Wirn was an orphan.
Like other orphans, he had no idea what his parents looked like or why he had been abandoned in front of an orphanage.
Unless some extraordinary twist of fate occurred, he was destined either to become a back-alley criminal or live out a miserable life never escaping the slums.
―From now on, place your hand on this orb.
One day, an Imperial mage came to the orphanage.
In his hand was a mysterious orb capable of determining whether someone possessed the qualifications to become a mage.
WHUMMM…!
Among all the children in the orphanage, Wirn became the lucky one chosen by the orb.
―From now on, you are His Majesty the Emperor's servant.
And just like that, Wirn became an Imperial Hound.
His life changed drastically because of it.
Not for the better, but for the worse.
Imperial Hounds were beings who could never earn recognition anywhere.
But there was no other path available to him.
Tools that were useless or had served their purpose were inevitably discarded.
Wirn had no choice but to continue serving as a hound in order to protect his own life.
“Mage Wirn. You are hereby sentenced to death on charges of colluding with the Daylin Family, which opposed the Empire, from the year 320 until the present year, 325.”
And now, after all that time….
He was about to die after being falsely accused of being a spy.
Naturally, the trial had been conducted swiftly and in secret.
There was nothing to gain from broadcasting the existence of the Empire's hounds to the entire world.
'Colluding with them, huh.'
Wirn raised his head at Knight Berzen's words.
“….”
The first thing he saw was that obnoxiously arrogant face and long chin.
But he couldn't say anything about it.
The golden armor the bastard wore made his status painfully obvious.
“Ptooey!”
He wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face, but he wasn't in any condition to do so.
Instead of swinging his fist, Wirn spat on the bastard's armor.
The blood-mixed phlegm staining that gold was quite the work of art.
“You know how much I contributed to bringing those bastards down.”
Wirn glared at Berzen with mocking eyes.
Anyone of sufficiently high status couldn't possibly have been unaware.
The Empire had launched an extermination operation against the Daylin Family, renowned as a prestigious family of mages.
And during that operation, Wirn had personally eliminated several of the Daylin Family's most important combat forces.
Even if he had fought alongside the Imperial knights, it had been Wirn's magic that played the decisive role in killing them.
“I accomplished what you stuck-up swordsmen couldn't. You incompetent bastard.”
His achievements had overwhelmingly surpassed those of the people who drew the Empire's salary and basked in its favor.
During the battle against Ganderf, the head of the Daylin Family, he had even managed the remarkable feat of severing the man's right arm with a surprise attack.
“Hmm.”
Berzen gazed down at Wirn before casually asking,
“Do you have proof?”
Unfortunately, there hadn't been a single witness.
That was only natural.
Wirn wasn't an Imperial hero.
He was a hound who handled every filthy task from the shadows.
That was why Wirn had neither a title nor fame.
He had nothing.
“….”
Wirn's eyes sank deeply at those words.
There was no evidence.
Leaving no traces behind was the duty of a hound.
But he had never imagined that fact would become a noose around his own neck.
“Ha.”
What an idiot.
That was how Wirn mocked himself.
“I should never have believed the damned Emperor's promise.”
The Emperor had promised to release him from his seals and restraints if they won the war against the Daylin Family.
It had all been a lie.
“Son of a bitch.”
If the Emperor had ever intended to keep that promise, he wouldn't have framed Wirn for collusion in the first place.
'If I hadn't been bound by those seals and restraints… the 6th Circle, no, even reaching a realm beyond that wouldn't have been impossible.'
The Emperor had exploited Wirn's talent while suppressing it at the same time.
Because of that, the 5th Circle was the highest realm Wirn could reach.
No matter how talented it was, a hound that couldn't be controlled was useless.
Powerful chains had been wrapped around Wirn's Circles for a long time.
“You don't need any last words, I suppose.”
At that moment, Berzen wiped the blood from his armor.
Was he irritated because his armor had been dirtied?
A trace of annoyance appeared on his face.
“Begin the execution!”
SHING!
As though they had been waiting for Berzen's command, the knights drew their swords.
Being stabbed to death by the blades of countless knights.
That was the execution the Emperor had decreed for Wirn.
Wirn silently stared at them.
Despite knowing that the man they were about to kill was a 5th Circle mage, their confidence seemed ready to pierce the heavens.
