The stench of rotting flesh was the first thing that hit Ran's nostrils. It smelled like a goddamn butcher shop.
Ran blinked his crusty eyes open, staring up at stone ceiling covered in mold.
He tried to sit up, but a sharp spike of agony shot straight through his chest.
"Fucking hell..." he wheezed, collapsing back onto the thin, blood-stained mattress.
He took a slow, agonizing breath, assessing the damage. His ribs were definitely broken.
Yet, looking down at his small torso, his skin was intact, and his core felt solid.
The resilience of his body was working overtime, as fucking always.
Ran looked around the hall. The place was a horror show.
To his left, a kid no older than him was sobbing quietly, staring at the empty space where his right arm used to be.
To his right, someone was choking on their own blood through a bandage wrapped around empty eye sockets.
So this is the aftermath of the Bloodrune selection exchange event huh?
The door at the end of the hall groaned open. Crisp, rhythmic footsteps echoed through the stone floor.
Ran turned his head, ready to glance at whatever bastard was coming, but the breath caught in his throat.
Walking down the aisle was a woman who looked like she had walked straight out of a high-fantasy wet dream.
Breathtaking didn't even cover it. She wore a pristine nurse's uniform, but the fabric was stretched dangerously tight across a pair of spectacularly thick, flawless thighs.
Ran's cheeks flushed a sudden, involuntary heat. After all, he was a teenage soul trapped in a child's body.
As she approached his bed, his eyes glued themselves to the sway of her legs. Over and over. He couldn't look away if he wanted to.
The woman stopped at the foot of his bed, holding a clipboard. She looked down at him, her expression a mix of professional detachment and slight amusement.
"Name?" she asked, her voice smooth.
"Ran. Ran Bloodrune," he muttered, forcing his eyes up to her face, though his gaze twitched downward again almost instantly.
"Age?"
"Six. Almost seven."
"Sex?"
Ran blinked, a sarcastic smirk breaking through his grimace.
"Do we really have to ask that? Or are you just blind?"
The nurse chuckled, a low, melodic sound that made his ears burn. She jotted something down on her clipboard.
"It's important for checking if you're actually in your right mind, kid. Head trauma makes people forget the basics. But it seems like you're pretty okay. In fact, you're more than okay."
She leaned in slightly, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Did you hit puberty early or something?"
Ran froze, his face blanking out.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You've been staring at my thighs since I walked through that door, little lord," she said, tapping her pen against the clipboard. "If eyes could melt fabric, I'd be naked from the waist down."
Ran didn't say a word. He just stared at the ceiling, suddenly finding the mold patterns incredibly fascinating. He wasn't going to dignify that with an excuse.
Seeing that she wasn't going to get a witty comeback, the nurse shrugged, turned on her heel, and walked away to tend to the next miserable bastard down the line.
Left alone with his thoughts, the brief spark of distraction vanished, replaced by a cold, suffocating weight in his chest.
Ran stared at his small, calloused hands. They were stained with dirt, dried sweat, and the blood of his own kin.
He had done it. He had survived the exchange. But at what cost? He had gone so deep into the bloodlust of battle that he slaughtered anyone in his way.
He had cut down kids who were barely old enough.
Was I always this much of a monster? he thought, a bitter taste rising in his mouth. Or did this grueling, suffocating shithole of a house finally break my mind?
In the Bloodrune family, you either became a apex predator or you became fertilizer. There was no middle ground.
And looking at his hands, Ran knew he had officially lost whatever humanity he had left.
An hour later, after a rudimentary healing spell patched his ribs enough to let him walk without vomiting blood, Ran found himself standing in the oppressive office of Patriarch Somes Bloodrune.
The room smelled of expensive tobacco and old paper. Sitting behind the desk was Somes, a man whose very presence radiated a crushing, suffocating pressure.
Standing next to Ran was his elder brother, Leon Bloodrune.
Leon was a pale, towering figure of a youth. He was dead silent, standing like a statue, his blood-red eyes piercing straight into Ran's soul with a cold, unreadable gaze.
