The sun had already reached its peak above the Reinhart estate, its golden light filtering through the stained glass windows, scattering vivid colors across the marble floor. The scent of blooming roses drifted through the air as a soft breeze rustled the leaves in the courtyard.
Inside the grand hall, the Reinhart and Arclight families sat together, exchanging pleasantries and carefully measured smiles. The atmosphere was polite — but beneath that politeness lay the unmistakable weight of noble pride.
Cain Reinhart leaned casually against a marble column, his sharp eyes fixed on the girl who had arrived that morning — Alicia Arclight. Her presence had drawn nearly every gaze in the room. Her long silver hair shimmered under the chandelier light, and her calm posture carried the air of someone who had been born and raised in the center of elegance.
Cain smirked slightly. "I must say, Lady Alicia," he began, his tone both smooth and mischievous, "I finally understand why the poets in the capital speak of the Arclight family as blessed by the moon itself."
Alicia turned her gaze toward him. "Flattery does not work on me, Lord Cain," she replied coldly.
"Oh?" Cain chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "I wasn't flattering. I was merely stating a fact."
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly, but she did not respond. Raon Reinhart, their father, cleared his throat softly, a subtle warning for his son to behave. Cain only smiled and gave a half bow.
To ease the tension, Raon gestured politely toward their guests. "Why don't we take a walk around the estate? I believe our garden is in full bloom this season."
Zen Arclight — the head of the Arclight family — a tall, composed man with silver hair touched by streaks of white, nodded approvingly. "I would love to see it. They say the Reinhart family's garden rivals that of the royal palace."
With a gesture, Raon led them through the arching hallways of the mansion. Their footsteps echoed against the polished marble as they moved toward the outer gardens. Along the way, Raon introduced each area with quiet pride — the grand dining hall, the crystal atrium, the family's private library.
When they finally stepped outside, the sight before them was breathtaking. The Reinhart gardens stretched far and wide, filled with layers of vivid flowers and glistening fountains. The air smelled of lilies and morning dew. Birds darted among the hedges, their songs echoing softly across the courtyard.
"This," Zen said with admiration, "is quite a sight. As expected of one of the three great noble houses. The Reinhart name continues to live up to its reputation."
Raon smiled. "You flatter me, Zen. It's nothing compared to the brilliance of Arclight's mana academies."
Zen chuckled. "Perhaps. But I must admit, your estate holds a certain… strength in its atmosphere." His eyes glimmered briefly, the eyes of a man who could sense mana even in the flow of nature. "I can feel traces of energy even from your soil. That is rare."
As they walked further, passing rows of glowing blue flowers — mana orchids — Zen glanced at Raon and said, "I heard you have another son, do you not? The one who's about to enter the academy this year?"
Raon nodded. "Yes. Kelvin. He's… probably at the training grounds right now."
Alicia, who had been walking quietly beside her father, tilted her head slightly. "Kelvin Reinhart?"
Raon smiled faintly. "You've heard the name?"
"I've heard… whispers," Alicia replied softly. "They say he's rather quiet — unlike your eldest." Her violet eyes flickered toward Cain for a brief moment, who only grinned wider in response. "But tell me… is he strong?"
Raon paused, glancing upward as if thinking deeply. "Strong?" he repeated with a soft chuckle. "That's… hard to say. He rarely shows his strength."
"Rarely shows, or rarely has?" Alicia's tone was sharp — almost teasing.
Before Raon could answer, Cain let out a low laugh. "Careful, Lady Arclight. You might regret those words."
Zen raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Oh? Why's that, young man?"
Raon exhaled, finally answering. "Recently, Kelvin fought something quite… unbelievable."
Zen turned fully toward him. "Unbelievable?"
Raon nodded slowly. "He faced a Warrior Ogre — alone."
The air grew still. Even the servants behind them froze for a moment.
Zen's eyes widened slightly. "A Warrior Ogre? Are you certain?"
"Yes," Raon replied. "It happened five days ago, near the northern woods."
Zen frowned, disbelief flickering in his expression. "Those creatures are monsters among monsters. Their physical strength alone could tear through stone walls. Even seasoned knights avoid facing them head-on."
Raon smiled faintly, though his eyes were distant. "That's what I thought too. Yet Kelvin returned alive. Injured, yes, but alive."
Cain folded his arms, his voice filled with quiet pride. "He didn't just survive. He won."
Alicia's eyes narrowed slightly, studying their faces. "He defeated a Warrior Ogre? Alone?" Her tone was disbelieving. "Impossible."
"Impossible?" Raon repeated softly. "Perhaps. But it happened."
