On the third day of the hunting tournament, the air grew heavy with tension and desperation. In the group led by Manuel Carter, the situation had spiraled into chaos.
Emily and Alejandro, while exploring a wooded area, stumbled upon a spider nest. Before they could retreat, they were forced to fight for their lives. Four knights had already fallen, and the rest battled desperately against a giant Class B spider and its brood of Class D offspring. In total, fifty-five creatures swarmed the area. The ground was littered with bodies ensnared in silvery threads, while ten of the smaller spiders burned in the embers of fire spells.
Emily raised her hands to the sky and activated her spell, Luminis Radiance. A golden circle of pure light bloomed beneath her feet, radiating sacred energy. Her Delta-class magical affinity amplified her allies' mana while weakening the dark influence emanating from the swarm. As her light shone, the knights pressed forward, with Alejandro leading the vanguard, his sword wreathed in flames as he cut through the threads descending from the trees.
But the true danger was not on the ground. The giant spider, cunning and swift, moved through the canopy, casting threads to snatch soldiers and devour them above. After studying its pattern, Alejandro unleashed a burst of fire, burning the threads before another knight could be dragged away. The others followed his lead, using flames to counter the creature's strategy.
The monster adapted. From the shadows of the treetops, it descended silently upon distracted prey, injecting venom before vanishing once more. William, the strongest knight in the group—a Magister-class warrior—tried to corner it, but the spider was too fast.
When it dropped directly toward Emily, a blaze of fire lit up the forest. Without hesitation, Alejandro unleashed a Rank 5 fire spell, a roaring inferno that ignited the branches and forced the creature to recoil. The knights struck with force, but the spider shrieked with a piercing sound that shook them all, its offspring surging forward with renewed fury. The soldiers faltered, wounded and exhausted.
Then, a thunderous crash echoed through the trees. A second group arrived: Daniel Carter and his men. Concerned for his children's safety, Daniel had never strayed too far. His arrival turned the tide of battle. Within minutes, the brood was annihilated, and the mother spider, enraged by the loss, lunged in blind fury.
Daniel stepped forward, his blade wrapped in light mana. Each strike repelled the creature's dark energy. William, injured but resolute, joined the assault. Together, they severed several of the spider's legs. In a final act of desperation, the monster hurled itself at William, sinking its fangs into his shoulder and flooding his body with venom.
"No!" Emily cried, extending her hand.
Before she could cast, Alejandro rushed forward. His flame-wreathed sword drove straight into the creature's head. Channeling all his mana, he roared, "Burn in hell!"
A burst of fire erupted from the blade, engulfing the spider's skull. The monster let out a final, agonized screech before collapsing, dead.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Only the crackling of flames consuming the nest remained. Daniel rushed to William, who was already drinking a potion to counteract the poison.
"Are you alright?" Daniel asked gravely.
"I'll live, sir. It was… a miscalculation," William replied, struggling to remain standing.
Daniel frowned. "How did you end up in this situation?"
"It was my oversight. I didn't notice the threads in the trees. I didn't expect a Class B monster this close to the forest's edge," the knight admitted, regret heavy in his voice.
Daniel approached his children. Emily and Manuel were drenched in sweat but unharmed. "You should have stayed with your mother, Emily. I don't know why I let myself be convinced," he said, disappointed.
"Father… we didn't know there would be creatures this strong. We hadn't even gone that deep," she replied, her voice trembling.
Daniel sighed and explained, "This is the season when beasts give birth. Adult monsters spread out to protect their young. The kingdom organizes this tournament now for that very reason—to thin their numbers and keep threats away from the capital. That way, the king doesn't have to risk his own troops."
Manuel looked at him, frustration evident. "So this whole tournament is just a way for the nobles to do the kingdom's dirty work."
Daniel smiled bitterly. "Exactly. Though some of them enjoy it…"
Manuel understood immediately. "That's why the Douglas family always wins, isn't it? For them, this isn't duty—it's a chance to show off their power."
