Chapter 1

"Dropouts are ultimately just dropouts, aren't they? You are banished."

The man, who towered over him, said these words with a complete lack of emotion, as if he were merely confirming a fact, despite the overwhelming aura of authority that surrounded him.

Clayes, who had just completed the baptism ceremony, stiffened at the contemptuous words. This was his last hope, and now, in this very moment, that hope was crushed.

The mocking laughter of his fellow students pierced his heart.

One of the three major nations on the continent, the Eclarius Empire, is ruled by nine noble families. However, there is another noble family with the longest history in this country.

This is the 10th noble family, the Winsland Duke House, whose influence far surpasses that of the other nine noble families.

However, its existence is kept secret and is not publicly known. The reason for this lies in the uniqueness of the Winsland family, but the simplest reason is that they do not have subjects as a noble family of the empire, meaning the Winsland family does not bear the responsibility of governance.

The territory of the Winsland Duke House is on a small island called Karamaris within the empire's domain. On this island, there are no ordinary citizens; everything is run by the members of the Winsland family. This is the shadow of the empire, the non-existent 10th noble family, the Winsland family.

The Winsland family was founded by the "Sword God" Mariel, who served as the right-hand man of the first king, the wise Emperor Eligar. The family was granted the status of duke for this service.

The "Sword God" Mariel established the Winsland family to serve as the "Sword of the Empire," supporting the empire. Since then, the Winsland family has served the empire as the "Sword of the Empire," fulfilling their mission.

The "Sword of the Empire" has been a source of pride for the people of the Winsland family, and the family, which bears this title, does not tolerate the existence of the weak.

I, Clayes Winsland, the fourth son of the main branch of the Winsland family, have just lost the family name of Winsland.

"Leave this island immediately. You are worth nothing. Never speak the name of Winsland again."

The 19th head of the family and my father, the "Sword Saint" Orlando Winsland, glanced at me as if I were a mere insect and then immediately left the scene.

Leaving behind only those words as a farewell.

Clayes Winsland had no talent as a warrior. No matter how much he swung his sword, thrust his spear, or tried to improve his physical abilities, his growth was painfully slow. In this family, that is synonymous with being worthless.

The last chance was the "Gift" that manifested at the age of six. That Gift being useful to the Winsland family was the only hope for Clayes to remain in the family...

"Why am I so powerless...?"

Overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, tears welled up in his eyes. He had tried his best in every way possible. He thought, "Isn't it enough that I've done my best? Why can't I get a little recognition?" These thoughts swirled in his head.

The 6-year-old boy, having completed the baptism ceremony, could only feel pessimistic about the result. The Gift he received was the "Holy Grail," a Gift he had never heard of and whose purpose was unclear.

In this family, there is no value in any Gift other than combat-related ones. The Winsland family, as the "Sword of the Empire," values only pure strength.

The Winsland family, to exert their strength as the "Sword of the Empire," is divided into eight houses based on their Gifts. For example, the leader of the Imperial Guard, the First Knight Regiment, is chosen from the Edor family, which is one of the outer houses. The inner houses specialize in covert operations and infiltration.

It was clear that Clayes' Gift did not fit into any of these categories. If he had obtained a combat-related Gift, his physical abilities would have improved instantly, but Clayes showed no change.

"Good work. You're still just trash, aren't you?"

"Being in the same year as someone like you was embarrassing. I feel so much better now that you're gone."

Ridra Endbar and Nigi Magi, who had been watching the baptism ceremony in the hall, sneered with grins on their faces. Ridra had a strong, muscular build for his age, and Nigi, though slender, had well-defined muscles.

These two had already been assigned to the outer houses and had received Gifts suitable for warriors, such as "Steel Swordsman" and "Advanced Spearman."

"How can someone who can't even open a 'Gate' be in the Winsland family?"

"Hehe... In Clayes' case, even if he did open a 'Gate,' nothing significant would come out, right?"

