Perhaps because of my illegitimate status, no one welcomed me upon my arrival at the main house.
If it had been Hwa returning, a grand reception would have been held, with many people eagerly waiting.
'This is probably how they see me.'
But I preferred it this way.
I could head straight to my room after greeting my uncle without any unnecessary hassle.
"Young Master!"
Suddenly—hug!
The moment my nanny saw me, she threw herself at me in an embrace.
"Nanny, do that after I wash up. I'm filthy. I've been outside for almost a month."
"...Sob."
"...!"
Nanny suddenly started crying, leaving me speechless.
"Do you have any idea how anxious I was? The trainer, Guisusan, the ancient trial created by the founder… Why do you keep putting yourself in such dangerous situations instead of taking the trials properly? I was so afraid something would happen to you…."
With every word she spoke, I felt the strength drain from my limbs.
It was only when I was in her embrace that I finally felt my body relax.
"I'm sorry, Nanny."
"As long as you understand… I was planning to scold you harshly, but… welcome back, Young Master."
Even though I wasn't her blood relative, Nanny had always treated me like her own son.
Once she had calmed down a little, she wiped her eyes and then frowned at me.
"…You do smell a bit, though."
"Nanny, isn't that a bit harsh right now?"
"Hmph, I've already prepared bathwater. Wash up, and I'll have your meal ready. I've even used all my hidden cooking skills just for you!"
"Wait, Nanny. Nanny!"
Ignoring me, she started preparing my change of clothes.
Just before I entered the bathroom, I stopped in my tracks, feeling something was missing.
"Nanny, where is Aunt?"
Only then did I realize that the one person who would have made the biggest fuss in this situation was missing.
My aunt wasn't here.
If she had known I was back, she would have been causing an uproar.
* * *
I had no choice but to wait until I finished washing and eating before Nanny would tell me.
—Elder Lee Kyunghwa… has been placed in confinement.
I immediately contacted my uncle to obtain permission and headed straight to the disciplinary office.
Even after presenting my authorization, I had to fill out numerous documents before I was finally allowed to see my aunt.
"…You're here?"
Seeing Aunt smile foolishly, I pressed my fingers to my aching forehead.
"What were you thinking?"
"Sorry. Hehe. But I'm glad to see you healthy. No, wait. What the hell did you do to increase your mana so much?!"
"That's not what's important right now."
"It is important! Unless you drank some miraculous elixir, how—"
Aunt's eyes widened in shock.
She immediately noticed the explosive increase in my mana.
It had only been a month since she last saw me, yet I felt like an entirely different person.
Even with an elixir, such an abnormal increase should be impossible.
"You haven't even fully absorbed the energy in your body! What a waste! No! Sit down! Right now, with me—"
"Aunt."
I stopped her before she could spiral out of control again.
The moment she saw my expression, she clamped her mouth shut.
"Hehe."
Then she smirked foolishly, leaving me with no choice but to sigh.
My thoughts were too jumbled to know what to say.
'I never imagined she would go this far for me.'
The reason Aunt was locked up…
It was because she had caused a scene in the control room, attacking the elders and my eldest brother, who was acting as the family head.
"What exactly happened?"
"Well, you see, as soon as I heard the news, I panicked. I wanted to go find Myungjung and Taehong, but, uh… All the elders happened to be there… and they tried to kick me out… so then…"
Aunt wasn't good at explaining anything unrelated to mana, but since I had spent enough time with her, I could piece things together.
She must have charged into the control room without thinking.
The security and guards must have tried to stop her, and since she wasn't an elder, she had no right to be there.
Naturally, the elders would have taken measures to remove her.
But in the end, three elders, along with multiple guards, ended up injured.
Aunt was only subdued when my eldest brother intervened, and she was subsequently placed in confinement.
It was a situation that was neither laughable nor tragic.
"I'm sorry, kiddo. But when I thought about those people doing something to you, I… just couldn't hold back my anger."
Aunt, who was always so cheerful, only ever showed a dark expression when it involved the family.
'She mentioned something happening before.'
I grew curious for a moment but didn't ask.
Bringing it up might reopen old wounds.
—It was you! You did this again! Just like always!