"Are you ok?" Leon asked, his voice completely devoid of any brotherly warmth.
Ran nodded. "I'm alive."
"You were lucky," Leon countered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You managed to survive the ordeal throughout the given time. If you had been even a second later, I wouldn't have helped you."
Ran shifted his gaze away from his brother and looked directly at the patriarch. He bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you for letting me live, Father."
Ran wasn't stupid. Leon wouldn't have lifted a finger to save a half-blood nobody like him unless he had been explicitly ordered to do so.
The only reason Ran was breathing right now was because Somes had a use for him.
Somes leaned back in his leather chair, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
"The outcome of the selection was acceptable. You showed teeth, Ran. Because of that, we have received many offers from our vassal families. They want a piece of the Bloodrune main line's strength to bolster their own positions."
The patriarch tapped his fingers on the desk.
"Protocol dictates you must serve one of these houses for a few years to solidify their loyalty to us. Most of the offers are utterly worthless trash. However, three families are worth mentioning."
Somes raised three fingers.
"The Hilar family, who specialize in magic. The Auditores, who are swordsmanship devotees, just like us. And the Makarovs, who deal in the shadows as assassin specialists."
Somes lowered his hand, his red eyes locking onto Ran.
"It goes without saying what a Bloodrune would choose. The most compatible path for your growth is obvious."
"The Auditores," Ran said without hesitation. "I will join them, if Father allows it."
Somes' smirk widened. It was the logical choice.
"It's final, then. You will serve the Auditore family. You are being dispatched as an instructor for an eight-year-old lady, Layla Auditore. The youngest daughter of the house."
Ran frowned, his stoic facade cracking for a brief second.
"An instructor? Father, with all due respect, if the Auditore house is as strictly devoted to the sword as we are, a lady of that age should already be far more powerful than a six-year-old. Why would they want me?"
"You will eventually find out," Somes replied smoothly, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand. "It was the explicit request of the Auditores themselves. Do not disappoint me."
Ran bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching his knees.
"Your order is absolute."
Butler Jim stepped forward.
"Since the decision is final, Young Master Ran, I shall lead you to meet the family. They are already waiting in the guest chamber."
"Lead the way," Ran said, turning around. As he walked out, he could feel Leon's intense, unblinking gaze burning a hole into the back of his neck.
Once the door clicked shut, leaving only the patriarch and his eldest son in the room, Somes glanced up.
"Do you have something on your mind, Leon?"
Leon remained quiet for a moment, his expression stern.
"I wonder why you ordered me to protect a worthless half-blood, Father."
He paused, then shook his head.
"But it is not my place to dig deeper. The troops on the western border will be deployed as per your instructions. I shall take my leave." Leon bowed deeply and exited the room.
Walking down the dimly lit corridor, Leon was met by a familiar figure. The nurse Hathaway was leaning against the stone wall.
Her pristine uniform was gone, replaced by the dark, functional attire of a personal servant and information gatherer.
"Well?" Leon asked, not slowing his pace.
Hathaway fell into step beside him.
"The young man has nothing special, Lord Leon. His mana circuits are average. He is just a gritty kid who seems to have good resolve to survive."
She then let out a low, teasing giggle, looping her arm through the air.
"Though, I must say, he has quite a glaring thigh fetish. The little pervert was practically drooling over my legs the entire time I was checking his vitals."
Leon didn't say a single word. He didn't care about the boy's vices. He just kept walking, his mind already shifting back to the bloody affairs of the western border.
On the other side of the estate, Butler Jim stopped in front of a pair of double doors. He turned to Ran and gave a polite nod.
"Please enter the chamber, Young Master. The Auditores are waiting."
Ran took a deep breath, adjusting his collar, and pushed the doors open.
The chamber was lavishly decorated, but the atmosphere inside was tense, almost suffocating.
Standing near the center of the room were only two people: the head of the family, Simon Auditore, and a young girl sitting quietly on a plush velvet chair.