'That damned seal is going to be the death of me.'
The thought filled him with resentment.
If not for the seal restraining him, he would have killed these bastards long ago.
The reality that he possessed power yet couldn't use it made Wirn feel utterly miserable.
“Stay still. Resisting will only cause you more pain.”
The knights knew that as well, which was why they showed no caution toward Wirn.
Instead, they approached leisurely, sneering at him.
STEP!
And the moment the bastards came within arm's reach—
'I won't be going alone!'
CRUNCH!
Wirn bit down on the pill hidden between his molars.
―WHUMMM!
The pill's special ingredients seeped into his Circles and forcibly extracted his mana.
It was a single chance.
Only for the briefest instant, but he became slightly freer from the seal.
“Mana Rampage!”
Knight Commander Berzen stared at him in horror.
“Die!”
Sensing the danger, Berzen instinctively unleashed a sword strike infused with Aura at Wirn.
But before that Aura could reach him, the five Circles within Wirn's body began spinning fiercely.
WHEEEEE…….
Mana poured from the Circles and churned violently.
…!
Then light appeared.
Beginning as an infinitesimal point, it expanded in an instant.
It grew so enormous that it swallowed everything—not only Wirn as he cast the explosion spell, but even every sound around him.
BOOM!
Wirn's final spell finally transformed into a colossal explosion.
There were no survivors.
Everything nearby, including Wirn himself, was swallowed by the light and vanished without a trace.
It was the final struggle of an abandoned hound.
And then—
THUMP! THUMP!
It also became the moment a new opportunity arrived.
***
People had gathered at the residence of the Daylin Family, renowned as a prestigious family of mages.
Most of them were heirs competing for the position of the next Family Head.
There were many heirs at first, but ultimately, they would be narrowed down to one.
After all, only one person could become the Family Head.
That made them not only heirs of the family, but candidates as well.
WHUMMM….
Perhaps because the next Family Head had yet to be decided, those gathered at the residence rotated the Circles within their bodies and released their pressure.
It was a battle of wills meant to show one another that none of them were easy opponents.
The air became so heavy that anyone caught in their contest of dominance had to focus every ounce of attention merely to keep their mind steady.
“The Family Head is entering!”
However, that battle of wills ended the moment a single person appeared.
Ganderf.
The head of the Daylin Family and a mage who had reached the 7th Circle.
The moment he appeared on the second floor, everyone else withdrew their pressure and bowed their heads.
They knew.
They knew just how terrifying a mage who had reached the 7th Circle could be.
Ganderf appeared on the second floor and slowly swept his gaze across the assembled heirs.
GULP.
The heirs swallowed dryly.
They knew that a single sentence from this mage who had transcended the limits of ordinary men could determine the course of their entire lives.
Just as the silence continued—
TATATAT!
“Family Head. The delivery has just ended.”
Kemen, a mage of the Daylin Family, hurried into the first-floor lobby.
“It is the sixth heir.”
“….”
A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes rested in Kemen's arms.
The sight of the infant sleeping soundly and breathing softly was adorable.
“The mother?”
“She died.”
“I see.”
Yet Ganderf didn't even spare the baby a glance.
He merely nodded upon hearing that the mother had died.
“The child's name will be Wirn.”
The name was no different.
He gave not even a moment's thought to choosing a name for the child.
He was simply honoring the request of the woman who had given birth to him.
Had she not made even that request, he probably would have simply given the child any random name.
“Understood.”
But no one called Ganderf coldhearted.
To those gathered here, the Family Head was practically an absolute existence.
TAP.
At that moment, Ganderf struck the floor with the staff in his right hand.
“All the children have gathered. We will now begin the Initiation Ceremony.”
He arrogantly gestured toward the assembled mages.
“Move the children to the altar.”
With that, he disappeared into the corridor farther inside the second floor.
Those on the first floor quickly followed after Ganderf.
***
What kind of place was the Mana Forest?
It was the miraculous forest that had transformed the once-ordinary Daylin Family into a prestigious family of mages.
According to rumors, the bodies of three people—the first Family Head through the third—had become the foundation from which the forest had grown.
That was how mysterious the Mana Forest was.
And it possessed power worthy of that reputation.