Zen let out a low hum, crossing his arms. "That… changes things. I must meet this young man myself."
Before Raon could reply, Zen glanced toward the youngest Reinhart present — Lucy — who had been walking silently behind Maria. "And what of you, young lady?" Zen asked kindly. "Do you follow the family's sword path as well?"
Lucy flinched, startled by the sudden attention. "Ah, I—um… I don't, Lord Arclight. I… wish to be a magician."
Alicia's expression shifted — cool and faintly critical. "Then you should stop wasting your time lazing around," she said sharply. "Mana control requires discipline, not dreams."
Lucy's shoulders sank, her eyes trembling slightly. "I… I understand," she murmured.
"Now, Alicia," Zen said quietly, his tone calm but firm, "that was uncalled for."
Alicia turned to him, her eyes emotionless. "I only spoke the truth, Father. Nobility without discipline is shameful."
Cain's smirk vanished instantly. His voice dropped low, a faint tremor of anger slipping through. "Watch your mouth."
Alicia's gaze flicked toward him, unbothered. "Did I say something wrong, Lord Cain?"
"You insulted my sister and my brother," Cain said, stepping closer, his aura beginning to flare.
The air around him thickened, crackling faintly with mana pressure. A gust of wind pushed outward, causing petals in the garden to scatter.
Alicia took a step back, her breath catching as her body stiffened under the invisible force. Her heartbeat quickened — not from fear alone, but from the raw, oppressive pressure radiating from Cain Reinhart's mana.
"Cain," Raon's voice rang sharply through the air. "Enough."
The aura vanished instantly, like a candle snuffed out.
Cain exhaled slowly and took a step back, his eyes still locked on Alicia. "Don't you ever insult Kelvin in front of me again."
The silence that followed was heavy. Even the birds had stopped singing.
Zen sighed, his face a mix of irritation and faint amusement. "Your children are quite passionate, Raon."
Raon rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "They get it from their mother," he joked weakly, earning a glare from Maria.
Zen shook his head, though a faint smile touched his lips. "Very well. If your son truly defeated a Warrior Ogre, then I would like to see him for myself."
Raon nodded, still trying to smooth the tension in the air. "Of course. He should be finishing his training about now."
"Then let's not waste time," Zen said, his tone decisive. "Lead the way. I wish to see the boy who calls himself a Reinhart."
As they turned toward the western path, the wind shifted — carrying faint echoes of clashing steel and rushing air from the direction of the training grounds.
Alicia lifted her gaze toward that sound. Her expression, for just a moment, softened — curiosity flickering in her eyes.
The sound of a blade cutting through the wind repeated again, steady and sharp.
Is that him? she thought silently. Kelvin Reinhart… the one who defeated a monster.
For the first time since she arrived, Alicia Arclight found herself genuinely intrigued.
The noble entourage began moving toward the training arena — unaware that the next few moments would mark the beginning of something that would shake not just their families, but the entire balance of the noble world itself.
The morning sun glimmered upon the Reinhart training grounds, bathing the open field in a pale gold light. Dew still clung to the grass, and the faint sound of wind brushed through the trees, carrying the smell of iron and earth.
A low whistle escaped Cain's lips as he leaned on the fence beside the arena, watching his younger brother from afar. "Wow… I didn't think he'd wear that," he muttered, amusement curling at the edge of his voice.
Kelvin stood at the center of the field, shirtless except for a tight black training vest that hugged his body closely, outlining the contours of his well-defined muscles. Each movement revealed the strength of someone who had gone through relentless pain and rebirth. His body shimmered slightly, faint mana currents running beneath his skin like streams of light.
"I know that kind of attire helps with movement," Cain added with a half-smile, "but doesn't he realize we have guests today?"
Raon Reinhart gave a small sigh but said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on Kelvin — eyes of a man who had long since seen many warriors rise and fall, but even he could not deny the faint thrum in his chest.
The old guard who stood near Kelvin — a veteran knight named Garan, who had served the Reinhart family for three decades — stepped forward and asked respectfully, "Young Master Kelvin, have you finished studying all the movements from that book?"
Kelvin nodded, brushing a strand of sweat from his forehead. "Yeah. It's a bit complicated," he admitted, his tone calm but steady. "And… there might be some collateral damage."
Garan's lips twitched nervously. "Collateral damage?"
Kelvin smiled faintly. "I'll be careful. I'll try it out here — it's spacious enough."
The guard hesitated, glancing toward the far end of the field where the Reinhart and Arclight families stood watching. "I would suggest some caution, young master. Our guests… are right over there."
Kelvin's eyes flicked briefly in their direction, though he did not turn his head. "I know," he said quietly. "I can feel their presence."
