章 9: I Said I'm Fine
"What happened?!"
She rushed to his side and dropped to her knees beside him.
Seven's breathing was ragged, and blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to sit up.
"Are you—"
"I'm fine."
He brushed her hands off as she reached for him. He didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he focused on the faint pain in the back of his spine. He clenched his fists. He tried to look calm.
But Iria wasn't buying it. She was a healer, after all, and a healer could see through someone's bravado better than anyone else.
"You don't look fine."
Her eyes scanned the room and landed on the scorch marks, the faint traces of aura in the air, and the sheen of sweat glistening on his face.
Then her gaze fell to him again.
"What were you doing?"
He didn't answer and tilted his head slightly.
"Young lord, were you trying to open the second gate?!"
"It's nothing. Just…"
Seven let out a slow breath.
"Just… focus training."
"Focus training?!"
Iria stood up and crossed her arms in frustration.
"Do you think I'm stupid? You're pushing yourself too hard! If this keeps up—"
"I said I'm fine!"
His voice was louder than he intended. The words echoed in the room. Iria flinched, and he immediately realized his mistake.
He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"Hmp."
Iria turned her face away and crossed her arms again.
"Apology not accepted. Not unless you take a proper rest."
Seven gave her a tired look, but she wasn't done.
"You've been training non-stop since… well, since Lady Eden. You're going to burn out if you keep this up."
He didn't respond, opting instead to sit on the edge of his bed. Again, he ran his hand through his damp brown hair and stared blankly at the floor.
Iria waited a moment, then softened her tone.
"Young lord… I get it. You want to be stronger. But you're no use to anyone like this."
"Why are you here, Iria?"
"Huh?"
He glanced at Iria.
"You didn't come here to lecture me, and you said the Archduke was—"
"Oh! Right! The Archduke is calling for you."
"The Archduke?"
"Yes, young lord. For Lady Eden's departure ceremony."
"Departure…"
Seven muttered under his breath. The word lingered in his mind, setting off a chain of thoughts. But—
Ding!
The system window flashed before his eyes.
[Anomaly Detected.]
[Eden Hart's magic has been accepted by the Archduke. Warning: This is a stain on the household's reputation. A revision is needed.]
[Revising…]
[Replacing the original storyline…]
[Revision complete.]
[Magic is no longer a stain, but an achievement.]
[You have obtained 7,777 Narrative Points.]
'Again with the narrative points…'
He thought. Annoyed. What was he even supposed to do with them? Then, he shook his head, focusing instead on one line:
[Magic is no longer a stain, but an achievement.]
"Magic… an achievement?"
"Sorry, what?"
Iria asked as she tilted her head. Seven waved her off.
"Nothing. When does the ceremony start?"
"Right now. You should get ready."
Seven nodded and stood up from the bed. Memories of sparring with Eden flashed through his mind, and now she was leaving to trigger the arc.
He straightened his posture.
"Aight. Let's go."
Iria smiled faintly as she fell into step beside him. They walked in silence for a moment before she spoke again.
"Young lord… you don't have to bottle it up, you know."
"Bottle up what?"
"Your feelings."
Seven's steps faltered ever so slightly, but he quickly recovered.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't, hehe."
Seven didn't respond. In his mind, the answer was simple. He couldn't afford to get attached—not to Iria, not to Eden, not to anyone.
So When the final arc comes to an end, he will leave this world behind. He wouldn't drag anyone into the fallout.
He glanced at the corner of his vision where another system window floated.
[Protagonist's Progression: 1.7% / 100%]
'Why didn't it fill up?'
He thought, as the bar remained agonizingly low despite the revision that just occurred.
Step.
'I thought it would increase every revision.'
Step.
'Is it only for major ones…?'
Step.
'Do I need to—'
He paused as Iria stopped before the entrance of the throne hall. Her expression was calm, but there was an air of hesitation in her posture.
"This is as far as I go, young lord."
Seven didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at her, then gave a small nod.
"Understood."
Without another word, he stepped inside.
The throne hall was an overwhelming sight, vast and suffused with the golden light of midday streaming through the grand stained-glass windows.
Even the sun dared not shine too brightly upon the Archduke's domain.
Seventeen knights stood at attention, their polished ceremonial armor reflecting the sunlight. They were perfectly arranged in formation.
Banners lined up, fluttering faintly despite the still air. Each bore the family crest: a sword crossed beneath a crown.
The embodiment of the family lineage.
At the hall's center was a golden-quartz throne. But the Archduke was not seated. He stood before the throne, his back turned to Seven and his hands clasped behind him.
Seven's steps faltered for a fraction of a second as his eyes landed on the Archduke.
