"Hahaha!! Did you see their faces?! Their mouths were hanging so wide open I thought their damn jaws were about to fall off!"

Garrick burst into a loud fit of laughter the moment the hall cleared out. Now, only him, Kastor, and Garaxe remained within the massive chamber.

A moment later, he leaned back against his throne, wiping at the tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Shaking his head, he let out another chuckle before speaking.

"I swear, that boy keeps stirring my heart every single time! If it were possible, I’d have adopted him myself!"

A sharp, oppressive glare suddenly landed on him. Garrick turned, only to grin when he saw Kastor staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Garrick asked, utterly shameless.

The atmosphere within the hall instantly tightened as both brothers locked eyes. Just as the tension began to grow heavy, Garaxe quickly stepped in.

"...to be honest, I still don’t know how to feel about all this. I mean... he defeated a mark seven while only at mark four. Not even you pulled off something like that during your youth, brother."

Garaxe fixed Kastor with a hesitant look. It was expected.

During his youth, Kastor had been regarded as the greatest genius the house had ever produced due to his overwhelming talent and countless exploits, surpassing nearly every Head of House before him.

Only the legendary Third Head of House, Demorian Calderalth, could truly be said to stand above him.

Yet regardless of all that, not even Kastor had managed to defeat a veteran mark seven at merely seventeen years old.

Garrick scoffed and shook his head.

"Get your facts straight, Garaxe. The brat’s at mark five."

"What...?"

Garaxe’s brows furrowed deeply.

"I noticed it during training a week ago," Garrick snorted. "The little bastard broke through before the mission and didn’t bother telling anybody. Tch, rotten kid."

Garrick clicked his tongue in irritation at the thought that Zephyrion had nearly made him miss something so important.

Garaxe, meanwhile, was left speechless.

It had barely been months since that same boy returned to the house at mark two, yet now he had already risen to the level of his own son, the strongest trainee in the house.

Still, Garaxe frowned.

"...even then, defeating a mark seven at mark five should still be impossible."

"It’s not impossible," Garrick said with a grin stretching across his face. "Because I watched the whole damn thing myself. I gave a transmitting Relic to their Silversteel and saw everything from start to finish. Best shit I’ve seen in years, I tell you."

"...so you were spying on him?"

"Bah, spying, watching, appreciating greatness... same thing." Garrick waved dismissively. "All that matters is that we got to witness peak!"

"Wait... we?"

"Of course! Me and father of the year over here."

Both brothers immediately turned toward Kastor, whose expression stiffened slightly before he calmly coughed into his arm.

Garaxe let out an amused sneer as he looked at him.

"Brother... what exactly am I hearing right now? I thought you said you didn’t care what happened during the mission, yet you secretly watched the whole thing?"

"...it was only for a moment."

"The hell it was," Garrick barked instantly. "The old man sat there the entire damn week. I left to take a shit and came back, and he was still there staring at the Relic like some abandoned widow!"

"...is that true, brother?" Garaxe asked, the smile on his face widening.

Kastor’s mouth twitched faintly. He shot Garrick a cold glare before clearing his throat and speaking in his usual regal tone.

"High Marshal Garaxe, surely the military isn’t so free that you have time to concern yourself with such meaningless matters. Go do your job."

Garaxe folded his arms, giving him a knowing look.

"Hah. I know exactly what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work this time. Why don’t you just admit you care?"

"...you’re speaking nonsense."

As Garaxe sighed helplessly, Garrick suddenly rose from his throne with a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"It’s fine, Garaxe. I know his weakness."

"...his weakness?"

Both Kastor and Garaxe frowned slightly, each wondering what exactly he meant.

Garrick suddenly drew in a deep breath before shouting—

"Zephyr—"

The name had barely left his lips when a violent gust of wind erupted through the hall.

"Ah!" Garaxe’s eyes widened as he stared toward the massive throne. "...he ran."

Somehow, Kastor had vanished without leaving behind even the slightest trace.

Not even a second later, Garrick burst into another fit of laughter.

...

As the narration ceremony came to an end, the entire house was once again thrown into an uproar.

Zephyrion Calderalth, a mere trainee, had defeated a mark seven Warden of the Iron Heresy and even captured the dangerous criminal Victor Jasper alive.

Either achievement alone carried enormous significance, yet together, they were enough to send the minds of every major power spiraling out of control.

By the end of the morning, word had already spread through the house like wildfire.

"Have you heard what the young lord did?"

"Heard? The entire damn house is talking about it! He defeated a mark seven and even dragged Victor Jasper back alive! Is that even something a seventeen-year-old should be capable of?"

"I still find it ridiculous, honestly. But the Silversteel swore on his own name that it happened, and even the Head of House acknowledged it."

"That’s insane... so what now? Does this mean the young lord can actually beat mark sevens already? Then wouldn’t that make him the strongest trainee? Stronger than Kaelion?"

"...that part, I’m not sure about."

"Hm?"

"Kaelion defeated three mark fives by himself. That’s still monstrous, even if it doesn’t compare to fighting a mark seven. Besides, none of us actually saw the young lord’s battle. Who knows what kind of circumstances were involved?"

"So you think the reports are exaggerated?"

"I didn’t say that. I’m just saying people are already acting like the Proving is over before it’s even started."

"...hah. Fair enough."

"But admit it, you’re curious too."

"...maybe a little."

"A little? Please. The whole damn house is waiting for it now. The young lord versus Kaelion, the strongest trainee. This year’s Proving is going to be madness."

Every discussion revolved around the same things, Zephyrion defeating a mark seven, and who truly deserved the title of strongest trainee.

Yet despite the differing opinions, every single conversation carried one thing in common.

An intense anticipation for this year’s Proving.