Xerath followed the long strides of a tall red-skinned man with massive horns, his father.

The corridor was pitch-black. He had to activate his dark vision just to see where he was going.

Their footsteps stopped in front of an old, moss-covered wooden door that looked like it could collapse at any moment.

But when Damien Lucivar —Xerath’s father— pushed it open with his broad hand, the door swung inward without a problem.

Beyond the doorway, more than a dozen people were already seated around a round table.

Damien took the chair at the head of the table. Xerath stood behind him.

He had been nervous since the moment they arrived, this was the first time he had ever been allowed to attend the meeting.

All because he’d managed to enter Class S, a class unexpectedly filled with children from influential families.

The meeting began under his father’s lead.

Xerath barely understood half of the discussion. The phrasing was too ambiguous and heavy for his first experience.

Still, he tried his best to follow along, and eventually managed to grasp a few topics.

"He has left the capital city to personally search for several elf groups, descendants of the influential lineages. The new territory for the elves is almost ready," reported a snake beastman.

"Our preparations are complete as well. It’s time to make our first major move," Damien said, his voice burning with passion.

The others nodded with the same intensity. Xerath instinctively nodded with them.

Damien continued, "End his life."

Everyone in the room erupted into cheers.

But Damien wasn’t finished. The cheers instantly died down, giving him the floor again.

"Count Vardhan, take care of the matter at Eshaan House. Swargaloka’s greatest military force must belong to us."

Count Vardhan, standing behind another human’s chair, nodded so quickly that Xerath feared the man’s head might fall off.

All attention shifted back to Damien.

"For a kingdom ruled by strength! Let us sweep away the old fools who keep spouting hypocritical nonsense about equality between races. The strongest must rule! For the unified Bhumi Kingdom!"

"For the unified Bhumi Kingdom!" the others echoed in unison.

...

A few days later, inside the office of Duke Eshaan’s heir, Ramun and the polite-looking Count Vardhan were engaged in a serious conversation.

"Sir Ramun, you truly must be careful." Count Vardhan concluded his long explanation.

Ramun stayed silent, not responding immediately.

Count Vardhan maintained his good-person façade, though irritation simmered underneath.

Usually, this muscleheaded man believed him without hesitation, yet today he was strangely thoughtful.

"But I also understand why you can’t be too firm with Sir Karon and the late Sir Gavin’s son. They’re family, after all. Diya even cried when she learned what Sir Karon did."

Count Vardhan looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

Ramun nodded. "It’s still hard to believe Karon would do something like that. Gara is just a boy trying to survive."

Count Vardhan bobbed his head gently. "I understand, Sir. Truly. I also hope Sir Karon wasn’t the one who poisoned Duke Eshaan. But... if the evidence says otherwise, you must not hesitate."

"I know. I won’t forgive him."

Seeing Ramun’s expression harden, Count Vardhan fought to hide the smile tugging at his lips.

The evidence would appear soon enough, evidence that would come in the form of Duke Eshaan’s death.

"How about we check on Duke Eshaan now? It might help clear your head," he suggested.

"All right." Ramun stood and stretched his stiff body.

But just as he walked toward the door, his crystal ring lit up.

"Hold on a moment, Count Vardhan." Ramun returned to his desk.

Meanwhile, Erdhi —who had already reached for the doorknob— lowered his hand and returned to the guest sofa.

Waiting a few minutes wasn’t difficult.

From Ramun’s crystal ring came the voice of a young man Erdhi didn’t recognize, but the context made it obvious.

The late Commander Gavin’s son, Gara Eshaan.

"I succeeded in creating an antidote for the Duke," Gara said, trying—but failing—to hide his excitement.

"You’re serious?" Ramun gasped.

Erdhi was stunned as well. His brows furrowed, a trace of panic showing.

"I’m at the Alchemist Association right now. One of the staff here can teleport me. He can bring me to the castle entrance, if you allow it."

The two listeners grew even more shocked. Gara sounded rushed— whether from confidence or some other reason, neither could tell.

Ramun looked at Erdhi.

For a moment, Erdhi didn’t want Gara to come at all. But then he remembered: the poison affecting the Duke was no ordinary poison. Not even a master healer could detect it.

There was simply no way an eighteen-year-old alchemist could create an antidote for it. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Erdhi then nodded to Ramun. Not just Karon, he could eliminate the late Sir Gavin’s son as well.

