The Rose family, one of the three dukedoms of the Empire, is deeply rooted as a royalist faction.
While Redburn (outwardly) represents the interests of the nobility and Julius of the North remains neutral, the Rose family balances the scales by supporting the imperial family.
Many people revere the Rose family as the "companions of the Imperial House" and believe they are the most powerful among the three ducal houses due to the imperial family's protection.
However, like a duck paddling furiously beneath the surface, the reality inside is quite different.
This is because appeasing the Imperial House is extremely difficult. Whether it is something in their noble bloodline or not, successive emperors have exhibited paranoia.
(Few know the imperial family's dark secret, so it can only be attributed to genetics.)
From the perspective of wanting to remain close to the Imperial House, possessing too much power would draw the ruler's suspicion, and possessing too little power would render them unnecessary—especially since the Empire always had the military might of the "Young Knights."
And advising them through knowledge wouldn’t work either, as the imperial heirs always possessed extraordinary talents.
In terms of wealth, the Rose family lagged behind Redburn, and they did not hold a unique position like the Grand Duchy of the North. So, how did the Rose family survive and maintain their authority as a ducal house?
They gathered information.
Tied to the Imperial Defense Bureau, they collected every piece of information within the Empire and delivered it to the Imperial House—a massive human search engine consolidating a hundred pieces of intelligence into one.
As such, the Rose family eventually came to be called Baekryeom (百斂), or "Hundred Gatherings."
The current Duke Baekryeom, a kind father and a man without ambition, did not try to do more. He merely collected the world’s stories and passed them on to the Imperial House without any processing. That was his only task.
Though the family had small merchant groups and knight orders, he had no plans to expand their size or grow their strength. The power of the Rose family came from the Imperial House, so the first rule was to avoid drawing suspicion from the throne.
Because of this, there was no particular reason for the Rose family’s direct descendant, Lady Baekryeom, to exert herself at the Academy.
Being the top student at the Academy wouldn’t change anything for her.
Crushing the hands of warriors like Bennett wouldn’t dramatically expand her political standing. A mere diploma would suffice.
Moreover, the relationship between father and daughter was good. Unlike the chaotic household of Count So-and-So, Duke Baekryeom had only ever asked his daughter to grow up bright and healthy, without needing to be particularly capable.
Thus, Lady Baekryeom herself planned to quietly attend the Academy.
"Step aside from the lady’s path!"
"Move! Move! Do you not see the lady’s shadow passing?!"
"......"
How did it end up like this?
It’s a long story, one she barely remembers. It seems like everything started from a small misunderstanding that snowballed into this... Now it was just the way things were.
Back then, the non-noble faction at the Academy was so strong that perhaps the noble faction needed a rallying point.
At times, it was bothersome—like when people followed her to the restroom and guarded the door. And whenever she walked, someone always loudly announced her path, which made her face flush with embarrassment.
"My lady! The Mansion of Glory is in sight!"
"We can see shadows moving inside! It appears someone has already occupied it!"
"My lady, your orders!"
"Orders, please!"
"Hmm..."
How should she describe it?
These noble followers, staring at her with such sparkling eyes, now seemed like baby birds crying for food. She felt a sense of responsibility.
She wasn’t particularly outstanding, just an ordinary girl. Yet when such talented people placed so much trust in her, a part of her wanted to live up to that faith.
That’s why she spent late nights poring over books in the library and why she gritted her teeth through muscle pain while swinging a sword. Though she would probably never reach the ideal leader they envisioned...
If she could at least follow 10% of their expectations, that would be enough.
And so, Lady Baekryeom gathered her courage once again today.
"First, we proceed with caution. The team tournament lasts for three days, so we still have plenty of time. Since Bennett is guarding the Crown , it won’t be easy to take from him. We have enough time to prepare."
"So, what preparations do you suggest?"
"Although the mansion itself is indestructible... no one said we couldn’t set up obstacles around it. What if we block the entrance?"
"Effective. Excellent idea."
Amid cheers of as expected of the lady , the White Lotus Knights began preparing to retake the Mansion of Glory and set up barricades.
While the noble scions were cutting down nearby ornamental trees to make logs, Luna Steri stared at the isolated mansion and raised a question.
She reported it to their leader, Lady Baekryeom.
"It’s too long."
"What is?"
"Three days. It’s an excessive time limit for the conditions."
"...You’re right."
Lady Baekryeom paused to think after hearing Luna’s words. It was indeed a strange time frame.
