Chapter 19: Gavin
Athena's mind was spinning with questions.
Gavin removed his bowler hat, his voice calm but direct.
"May I come in?"
"Y-Yes!" Athena answered quickly, stepping aside.
As he entered the main hall, the scent of alchemical herbs lingered faintly in the air. The space was modest, with worn furniture and shelves filled with books, potion vials, and odd magical trinkets. From the kitchen, Shirley stepped out—and froze the moment she saw him.
"I apologize for dropping in unannounced," Gavin said, settling onto the sofa. His sharp eyes roamed across the home, pausing on the door to the alchemy room, then the hallway, and finally stopping at a portrait hanging on the left wall.
It depicted a young man with deep-blue hair, olive skin, short brows, a rounded nose, and an oval face. What caught Gavin's attention most were his eyes—one crystalline white, the other a piercing, oceanic blue, as if it held a world within. The young man wore a black formal coat, reminiscent of the Rune Era, and a neatly perched bowler hat.
The portrait was incredibly lifelike.
"Who painted this? And who is he?" Gavin asked, genuine surprise flickering across his face.
Shirley hesitated. "T-That's—"
Before she could finish, Athena spoke up with quiet pride.
"That's my brother's teacher. He's a wizard like you, Mr. Gavin. And my brother painted that himself."
Gavin's expression stiffened.
A wizard? That boy? Impossible… Unless—no, there must be something else going on here.
His thoughts raced, suspicion taking root.
"Interesting," he said slowly. "May I know his name?"
Shirley tensed. A cold unease swept over her.
Athena hesitated, then nodded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
I can't risk revealing Raven's teacher. But I also can't let this man think we're defenseless.
"Charles Nightwind," she said evenly. "That's the name my brother gave us. We don't know anything else."
Gavin narrowed his eyes. "Charles Nightwind? That name doesn't exist in the records of Crow's Misery Academy." His gaze returned to the portrait, and for a moment, he simply stared—his expression unreadable.
To be more precise, his current thoughts disappeared mysteriously.
Ten seconds passed in silence before Shirley gathered the courage to speak.
"H-How did you find us, Lord Gavin?"
Snapped awake after the strange blankness, Gavin gestured toward Athena's wrist. "The inheritance bracelet," he said simply. "As long as she wears it, her location can never be hidden from the Emperor's gaze."
Shirley gave a bitter smile. "Then why wait fifteen years? The Emperor could've taken us long ago."
Athena's hand flew to her sword. "So you're here to drag me back to the palace?"
Instead of answering, Gavin posed a new question.
"Have you heard any recent news from the Viser Kingdom?"
Both women shook their heads.
He let out a long sigh. "Then the news hasn't reached this far. Crown Prince Daniel is dead. Yesterday, the Viser Kingdom launched a surprise attack on the Western fortress. They captured every soldier, every officer. And just two hours before the invasion… Prince Daniel was assassinated in his own mansion. Every servant and guard was killed."
He paused. When he spoke again, his tone darkened.
"There were also multiple assassination attempts on other royals. That's why the Emperor has summoned all royal family members back to the capital. Immediately."
Shirley's face turned pale. "Assassinations? But how did spies from Viser infiltrate the Empire? Did a noble betray us?"
Athena crossed her arms. Her voice was colder than steel.
"Why should I care? I've never met that prince—and I don't mourn his death. I severed all ties with that cursed royal family long ago." Her glare locked on Gavin. "And you—you were the one who told the Emperor to kill my baby brother. Don't pretend to mourn now. I'll never forgive you. Or that bastard father of mine."
"Athena!" Shirley gasped, grabbing her arm in panic.
But Gavin remained unshaken, almost bored.
"I made a harsh decision that day, yes. But nothing has changed. That child, even with your care, won't live past six."
He stood.
"And I'm under strict orders. You are to return to the capital immediately. If you resist—"
The room shifted.
A suffocating pressure filled the air, making it hard to breathe. Shirley stumbled, clutching the wall. Athena gasped, trying to stand firm.
"What about my brother?!" she spat through clenched teeth.
"The Empire has no use for burdens," Gavin said coldly. "Besides, your father has arranged a political marriage. With the Duke of Vega Empire's son."
The words struck like lightning. Athena's face turned crimson with rage.
"I'll KILL YOU!"
Her sword was halfway unsheathed when a crushing, invisible force froze her in place.
Gavin didn't even flinch. Instead, he raised a hand.
From the shadows, a figure materialized in front of Shirley. It seized her throat and slowly lifted her off the ground.
"I didn't come to negotiate, Athena," Gavin said flatly. "Disobey the Emperor, and your aunt dies."
