The director returned to the woman who had remained monitoring the situation.
"You didn't get anything out of him either, huh."
Ivar, clearly irritated, stood in front of the screens monitoring Frey.
"What information do we have so far?"
The woman beside him adjusted her glasses, then calmly began summarizing the conclusions they had reached.
"First, it's not a demonic contract. Saintess Yorasha was present that day due to her duty of accompanying the hero, and she detected no trace of demonic aura."
The only logical explanation had already been ruled out.
"Second, we still don't know the actual amount of aura the boy released. But there is no doubt that his attack reached SS rank."
An attack only a handful of individuals across the Empire could ever replicate.
From a mere C+ rank boy.
"Third, based on some of the footage captured from the incident, a black sword could be seen attached to his hand. After cross-referencing it with our archives, we found something similar recorded over 300 years ago..."
The woman paused, clearly aware of how insane it all sounded, but continued anyway:
"That sword is suspected to be the SS rank weapon, Black Dread : Balerion, once wielded by one of the strongest humans in history. It had gone missing... until it appeared in that boy's hand."
Ivar's eyes widened at what he was hearing.
"One of the legendary swords."
And one of the most enigmatic ones too.
Perhaps this was the only piece that made even a little bit of sense in the chaos that happened.
But even with Balerion...
"This is still impossible. Even aided by a blazing weapon like that, how could someone with mere A-rank talent unleash such an overwhelming aura?!"
Ivar ruffled his hair in frustration, feeling a headache pounding at his temples.
But the woman beside him stared at him for a moment longer before speaking up.
"Sir... there's something else you should know."
"What now?!"
Ivar braced himself, expecting even more madness, but the revelations weren't over yet.
"After repeated examinations, the result regarding his talent turned out to be completely different from what we were initially told."
"What?"
"It's S."
She took a deep breath and repeated more clearly:
"His talent is S."
Ivar was stunned.
"Did he tamper with the talent test?"
It seemed like the most reasonable explanation.
But the woman shook her head firmly.
"I thought so at first too... but take a look at this."
She placed a black crystal orb beside them and connected several wires to it, projecting a wealth of data onto the screen.
"This is the same orb Frey Starlight used when he first took his talent evaluation upon entering the Temple. Fortunately, it still retains a trace of his aura."
Upon analyzing the residual aura, the results were undeniable.
"No matter how many times I tested it... the result was A."
"But now, it has become S."
The woman turned toward the frozen Ivar, frowning deeply.
"Sir, unless there's something crucial we missed, we may be facing an unprecedented situation in the Empire's history."
Ivar, completely stunned, muttered under his breath:
"An Awakened... capable of raising his own talent."
He knew how crazy the words sounded, but what if it was true?
A being capable of breaking through his innate limits ... able to keep growing endlessly stronger.
The very thought sent chills down Ivar's spine, forcing him to lean against the wall for support.
Wouldn't that mean Frey Starlight... was a monster whose growth had no limits?
The possibilities were terrifying.
How were they supposed to handle someone like him?
Frey's recent behavior had already proven he was a danger to them all.
Then, should that monster be killed now, before he could grow any stronger?
But the Starlight family was putting immense pressure in his favor... if Ivar killed him, one of the Great Houses would turn against them.
At a time when they were on the verge of war against the Ultras.
Suddenly, Ivar grasped the true weight of the situation.
"His life... or his death."
Ivar Valerion closed his eyes heavily.
"Which one is the right choice?"
That dilemma... was escalated to Emperor Maekar Valerion himself on that very day.
The heads of the noble houses.
The leaders of the Church.
The great figures of the Empire.
Each had their own opinion on this unprecedented matter.
When Ivar asked his elder brother Maekar for his view, the Emperor, leaning casually on his throne, answered simply, making the matter seem almost trivial.
"His value... will determine his fate."
Whether he would become a blessing to the Empire ..
Or its greatest curse.
Maekar showed no intention of intervening directly in the matter.
Instead, he left the decision entirely in the hands of the Empire's major powers.
The odds were not in Frey's favor.
After grasping the situation, the Church was the first to call for his execution... mourning the innocent dead and fearing the catastrophes Frey Starlight might unleash in the future.
The Moonlight Family initially refrained from giving a clear stance, but they leaned toward opposing Frey as well.
The major guilds and most of the influential forces within the Empire voted overwhelmingly for his execution.
The only ones supporting him were his family ..
The Starlights alone.
For days, Ada Starlight fought to protect her brother, standing firmly against the tidal wave demanding his death.
She used everything at her disposal as the Lord of a Great House.
But fear ruled the hearts of many ... fear of what they had witnessed that day.
Some saw this as an opportunity to eliminate him.
Some simply wanted to destroy him before he grew even stronger.
Countless powers banded together, aiming to bring his head.
And behind the scenes, hidden hands moved ..
Guided by none other than Prince Aegon Valerion.
He masterfully orchestrated everything from the shadows, and Ada found herself completely cornered.
At first, she resisted well, but as soon as she clashed with the Prince's hidden forces, she realized just how outmatched she was ..
Terrified, unable even to grasp who her true enemy was.
At this stage, inside the Starlight Family's main estate, Ada clutched her head in despair, desperately searching for a way out.