Garan froze, a faint chill running down his spine. Even he, a trained knight, hadn't noticed the distant observers until Kelvin mentioned them.
He sensed them without looking…
"Very well," Garan finally said. "Just… don't destroy the estate."
Kelvin gave a small grin. "I'll try not to."
He turned his focus back toward the twenty training statues before him — each one made of reinforced stone and steel, shaped like armored knights. The air grew still. His hand reached out, gripping the hilt of his katana tightly.
Across the field, Alicia Arclight tilted her head slightly. "What's he doing?" she asked Cain quietly.
Cain crossed his arms. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But those stances… I've never seen them before."
Raon and Zen, standing side by side, said nothing. Their eyes were locked on Kelvin, both sensing the shift in mana density that was beginning to radiate across the arena.
Kelvin inhaled deeply, the sound faint but controlled. His feet slid slightly apart — right foot forward, left foot pulled back, forming a low stance. His entire body relaxed, then tightened again, like a bow being drawn.
He could feel it — the power circulating within him. His muscles, still changed from the Divine Body, pulsed with quiet strength. His mana, now twenty times greater than before, hummed like a storm beneath his skin.
Center everything, he told himself. Every movement, every breath… one purpose.
The world seemed to fade around him.
Kelvin could hear his own heartbeat, the rhythm syncing with the slow, deliberate rise of his mana. The ground trembled faintly. Cracks spread from beneath his feet like veins.
Then — whoosh!
A surge of mana exploded outward, whipping the air into a violent gust. The grass flattened in all directions.
Cain instinctively stepped back. "What the—?!"
Alicia gasped softly as her hair fluttered violently, caught in the sudden wave of pressure. Even Zen Arclight narrowed his eyes, instinctively raising a thin mana barrier to shield his daughter.
Across the field, Raon extended his hand, catching Cain by the shoulder before he could be pushed further back.
The wind roared louder.
Kelvin's mana burned like a blue flame around him, growing denser and denser until the air itself shimmered. His breathing slowed, and his expression became utterly still — emotionless, yet focused beyond measure.
"Center the power," he whispered. "Focus it on one thing… break through everything that stands in your way."
His voice echoed faintly in the silence that followed.
Then, his eyes opened — sharp and glowing faintly with azure light.
"This," he said softly, "is the Reinhart technique…"
His mana surged again, even stronger than before — bright arcs of energy forming around his body like lightning veins. The very air cracked, and faint ripples appeared in space around his katana.
"…ALL FOR ONE!"
Kelvin swung his sword.
The moment the blade moved, the world seemed to hold its breath.
A thunderous shockwave erupted, splitting the ground beneath him. The training field quaked, the soil rupturing into jagged cracks that raced outward like spiderwebs. The twenty statues in front of him were caught in the invisible current — not slashed, not shattered — but erased.
The earth exploded upward in a violent storm of dust and wind.
"WHAT—!" Cain shouted, raising his arm to shield his face.
The guards around the field fell to their knees, their armor rattling under the pressure. Even Zen's protective barrier trembled, flickering faintly under the sheer mana output.
When the blinding light faded, the training field was silent.
Everyone looked up.
A vertical scar tore through the sky — a line of glowing light stretching upward, piercing through clouds that had been split apart.
Wind howled through the broken stillness. The entire field lay devastated, carved clean in half from the force of Kelvin's strike.
Kelvin exhaled, lowering his blade slowly. His breathing was steady — almost calm.
He looked at the katana in his hand, the blade still humming faintly with energy. "Hmm," he murmured, tilting his head. "It feels like… nothing really happened."
He glanced around the obliterated field. "Did I… overdo it?"
Cain's jaw dropped open. "Overdo it?! You just tore open the sky!"
Zen Arclight, usually the epitome of composure, had taken a step forward, his face lit by pure disbelief. "That— That wasn't mana sword, nor sword aura…" he stammered. "That was something far beyond both!"
Raon's gaze softened, pride flickering quietly behind his calm expression.
Alicia, still trembling slightly, stared at Kelvin as the wind played with her silver hair. "What… kind of power… was that?" she whispered.
Zen finally found his voice, turning toward Raon. "What is your son?"
Raon looked out toward Kelvin — the boy now standing beneath the split sky, his hair ruffled by the wind, his katana gleaming under the sun.
He smiled faintly. "He's… a Reinhart," he said quietly. "Nothing more. Nothing less."
The silence that followed was heavy with awe.
Even Alicia — who moments ago had doubted him — could not look away.
And as the dust began to settle, the faint echo of Kelvin's strike lingered in the air like the whisper of a god's breath, resonating across the land.