kindness offered by strangers.”
Eldarin shook her head.
“I am not offering kindness.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Hmm, yes. You should know this. Recently, the mana balance of the world has begun to collapse.”
“The mana balance…? If the mana balance collapses… a rift will appear!”
Kaian remembered the stories from the fairy tales he had begged his mother to read to him every day.
According to those books, the mana that formed the world consisted of five elements.
Wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
When these five types of mana maintained balance, the world could remain peaceful.
However, about 700 years ago.
As wars between the Mage Towers became frequent, the mana balance became unstable for the first time.
And what eventually appeared was a rift.
Eldarin nodded.
“You know quite a bit. An abnormal mana region containing the power of another dimension, a gate. The most commonly known term for it is a ‘Void Zone.’”
Kaian carefully searched through what he knew and asked calmly.
“But after the first five heroes performed the Grand Sealing Ritual 700 years ago, Void Zones almost never appeared. Even when they did appear, they were only the lowest E-grade or F-grade ones… I heard that the Alliance Guilds were more than capable of handling those.”
Eldarin looked at Kaian with curiosity, surprised by how much he knew.
“Where did you hear such things?”
“Mostly… from books.”
“Do you like books?”
Kaian quietly nodded.
In truth, it was not merely that he liked them.
He was always reading something.
Thanks to that, he had already gone through every fairy tale book in the empire, and recently he had even begun secretly entering his father’s study.
This was considered perfectly natural within House Valentin.
After all, it was their family that had led the project of building libraries throughout the empire.
Everyone in his family enjoyed reading, and because of that, Kaian naturally grew close to books from an early age.
However, his mother often boasted to others that among the three brothers, the youngest one especially loved books.
Eldarin also could not hide her pleased expression at Kaian’s answer.
“Good. Very good. Then we should be able to communicate better.”
She then began speaking at length about difficult matters, seemingly to see how much Kaian could understand.
“After the Grand Sealing Ritual, the appearance of Void Zones did indeed decrease drastically. Scholars also made great efforts. They discovered patterns behind Void Zone appearances and developed countermeasures, such as storing and supplying the necessary mana through Mana Crystals. But when a stable life continues for a long time… everyone inevitably becomes somewhat complacent and comfortable.”
Eldarin stated firmly.
“The Grand Sealing Ritual of the five heroes was not complete. Before long, another age of turmoil will arrive upon the world.”
Kaian frowned.
After carefully piecing together the difficult words, he understood that she was saying a great danger would once again threaten the world.
However, there was still no particular emotion in Eldarin’s voice.
“Countless people will die. Contaminants will flow out from Void Zones, and creatures will run rampant across the world. But… the world has already become drunk on peace. It has been soaked too deeply in the golden age. In this state, it will be difficult not only to fight back, but even to survive.”
“Ugh….”
This time, even for eight-year-old Kaian, it was clearly a hopeless piece of news.
But what did that have to do with bringing him into Eldergrove?
Eldarin noticed his question before he could ask and gave a crooked smile.
A bad feeling ran down Kaian’s spine.
“Could it be…?”
“Yes. I will raise you into a hero of the coming age of turmoil.”
Kaian was left speechless by the absurd statement.
As if giving him one more chance to reconsider, Eldarin continued.
“So this is not kindness. It is an investment. When that day comes… when the age of turmoil arrives, you must offer your time, your strength, your heart, and everything you have to the world. Can you do that?”
At that moment, Kaian suddenly remembered the backs of his family members who had stood in front of him.
Their attitudes had been natural and unquestioning, as if they had saved their lives solely for this very day.
He had survived simply because he was the youngest.
Because he was the weakest.
Only then did Kaian faintly realize.
‘Ah… yes. Perhaps I have found a path that would not shame my family.’
Justice and revenge would not have to conflict.
Eight-year-old Kaian reached that conclusion.
With a heart filled with both determination and relief, he answered.
“I can. House Valentin has always moved for the sake of the weakest among us.”
Eldarin quietly looked into Kaian’s clear blue-green eyes and asked.
“What is your name?”
“Kaian. Kaian Veloer Valentin.”
Eldarin stood and extended her left hand.
“My name is Eldarin Alkanes. I am an ancient race known as an Elderkin. I, Eldarin, shall form a contract with you by staking our souls.”
Kaian hurriedly tried to push himself up from the floor.
However, his legs refused to function properly, and he only stumbled.
Eldarin did not rush him.
She simply waited.
Eventually, Kaian stood up by his own strength and grasped Eldarin’s left hand.
And at that moment, for some reason, his chin naturally lifted and his back straightened.
His mind also seemed to sharpen.
‘That’s right…! I am using the Valentin name as the family’s only survivor. I have to stay strong for my family’s sake too…!’
Kaian now had a firm expression that was difficult to believe belonged to an eight-year-old.
Eldarin smiled after secretly transferring some of her strength to him so he would not notice.
Once again, she became certain that her choice had been correct.
“…Mana weaves an interesting thread.”
“What?”
“Focus.”
“Ah, yes!”
Blue-green mana extended from Eldarin’s left hand.
—Fwoooooosh…!
As if drawn by a powerful attraction, the same-colored mana flowed from Kaian’s left hand.
A sphere of blue-green light soon enveloped both of their bodies.
Eldarin chanted with a voice more beautiful than ever before.
“[The name remembered by primordial mana. I gather the fate meant to scatter and bind it within the gaps of my time. Your breath is my permission, and your steps are my will. Until the day the indebted life reaches its end, bear the shining yoke. Oath of the soul, bind eternally.]”
—THUD!