According to Nanny, Aunt had stormed into the meeting hall, shouting like a madwoman.
"Aunt."
"Hmm? What? Are you mad? Sorry. Please don't be mad… If you're mad, I'll be sad…"
"I'm not mad. I just have a question. Why did you go so far? Was it because you were afraid our mana techniques would disappear?"
"Well… I don't know."
Aunt made a distressed face.
"I just got so mad. I am worried about the mana techniques, but… the thought of not being able to see you anymore… it felt like something was choking me up!"
She made a dramatic gesture of grabbing her throat before grinning foolishly again.
Her words left me speechless.
'Honestly, I hadn't fully trusted Aunt until now.'
I knew she wasn't someone who would betray me.
Aunt was a pure-hearted person who only cared about one thing.
But because of that purity, I had always thought she would abandon our relationship once she achieved her goal.
I had believed our bond was built on shared objectives, nothing more.
But that wasn't true.
'…Alright, I'll admit it. At some point, I started seeing Aunt as family—like Uncle, Nanny, and Eldest Brother.'
Perhaps I had just been looking for an excuse to trust her.
"Don't worry, Aunt. I'll get you out soon. Just wait a little."
"Huh? No, don't push yourself. It's not so bad in here! Myungjung and Taehong have been looking out for me!"
She really did seem comfortable.
Aside from the iron bars, she had a shower and a bed.
She had caused a huge scene, but as one of the few remaining siblings of the family head, and with the intervention of my eldest brother and the steward, she was receiving fair treatment.
"I won't push myself. You'll be released soon anyway."
"Huh?"
"I'll be going now. We'll talk about mana techniques when you get out."
"W-Wait! Can't we talk now? There's so much I want to hear!"
"I'm a bit busy."
I smirked and turned away, leaving the prison. Aunt waved her arms wildly above her head, seeing me off.
A relationship built on clear purpose. That was all I thought it was.
No, that wasn't true.
'…Alright, let's admit it. At some point, I, too, started considering my aunt like my uncle, my nanny, or my eldest brother.'
Perhaps I just needed a reason to trust. As if believing in someone simply because I wanted to wasn't enough of a justification for my current situation.
"Aunt, I'll get you out soon. Please wait just a little longer."
"Hm? No, it's alright. Don't push yourself. It's actually more livable than I thought! Myung-jung and Tae-hong have been looking after me."
She really did seem to be managing well.
Despite the bars, there was a shower and a bed.
She had caused quite an incident, but she was still one of the few remaining siblings of the current family head. Plus, with the acting family head and the chief steward mediating, she was bound to receive decent treatment.
"I won't be pushing myself. You'll be out soon, whether I do something or not."
"Huh?"
"Then, I'll be going now. Let's talk about magic arts after you're released."
"Oh, um… Can't we just talk now? There's so much I want to hear!"
"I'm a bit busy."
I smirked and turned to leave the prison. Behind me, my aunt waved both arms high above her head, bidding me farewell.
***
News arrived that my father, who had been away for quite some time, was returning to the family.
He disliked grand welcomes and said there was no need to greet him, but the children who remained at the family estate and Lady Baek still went out to meet him.
Vroooom—
The private jet, powered by magic, landed silently on the airstrip. From within, a man with a blank expression stepped out.
The moment I saw my father, I was shocked once again.
'…I can't even begin to gauge him.'
Unconsciously, I bit my lip.
After the events of the recent Naming Ceremony, I thought I had grown considerably. And yet, I still had no grasp of how vast the gap between us was.
The way he walked, the subtle aura of a warrior that naturally emanated from him—
How much training would it take for me to see the world as my father does?
"You've returned."
Lady Baek greeted my father with a slight bow.
"You must have waited long, my lady."
"Not at all. A hot spring bath has been prepared for you. Please wash and have a comfortable meal."
"Understood."
As my father moved forward, he briefly scanned his children. His gaze stopped on me for a fraction longer than on the others.
It was only a slight difference, but none of my siblings seemed to notice.
And for the briefest moment, a faint glimmer of satisfaction flickered in my father's deep, unfathomable eyes before vanishing.
"I have always said that those who do not strive are unnecessary in this family."
