Crash!

With a hardened expression, Woden stepped into the Crown Prince’s palace. The sound of something shattering rang through the air, and his face grew grim. It seemed the prince had lost his temper again, throwing things in a rage. Without hesitation, Woden strode toward the prince’s chambers.

“Ugh.”

The scene inside was worse than he had expected. Woden sighed at the sight of a servant sitting on the floor, trembling, blood dripping from a wound on his forehead. It was clear he had been struck by something the prince had thrown.

“Your Highness.”

Despite having turned his bedroom into a disaster zone, the prince still didn’t seem satisfied. Woden’s expression barely shifted as he observed the prince’s violently surging magical energy.

“Calm yourself.”

“Woden.”

The Crown Prince sneered at Woden, who was trying to restrain him. He had thrown a fit, yet he felt no relief. His chest still burned with anger, and his stomach churned with frustration.

“Is Father still in his laboratory?”

“Yes. He hasn’t left it all night.”

At Woden’s answer, the prince let out a sigh of relief. News of what had happened at the Grand Duke’s estate last night was already spreading rapidly.

Some claimed the Crown Prince had humiliated himself at the Eustace family’s title-granting ceremony, while others accused the Grand Duke of arrogance toward the royal family. The imperial and noble factions were fiercely at odds, each using the incident to attack either the Crown Prince or the Grand Duke.

“What if Father is disappointed in me?”

The prince paced his room with an uneasy expression. His confrontation with the Grand Duke—and the rumors surrounding it—would undoubtedly reach the emperor’s ears soon.

“The Grand Duke merely outmaneuvered you yesterday. His Majesty will understand.”

Despite Woden’s reassurances, the prince remained unsettled. The emperor adored him, but he had never felt secure in that love. Ever since witnessing his twin sibling’s rejection, he had lived in constant fear.

“Useless thing!”

The emperor had refused to acknowledge the crow-born child as his daughter simply because she lacked magical power. Not only that—he had even tried to kill her, declaring that she had no value.

Whether the raven had talent with a sword or not was irrelevant. To the emperor, the only thing that mattered was magical prowess—power strong enough to compensate for his own inferiority complex.

“My son, do not disappoint me.”

The emperor, who had cast aside his own daughter without hesitation, constantly demanded worth from his son. In order to survive, the Crown Prince had obeyed. Fortunately, he had been born with magical talent, and the emperor cherished him for it. But he had never felt true happiness. He was always walking on thin ice.

‘If I fail to satisfy the emperor, I might be discarded like the raven.’

That fear had haunted him for years. He knew he was lucky—had the emperor not chosen him, the one cast aside wouldn’t have been the raven. It would have been him.

Fear was a driving force for effort. The Crown Prince dedicated himself to magic to become the son the Emperor desired. By the time he was twenty, he had already reached the 4th Circle—an impressive feat. However, he soon encountered an insurmountable wall.

A once-in-a-generation genius—Grand Duke Eustace.

No matter how exceptional one might be, a second-best would always be overshadowed by the first. Everything the Crown Prince had built crumbled under the presence of Grand Duke Eustace, who repeatedly blocked his path.

“Could she really be the Raven?”

The Crown Prince asked with a tense expression. The mere thought of Grand Duke Eustace siding with the Raven was horrifying.

“…I am not certain.”

Woden chose his words carefully. Yesterday, he had been too shocked to think clearly, but as time passed, he increasingly suspected that Lila Knox might be the Raven. However, he couldn’t be sure. Judging by the Crown Prince’s unstable state, saying so recklessly would only escalate matters.

“You were the one keeping an eye on the Raven! How can you not know?”

“My apologies.”

“Damn it!”

The Crown Prince ran a hand roughly through his hair. Ever since the Raven had failed to assassinate Grand Duke Eustace, nothing had gone right.

“What did the court magician say?”

“He couldn’t detect any traces of magic.”

“Then there’s a chance she isn’t the Raven.”

“That may be, but Grand Duke Eustace could have covered it up—”

“Don’t even mention that bastard!”

The Crown Prince cut Woden off, raising his voice. Woden suppressed a sigh as he observed the prince’s growing instability.

“Prepare to depart.”

The Crown Prince, still fuming, barked the order at a terrified servant who had been anxiously watching.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m heading to the Grand Duke’s estate.”

Woden’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected response. But the Crown Prince, having made up his mind, was unwavering.

“If I see her again, I’ll know whether she’s the Raven. You should prepare as well.”

“This is too rash.”

Woden voiced his opposition. With no certainty about whether Lila Knox was truly the Raven, acting prematurely was dangerous. Before making any moves, it would be wiser to report yesterday’s events to the Emperor and seek his counsel.

“All eyes and ears are already on you and the Grand Duke because of what happened yesterday. You should inform His Majesty first.”

“What is there to report when we don’t even know if she’s the Raven? Do you think I’ll just let that bastard outmaneuver me again?!”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“I don’t want to hear it! If you’re too much of a coward, stay here!”

“Your Highness!”

“Do not follow me!”

The Crown Prince turned away, making it clear he wouldn’t listen any further. Woden sighed heavily, his expression dark with concern.

***

“What’s going on? Why is the training ground so crowded?”

“The Commander is having a duel with the new knight, Dame Knox.”

“What?! Seriously?”

The training grounds buzzed with excitement at the sudden duel. The knights encircled Lila and Evan, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

A duel between two top-tier Sword Experts—this was a rare spectacle that even money couldn’t buy. Among the gathered knights, several servants had also come to watch after hearing the news.

Regardless of the commotion around them, Lila and Evan remained silent, their swords aimed at each other.

Evan was the first to break the suffocating silence. With a roar akin to a beast’s, he swung his greatsword with immense force.

Clang—!

Their swords collided midair, producing a sharp, grating sound.

***

“Ugh.”

Lila bit her lower lip as she felt her wrist tremble. As expected, she was outmatched in raw strength. Quickly shifting her grip, she angled her sword, allowing it to slide against Evan’s blade. With a screech of metal, she freed her sword and struck again.

Clang! Clang, clang!

A flurry of brief exchanges followed. Though Lila lacked the strength to overpower Evan, she dominated in speed.

After several more strikes, Evan took a step back, widening the distance between them.

“You think a lot, don’t you? Even as you cross swords, your mind is constantly at work. That’s a good habit.”

Evan smirked.

“I thought it was a bad one.”

Lila tilted her head slightly, catching her breath.

“Engrave it into your body—so you can wield your sword and move without conscious thought. If you think too much, you’ll die.”

Evan’s words were different from what her instructor had once told her. During training, her instructor had constantly reprimanded her for thinking too much.

“Hmm. It seems Dame Knox’s teacher had a different philosophy than mine.”

“I never had a teacher.”

Lila denied it outright. Her instructor had never been a mentor—only a handler.

“Still, someone must have taught you the sword. In any case, I don’t believe thinking too much is a bad thing. It just means you have a strong will to survive. However—”

Evan paused briefly before continuing.

“Overthinking can break your focus and slow your movements.”

“Ugh!”

Lila barely dodged the greatsword thrust toward her.

“Your reflexes are remarkable.”

Evan praised her as he swung his massive sword effortlessly, as if it weighed nothing. Each strike sent dust swirling into the air, splitting the atmosphere with sheer force.

Lila, parrying his attacks, suddenly leaped off the ground. Her silver blade shot toward Evan’s throat with precision.

“In a duel, aiming for the throat is against the rules, Dame Knox.”