To claim the Crown , one only needed to stay in the Mansion of Glory for one hour, but the tournament lasted three days. There was plenty of time.
With that much time, every team could peacefully pass the Crown around and earn points. Although, since it was based on relative scores rather than absolute points, that wasn’t very meaningful...
"No. It is meaningful. Teams could form alliances."
"So you’re saying multiple teams could join forces to target the strongest contenders, while rotating the Crown among themselves to rack up points. Is that right?"
It made sense. Lady Baekryeom’s mind flashed to Gordius. With his personality, it wouldn’t be strange for him to gather a large crowd, just as he did during the tower trials.
"Yes. But it’s not important."
Yet Luna seemed to be worried about something else. She recalled the Illusion Magic Countermeasures lecture and the tower climbing trials. Any content touched by the Mad Wizard always had hidden gimmicks.
Even the tentacle dungeon had a secret mechanic—the more people who fell into the tentacle trap, the easier the difficulty became.
So, wouldn’t there be a hidden gimmick this time as well?
And...
Would that Mad Wizard really sit by and let teams form alliances, lounging in the mansion together?
A shocking idea suddenly struck Luna Steri like lightning, sending chills down her spine.
What if the Mad Wizard had prepared... something worse?
Three straight wins.
"How are we supposed to scratch you if you block everything?!"
"It was a good match. But it seems you lack the skill. I won’t disqualify you, so go on."
"Ugh, you’re so dirty and unfair..."
Bennett, with his Ho-won shield, effortlessly secured three victories in a row. His breathing remained steady. Though his opponents were moderately skilled Academy students, Bennett’s own abilities had reached a level of mastery.
From the spectator seats, applause erupted from three different people.
"Brother..."
"Quite an impressive person, isn’t he? Your brother."
[It’s so gratifying to see him grow. He seems more composed now, too.]
Bennett’s younger sister, Berda, looked on with a proud expression. The boy who once barely survived by hunting animals in a rural village had become a magnificent Holy Knight.
Bennett had long strived to save his sister, but he didn’t want her to feel burdened by his efforts.
That was why he participated in the team tournament.
"Is there no one else to challenge me?"
"After dominating like that, you expect more challengers?!"
"If no one challenges me, this Crown will remain ownerless."
Through his actions, he wanted to convey his feelings to his sister.
Look, I’ve become this strong. I’ve found love. I’ve found life. Working to save you was a stroke of luck, Berda.
So, please don’t feel any guilt or burden.
Berda, with small tears welling in her eyes, nodded. Though they exchanged no words, the message had been received. It was worth the trouble of disrupting the team tournament.
As everyone shrank back from the sight of Bennett holding the Crown , Selvier, who had been quietly biding her time, seized the moment to step forward confidently.
"Bennett! I’m next in line to—eh, slow...?"
Slowly, very slowly.
For some reason, her body moved at half its normal speed. She was clearly trying to step forward, but it felt as if she were in slow motion.
Just then, someone patted her shoulder and stepped in front of her.
"You're looking quite confident, Bennett. I've come to take the Crown ."
"You’re next, Baekseol?"
"Hey!! I spoke first, didn’t I, Bennett?! You heard me!"
Baekseol, Selvier’s rival and nemesis, was draped in fur, though paradoxically surrounded by an aura of cold.
Selvier, stunned by the sudden interruption, shouted in disbelief.
"Don’t you have any conscience?!"
"The slower one is at fault, wouldn’t you say?"
"You cast Slow on me!"
"I couldn’t just sit back and watch you waste time. Feel free to skip the thanks, Selvier."
"...?"
Selvier blinked. Was she saying, ‘I stepped in because you would have lost anyway, so be grateful?’
"You...!!"
With a surge of frustration, Selvier burst into flames.
But neither Bennett nor Baekseol paid her any attention, calmly preparing for their battle. Selvier grumbled for a while, then sat back down to watch the match. As infuriating and unfair as it was, she couldn’t exactly throw a fireball at Baekseol’s back during a one-on-one duel.
Selvier wanted to defeat Baekseol fairly, to make her nemesis acknowledge her.
That narcissist has to admit I’m better!
Shhhhhh
"Are you ready?"
"I was about to ask you the same. Prepare yourself, Bennett. I wouldn’t want to ruin a happy couple."
"Selvier. I didn’t quite understand the meaning of that remark. Could you interpret it for me? Was she implying I’d embarrass myself in front of my loved ones?"
"...You’re supposed to focus on each other during a fight. She’s warning you not to fall in love with her beauty while watching her for too long."
"..."
