The silence had returned.
Only the low hum of mana from the torches flickered through the stone hall, casting long shadows that danced across marble and steel. The tension hadn't broken—it had simply shifted. The room no longer held disbelief. It held something deeper. Reverence. Doubt. And the weight of an unseen legacy.
Edward Phoenix stepped down from his Patriarch's throne.
His cloak dragged behind him like a shadow—its crimson lining swaying as he walked slowly toward Serena.
Each of his footsteps echoed in the hall.
His voice was low. Controlled.
"…Serena."
Serena straightened her back.
"I know," she said before he could ask.
Her tone was sharp, clear, and unwavering—like a knight delivering judgment on a battlefield.
"The first one from our descendants who defeats a Marshal becomes the official heir." She met Edward's gaze directly. "It is obvious. He should become the heir. He is qualified."
Edward froze.
His jaw clenched. A muscle twitched near his eye.
He rubbed his brows with a long, slow exhale.
"…This meeting is adjourned for tomorrow," he said suddenly, voice rising. "Derox. Hilt. You can leave."
Derox mumbled under his breath, eyes still flicking toward Reyon.
"Tch… this doesn't feel right…"
Marshal Hilt simply nodded and left in silence.
[The heavy doors closed behind them.]
Edward turned away and slowly walked back to his seat.
He sat down with a long sigh, the grand throne creaking beneath him.
He looked up toward the young man his son who now stood at the center of attention.
"Reyon," Edward said with a tired breath, "can you explain what just happened in these couple of months… for your strength to rise this much?"
[Footsteps approached.]
Evelyn, curious and smiling faintly, stepped forward with her hands folded beneath her sleeves.
"My dear nephew," she said, voice surprisingly warm. "I am glad for your improvement. I truly am."
She tilted her head, studying him.
"But you should understand us… and tell what happened. We're all shocked." She gave a breathless laugh. "You're the first person after your grandfather to achieve such enormous strength at this age."
She stepped closer.
"I know you also control vectors like him… but still, it's unbelievable to think a 5th-circle mage defeated Serena. The strongest of this generation, after Edward and me."
Reyon's eyes lowered slightly.
He didn't seem flustered. But his voice came out steady. Purposeful.
"You might not know the reason I left the household," he said. "Before completing my necessary training in the clan…"
He looked directly at Edward. Then Serena. Then Evelyn.
"…It was to join Classers."
(The three flinched. They hadn't expected that.)
"When I was training with Grandma Min Hee," Reyon continued, "she told me that Grandpa… was the one who founded Classers."
(Their eyes widened.)
"She said… he created it to end the corruption on the continent."
Edward rose halfway from his seat.
"What…?"
Evelyn gasped, "What are you saying…?"
Even Serena, ever-stoic Cold Sword, took a sharp breath.
As no one could guess that the previous patriach of the strongest household founded a rebel force
"Are you… sure?" they asked
Reyon nodded.
"She also told me," he added, "about the final symbol that wasn't recorded in the clan."
He looked toward the hall's banners—each representing a circle of mastery.
"And hinted that he might've left the final part… in Classers."
Edward's lips parted, but he couldn't speak.
"He spent his final time there before disappearing," Reyon added softly.
"That's why I went there."
"But it wasn't easy to find."
[Memory fades in – flashes of stone halls and shadows.]
"Berth had a tight leash all around the headquarters," Reyon said. "He was… already corrupt. Working with nobles from the Kingdom of Elise."
Edward's face darkened.
"He collaborated with the Kingdom?"
"That's why i killed him," Reyon said bluntly.
"Then… I found a secret underground chamber."
His tone grew quieter—almost reverent.
"From there, I learned the final symbol."
(He paused. Carefully hiding the detail of defeating Serena before that discovery. He didn't want more unrest.)
"After that…" Reyon's eyes moved to Serena.
"…Marshal went to the headquarters with Royal Guards. She was going to… end Classers. Erase it."
Serena remained still.
"That's why I fought her," Reyon said. "Because it's the legacy… grandfather left behind."
He finally stopped speaking.
Silence blanketed the room once more. The flickering flames now felt colder than ever.
(Edward's shoulders slumped slightly.)
"So… that's what happened…" he muttered.
Evelyn walked slowly toward her throne, still processing it all.
"To think… Father founded Classers…" she said, voice filled with distant wonder.
Serena looked at Reyon with a different kind of gaze now. Not duty. Not shame. But understanding.
"I… had no idea," she murmured.
Edward rubbed his forehead again. Then leaned back with a sigh.
"But…" his voice softened.
"…I'm glad you protected his legacy."
He looked up once more at Reyon, now standing calmly at the center of the Grand Hall.
"Alright," Edward said, straightening his back. "Let's get going."
He gestured toward the doors.
"Reyon must be exhausted. He ran straight here for this meeting."
Edward stood.
"Let's meet tomorrow," he said firmly. "For the final verdict."