At this rate... she would be forced to watch her brother's head fall before her eyes.
Just imagining it made her feel as if her entire world was collapsing around her.
"What do I do?"
How could she save him?
How could she pull him out of this catastrophe?
Frey had crossed a forbidden line this time...
His situation was catastrophic.
Ada's mind went blank as despair overtook her.
At this pace, he would really die.
When she finally lost all hope, the door suddenly swung open, and a powerful voice echoed through the room.
"What are you doing, Lord Starlight? Is this really the time to crumble when we've only just begun?"
Turning her head ...
Ada found an old man with a fiery beard standing there with a confident smile, wearing a luxurious suit.
Behind him stood Phoenix, radiating his usual brilliance.
"You..."
When had they arrived?
Ada's mind raced to remember...she had tried to seek their help multiple times, inviting them to side with her, but the Sunlight Family had remained neutral until now.
Why had they appeared now, of all times?
"Stand up, Ada Starlight.
A Lord does not fall so easily."
"Why... why have you come?"
Ada asked with a blank face, her heart no longer daring to hope for anything.
The old Sunlight elder clasped his hands together, giving a brief glance first at Phoenix, then back at Ada.
"I heard everything... about your brother."
How he had become a monster whose limits no one could predict.
And how the world now wanted him dead.
"Everyone treats Frey Starlight as a monster destined to bring destruction."
And that idea was entirely reasonable...
after all, he had already proven it once.
The old Iris Sunlight stared at the girl before him, memories surfacing of a man who once stood tall before him...
"People fear the monsters they don't understand.
They despise them... they wish for their death, simply because they cannot comprehend them."
There had once been a monster like that.
A monster called Abraham Starlight.
Iris Sunlight ...acknowledged as the strongest among the Great Houses...had once fought alongside that man.
It was not the Emperor who led the final war.
Nor any of the other great leaders.
It was Abraham.
The man who once fought the Four Lords of the Ultras alone.
The man who defeated Emperor Maekar Valerion in a one-on-one duel.
The man who slew the human demon, Dragoth.
Abraham Starlight had been the monster that no one could understand.
"Frey Starlight is still a boy, not even eighteen yet...
merely a budding seed showing terrifying potential...
potential that will one day cast a shadow over everyone around him."
Iris closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.
"He's still just a child.
And it's our duty, as the older generation, to support and guide him...not destroy him."
Such talents were meant to lead the Empire into the future.
Just like Abraham Starlight once had.
Frey Starlight would one day rise to that same level.
"And with the Empire on the verge of an all-out war...
on what grounds could we afford to cast aside a talent that might determine the very fate of the future?"
Ada listened silently to Iris's words, unable to fully grasp the gravity of what he was saying.
Meanwhile, Phoenix nodded in satisfaction.
"You've said it so perfectly, Uncle... there's nothing I could add."
Phoenix then declared proudly:
"The Sunlight Family will stand with the Starlight."
Those words were what Ada had been desperate to hear.
Words that finally rekindled hope.
Phoenix then turned to the doors behind him, where more guests had just arrived.
"And we're not alone."
The Sunlight Family had remained silent until now because they had been preparing for this very moment.
Phoenix, in particular, had worked tirelessly to bring it together.
From the doorway, two figures entered ...
Both were of the same age as Frey.
One was a boy with white hair and golden eyes.
The other was a girl with radiant golden hair and eyes now darkened with an intense black.
Ada recognized them instantly.
Both were already famous names.
"The Hero, Snow Lionheart ... And Princess Sansa Valerion."
Phoenix gestured toward them.
"These two will help us...
and they might just be the deciding factor."
Snow Lionheart ...
the Church's Hero.
"I'll do everything I can."
Wielder of Vermithor's Sword, bearer of the Will of the Lord of light.
Snow's influence over the Church was immense.
If he stood by Frey's side, the Church would be forced to follow ...
for opposing him would mean defying the Will of their god.
After the deadly battle they shared during the finals of the Victoriad, Snow had glimpsed it.
Just as Frey had seen a reflection of himself in Snow ..
Snow, too, had seen a reflection of his own desperate struggle in Frey.
He could feel it ..
He understood, even if just a little, the immense suffering that boy carried.
Someone like Frey...
Snow wanted to grow alongside him.
He wanted to fight him again.
He wanted to fight beside him ..
A warrior worthy of his respect.
Meanwhile, Sansa took a brief glance at Iris Sunlight.
Their relationship wasn't exactly amicable, especially since the Sunlight Family had once backed her brother in the battle for the throne.
Iris was the type to follow the path he believed to be right, no matter who stood in his way.
Thus, he showed no sign of stepping back today either.
But today's gathering was for a different cause.
Frey Starlight...
He was someone precious to her ...
someone who had already lost everything.
The only one who had ever treated her like a real human being ..
Even when everything inside her screamed otherwise.
Someone like him...
She would never allow him to die.
"I'll do whatever I can to help."
Everyone nodded at once.
Phoenix turned back toward Ada.
"Come on... let's save Frey."
Ada couldn't find the words.
She barely managed to hold back her tears ...
because at last, something she had lost during these agonizing days had finally returned.
Hope.