The Winsland family, which has gathered and developed various martial arts, possesses hidden strength that does not exist in the roots of the empire. One of these is the "Gate," but Clayes had never succeeded in opening even the most basic "Gate."

"Why is someone like Clayes in the main family?"

"Hehe... Since you've been given a Gift, we'll use you as a test subject. Come on, attack us!"

"Ugh...!"

Ridra punched Clayes. The heavy blow struck his lower abdomen, and he involuntarily vomited up the bile that rose in his throat. Clayes lacked the strength of a warrior, no matter what.

Clayes being targeted was also influenced by the fact that he was from the main family. Even though strength in martial arts determined everything, there was still a gap between the main and branch families.

The fact that Clayes, who was weaker than them, was from the main family was enough to evoke feelings of envy and jealousy among the island's inhabitants.

"Why don't we just kill you here? You won't survive outside anyway."

Ridra sneered with a twisted smile.

Karamaris, where the Winsland Duke House is located, is isolated from the outside world. Interaction with the outside is kept to a minimum, and generally, one can only leave the island for missions or to join the knight regiments.

Why it was necessary to stay on the island was a big secret, but Clayes had no way of knowing it.

Being bullied was a daily occurrence for Clayes. On this island, where strength was revered, demonstrating strength was not frowned upon. In fact, the stronger one became, the higher they could climb, and conflicts among warriors were a common part of daily life.

For example, if Clayes could defeat the two of them right now, the way others saw him would change, and he might be able to join one of the eight houses. But Clayes didn't think he could win. The gap in strength was too vast.

On this island, Clayes, the weakest, was always a target. Under the guise of demonstrating strength, he was actually a vent for violence.

"Shouldn't you stop now?"

A sharp, clear voice rang out, cutting through the air. The continuous beatings abruptly stopped. Twin-tails with a reddish tint swayed, and crimson eyes fixed on Clayes.

Marie Creer, the daughter of the Zaris family, one of the inner houses, and Clayes' fiancée.

"Thank you, Marie."

Clayes, wobbling, stood up. Whenever he was beaten, Marie always came to his aid. Marie was the only person Clayes could trust besides his mother.

"Hey, Marie. Did you receive your Gift?"

"Yes, I received the 'Izanagi.'"

"Wow! You really are the heir to the Zaris family, aren't you?"

"Let's see. More importantly, Clayes, you should leave now. That's enough."

"Got it. I'm being called by the old man anyway. See you, Clayes. If I find you outside on a mission, I'll kill you."

"Hehe. Well, no one will care outside."

Ridra and Nigi left with twisted smiles. Marie sighed deeply.

"Clayes, I'm sorry. It seems I'm not good enough."

"Go quickly, Clayes. You no longer have a place on this island."

With those words, Marie quickly left.

◇◇◇

The next day. Clayes, having finished his preparations, headed to the ship that would take him off the island.

He wasn't surprised by the banishment. He had a feeling this day would come, and he felt a sense of relief at the prospect of leaving the island.

Life on the island had gradually eroded Clayes' gentle heart and started to corrupt him. While he was a target for others' violence, he had no outlet for his own frustrations. A sickening feeling of resentment began to accumulate, and a slight but definite sense of malice started to build in his heart.

The only reason Clayes didn't break was because of his kind mother. On the way, Clayes remembered his mother, Cranberry's, words from the previous day.

Her crying face pierced his heart. She was ill and weak. He was worried about her.

(An adventurer... Did Mother know something about my Gift?)

When Cranberry heard about Clayes' Gift, she opened her eyes in surprise and gently stroked his head.

"I'm sorry, Clayes. I've only made you suffer and couldn't protect you. You're too kind. Your value is not understood by the people on this island."

(Mother didn't seem to like this island much...)

"You are strong. The strength on this island means nothing outside. You were raised to be kind. Your kindness makes you stronger than anyone on this island."

The warmth of her embrace lightened Clayes' heart, but the thought that this might be the last time he felt her warmth made his chest tighten. Clayes was only six, still a child who needed comfort.

"Mother, what should I do now?"