Ran walked forward, stopping a precise distance away. He bowed deeply, executing a flawless noble greeting.
"I thank the Auditore family for granting me this opportunity. I am Ran Bloodrune."
Simon Auditore, a burly man with sharp features and a prominent jaw, let out a booming laugh.
"Cut the stiff formalities, kid! Congratulations on your feat in the arena. Defeating two of the three beasts during the selection? At your age? That's absurd. You've got guts."
"You praise me too highly, Lord Simon. It was merely a matter of survival," Ran replied formally, keeping his voice entirely level.
No need to show arrogance in front of a man who could snap his neck like a twig.
Simon turned his gaze toward the girl sitting in the chair.
"Right. Let's get to the point. This is my youngest daughter, Layla."
Ran turned his attention to the girl. For an eight-year-old, she was undeniably beautiful.
She had snow-white hair that fell perfectly around her pale face, and she wore the modest, elegant dark robes of her house.
She sat completely still, looking like a delicate porcelain doll. But when her eyes met Ran's, there was no warmth in them.
Ran stepped forward, took her small, cold hand, and lightly kissed the back of it according to noble etiquette.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Layla."
The girl yanked her hand back the second he let go, wiping it against her dress with a look of blatant disgust.
"Layla Auditore," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "Don't get any ideas, Bloodrune. I didn't ask for a babysitter."
Tch. A rebellious, spoiled brat, Ran thought to himself, his face remaining a perfect mask of polite indifference while internally he was already losing his patience.
Simon let out a heavy, irritated sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Ignore her mouth. This kid is completely useless and utterly talentless in swordsmanship. A total disgrace to the Auditore name."
He shook his head, his tone thick with irritation.
"She has absolutely zero interest in the blade. Because of her slacking, she is miles behind every single child her age in the academy. It got so bad that she was temporarily suspended a few weeks ago until she can prove she won't embarrass us further."
"I told you, I am interested in magic!" Layla snapped, glaring daggers at her father.
Simon completely ignored her, treating her outburst like background noise. He looked back at Ran.
"I intend for you to teach this stubborn brat the absolute basics for the next few years. Force it into her skull if you have to. I need her to re-enter the academy with proper, passing skills so the family doesn't become the laughingstock of the high nobility."
Ran raised an eyebrow. "If I may ask, Lord Simon... why choose me? The Auditore house has vast resources. Surely a top-tier instructor would be more suited to break her stubbornness?"
Simon snorted, a bitter expression crossing his face.
"Hiring a top-tier personal trainer who can actually deal with her shit is taxing. To be completely honest with you, the liquidity in our house's treasury is tight right now."
He shrugged carelessly.
"I was initially planning to squeeze the budget to hire a professional, but after watching you in the event changed my mind. Why spend money if I could hire you for free?
I'm far too busy dealing with family affairs to take care of this brat myself. From now on, she is your responsibility. Don't disappoint me, Bloodrune."
"I understand," Ran replied, bowing his head.
A few minutes later, the meeting concluded. Ran exited the hall, the doors shutting behind him with a solid thud.
Old Butler Jim was waiting for him in the corridor, leaning on his cane.
"Have you made your final decision, Young Master Ran? Or would you like to visit the Hilars or the Makarovs before we sign the papers?"
Ran stood in the quiet hallway for a moment, his mind racing.
"No need, Jim, this family is perfectly fine. Besides, father's decision is final."
"Very well. I shall finalize the arrangements."
As Jim walked away to prepare the carriage, Ran leaned against the stone wall, staring down at his hands. Internally, his mind was spinning with a completely different story.
In the lore of the game, the Auditore family domain has an ancient, hidden sanctuary that even they are unaware of.
The true story of the game would would start in 15 years. He has to be fully prepared for the apocalypse.
He looked back at the closed doors of the chamber.
Teaching a spoiled, rebellious brat how to swing sword was going to be a massive, irritating pain in the ass. But if it gave him unrestricted access to the Auditore grounds?
He would be more than happy to serve for for few years.