Bennett silently raised his shield.
Baekseol, a mage from the Blue Tower, specialized in ice magic.
And... even before Bennett experienced his awakening, Baekseol had long ago reached that state. Her awakening ability was also well-known.
Whooooosh
The air grew cold, and a spiral of blue energy gathered in Baekseol’s right eye. Everything in her sight began to slow down.
A large-scale slowdown spell.
" Awakening : The Tortoise Can’t Beat the Hare . You may as well surrender now."
"You're offering surrender half a century too early. Isn't it premature?"
In other words, it was just a slow spell.
Bennett flexed his fingers to gauge the extent of the slowdown. All movements were about 30% slower. In that case... He would just have to speed up his body by infusing it with magic to offset the slow effect.
The solution was simple, as the spell itself was straightforward. Ultimately, it came down to a battle of raw strength. And right now, Bennett’s strength clearly surpassed Baekseol’s.
That was the result of consuming countless potions every night—potions he had found while raiding the homes of former Cardinals of the Goddess Cult.
Thud! Boom!
Having made his judgment, Bennett charged forward, his feet sinking into the ground as he closed the distance between him and Baekseol like an arrow. If he could subdue her before she could cast any spells, the battle would be over.
However, as if to mock his plan...
Baekseol quietly raised her finger.
She brought her outstretched finger close to her right eye. The world reflected in her eye split in half, and the slowdown effect became selective.
Clockwork shifts.
Half of Bennett’s body, unaffected by the slowdown, moved at normal speed. The other half, however, remained slowed. This discrepancy in speed created a misalignment in his movements.
With a jarring, internal thud, his body shifted out of sync. At the same time, Baekseol’s simple incantation echoed.
" Ice Needle ."
Shhhhh!
In the brief moment of imbalance, a thin, sharp needle shot toward Bennett, grazing his ankle. Bennett halted his follow-up attack... and lowered his sword.
The condition Bennett had set was ‘a single scratch.’ The battle was already over. He let out a hollow laugh.
"So that’s how it is?"
"I did suggest you could surrender earlier. When you don’t heed a wise mage’s advice, you end up losing."
"I admit defeat. Here’s the Crown , as promised."
With a flick, Bennett tossed a small tiara. Baekseol leapt up and caught it, glancing around before placing it atop her head as if she found the design pleasing.
With the Crown secured, Baekseol confidently headed toward her next destination, the Mansion of Glory . Although the condition was fulfilled, no one dared follow her... except for one.
Selvier joined Baekseol at her side.
"I’m next!"
"Sure."
"Let me know when your magic is fully recovered. I want to fight you at your best."
"Okay. It’s not fully recovered yet."
Baekseol secretly smiled, hidden from Selvier’s view. Life was never dull with her rival around. Plus, being near a fire mage like Selvier was quite warm.
"And just so you know, I’ve awakened too. I’m not the same as I was before!"
"That’s surprising."
"If I chant the spell right now, wings of flame will burst out and—!"
Though Baekseol had always expected Selvier to reach awakening, it came sooner than she thought. She was happy for her friend’s rapid growth. Although Selvier might be jealous of Baekseol’s own power, Baekseol, with her broad heart, was not. She was genuinely glad for Selvier.
Since they hadn’t had much time to talk recently, perhaps she’d spend a bit more time with her today.
"Is your magic fully recovered now?"
"Not yet."
"You only used one Ice Needle , though...?"
"It’s not ready yet."
Baekseol, who had long since fully recovered her magic, casually lied and continued walking alongside Selvier. Time passed, and when Selvier, tired of waiting, started talking about healthy diets and how to properly cook meat...
...
From a distance.
Something... something strange was approaching, wobbling closer.
"So, if you overcook the meat, it actually loses nutrients—Wait, why?"
"Look. Over there."
"What about—oh, oh?!"
Clack. Clack-clack-clack-clack.
Making strange noises as it crossed the ground, a creature with dozens of legs, resembling a hermit crab, was drawing near.
Selvier recognized it, and her face turned pale.
That was... The Mad Wizard’s Grand Maze.
It was the very place Baekseol, Selvier, and all the Academy students had sworn they would never enter.
"...Why is the dungeon entrance walking?"
"Selvier. You’re slow to react."
"Huh?"
Thud.
Baekseol began sprinting in the opposite direction, full speed.
"Wait for me! Wait!"
Selvier, impressed by her rival’s quick and precise judgment, quickly regained her senses and started running as well. There was no way she would let herself be caught by that walking dungeon...!!