Shirley struggled, her limbs trembling violently.
"N-NO!" Athena's voice was hoarse, wild. "Let her go! I'll return to the palace—just don't hurt her!"
Gavin smiled, satisfied. "Good decision. Your aunt comes too, of course. We'll need someone to take the blame for harboring the Sword Princess all these years."
His grin twisted. The lights flickered—and then, all at once, darkness swallowed the hall.
…
When the light returned, Athena and Shirley were gone.
Only Gavin remained. He sat calmly on the sofa, clapping slowly, the eerie quiet thick with tension.
"Jonas."
A black figure emerged from the corner and knelt. He wore a fitted shadow suit, twin daggers strapped at his waist.
"Your orders, my lord?" the figure asked, voice young but cold.
"When that boy returns," Gavin said, "kill him. Make it look like an assassination attempt by the Viser Kingdom."
He turned to the portrait, eyes narrowing.
"And check this man's background. I don't want any surprises."
"Yes, my lord." Jonas vanished into the shadows.
…
Meanwhile, Raven strolled through the town square, unaware of what had transpired.
He passed the fountain, exchanged polite nods with a few locals, then exited through the northern gate. Ahead, a crowd of over a hundred students—mostly children around his age—had gathered in front of a poised woman with golden-blonde hair.
Her sharp amber eyes swept across the crowd. Her high nose, heart-shaped face, and ivory skin gave her an elegant, commanding presence.
She was none other than Teacher Elizabeth.
"Raven. You're late," she said with a smile before turning to the group of officers behind her.
"Status report?"
A tall officer stepped forward, musket slung across his back.
"No abnormalities within five kilometers. Only a few low-rank monsters. Superintendent Athena cleared out the intermediate ones yesterday—including a large goblin pack."
"Oh? Athena?" Elizabeth's gaze turned thoughtful.
She's one of the potential seeds. But what caught me off guard… is that Raven and Athena are siblings.
She shook off the thought and faced the students, forty in total, standing in nervous silence.
"You're about to enter the Mirage Woodlands. This is your final test," she announced.
"You'll need to survive until dawn. That means 21 hours inside the woods. Hunt, hide, or fight—but survive."
The students paled. She continued.
"You'll be scored by the monster ears you bring back. One point for a goblin, two for a kobold, three for a wolf. Return before 6 A.M.—and you're disqualified. No exceptions."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
Then she shouted,
"Begin!"
As Elizabeth spoke, all the students, including Raven, dashed toward the Mirage Woodlands.
At that moment, every student was ready for the Knight Training School's final practical exam.
This wasn't a normal test but a real-life battle experience. After the monster invasion eight years ago, the Baron had decided the only way to prepare the young was to let them face life-and-death ordeals before graduation.
Though it sounded brutal, his military squad had already swept through the woods, eliminating all intermediate-rank and large-group monsters. Only goblins and kobolds remained.
Similar tests had been conducted over the past eight years, and nothing major had occurred.
Raven ran alongside his classmates, his breath steady, but his heart pounding.
They were already nearing the woods.
Though he'd read about the Mirage Woodlands—heard wild tales from his sister and aunt—seeing them up close unsettled him.
A cold unease gripped him.
Before he could hesitate, the others pushed past the bushes covering the forest's edge and walked in without pause.
When Raven stepped into the Mirage Woodlands, a surreal atmosphere surrounded him. The dense canopy filtered the sunlight, scattering dappled shadows on the moss-covered ground. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth, and the soft rustle of leaves came from time to time.
The group quickly split up, each student heading in a different direction.
Raven followed a narrow, less-trodden trail, wanting to avoid unnecessary confrontation.
As he ventured deeper, the woods began to feel unnatural. The towering trees twisted and leaned into each other, forming a maze-like structure.
An hour passed with no sign of danger.
Then, a rustle came from the left.
Raven immediately ducked behind a wide tree trunk, holding his breath.
'Enemy? Or an ally?'
He waited.
A minute passed.
Then came a figure—a meter-tall, green-skinned humanoid creature sniffing the air as it walked toward him. It wore animal skin over its lower body, a rusty dagger at its waist. Beads dangled from its neck, and a crude bracelet clinked on its wrist.
'Goblin! As expected, goblins are smarter than other monsters. I read they have sensitive noses... It must be tracking my scent.' A spike of anxiety flared in Raven's chest.
The longer he waited, the more danger he invited.
He reached into his inventory, pulled out the Frozen Ender, and gripped it with both hands.
Then he lunged from behind the tree and charged.
The Goblin sensed him instantly, yanked its dagger from its waist, and raised it.