At his sudden declaration, all my siblings tensed up.
"And yet, among all of you here, there is only one child who holds ambition in my presence."
None of us were foolish enough to misunderstand the implication of those words.
We simply didn't know who he was referring to.
'Who is Father talking about?'
'Is it our eldest brother?'
'Or…?'
Confused, my siblings exchanged glances, unable to hide their bewilderment.
And I was no exception.
'…I suppressed my emotions as much as possible, yet he still read me?'
All I had done was briefly try to assess my father from a distance.
Yet he had caught that. A chill ran down my spine.
As I watched my father walk ahead, I instinctively followed.
***
Shortly after taking a brief rest, my father summoned all his children for a meal.
It had been a long time since we, the direct descendants, had gathered at the same table.
Most of my siblings were often away due to their respective duties, and my father had never been one to insist on family meals.
Moreover, as an illegitimate child, I didn't quite belong at a table meant for the legitimate heirs.
The only other time I had been at such a gathering was on my father's birthday—the one occasion he allowed all his children to sit together.
"Report."
Once the meal ended, my father spoke in a low voice.
He wanted to hear about what had happened in his absence—the accomplishments of his children.
It was something he always requested upon returning from his travels.
"Yes, I will begin."
The one who spoke first was my eldest brother, who had been acting as the head of the family in our father's absence.
"The fourth son accepted a commission from the Gimhae Kim Clan and successfully handled an A-rank Gate that opened in Gwangju."
"What was the compensation?"
"A portion of the northern mining district's ownership. Next, the sixth son eliminated a group of nightmare-class monsters that appeared in Romania. Given the scale of the creatures, we are keeping a close watch on the situation."
"So, it has reached there as well."
"By 'there,' do you mean—"
"It's nothing. Move on."
As I listened to my siblings' achievements being listed one by one, I scoffed inwardly.
'Truly fitting for this family. An A-rank Gate, nightmare-class monster extermination…'
My older siblings had long since earned their state licenses as combat officials and had even established their own personal squads of warriors.
Though they hadn't accomplished these feats alone, their achievements were still astonishing for their age.
Reports continued for each of my siblings—except for the second and third, who had been away for years, and the fifth, who was in seclusion training.
"And now, the last one."
Now, it was my turn.
My eldest brother cleared his throat and began his report.
"I received intelligence that a Beast Tamer was planning to infiltrate Jeokcheong Island and passed that information to our youngest brother. He successfully neutralized the target, thereby protecting the guardian spirit of Jeokcheong Island, Gwisusan."
He took a breath before continuing.
"Additionally, during the Naming Ceremony, he discovered and activated the long-hidden Trial Chamber. Details regarding its mechanisms and trial structure will be submitted in a separate research report. That concludes the report."
Silence fell over the dining hall.
Some of my siblings frowned, displeased. Lady Baek, as always, remained expressionless.
"My son."
Breaking the silence, my father spoke.
"Yes, Father."
"Why did you handle the situation alone instead of waiting for family support?"
I studied my father for a moment.
His calm gaze revealed nothing.
Yet instinctively, I understood—
'This is a test.'
A brief pause, a moment of thought—
Then, I slowly opened my mouth to speak.
"To fight ceaselessly, to always win, and to savor the sweetness of victory."
A flicker of intrigue crossed my father's eyes.
"My father's words."
"I simply followed them as instructed. Those who do not struggle will be left behind."
"Hm."
A subtle gleam returned to my father's gaze.
Another round of silence.
My siblings' gazes bore into me—some with condescension, others with surprise, especially my eldest brother.
"You do not resemble me."
"…Pardon?"
My father's unexpected words caught me off guard.
"Was my answer insufficient?"
"No, it was more than enough."
With that, my father turned his attention back to my eldest brother.
"When is the Naming Ceremony banquet scheduled?"
"Now that you've returned, it can be held as soon as tomorrow."
"Guests will be attending. Give it three days."
"Understood. I will inform the administration."
"Then, that is all for today."
My father slowly rose from his seat. Then, glancing at my sister Hwa and me, he said—
"I have prepared good names for you both. Look forward to it."
Hwa's face brightened.
I quietly bowed my head.