As Barn and Rosalina stepped back out of the House of Vane into the sunlit Promenade, neither of them noticed a shadowed figure lingering near the gilded corner of the building.
Standing in the alley’s shade, gritting his teeth in silent, simmering fury, was a handsome young man dressed in opulent, tailored silks.
He possessed sharp features, striking golden-blond hair, and dark, narrow eyes that burned with suppressed rage.
This was Lord Zanac Vane—the younger son of Lord Vane, and Rosalina’s official, noble-born fiancé.
Zanac’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the edge of his embroidered cape, watching the woman who was supposed to be his submissive, politically convenient betrothed lean intimately against a mysterious, towering stranger.
’How can she…?’ Zanac muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek.
‘How dare she?!
I always gave her everything.
I behaved like a perfectly gentlemanly fiancé, tolerating her arrogant demeanor…
and she dares to choose some unknown bastard over me?’
His mind raced, seeking a way to crush her pride and force her back into line.
Suddenly, secret information he had recently acquired floated to the surface of his thoughts—information no one in House Artecus was even aware of yet.
Zanac was closely acquainted with Lady Sylphia, the revered heroine of the realm.
Through Sylphia, he had recently met a quiet orphan girl from the outer provinces—a girl whose features bore an uncanny, undeniable resemblance to the lineage of House Artecus, but whose dual elemental talent and magic rank vastly outclassed Rosalina’s known limits.
House Artecus hadn’t found their lost biological daughter yet—they were still completely in the dark, treating Rosalina as their primary heir.
But he knew the truth.
’That’s right…’ Zanac’s lips curved into a dark, twisted smirk as a ruthless scheme took root in his mind.
‘She is merely an adopted placeholder.
House Artecus doesn’t even know their real daughter is alive yet, but once I bring her forward and present her to them, they will discard Rosalina in an instant.’
A cruel sense of vindication filled his chest as he watched the carriage roll away.
’Yes…
if I align myself with her as true biological daughter and take her as my partner instead, Rosalina’s world will shatter,’ Zanac thought, his dark eyes gleaming with malicious intent.
‘She will come crawling back on her knees, begging for my favor just to keep a shred of her noble status!’
In his blind, arrogant rage, Zanac finalized a scheme he was destined to regret far sooner than he could ever comprehend.
As twilight began to blanket the Capital in hues of deep violet and gold, the city’s upper thoroughfares transformed into a shimmering parade of wealth and political power.
Endless lines of gilded carriages—carved from rare ironwood, bearing the glowing magical crests of dukes, marquises, and foreign envoys—glided up the white-stone incline toward the Royal Citadel.
Inside their private carriage, Barn and Rosalina sat in quiet composure.
Barn’s shadow-black coat had settled into a pitch-black hue, absorbing the ambient glow of the city’s mana lamps.
The dragon-shaped obsidian brooch pinned to his lapel gleamed softly against his dark chest.
Beside him, Rosalina was a vision of refined noble ambition—wearing a floor-length emerald dress embroidered with intricate gold vines that accentuated her newly awakened Nature affinity.
Her green hair was styled in an elegant, braided updo, held together by a golden hairpin shaped like an olive branch.
She adjusted her silk gloves, taking a slow, steadying breath.
Beneath her poised exterior, her pulse was hammering against her ribs.
”The main function isn’t scheduled to begin until eight o’clock,” Rosalina noted, checking a small pocket watch enchanted with temporal quartz.
“We are arriving intentionally early—just before seven.
The early arrival period is where the lower and mid-ranking nobles gather to mingle before the Grand Nobles and the Royal Family make their grand entrance.”
”Strategy?” Barn asked, turning his dark eyes toward her.
”Preemption,” she answered, a sharp, cold smile touching her lips.
“If we arrive after the Crown Prince and House Artecus’s main delegation, we would be forced to bow to their rhythm.
By entering early, we establish our presence.
Barn chuckled softly, shifting his posture.
‘She really was built for high-stakes games,’ he thought, admiring her ruthless foresight.
‘Too bad her enemies are completely oblivious to what’s coming.’
The carriage slowed to a smooth halt at the foot of the Grand Palace’s golden stairwell.
Outside, towering marble pillars reached toward the evening sky, wrapped in shimmering banners bearing the Royal Lion crest.
Rows of elite Royal Guards clad in silver-plate armor stood at rigid attention along the steps, their enchanted halberds humming with defensive barriers.
A uniformed footman stepped forward, pulling open the carriage door and extending a gloved hand.
Barn stepped out first.
The moment his polished leather riding boots struck the pristine white marble, an invisible, subtle ripple of static pressure washed across the courtyard.
Several high-tier city guards stationed along the perimeter instinctively adjusted their grip on their weapons, their eyes darting toward him in sudden, unconscious alarm.
He turned, offering his hand to Rosalina.
She placed her gloved hand in his, stepping down with the effortless grace of a true highborn lady.
She immediately wrapped her arm securely around his, standing tall at his side as they approached the towering, open crystal gates of the Grand Ballroom.
Two heralds standing beside the entrance raised their gilded trumpets, checking the golden invitation scroll Rosalina presented.
Upon recognizing the seal and memorizing the names put by Rosalina, the lead herald cleared his throat, his voice echoing across the wide marble foyer:
”Announcing Lady Rosalina of House Artecus…
accompanied by Lord Barn!”
The herald’s announcement caused a brief, curious lull among the early-arriving nobles who were already gathered inside the grand hall.