In less than five seconds, Raven thrust the spear toward its chest.
But to his shock, the Goblin angled its dagger just right and knocked the spearhead off-course. Though it was pushed back, its battle experience clearly outweighed its size.
With a nimble deflection, the Goblin threw Raven off balance.
Then it lunged.
'No good!'
Raven leapt back, shifting the spear to his right hand.
The dagger missed his chest but tore a sharp gash across his left arm. Blood soaked through his shirt.
"F*ck! I underestimated it!* He sucked in a breath and focused on the small, greenish hexagonal structure glowing in his mind.
He cast the 'Regeneration' spell!
A strange energy surged through him, flowing toward the wound. Flesh stitched itself back together in seconds.
The Goblin, startled by the rapid healing, growled and charged again.
A cold smirk appeared on Raven's face.
He gripped the spear and swept it horizontally.
But the Goblin ducked and rolled under the attack.
Raven readied to thrust again, but the creature backflipped, landing two meters away in one smooth motion.
'I'm impressed!' Raven thought, narrowing his eyes.
Compared to the goblin, his battle skills were pathetic.
[This Goblin must have at least two or three years of battle experience. Be careful of a sneak attack.] Zera warned.
'Do I need to use the potion?' Raven shook his head. 'No. I've trained enough with the Wintermoon Spear Dance.'
He had memorized the basic tactics long ago.
'I may not have mastered aura or gathered mana around my heart… but my spearmanship is above average.'
He calmed his breath, assessing the situation.
'It's weaker than me. But its experience is keeping me on edge.'
Two quick steps to the side.
He twirled the spear and charged again.
As the Goblin raised its dagger to block, Raven suddenly pivoted, redirecting the spear with a whirlwind motion.
The spear tip swung from the Goblin's right. It barely managed to react.
Then Raven spun again, stepping back and pulling the spear into a circular arc.
A second later, he lunged forward—his footwork fluid, graceful, timed like water flowing around stone.
The Goblin growled, bracing to block.
But a dull thud echoed as the spear smashed through its defense. The dagger flew from its hand, clattering to the ground.
The Goblin stared in stunned disbelief at its empty hand.
Raven didn't hesitate. He raised the spear high and brought it down.
'Crack!'
The blade sliced clean through the Goblin's skull, splitting it down to the neck.
Dead.
"Finally," Raven whispered. He pulled a knife from his inventory, sliced off the Goblin's left ear, and then dropped it into a small leather pouch. His gaze returned to the body.
"Can I extract its blood essence?" he asked aloud.
[You can. But the purity is low. You'll only gain a small amount of attribute points.] Zera replied.
Raven nodded, cut over the Goblin's chest, and placed his palm on it.
…
[Bloodline Devourer System activated!]
[Goblin Looter's Bloodline Essence has been found!]
[Analyzing purity...]
[0.3% purity of a Rank-1 Goblin Looter detected.]
[Partial absorption is possible. Proceed? Yes/No.]
…
[What?!] Zera gasped.
[Can it extract even this tiny amount?]
Raven tapped "Yes" without hesitation.
A suction force pulled the blood from the Goblin's body. It gathered under his palm, condensed into a small bead, and vanished into his skin.
Notifications flooded his vision.
…
['Bloodline Devourer' ability commencing.]
[Randomizing ability extraction...]
[Goblin Looter's 'Fortuitous Finder' Ability selected!]
[Similar skill detected: 'Wonder Sense'. Merge possible. Proceed? Yes/No.]
…
[Wait! You can merge bloodline abilities with existing skills?] Zera exclaimed.
You're the system. Why are you surprised? Raven thought.
[I am. But this is happening because of the "***** ******* remnant I extracted from your body. A fragment of Casper's main ability.]
Raven clicked "Yes."
A power surge burst into his mind, forming a new hexagonal structure. Pain flared in his head, making him stumble.
But he clenched his jaw and remained still.
…
[Merging 'Wonder Sense' with 'Fortuitous Finder'.]
[1%... 5%... 20%... 50%... 100%!]
[Merge complete!]
[New Bloodline Spell Acquired: 'Fortuitous Finder'!]
[Host absorbed part of the Goblin Looter's blood essence!]
[+0.1 Spirit]
[+0.02 Vitality]
[+0.01 Strength]
[+0.03 Agility]
[Body is undergoing mutation...]
…
Raven stayed motionless for five minutes before rising to his feet.
'The attribute gain is small…' But his expression didn't show disappointment.
'I've gained another bloodline spell. Unlike regeneration, this one's already fully comprehended—probably thanks to the merge.'
He slid the knife back into his inventory and silently walked toward the left, vanishing into the forest's shadows.