If there was one person Zoey respected above everyone else in the world, it was her grandfather.
Not simply because he was family.
Not because of his status.
But because of his strength.
To Zoey, the Sword Saint stood at the absolute pinnacle of humanity. He was the standard every swordsman dreamed of reaching, the wall that countless geniuses had spent their entire lives trying to climb, yet never managed to overcome. Everything she had heard or seen so far pointed toward one conclusion.
Her grandfather was terrifyingly powerful.
And if there was one person acknowledged by almost everyone as the one most likely to inherit that title in the future, it was her father.
Morgan.
Even though Zoey disliked admitting it, she couldn’t deny the truth.
Her father was a monster in his own right.
His talent with the sword bordered on absurd. Throughout the years, countless people had referred to him as the next Sword Saint, a title that wasn’t handed out lightly. The fact that so many people believed he could someday inherit that position was enough to prove just how extraordinary he truly was.
Yet...
That same man had failed to land a hit on Kael after launching a sneak attack.
And Kael had awakened barely a month ago.
Just thinking about it made Zoey’s heart tremble.
What kind of monstrous talent was that?
...
Meanwhile...
Outside the mansion, Morgan stood beside his wife, Celyn.
She had her arms folded as her calm eyes drifted toward the building.
"So?"
"What do you think?"
Morgan remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.
"He’s... quite good."
There was obvious reluctance in his voice.
"Especially that movement skill."
He narrowed his eyes slightly as he recalled what had happened only moments ago.
"It was strange."
"I couldn’t even properly perceive where he went until the very last moment."
Celyn frowned.
"Do you think Father might actually take him in as a disciple?"
Morgan’s expression darkened.
That...
That was exactly what he had been worried about.
It was also the entire reason he had attacked Kael the moment the young man stepped out of the limousine.
For years, both he and Celyn had been trying to earn the Sword Saint’s recognition.
Despite marrying Celyn, despite becoming the Sword Saint’s son-in-law, despite dedicating countless years to improving himself, Morgan had never truly been accepted.
At most, the old man had occasionally offered him a few pointers.
Nothing more.
It frustrated him endlessly.
People often called him the next Sword Saint.
They praised his talent.
Admired his swordsmanship.
Claimed he was destined to inherit the title one day.
But Morgan knew better than anyone that those words meant very little.
The gap between himself and the old man remained unimaginably vast.
He firmly believed that if he could receive proper guidance from the Sword Saint himself, that gap would shrink considerably.
Unfortunately...
The Sword Saint simply didn’t seem interested.
No matter how hard Morgan trained.
No matter how much he improved.
The old man never truly paid him much attention.
At first, Morgan accepted it.
The Sword Saint’s standards were notoriously high.
Surely he simply hadn’t met them yet.
That was what he believed...
Until Kael appeared.
The moment he learned that his daughter had taken an interest in some newly awakened Hunter, he hadn’t cared much. Young people making friends was perfectly normal.
But everything changed the moment he learned that the Sword Saint had personally requested an invitation be sent to this same boy.
That single fact sent alarm bells ringing in Morgan’s mind.
Who was the Sword Saint?
He wasn’t merely an extraordinarily powerful Hunter.
He stood above all ordinary S-Rank Hunters.
An existence so powerful that even those standing at the summit of humanity treated him with the utmost respect.
S-Rank Hunters already possessed influence capable of shaking entire city.
Then what about someone standing even above them?
Morgan had witnessed it countless times throughout the years.
Powerful organizations.
Influential families.
Even legendary Hunters.
All of them sought an audience with the Sword Saint.
Some waited years before receiving permission to meet him.
Others never got the opportunity at all.
Yet now...
That very same man had personally invited a teenager to his home.
How could Morgan not feel threatened?
The position of the Sword Saint’s disciple...
He had long regarded it as his.
He refused to let some random kid appear out of nowhere and snatch it away.
That was why he attacked Kael.
Of course, he hadn’t used his full strength.
Doing so against someone who had only awakened a month ago would’ve been complete overkill.
Still...
That strike had never been meant as a harmless greeting.
It carried genuine intent.
His plan had been simple.
If Kael failed to react, the Sword Saint would naturally see his shortcomings.
Someone incapable of surviving such an attack...
How could they possibly deserve to become the Sword Saint’s disciple?
Unfortunately...
Reality had unfolded very differently.
Not only had Kael escaped unharmed, but he had done so using a bizarre movement technique Morgan had never seen before.
Worse...
The aura Kael released afterward had made even Morgan instinctively tense for a split second.
It wasn’t fear.
He refused to admit that.
But, it had undeniably felt threatening.
Naturally, he never allowed that emotion to show on his face.
The last thing he wanted was to look weak in front of Celyn.
Even so...
A tiny seed had quietly been planted within his heart.
Jealousy.
Suspicion.
And perhaps...
The faint beginnings of hostility.
Meanwhile, inside the study, Kael and Zoey continued chatting while waiting for the Sword Saint’s arrival.
The atmosphere between them had become far more relaxed than before. Their earlier conversation had successfully swept away the awkwardness left behind by the incident outside, and before either of them realized it, they had already fallen back into their usual rhythm of casual banter.
Seeing Kael act no differently than before eased the last of Zoey’s worries.
He hadn’t become distant.
He wasn’t holding a grudge against her.
He still joked with her.
Still teased her.
Still treated her exactly the same.
Knowing that, the tension she had been carrying since morning finally melted away completely.
Just then...
Click.
The door to the study slowly swung open.
Both Kael and Zoey instinctively turned toward the entrance.
The Sword Saint had arrived.
# #
Hey guys,
I know I promised to publish the owed Chapters along with the daily ones, and I still haven’t done it yet. That’s completely on me.
If you could find it in your hearts to forgive this author, I’d really appreciate it. Work has been crazy busy, and on top of that I’ve been dealing with electricity and network issues that have made it even harder to write.
I can’t make any solid promises just yet, but I hope to sort everything out soon so I can finally release all the Chapters. It’s been weighing heavily on my heart.
Anyway, I love you guys a bunch. Words can’t express how much I love you all.