Hatem Goodspring, the current head of the family, lacked the deep attachment to his offspring that defined the Iron-Blooded Lord. As a member of a Great Family, he fulfilled his role in eradicating the church, but it would be an exaggeration to call him as zealous as a Badniker.
What of his political standing? He maintained strong ties with the imperial family and central nobles, but his motivations were pure—his only interest lay in keeping the Badnikers in check.
So what did Hatem truly desire? What drove this man?
The answer was simple: to surpass the Badnikers.
Until just a few decades ago, the Badnikers had been regarded as a declining family, a setting sun or, in crude terms, a relic. In contrast, the Goodsprings' prestige rivaled that of the imperial family.
Now, that was no longer the case.
While it wouldn't be accurate to say the balance had completely shifted, no one in the empire regarded the Goodsprings as superior to the Badnikers anymore. In fact, some even claimed the Badnikers had eclipsed them.
Was this simply the tide of time? The Goodsprings were still in a strong position, but would their decline soon follow?
Hatem didn't think so. He knew exactly who had upended the balance—Delac C. Badniker, the Iron-Blooded Lord.
This man had amassed more blessings than anyone in recorded history, slain multiple Jewel Beasts, graduated early from the Imperial Academy, succeeded his family head at the youngest age ever, received a middle name from the imperial family, earned the title of Duke, hunted demons, and purged priests.
His meteoric rise had captured everyone's attention. Even those who once feared him now viewed him with awe.
The Iron-Blooded Lord moved too freely for a family head, yet he was too cruel to be called a hero.
Still, people had to acknowledge his achievements, and his unyielding hatred of demons was a source of reassurance. Everyone knew his brutal hand would never be raised against them.
Certainly, the Iron-Blooded Lord's innate charisma was something no one could hope to replicate.
" The Badnikers reversed their fate in my time, so I will make sure to correct that mistake before I retire," Hatem often said. Only a few within the family knew of this ambition.
Was it the influence of such sentiments that led most of the Goodsprings to dislike the Badnikers? Well, most of the time.
***
I realized while I was beating Butterfly that he was unusually tough.
Had he been born with strong bones? It was rare to encounter someone like him.
The odd thing was that someone with such physical resilience would be much more muscular. But even accounting he was still growing, Butterfly's frame was small.
Still, there was no denying his toughness, so I kept beating him with confidence.
Aside from that, he didn't seem to have much pain tolerance, though that wasn't surprising. He had been unable to handle the pain from being kicked in the chin during his match with Hector, which had exposed a gap and led to his loss.
I sat on the rock and looked down at the sitting Butterfly.
The night breeze blew, and he shivered.
"Cold?" I asked.
"N-no."
"It's understandable. Winter is almost over, but the night air is still chilly. It feels even colder by the lake," I said.
"Y-yes..."
I studied Butterfly's face. Not long ago, it had been swollen, but the swelling was already going down. It wasn't healing; it was just his body's unique characteristic.
"Butterfly," I called out.
"Yes?"
"I know you guys are up to something. Seren is just a cover."
He fell silent.
"I won't pry into it. Honestly, I'm not that curious. I am a Badniker, but I'm not interested in family squabbles or anything like that."
To tell the truth, it was pathetic that the families were fighting amongst themselves when the Dark Church was their real enemy. But Butterfly seemed proud of his family, so I kept quiet.
"That Butter guy is your temporary guardian, and the hero disciples on your side are really following your lead, right?" I probed.
"Y-yes..."
"We will soon reach the capital. Make sure they stay quiet until then," I instructed. "A peaceful, uneventful carriage ride—doesn't that sound good?"
"O-okay..."
I patted his shoulder and asked, "How old are you?"
"Fourteen."
"So only two years younger than me. You don't have to be so formal."
"N-no."
"It is really okay."
"I'm okay too...! This is just easier for me...!" he blurted in a strange tone.
Since it was easier for him, I didn't press the issue.
"Alright," I said. "You can head back now, but take a detour to get rid of the swelling. Don't make Butter suspicious."
Butterfly didn't move.
"What are you waiting for? I said you can go," I urged.
Still, he didn't get up.
Had I hit him too hard? I hadn't even touched his legs.
"Brother Luan... you are really strong."
Brother Luan? For some reason, it reminded me of Charon.
Butterfly looked at me with a strange, conflicted expression. "Most of the Goodsprings are focused on Heero Badniker, the eldest son. But the Iron-Blooded Lord kept his dagger hidden behind that distraction. He's truly frightening."
His mouth had already healed, and his speech returned to normal. This regeneration speed was almost like when I practiced the First Fire Technique on Spirit Mountain.
"What dagger are you even talking about?"
"I mean that this is the first time I've been completely overpowered like that since Barter," he answered. "Even if I used the full power of my divine beast, I doubt I could have won."
"Is that so?"
Butterfly suddenly looked determined. "I've changed my mind. If a man like you is here, I don't have to force her to come with me."
"Take her? You mean Seren?"
"Yes." His voice had a bitter edge. "Brother Luan, you must have your reasons for hiding your strength. So, I'll forget what I saw tonight."
Frankly, it didn't matter much to me if Butterfly reported this to Barter. If I had to choose, keeping things quiet for now was better—fewer pests to deal with.
"Can I ask you something instead?" he asked.
"Take care of Seren, or something like that?"
"Yes."
This wasn't surprising. I didn't know much about Barter, but I could see the goodwill in Butterfly's eyes whenever he looked at Seren.
"Who knows? She's the type who'll do fine on her own whether I step in or not. You're her younger brother, so you'd know that better than anyone."