The mana saturating the area was so abundant that it seemed ready to burst.
“Family Head. All preparations are complete.”
Ganderf and the others stood within that important place.
More precisely, they were in the sanctuary—the only location from which the Mana Forest could be overlooked.
“Mm.”
Ganderf nodded at Kemen's words and looked toward the altar ahead.
Quite a few newborn babies were being held in the maids' arms.
“I hope this Initiation Ceremony proves satisfactory.”
Yet not even the slightest trace of affection could be seen in his eyes.
All he wanted was for there to be a 'talent' capable of bringing greater prosperity to the family.
That was why the Initiation Ceremony existed: to assess the children's innate 'talents.'
“The more outstanding mages we possess, the greater our family's prosperity will become.”
To preserve the prestige of a renowned magical family whose glory would shine through the ages, they needed more mages.
And better ones.
“That is correct.”
Kemen knew that as well, so he agreed with Ganderf.
―WHUMMM!
At that moment, blue light poured from the altar.
“Place the children upon it.”
Ganderf solemnly ordered the maids.
The maid standing at the very front slowly approached the altar.
She then laid a baby upon the golden altar.
It was Wirn, the last of the children in the Mana Forest to be born.
“….”
The moment Wirn was placed upon the altar, everyone's attention naturally focused on him.
But there was little expectation in their eyes.
How could extraordinary talent possibly emerge from such lowly blood?
―HUM….
Everyone watched Wirn with indifferent expressions.
FLASH….
“Colorless?”
“My word….”
“Does he have no talent at all?”
The instant colorless light appeared, disappointed murmurs escaped their lips.
Gray was a color that appeared only in those who possessed absolutely no talent for magic.
Wirn had now become completely useless to the Daylin Family.
“There's no need to see any more.”
“We should hurry and test the next child.”
Just as they were about to remove Wirn from the altar—
RUMBLE… RUMBLERUMBLERUMBLE!
A strange vibration shook the sanctuary.
Feeling it, Ganderf turned his gaze back toward the altar.
“…Oh?”
A quiet sound of admiration escaped his lips.
Dark storm clouds were forming around the altar where Wirn lay.
At the same time, the mana within the Mana Forest began moving rapidly—
“Something interesting is happening.”
—and gathered toward the storm clouds.
RUMBLE!
A tremendous roar echoed across the altar in the Mana Forest.
“A-A Mana Storm?”
Then something identical to the eye of a typhoon appeared among the clouds.
“What is this…?!”
“Impossible.”
“Something like this can happen?!”
Those within the sanctuary stared in shock.
Only an extremely small number of people had ever caused a Mana Storm within the Mana Forest.
The fourth head of the Daylin Family.
The fifth Family Head.
And Ganderf, the current head of the Daylin Family.
Only those three people had ever succeeded in causing an abnormal phenomenon within the Mana Forest.
“How could an illegitimate child….”
“Does that mean his mana sensitivity is high enough to transcend the limits of his bloodline?”
And now Wirn had caused the fourth such abnormal phenomenon.
There was no avoiding their shock.
FLASH….
However, the storm didn't last long.
The mana maintaining its shape gradually began to fade with the passage of time.
When the dark clouds that had covered the sanctuary disappeared, the light from the altar became visible again.
“It has settled down.”
“Is it over?”
Those within the sanctuary began speaking as they watched.
Until the storm had appeared, they had barely cared about him.
But the instant that strange phenomenon occurred at the altar, everyone focused on Wirn as though by agreement.
FLASH….
And just as they thought everything had ended with the disappearance of the storm—
SLITHER….
Darkness began spilling from the altar beneath Wirn.
“!”
At that moment, Ganderf's body twitched.
Darkness had appeared.
It was an attribute that had never manifested even once since the first Family Head of the Daylin Family.
“The maids…!”
The darkness swallowed even the maids who were holding the children of the branch families while waiting for their turn.
It spread so quickly that they were consumed before they could even flee.
“Do not panic.”
Kemen and the others observing the Initiation Ceremony had gone beyond bewilderment and begun to feel an unspoken terror.
Just as they were about to consider rescuing them—
“It is merely darkness.”
Ganderf continued calmly.
He knew that the darkness couldn't harm anyone.
