Gara entered the ballroom alongside the Duke.

When their names were announced, his heart began to pound. He never once imagined that a boy who used to sleep in a room with dirt floors and bamboo walls would one day become the heir of a Duke.

The past two years had truly been long.

Gara’s gaze swept across the hall. The ballroom was decorated in hazel and gold, luxurious yet solemn, clearly reflecting how serious today’s ceremony was.

He took his seat beside the Duke. Karon, Ramun, and their wives were already seated on the platform as well.

Gara did his best to remain inconspicuous and follow proper etiquette.

From where he sat, he spotted familiar faces. Tristan was there, along with Lady Syeila and Langga.

The Duke soon opened the ceremony, delivering a speech before officially presiding over Gara’s appointment as heir.

Karon removed the small crown from his own head and placed it on a tray. Ramun, as commander, handed it to the Duke, who then gently placed it atop Gara’s head.

"Gara, son of the late Commander Gavin Eshaan, will surely demonstrate the same strength and leadership as Commander Gavin himself," the Duke declared, his voice echoing through the hall. "From this day forward, he is officially recognized as a future leader of this duchy."

Cheers erupted throughout the ballroom. Tristan’s voice was the loudest, his eyes shimmering with tears.

The final mission his commander had entrusted to him was finally complete. He had returned Gara to where he belonged and ensured his protection.

Gara, meanwhile, felt overwhelmed.

He had assumed that since only human nobles were present, the ceremony would feel quieter.

Instead, because the attendees were mostly vassals loyal to Duke Eshaan, the appointment felt even more sacred and exclusive.

After the formal proceedings, Karon brought Gara around to greet the Duke’s vassals and several nobles.

Tristan nearly burst into tears again and almost hugged Gara, but restrained himself because so many eyes were watching.

Syeila and Langga also offered their congratulations. Langga acted normally, but Syeila praised Gara excessively and even brought up the topic of marriage.

"As the heir of Duke, wouldn’t it be better to find a partner from another ducal lineage?" Duchess Alterian smiled widely, making Gara uncomfortable and unsure how to respond.

Sensing the situation, Langga quickly pulled his mother away, rescuing Gara from her not-so-subtle hints. Even so, Syeila still managed to wink at Gara, leaving him utterly bewildered.

After that, Gara continued greeting other nobles. Though the conversations were light, he still had to remain formal and mindful of etiquette.

His entire body felt tense from the constant need to be cautious.

He only relaxed a little after joining the younger generation of House Eshaan.

Brielle, Tasha, and Elyon were there as well. The three eagerly surrounded him, chatting nonstop like baby birds waiting to be fed.

Gara gently patted their heads one by one and responded patiently. At least with them, he didn’t need to wear a fake smile.

"Johan, you’re the strongest, so why is he the one becoming our future leader?"

The childish voice came from a sofa beside Gara.

A teenage boy immediately covered the mouth of his eight-year-old sibling. He glanced around and relaxed when he realized no adults were nearby. Only cousins were present, including the person being talked about.

When Gara looked over, Johan wore a smug expression. The younger boy beside him mirrored it.

"That’s Johan and Rowan," Brielle whispered, looking like a younger sibling tattling to an older one.

Gara studied Johan, the so-called strongest of their generation.

’I thought he’d be imposing and intimidating,’ Gara thought. ’Turns out he’s just a teenager who hasn’t seen the world yet.’

He ignored the brothers and continued talking with his younger cousins.

Johan noticed. And after realizing Gara had dismissed him with a single glance, his ego took a hit.

Though he wasn’t a direct descendant of the Duke, he was strong.

In his heart, he couldn’t accept that someone who appeared out of nowhere, without Eshaan’s special training, had become heir simply because he was the son of the previous heir.

Especially when that someone had a pretty face, a short and slender build that looked almost feminine. Johan thought a strong breeze might knock him over.

Seeing no adults nearby, Johan spoke in a deliberately ominous tone.

"Hey, Gara. My father said mist monsters are everywhere along the borders. The heir has to serve there for at least five years. You’re not afraid of mist monsters... the ones that even killed Headmaster of Gyakarta Academy, right?"

Gara frowned. Johan mistook the expression for fear and couldn’t suppress his smirk.

But Gara responded with a completely different question.

"I heard the oldest grandchild of House Eshaan is entering Gyakarta Academy next month. Is that you?"

Johan lifted his chin proudly. "That’s me. Out of thousands of applicants, I was one of only two hundred who passed. The entrance exam is extremely difficult. There were so many—"

Before he could finish, Gara interrupted calmly.

"Oh? I didn’t know. I entered Gyakarta Academy without taking the exam. And I was placed directly into Class S."

When Gara emphasized without an exam and Class S, Johan felt his face burn with embarrassment.

It was the thing he was most proud of... and Gara had crushed it effortlessly.

He knew Gara attended Gyakarta Academy, but he hadn’t known Gara entered without testing, or that he was a Class S student, the elite class of only ten students per year.

Johan had even planned to confront Gara at the academy and prove that he was superior, even as a junior.

Rowan glanced at his brother, confused by his sudden silence. There was no way this pretty-faced guy was better than Johan... right?

Rowan nudged him.

That was when Johan remembered that Gara was an alchemy genius, whose creations were highly sought after, even by nobles.

Instantly, Johan convinced himself that Gara must have entered Class S because of alchemy alone.

But House Eshaan were knights, warriors who fought monsters at the borders.

A smug smile returned to his face. "I remember even weak dwarves can get into Class S. No wonder you made it."

The calm expression on Gara’s face instantly turned cold.

Standing beside the food table, he stepped forward until he was directly in front of Johan.

"You think I’m weak?" Gara said quietly. "Then fight me if you’re really that strong."

...