Complex emotions swirled in his heart. Uncertainty and conflict. Could he survive outside? Would he face the same treatment? If only everyone were as kind as Mother and Marie...

"Eventually, no one will ignore you. To be banished for not understanding your value, the Winsland family must be a bunch of fools. You mustn't become like them."

Clayes is not related by blood to his siblings. His mother is Orlando's second wife, and Clayes is her only child. This is one of the reasons he is targeted.

"Yes, becoming an adventurer might be a good idea. Live freely, without being bound by anyone, and be yourself. Find someone you truly believe in and truly love, and your Gift will respond. Then, you will see the world with your own eyes. In this world, only you, you alone—"

(Though I didn't understand what she meant, Mother was serious.)

At six, Clayes found his mother's words difficult to understand, but the word "adventurer" was deeply etched in his heart. The symbol of freedom, which he could not obtain on this island, was incredibly appealing to him.

"Marie?"

When he reached the dock, Marie was waiting. She must have come to see him off. Marie is always so kind, Clayes thought.

Marie was Clayes' fiancée, but this was not unusual on the island.

Children of those with excellent Gifts are more likely to inherit and possess similar qualities. The "Sword God" Mariel founded the Winsland family for this reason, to ensure that his "Sword God" bloodline would not be lost. The hope was that someday, somewhere, someone with the "Sword God" Gift would appear.

This hope eventually became an absolute family rule.

On the other hand, while being a noble family, the Winsland Duke House also focused on accepting martial talent from outside. They were not bound by a pure bloodline.

Children who inherited the blood of exceptional parents were more likely to show exceptional talent, forming the core of the empire's military strength. Sometimes, marriages were arranged between talented siblings, and in the past, there were even cases where fathers had children with their daughters.

Thorough concentration of martial strength, even through incest, was the reason the 10th noble family, the Winsland Duke House, could not be made public.

Marie was assigned to Clayes because he was initially expected as the fourth son of the main family, and she was a talented individual who strongly inherited the blood of the Zaris family.

"I have one last thing to say."

"Yeah. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't think we can get married. Ha... You deserve better than someone like me."

Clayes apologized, feeling guilty. Given the banishment, the engagement would be dissolved. It was to be expected.

"Ha, you know, Clayes, I've already been engaged to Meteus."

"What... Really?"

Clayes was surprised by this sudden revelation. Meteus was the heir of the Louga family, one of the outer houses, and one of the most skilled warriors among the young. He held a high position on the island.

Marie fiddled with her hair, a gesture Clayes knew she made when she was irritated.

"You see, Clayes, you might not have known, but I've been engaged to Meteus for a long time."

"Marie... What are you saying—"

Clayes was shocked by Marie's sudden change. She had always been his only ally among his peers, a source of support for his worn-out heart.

But now, Marie was saying the same things that had always tormented him.

"It was painful to take care of trash like you. Can you give me back my precious time? Or pay me an hourly wage? Why was I engaged to a completely worthless piece of trash? It's disgusting! Ugh, it gives me the creeps."

---

Ah, so Marie is also a part of the Winsland family...

This obvious fact was a severe shock. A dark feeling welled up inside him, and he couldn't suppress it.

Cranberry had said Clayes was raised to be kind, but he had always denied it. He wasn't kind; he just hated the use of strength to belittle others. All he had seen on this island were people who only thought about using their strength to demean others.

"Do you know why I helped you? Talents like you are bound to be banished. I was just taking care of trash, and I wanted to mock you for wasting my time. I wanted to make you trust me, to make you happy, and then, at the very end, to crush you into despair. How do you feel now? How do you feel?"

Marie's mocking laughter echoed. She tapped her foot on the stone pavement, laughing with delight.

"Stop it, Marie! I don't want to hear it!"

"So, Clayes, this is the last thing we'll say to each other."

Marie's crimson eyes reflected Clayes, who was in a daze. She wore an expression of utmost pleasure as she said—

"Za maa."

---

I'll try to wrap it up without dragging it out. It probably won't be that long.