This place existed, after all, to determine what attributes and talents the baby placed upon the altar possessed.
“….”
At Ganderf's words, everyone else swallowed.
They remained where they stood and watched the pitch-black darkness surge around them.
'Has anyone ever awakened the power of darkness before…?'
'Good grief… darkness from the Lord of Light….'
'An abyss. This isn't simple darkness. It's an abyss beyond the bottomless depths.'
The Mana Forest filled with darkness.
No.
It would have been more accurate to say that darkness had swallowed it whole.
The fact that they couldn't see even an inch ahead was itself an abnormal phenomenon to them.
Its scale differed according to one's talent, but ordinarily the power of an attribute wouldn't extend very far beyond the altar.
“Interesting.”
Even Ganderf, said to possess the greatest talent in the history of the family, had been an exception.
His attribute was brilliant light.
Yet even Ganderf, known as the Ruler of Light and the Lord of Light, had merely illuminated the entire forest.
His light had never given the overwhelming impression of devouring everything with this kind of terror.
'That means the bastard's talent is comparable to mine… or perhaps even greater.'
As Ganderf considered that fact, the corners of his mouth quietly rose.
Until just moments ago, he had regarded Wirn no differently from a stone lying on the ground.
But now the child had proven his potential with an unprecedented display.
“Kemen.”
“Yes, Family Head.”
“From this moment onward, you will serve as Wirn's personal butler. Your term will last until his coming-of-age ceremony.”
As a reward, Ganderf assigned Kemen to Wirn.
“…Understood.”
Kemen nodded at Ganderf's words.
However, the expression on his lowered face was filled with bewilderment.
It was the first time he had ever been appointed as someone's personal butler.
Giving an heir a personal butler was essentially the same as granting him an opportunity to advance slightly ahead of the other heirs.
GULP.
Those who understood its significance swallowed.
Then, just as they focused their attention on Wirn, who was still lying upon the altar—
FLASH!
The darkness that had dyed the entire world black began being sucked back into the altar.
At the same time, the Mana Forest that had been hidden beneath the darkness reappeared.
―WHUMMM!
But as the darkness disappeared, there was one thing different about the Mana Forest.
Before the darkness had swallowed everything, mana light had overflowed from the forest in such abundance that it had practically spilled out.
Now, that light had vanished as though it had never existed.
“T-There's no mana.”
“A Mana Vacuum Phenomenon!”
“Are you saying that child absorbed all of it?”
“Impossible.”
The others' eyes widened at the sight.
Even those who had remained silently composed until now were shocked.
Never before had the mana within the Mana Forest disappeared.
“Kemen. Bring Wirn here.”
Ganderf knew that as well, so he gave Kemen an order.
“Yes.”
FLASH!
Kemen created a magic circle at Ganderf's command.
Then he teleported Wirn from the altar to where they stood.
Breathe. Breathe.
Wirn appeared before them, sleeping peacefully.
“….”
Ganderf carefully extended his right hand toward him.
He released mana and examined every part of Wirn's body, but—
“There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him.”
Astonishingly, Wirn's body was perfectly fine.
“How…?”
Kemen stared from beside him in disbelief.
Wirn had absorbed every trace of mana in the forest with the body of a newborn infant.
Normally, his body shouldn't have been able to withstand it.
Yet the Wirn before them was sleeping peacefully.
As though nothing at all had happened.
“Take Wirn back to his room.”
“Understood.”
But Ganderf wasn't worried about Wirn.
If the child looked fine to his eyes, then he was fine.
And so, after ordering Kemen to remove Wirn from the area—
“Proceed with the Initiation Ceremony for the next child.”
—he instructed those beneath the altar to continue.
“Family Head… there is no mana left in the Mana Forest.”
“We don't believe the ceremony can continue like this.”
But the Mana Forest no longer possessed the power required to awaken an attribute or bestow mana upon anyone.
Wirn, the very first child to undergo the Initiation Ceremony, had devoured everything the forest possessed.
“…Hmm.”
Realizing that, Ganderf stroked his chin.
Then a faint, crescent-shaped smile appeared on his lips.
He could practically feel Wirn's attitude of monopolizing everything for himself.
“A rather remarkable fellow has been born.”
Perhaps that was why.
For the first time, a smile spread across Ganderf's face.