They remained in the office to wait for Gara. It took barely ten minutes before he arrived.

Gara was immediately escorted to the Duke’s chamber, where they met.

"Please allow me to transfer this antidote inside Duke Eshaan’s body using my water," Gara said, skipping any formalities.

Ramun looked anxious, but eventually nodded.

Behind him, Erdhi smiled quietly.

Gara looked like an ordinary teenager, perhaps even weaker, his face almost too pretty for a boy. Other than his hair and eye color, he lacked the sharp features typical of the men in Eshaan House.

There was no way a kid like that could create an antidote. Even Chief Ambar wouldn’t be able to make one without knowing the toxin’s characteristic.

Erdhi realized he didn’t even need to push Ramun to involve Gara. The boy was practically offering himself up.

Once Erdhi killed Duke Eshaan, he planned to pin everything on Gara.

Meanwhile, Gara took out a small porcelain jar from his satchel. Using his water, he guided the antidote pill out of the jar and toward Duke Eshaan’s closed mouth.

Ramun had just opened his mouth to order a servant to help open the Duke’s jaw—but then he saw Gara’s water behave like a hand, gently prying the Duke’s mouth open on its own.

"Incredible control," he muttered without thinking.

Erdhi was shocked as well.

Yes, the boy was talented—like his father and mother—but that didn’t matter. He would soon be labeled the Duke’s murderer anyway.

The pill successfully slid down the Duke’s throat. Gara released his control over the water.

"Now we wait," he said.

Ramun nodded, though no hint of hope showed on his face.

Erdhi patted Ramun’s shoulder. Slowly, he stepped forward toward the Duke’s bed. It was time for him to take action.

But before he could get any closer, Gara—who had been sitting quietly beside the Duke’s luxurious bed—suddenly rose to his feet.

"What is it?" Ramun asked, hurrying over.

"The Duke is awake," Gara replied, a wide smile spreading across his face.

"That’s impossible!" Erdhi shouted before he could stop himself.

Gara and Ramun immediately turned to look at him. Gara didn’t recognize the man, but his strange reaction put him on alert.

"Cough... cough..." The weak coughing coming from Duke Eshaan pulled their attention back.

"Father, you’re awake!" Ramun dropped to his knees beside the bed, clutching the Duke’s frail, wrinkled hand.

Seeing Ramun so emotional, and the unfamiliar man frozen in shock, Gara quickly instructed the servants to summon a healer.

"Right now!" he emphasized. The servants rushed off immediately.

The hazel eyes of the elderly man lying helplessly on the bed managed to open again after one long year.

But after going so long without proper nutrition, his body couldn’t move, and even speaking was difficult.

"Sir Ramun, Duke Eshaan, I’ll give him my water. At the very least, it’ll fill his stomach," Gara said.

Ramun nodded at once. Any doubt he previously had about Gara disappeared entirely. At this moment, Ramun would believe anything Gara said.

Using his precise control, Gara guided water into the Duke’s mouth. And within minutes, Duke Eshaan could speak clearly.

"Ramun, why are you here instead of leading your troops at the border? Where’s Karon? And who is this young man?" Duke Eshaan fired off questions the moment his voice returned. His tone was firm despite its weakness.

Gara started to understand how this man had become the Duke who commanded the largest military force in Swargaloka.

Before Ramun could explain the situation, the healer arrived. Ramun held back and let the healer examine the Duke thoroughly.

"Duke, your body is completely fine. Was there another healer here before me?" the old healer asked, intrigued.

Ramun glanced toward Gara.

With no choice, Gara admitted, "I’m Gara Eshaan. I’m still a novice healer. I gave the Duke my water."

"Gara Eshaan? So it is you." The old healer brightened. "No wonder. I’ve always believed Eshaan House would one day produce not just great commanders, but a great healer as well."

"He’s part of Eshaan House? Who is he?" Duke Eshaan asked, bewildered. Since when did his family include someone he didn’t know?

The healer excused himself, giving the family some private time.

Ramun finally explained everything, from the accusations against Karon to Gara’s sudden appearance.

Duke Eshaan, now able to sit upright with support after the healer’s treatment, exploded in fury.

"How dare you, Ramun!"

"Karon wasn’t the culprit— It was Erdhi!"

Ramun spun around the moment he heard Erdhi’s name, but the spot behind him was already empty.

Erdhi was gone.

...