Stepping across the threshold, Barn and Rosalina entered a world of staggering opulence.
The Grand Ballroom was a cavernous expanse of polished diamond-dust floorboards, towering crystal chandeliers dripping with luminous mana gems, and towering balconies draped in crimson silk.
Dozens of minor lords, wealthy baronesses, and influential guild masters were clustered in small conversational circles, holding crystal flutes of sparkling wine.
As Barn and Rosalina walked in, a wave of sudden, hushed silence rippled outward through the crowd.
Eyes turned instantly toward them.
Whispers broke out behind silk fans and raised wine glasses like a sudden rustle of dry leaves.
”Is that…
Lady Rosalina?
She looks completely different today…
so confident!”
”Look at the man beside her…
Good heavens, who is he?
That coat…
those eyes…”
”I can’t feel a drop of mana from him, yet why does looking directly at him make my chest feel tight?”
”Could he be a secret envoy from the Northern Empires?
Look at how she carries carries herself beside him—she commands the whole room!”
Rosalina felt every stare, heard every panicked whisper, and breathed in the suffocating envy thick in the air.
A surge of absolute satisfaction bloomed deep within her chest.
She glanced up at Barn, whose expression remained entirely calm, unbothered, and bottomlessly dark.
”The room is already yours, Luna,” Barn murmured softly, his voice meant only for her ears as they strolled toward the central balcony overlooked by the high royal seats.
”No, Barn,” Rosalina replied in a low, fierce whisper, her grip on his arm tightening with absolute resolve as she looked out over the gathering crowd.
“The room is ours.
And the main function hasn’t even begun.”
Barn took in her words, his dark eyes subtly scanning the room as he tried to memorize every face and recall small details of every person he knew.
There were a few merchant guilds he recognized and some minor nobles whose names drifted up from his past-life knowledge, but his primary focus landed on their actual power matrices. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Most of the guests had their core mana concealed beneath low-tier protection trinkets or enchanted jewelry; to an ordinary observer, their strength was hidden, but to Barn’s refined perception, their true limits were glaringly obvious.
’Maybe a little chat should be okay,’ Barn thought as he followed Rosalina, who expertly guided him toward a group of hardened, influential figures standing near the eastern marble pillar.
”Master Ronald,” Rosalina greeted smoothly, gaining the attention of a imposing, broad-shouldered figure.
“Allow me to introduce my childhood friend, Barn.
He holds the rare designation of a Master.
And Barn, this is Master Ronald, the Guild Master of the Mountain Shaking Mercenary Guild.”
Rosalina gave Barn a subtle nod, giving him a heads-up before stepping back slightly.
“You two should talk; I have other political matters to attend to for a moment.”
Ronald was an older, well-maintained man.
A faint combat scar traversed his cheek, and his silver-gray hair spoke of decades spent on the battlefield.
Yet, his muscular frame and disciplined posture immediately signaled a life forged in war.
He wore luxurious, formal noble attire, but Barn could feel the subtle resonance of high-grade defensive magic items hidden beneath his tailored vest.
’As expected…
he is a professional mercenary, always ready for combat even in a ballroom,’ Barn noted inwardly.
”Oh, so you are a Master?” Ronald asked, his voice a deep baritone, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to measure the young man standing before him giving a hand to meet.
“I’m not entirely sure, but what exactly is a Master?”
Ronald’s question was not quiet, and the surrounding nobles immediately silenced their own chatter, focusing their attention directly on the conversation.
Everyone was desperately curious to know what kind of entity could command the complete trust of Lady Rosalina.
”Oh, I know my class is not widely known by many, so I will explain it in simple terms,” Barn said, a polite, unbothered smile resting on his face.
“Masters are beings possessing profound wisdom and a unique affinity toward the core elements.
They can guide, forcefully push another’s power, and awaken their latent potential.” He said as he push small amount of energy to resonate and loose his limits, he feel that he can boost his power his body is not able to sustain more if he push to full power.
Ronald feel the energy and his growth, his body shine and an aura get released.
A heavy, stunned silence descended upon the nearby circle.
No one dared to laugh or openly deny his claim; to publicly mock a statement backed by Lady Rosalina of House Artecus would be a severe political insult also the power he show is declaration of his power and words.
Master Ronald’s eyes sharpened as he asked the burning question on everyone’s mind: “So…
you can permanently boost another’s power and potential?”
”No,” Barn clarified smoothly, his tone entirely casual.
“Normally, I can push an individual’s power up to the absolute maximum limit they were born with.
I can also awaken the latent potential they possess—for instance, if someone is born with a dual elemental affinity but, due to lack of guidance or training, was never able to awaken it fully.”
”I see…” Ronald leaned in slightly, his veteran instincts burning with intrigue.
“And how do you accomplish such a feat?”
”Haha,” Barn chuckled softly, taking a light sip from his crystal glass.
“That is a class secret.
One cannot simply give away the very mechanic that defines their whole existence.”
Ronald paused for a second before letting out a boisterous laugh.
“Fair enough!
Secrets—everyone in this hall has a few.” He gestured with his glass, deftly defusing any lingering tension his sharp questioning might have created.
Within minutes, word of Barn’s class statement spread like wildfire across the lower floor.
Minor lords, guild representatives, and wealthy heiresses began crowding around Barn, eager to exchange pleasantries, while Rosalina found herself surrounded by curious noblewomen seeking her favor.
Barn stood at the center of the gathering storm, completely unbothered, effortlessly holding the room’s attention as the minutes ticked down toward the start of the main gala.