"That's true," he said. "Still, you never know with people."
I nodded. "I owe her in many ways. If she needs help, I'll be there. I don't plan on interfering too much, though."
"That's more than enough."
Butterfly sighed in relief and trembled as he got up. It looked like he was heading back.
I wanted to take in some more of the night air, so I turned my attention back to the lake.
"Then Brother Luan, please take care of Big Sis." With that, Butterfly left.
By this time, the moon had emerged from behind the clouds.
It's a full moon.
The moonlit lake shimmered as the water gently flowed. Time, which had seemed to stop, started again.
I stared at the lake for a while, then muttered, "Big Sis? What's with the effeminate tone when calling her that?"
***
The next day, the Goodsprings' hero disciples grew quieter. Gone were the insidious quarrels and the obsessive clinging to others' words. Butterfly had kept his promise.
"What's gotten into them all of a sudden?"
"What's going on?"
"As expected, ignoring them was the right answer. They're exhausted from our silence."
Relieved of the stress, the hero disciples on my side sighed in contentment.
However, a few individuals, such as Hector, Charon, and Seren, cast strange looks my way.
I ignored them, offering no explanation. Besides, I was thoroughly enjoying refining the divine beast's power. Once I found my rhythm, progress came swiftly.
"Your talent is remarkable," Arjan praised. "At this rate, you could become the youngest to reach the peak of the Ascension Stage."
Given Arjan's sincerity—she never handed out empty praise—it seemed I was advancing quickly, even without factoring in the advantages Lise had given me.
I also figured out how my appearance changed during the divine beast transformation.
"Besides your pupils, your hair's gotten a bit darker," Arjan observed.
"Really?"
"Your skin's taken on a bronze tone too," she added.
"I see."
"Maybe the higher your level gets, the more distinct the features will become," she speculated.
Dark hair, bronzed skin, and slitted pupils... Coincidentally, these were traits of ancient black fairies.
I hadn't become a lizardman, but I couldn't help but feel this wasn't exactly a positive change either.
"I wish I had antlers like you," I muttered. "That'd look badass."
Arjan chuckled softly at my grumbling.
After that, nothing noteworthy happened for some time.
Then, exactly one week after leaving the main house, we finally arrived at the capital.
***
During my days as a mercenary in the south, there was a song I heard so often that it became ingrained in my mind.
The city of dawn.
Hope always beckons.
The city of twilight.
Even the darkness flees.
The city of tomorrow.
I am sure I will be back.
The capital!
O, the capital—
Eternal and immortal, the city of dawn and twilight...
No matter which southern bar one wandered into, someone would be singing it—usually drunken bards and mercenaries with their arms slung around each other's shoulders.
It was no surprise the song had taken root there. The south was the most barren and dangerous region in the empire, full of people who revered the capital.
I was no different. Though noble by birth, I had never set foot in the capital. So, I nurtured my secret longing whenever I listened to the song.
And now, seeing the city with my own eyes, I was so stunned I completely forgot the song I had heard countless times.
" Wow... "
"It is spectacular."
Even compared to the Butterfly Forest, whose vastness still eluded me, this place seemed even greater.
From my narrow vantage point, the city sprawled outward from the massive maroon castle at its center and looked as vast as a country.
Even from this high hill, I couldn't see its edge.
The walls around the castle were higher and thicker than any I'd ever seen.
Weaving through the city were dozens of tributaries, all converging into a single breathtaking current, the Twilight River. It was said that the river's waters at sunset radiated hues more beautiful than the finest wine.
The imperial family's symbol was red, so it had become the most sacred color in the empire—followed by orange, the color of the sun. That was why the Red Archmage stood at the head of the Seven-Colored Archmages, who represented the empire.
We descended the slope and soon arrived at the gate to the magnificent capital. The entryway was crowded, but we bypassed the commoners' entrance. After all, most of us were of noble blood.
We passed through the gates and entered the city.
"I've never seen a road this wide," Evan marveled.
His awe was understandable. Even the Badnikers' carriage, which was hardly small, traveled comfortably on it.
In other cities, a carriage of that size would've drawn stares. But here, it didn't attract much attention. Only a few people turned their heads when they spotted the Badniker emblem.
"I-is it festival season? There are too many people!"
"If I got lost here, I'd be wandering for a week."
"What is that? It looks delicious!"
"Ah! A giant just passed by!"
The country bumpkins like Evan, Charis, Mir, and Pam, entering the capital for the first time, were practically glued to the windows, eyes darting in every direction.
By contrast, high-ranking nobles like Hector, Seren, Charles, and Zeros seemed unfazed.
Charon, once stunned when he first glimpsed the capital from above, now appeared indifferent.
And where did I fit in?
"Charis! Move your head! Whoa , that building's gotta be over ten stories high!"
Yeah, I was definitely one of the country bumpkins.
It couldn't be helped. As I mentioned, it was my first time in the capital!
I heard that one's eyes would start spinning when they first arrived, and now I understood why. Honestly, I wanted to skip the academy altogether and spend a week just touring the city.
Unfortunately, the Badnikers' carriage continued to speed down the road, leaving the bustling city behind.
How long did we wander around the city like this?
Eventually, even the country bumpkins withdrew from the windows and settled down.
—Messenger.
After a long silence, the Martial God made his presence known again.
—Where is this place? I sense a familiar aura.
"It is the capital." Strangely, I felt that I had been conversing with him more frequently lately.
The Martial God fell silent for a moment.
—The capital... If so, is this the land where the Nameless King rests?