But he quickly steeled himself and resumed walking.
Step.
The Archduke turned. His cold, piercing eyes landed on Seven, dissecting him without a word.
"You're late."
Seven bowed slightly.
"Apologies, Archduke."
The Archduke's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before he gave a slight nod. Seven took the cue and silently stepped to the side, joining his siblings.
He counted them. There were five other figures lined up in formation alongside him. Six, including Eden, who knelt at the foot of the throne.
'Wait…'
Seven paused, his brow furrowed as he did a quick double take.
'There's seven?'
He blinked, his gaze shifting to the far end of the line. Two identical faces stared back at him.
"Twins?"
Seven muttered under his breath, but before he could process it further, one of them whi was scruffy-haired, smirked.
"What the hell are you staring at, Sev—"
"Silence."
The Archduke commanded, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. The twin flinched but fell silent immediately.
Finally, the Archduke moved to his throne and sat with grace. He gestured toward Seven.
"Seven Hart."
"Yes, Archduke."
"Step forward."
Seven complied, stepping out from the line and standing at attention.
The Archduke's gaze shifted to Eden, still kneeling before the throne.
"Eden Hart. Your eldest sister. A swordswoman of unrivaled skill. She has awakened magic."
His voice grew sharp as he continued.
"There has been no such thing in six generations. To awaken magic is to tarnish our family's legacy. It is a stain."
The words hung in the air like a blade suspended over Eden's head.
Seven remained silent, but his mind churned.
'A test,' he thought. 'This is a test for me.'
But something else caught his attention. Six generations? His mind immediately pieced together the clue, and he couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of him.
"Archduke."
His voice was calm but firm, and drew the attention of everyone in the hall.
"Six generations. Does that mean someone from a previous generation of this family also awakened magic?"
The room fell silent.
The Archduke's eyes narrowed, his gaze was heavy on him, but he didn't waver. Instead, his lips curled into a faint smile.
'It's obvious.'
He thought. The trope was so glaringly cliché that it practically screamed at him.
"It's the founding head, isn't it?"
Gasps rippled through the hall.
"Blasphemy!"
One sibling hissed.
"Accusing the founder of sorcery?!"
But Eden didn't move. She remained silent with her head still bowed, as if the commotion around her meant nothing.
The Archduke raised a hand, silencing the murmurs.
"Wrong. You are bold to speak such accusations, Seven Hart."
Seven's smile deepened. He was gambling now, but he already accepted the risk.
"Boldness is required in a family as great as ours, is it not?"
The Archduke's lips curled into something faintly resembling a smirk before it vanished.
He turned his gaze back to Eden.
"Then answer me this, Seven Hart. Should Eden be banished for staining the family name with her magic?"
Seven didn't hesitate. The system already told him the answer when it said that magic was now an achievement.
He took a step forward as confidence radiated from him.
"Don't you already have your answer, Archduke?"
The Archduke's brow lifted slightly.
"If you truly believed her awakening was a stain, you wouldn't be holding a ceremony. You would have passed judgment already."
The Archduke's eyes narrowed, but he didn't interrupt.
"Magic or whatever my sister has awakened is irrelevant. What matters is her unmatched talent in swordsmanship."
The hall fell silent. Even the twins stopped their muttering and locked their gazes locked on the Archduke.
For a moment, the Archduke said nothing. Then, a faint chuckle escaped him that echoed through the hall.
"You truly are unpredictable."
"Thanks, Arch—"
"Very well."
He turned his gaze to Eden.
"Eden Hart. Your swordsmanship stands unrivaled. Your magic, though unorthodox… does not erase your legacy. It tarnishes neither your skill nor your name."
The Archduke stepped forward, and his boots echoed ominously against the marble floor. His shadow fell over Eden as he spoke.
"Prove yourself. Journey to the North—into its frozen maw where men are broken and reborn. Prove that your strength does not lie in the gifts of frost, nor in the blade you wield, but because you are Eden Hart."
His eyes narrowed.
"Let it be known: the blood of Hart does not falter. You will return to this house not as the first to wield both sword and magic, but as the proof that we—the Harts—are bound by no limit. Not the sword. Not magic. And certainly not doubt."
As his words settled over the room, a heavy silence followed, broken only by the faint crackle of torches on the walls.
But Seven, standing among his siblings, frowned as a system notification blinked before his eyes.
Ding!
[You have gained 0.3% Protagonist Progression.]
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ciae_re
ciae_re haii ^^ (yay ! i got offered a contract even though i didn't apply) anw, will be mass releasing the chapters soon !! stay tuned hehe ;P
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