Though Daniel had scolded his children, deep down he understood Emily's reasons. He knew the weight of her engagement to Lusian and how the whispers of the nobility had isolated her. She simply wanted to prove she could stand on her own.
After giving instructions to dispose of the bodies and burn the nest, Daniel departed. Alejandro took the opportunity to approach the siblings.
"Hope that lecture wasn't too harsh," he said with a tired smile.
"You have no idea…" Manuel replied, resigned. "Father is furious."
Emily lowered her gaze. "It's my fault. If I hadn't insisted on coming, those knights would still be alive…"
Manuel placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't say that. Death is part of a knight's path. There's no greater honor than dying to protect one's lord or comrades."
Emily looked at him, tears brimming, and embraced him gratefully. But her thoughts drifted to another name: Lusian. What would he have done in her place?
Alejandro frowned. "What's wrong, Emily? Don't tell me you'd rather be with that… 'accessory.'"
"Accessory?" Emily repeated, confused.
"That's what Alejandro calls him. A spoiled noble who doesn't deserve his title," Manuel interjected with a hint of irony.
Alejandro struck the ground in frustration. "That man thinks he's above everyone else. He lives off the Douglas name and the fear his family inspires."
Emily's expression hardened. "Don't speak like that, Alejandro. You know what happened to Baron Joel for insulting a Douglas."
Silence fell over them, heavy and tense.
Manuel was the first to speak, cautiously. "The baron insulted you… and Lusian ordered his execution, didn't he?"
Emily lowered her gaze. The weight of his words pressed against her chest. "That's not what happened…" she murmured. "Lusian tried to stop it, but… I was the one who intervened. Everything spiraled out of control."
Alejandro looked at her, stunned. "You mean you…?"
"You don't understand," Emily cut in, almost whispering. "The baron threatened me, and Lusian only reacted to protect me. But what happened afterward… that was my fault. If I hadn't spoken, none of it would have happened."
Alejandro clenched his fists in anger. "Even so, that man lives surrounded by fear. One day, someone will have to put an end to his tyranny."
Emily looked at him, worry mixing with guilt. "Don't do anything reckless. You don't understand the power that family holds… Lusian isn't like his father, but if you provoke them, you'll pay a terrible price."
Alejandro stared into the campfire, his brow furrowed. Every spark reflected something inside him—rage, helplessness, humiliation.
"That's why," he finally said, his voice firm, "I'll stop serving as a knight under Count Carter. I'll join the royal knights. One day, I'll reclaim my family's name… and put an end to the Douglas family's power."
His words carried such cold determination that even Emily felt a chill.
Manuel, who had been listening in silence, clenched his fists. "If that's your path," he said, his voice trembling but resolute, "then I'll support you. I won't stand by while my sister suffers."
Emily looked at him in horror. "Manuel, don't say that! You don't understand what you're saying."
But Manuel pressed on, driven by anger and helplessness. "I've spent my whole life hearing about the honor of the Carter family and the justice of the kingdom. But if that justice allows the Douglas family to do whatever they want, then I want no part of it."
Alejandro looked at him, surprised, but a flicker of approval crossed his face. "Then I'm not alone," he murmured.
Emily covered her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please, stop! I don't want you to die because of me. You don't understand… Lusian isn't what you think."
Alejandro frowned. "What are you saying?"
Emily struggled to breathe, trembling as she recalled that moment in Count Denisse's mansion. "I saw him tremble… I saw fear in his eyes. He's not a monster. There's something in him… something broken."
Manuel watched her with a mix of surprise and confusion. "Do you like him?"
She paused, lifting her gaze toward them, the firelight reflecting in her tired eyes.
"You don't understand what you're saying," she continued, her voice laced with sadness and urgency. "Standing against the Douglas family isn't about courage—it's a death sentence. Every move, every word has a price. If you make a mistake, you'll drag our entire family down with you."
Manuel lowered his head, unsettled by her tone.
Alejandro, however, looked at her with a mixture of frustration and pain.
He turned his gaze back to the fire, fists clenched, its glow reflected in his dark eyes.
I won't let that man take you from me too, he thought, his jaw tightening until it hurt.