After a tremendous vibration that echoed through both of their inner worlds, the light slowly faded.
Kaian soon noticed an unfamiliar mark on his left wrist.
“What is this?”
“It is the symbol of an ancient contract. A mark connected to the source of your mana should have appeared.”
“A butterfly…?”
With those words, Kaian’s vision suddenly began to shake violently.
—Sway!
Eldarin quickly caught Kaian as he collapsed unconscious.
Indeed, on the inside of his wrist was the mark of a butterfly lying sideways.
The lower wings and antennae of the butterfly extended outward, forming a band-like shape wrapped around his wrist.
At a glance, it even resembled a finely crafted bracelet.
“This butterfly will guide you toward the correct path.”
Although it was Eldarin’s usual emotionless tone, the hand gently tracing the mark was subtly careful.
“This should keep me busy for a while.”
***
Dawn broke, and the surroundings brightened.
The estate of House Valentin burned grotesquely, leaving behind only its skeleton.
Fragments of scrolls rolled among the ruins, and the dirt ground was stained with the red traces unique to [Crimson Night].
Morden desperately avoided looking at the devastation before him.
With the blood spilled today, his son Damian could breathe tomorrow.
That single fact was enough.
“…The family head, the lady of the house, and the children have all been dealt with.”
“Good work.”
The man who received Morden’s report wore a black robe embroidered with the crest of the ⟨Noble Alliance⟩ in silver thread.
The man asked in a strange voice that sounded like metal scraping.
“I heard there were three sons… but only two can be seen.”
Morden answered while desperately hiding his tension.
“There seems to have been an accident during the pursuit. The forest area was burned, but we have yet to find the body.”
Fifteen mages had also disappeared during the process, but Morden deliberately did not mention that fact.
The man clicked his tongue and lightly nudged the Valentin family head’s corpse with his foot.
“Tsk, tsk. So you tried to hide the youngest one. As expected of you. If you had run away alone, you might have planned for the future. You have always been foolish, both then and now.”
His tone was strangely familiar, as if speaking to an old friend.
After a moment of silence, the man suddenly asked in a cold voice.
“Can you find the youngest one?”
“The heat was extremely intense… If we are lucky, we may find remains.”
In other words, he meant the chance that the boy was alive was nonexistent.
The man waved his hand through the air.
“Enough. It seems there were still incomplete products mixed in. Anyway….”
The man looked around the ruined border region and admired it.
“To think you forced all those magical artifacts to be consumed. As expected, Valentin has terrible cost efficiency.”
Though he sounded as if he was complaining, a faint smile rested on his face.
Only after savoring the sight before him for a long while did he turn his gaze toward Morden, who stood with his head bowed beside him.
“I sent the remaining payment to your house as promised.”
“…!”
It was the very words Morden had been desperately waiting for.
He bowed deeply.
“Thank you…! Thank you so much!”
Now he would be able to continue Damian’s treatment.
As Morden prepared to return home with an excited heart, the man stopped him.
“Where do you think you are going?”
The man calmly removed his robe’s hood.
Then, other presences slowly emerged from the forest.
Morden’s eyes shook violently.
Without realizing it, he looked up at the man’s face.
Red eyes like power itself.
Within them, a dark crimson malice swirled.
Only then did Morden realize he had fallen into a trap.
The man’s horrifying voice echoed through the ruins.
“Morden Ashborn, criminal who destroyed House Valentin! I sentence you to immediate execution for treason!”
Morden shouted like a desperate scream.
“Isn’t this different from our agreement?! You clearly said after this was over…!”
But Morden’s cry never reached its end.
—WHOOSH!
The man thrust the staff in his hand toward Morden’s neck.
It was a staff embedded with a dark red mana stone, the same color as his eyes.
“Ghk…!”
“As for the treatment for your son that I promised, do not worry. I will make arrangements and ensure it is handled properly. You may leave with peace of mind.”
A foul sneer spread across the man’s face.
It was the clear mockery directed at a disposable hunting dog that he had never intended to let live from the beginning.
Only then did Morden realize what the remaining payment the man had sent truly was.
It was not money to buy medicine for his son.
Without a doubt, soldiers carrying staffs had gone to his family as well.
“You bastards…!”
He screamed and grabbed the remaining scrolls, but it was already too late.
One of the soldiers emerging from the forest pierced through Morden’s heart from behind.
“Ghk…!”
Morden’s knees buckled.
Then his vision filled with the corpse of the Valentin family head he had desperately wanted to avoid seeing.
The strange voice like scraping metal stabbed into the back of his head.
“You worked hard. Thanks to you, the emperor’s sharpest blade has been broken.”
As his consciousness faded, Morden searched through his pocket.
His hand found the medicine bottle he had carefully stored away.
Every evil deed he had willingly committed last night had been for the sake of this single bottle.
Yet now that he saw the truth, it was nothing more than the meaningless movement of a puppet.
‘Damian… I have to give this to Damian….’
However, Morden did not know where to extend the hand holding the medicine bottle.
‘Ah, I see. I have betrayed the will of heaven.’
Only at the moment of death did he realize the obvious truth that those who turned their backs on heaven had nowhere to seek help in their final moments.
Morden’s body collapsed helplessly.
The red-eyed man pressed his corpse down with his staff and shouted loudly.
“Morden Ashborn plotted rebellion! Therefore, from this moment onward, his family and relatives shall be exiled to an A-grade Void Zone region!”
On the day when the corpses of the two family heads, Valentin and Ashborn, fell side by side in different directions.
An unprecedented silence descended upon the empire’s border.
However, it would be much later before everyone realized that they had left indelible marks upon the loom of fate.
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