The sound of birds chirping drifted in from outside the dining room.
I made my way to the empty seat beside Thea—my usual spot. As I nibbled on my toast, Mother began breakfast with an announcement.
"The person who can help Alan will be attending the Emilton's dinner party."
My ears perked up. Someone who could help me? This fast? The power of a rich noble family in the empire was terrifying.
"Are they a scholar who's been studying Anomalies?"
Thea asked the question I was also curious about. Mother glanced at her husband, waiting for some kind of approval. He met her gaze and nodded.
"He's an Anomaly—and he's your uncle!"
My eyes widened. I had an uncle?
This wasn't mentioned in the novel—heck, this subject had never come up in my entire life!
Clank.
The sound of silverware dropping echoed through the dining room. I turned toward the noise.
Thea's mouth hung open.
I guess she was just as shocked as I was.
"We have an uncle!?"
Her brows furrowed. The revelation was so sudden she didn't know whether to be mad or excited.
Mother, caught up in the moment, smiled joyously.
"Ahem!"
Father cleared his throat, shifting our attention to him.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't tell you about him. He went on a pilgrimage ten years ago, before the two of you were born. He only returned a month ago."
Thea tilted her head.
"Only priests go on pilgrimages."
Ah, that's right. I almost forgot.
The oldest and most widely followed religion in this world—the one that prophesied the Demon King's return and the hero who would defeat him.
The Church of Rebirth.
Their god, Kael, taught the people and races of this world that life is unending. When we die, we are merely reborn into infinite possibilities. As part of their indoctrination, priests undergo a pilgrimage, visiting shrines, ruins—anything that bears traces of Kael.
"So he's a priest?"
I asked, taking a sip of my orange juice.
Mother shook her head.
"He was a holy knight—a captain, at that. He was tasked with accompanying the priests on their pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is sacred; anyone involved must not be disclosed, or they will be punished by the Church."
Mother spoke of him with pride. From the way her purple eyes gleamed, I could tell she truly loved her brother.
"He sounds cool! I want to meet him soon!" I blurted out.
Seeing her expression made me look forward to it too.
"But why are we meeting him at the Emilton's dinner party? Can't he just come here?"
Thea, still tilting her head, asked curiously.
"He's still at the Vatican. He'll be passing by the Emilton estate a day before the dinner party. He said he'll stay there and come with us afterward."
That made sense—and it seemed Thea thought the same.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of idle chatter and lingering thoughts about our mysterious uncle.
By the time the sun hung high in the sky, the manor had grown quiet.
My private tutors had already left by tea time. Thea was at the Magic Tower, so she wouldn't be back until dinner. Mother was busy managing the estate, and Father was occupied with work.
This was a normal day in the County. Usually, I would be goofing off at this time—maybe even sneaking out of the manor.
But I wasn't the same anymore.
I had a desire to become strong—strong enough to rival Amon… and even the Demon King.
I hurried toward the knights' training grounds.
It was a bit past the mages' training grounds and quite a distance from the manor.
Even before I arrived, I could hear it—
The sharp clang of steel. The heavy thuds of footsteps. The low hum of discipline.
I was amazed by the sheer number of knights gathered there.
No—overwhelmed.
No wonder the training grounds were located at the far end of the estate.
A colosseum-like structure stood in the middle of an open field. To the right were the stables, and to the left were the knights' quarters. Judging by the number of rooms, there had to be over a hundred.
Each one of them… stronger than me.
I made my way toward the entrance of the colosseum. The guards seemed to recognize me and bowed.
"Young master, what brings you here?"
A knight who seemed to be in charge stepped forward, greeting me cheerfully.
"I wish to learn swordsmanship!"
The knight's black eyes widened. He clearly hadn't expected that. The spoiled brat who was never interested in anything… now wanted to learn.
"As you wish, but we must ask for the Count's permission first. Swords are dangerous, after all."
Dangerous.
The word lingered longer than it should have.
As soon as I nodded, he ordered someone to inform the Count.
"Thank you. What's your name?"
The knight bowed, placing a fist against his chest.
"I am Calvin Stronkz, captain of the 3rd Brigade."
Flustered, I waved both hands.
"No need for formalities! I came here as a student, not a noble."
Calvin remained calm and composed. His dark brown hair rustled as a gust of wind passed by.
But the wind was unnatural.
It wasn't just a single gust—it came in sharp, continuous bursts that pressed against my skin.
My instincts screamed.
When it finally stopped, I searched for its source—
Only to realize it wasn't wind at all.
It was the force of two blades colliding.
Steel met steel in rapid succession, each strike sending shockwaves rippling through the air. The ground beneath my feet trembled faintly.
Those weren't just swings.
They were controlled destruction.
"HEY! THE YOUNG MASTER IS HERE! KEEP IT DOWN!"
Calvin shouted at the top of his lungs, his face twisting into a scowl as he glared at the two knights. At his voice, they immediately stopped.
So the calm and composed Calvin had quite the temper.
"I apologize for that, my lord. Those two tend to get rowdy during their practice duels."
He spoke as if nothing had happened.
As if what I just witnessed was normal.
"Who are they?" I asked.
Calvin waved a hand, calling them over. The two knights approached and, upon recognizing me, knelt.
"Hey, introduce yourselves to the young master."
The knight with jet-black hair spoke first.
"Hans Serjo, captain of the 1st Brigade. Third son of the Serjo Barony. Honored to serve you, my lord."
The House of Serjo was a family of knights. Most of their descendants served in various noble households. Talented and loyal—I was glad they were our allies.
Even so… standing this close, I could feel it.
Pressure.
"Please, speak comfortably. I'm here as an apprentice. Formalities will only hinder my training."
Hans hesitated. His black eyes studied me—as if measuring something.
"Alright, young master! I'm Jenal Yesaif, captain of the 2nd Brigade. I was a mercenary recruited by the Count five years ago!"
The knight with light brown hair straightened up, introducing himself with enthusiasm. A mercenary becoming a knight was rare—but from his presence alone, I could tell it was well deserved.
"Jenal, pipe down. He is the heir of Spades County—don't be rude."
Jenal lowered his head as Hans reprimanded him.
I held out my hand.
"It's fine. I'm glad you're comfortable with me, Sir Jenal."
Jenal shook my hand and glanced at Hans.
"He's okay with it, Hans. Stop being so stiff," Jenal said.
I stepped toward Hans and held out my hand once more.
"I hope you can drop the formalities soon, Sir Hans. I'm just a human, like you."
After a brief pause, Hans shook my hand and gave a firm nod.