"So… you're finally awake."
The voice was calm—yet carried an undeniable weight.
Kael stood still for a moment, his eyes fixed on the man before him.
The air itself felt different.
Heavy.
Pressing down on him without mercy.
This wasn't just any noble.
This was someone who stood at the top.
"…Father," Kael said slowly, testing the word as it left his mouth.
The man didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he took a few steps forward, his polished shoes echoing softly against the floor.
Each step felt deliberate. Controlled.
His gaze remained fixed on Kael, sharp and unreadable behind those thin lenses.
"You survived," the man finally said.
Not relief.
Not joy.
Just a simple statement.
Kael felt a slight chill run down his spine.
'So this is the kind of person he is…'
Before Kael could say anything—
"You shouldn't have."
The words were quiet.
But they hit harder than anything else.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…What do you mean?"
The man stopped just a few steps away from him.
For a brief moment, silence filled the room again.
Then—
"In the report I received," the man continued, "everyone in Rona was wiped out."
His gaze sharpened.
"Yet somehow… you returned alive."
Kael's heartbeat slowed.
Not out of calm—
But because he understood something important.
This wasn't a reunion.
This was an interrogation.
"…I don't remember much," Kael replied carefully. "My memories are still a bit unclear."
The man stared at him.
Long.
Silent.
As if trying to see through him completely.
Then—
"…I see."
But the tone said otherwise.
He didn't believe him.
Not completely.
"From today onward," the man said, turning slightly, "you will not leave this estate without my permission."
Kael frowned slightly.
"…And the academy?"
A brief pause.
"You will return," the man said.
"But not as you are now."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"What does that mean?"
The man glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
"Prove that you are still worthy of the name Viermont."
Silence followed.
Then—
Without another word, the man turned and walked away.
Leaving Kael standing there alone.
Once again.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath.
"This family is going to be a problem."
At that moment —
Ding!
A red interface flickered into existence before his eyes.
[New Objective Unlocked]
[Prove your worth as a member of the Viermont Family]
[Reward: ???]
Kael stared at the screen.
Then a small smile formed on his lips.
"…Now this," he said quietly,
"is getting interesting."
Soon after his father left, Kael's gaze returned to the table filled with food.
Without wasting any more time, he walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
But just as he was about to start eating—
He paused.
His eyes shifted to the plate in front of him… then to the neatly arranged fork, knives, and spoons beside it.
'Wait…'
'Does this mean I have to eat like a noble? Slowly… politely… with all these weird manners?'
Kael's expression twitched slightly.
Back when he was Ron, he had never cared about things like this. Food was food—you eat and that's it.
Instinctively, he glanced around, checking if anyone was watching him.
'Maybe I can just eat normally… no one will notice…'
Just as he was about to dig in—
A certain voice echoed in his mind.
"Prove that you are still worthy of the name Viermont."
"…Man, this sucks," he muttered under his breath.
With a reluctant sigh, he picked up the knife in his right hand and the fork in his left.
For a moment—
He froze.
Then, awkwardly… he started eating.
At first, his movements were stiff and unnatural, like someone trying to copy what they'd only seen in movies.
But slowly…
He began to get the hang of it.
After some time, he finally leaned back slightly, his stomach full.
"…Yeah," he let out a satisfied breath.
"That was worth it."
He rested for a moment, then stood up, stretching lightly.
Without another thought, Kael turned and walked out—ready to explore the Viermont residence.
Kael wandered through the residence, walking aimlessly.
He still wasn't familiar with the layout, and aside from the dining hall… everything felt new.
After a few minutes of walking, he finally arrived at a wide, open area.
The training grounds.
"…Wow," he muttered under his breath. "So this is the training ground, huh…"
He took a few steps forward, his head turning as he observed the area.
In the distance, he spotted three figures.
Two of them were locked in a duel, their movements sharp and precise, while the third stood nearby, watching.
They were all young women.
One of them… he recognized immediately.
Lara.
The other two, however, were unfamiliar.
Curious, Kael began walking toward them.
—
Meanwhile, at the center of the training grounds—
The duel suddenly came to a stop.
Both girls turned their heads, noticing someone approaching.
"…So he finally woke up," one of them said coldly.
She had dark hair and sharp, cat-like eyes, her elegant figure wrapped in training armor that reflected her noble status.
"What a hopeless bastard."
Her lips curled slightly in disdain.
"I can't believe he's my twin brother. All he does is bring shame to the family name…"
Standing beside her was another young woman, her long silver hair flowing down her back, her expression calmer in comparison.
"…Please don't talk about him like that," she said softly. "He's still our brother."
Lara stepped forward slightly, her brows furrowing as she looked at them.
"…She's right," she added, her voice firm despite the tension.
"He just woke up."
—
After a few moments of watching him approach, Kael finally reached them.
For a brief second, no one spoke.
The air felt… awkward.
Three pairs of eyes were fixed on him—each with a different emotion.
Curiosity.
Disapproval.
Concern.
Kael stopped a few steps away from them, his gaze calmly sweeping across their faces before settling on Lara.
"…Hey," he said casually.
Lara's expression softened slightly.
"Elder Brother…" she called out gently.
But before anything else could be said—
A scoff broke the silence.
"So you can walk now?"
Kael's eyes shifted toward the source.
The dark-haired girl with sharp, cat-like eyes was staring at him with clear disdain.
"I thought you'd stay in bed a little longer," she continued, crossing her arms.
"Would've saved us the embarrassment."
Kael didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he simply looked at her for a moment… as if trying to understand something.
'So this must be the twin sister…'
"…You talk a lot," he said calmly.
The moment those words left his mouth—
The atmosphere shifted.
The dark-haired girl narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated by his response.
"…What did you just say?"
Kael didn't look away.
"I said," he repeated calmly, "you talk a lot."
A brief silence followed—
Then—
"Ha…" she let out a short laugh, though there was no amusement in it.
"Looks like nearly dying knocked something loose in your head."
She took a step forward, her gaze sharp and challenging.
"Or maybe you've finally grown a spine?"
Lara quickly stepped in between them.
"Stop it," she said, her voice firm. "He just recovered—"
"I don't care," the dark-haired girl cut her off.
Her eyes never left Kael.
"If he's going to stand there acting different, then he should at least prove it."
Kael's expression didn't change, but inside—
Here it comes…
"A duel," she said.
"Right here."
The silver-haired girl hesitated.
"…Isn't that too much? He just woke up…"
But the dark-haired girl smirked slightly.
"Then he can refuse."
Her gaze locked onto Kael.
"Unless…"
"You're still the same useless brother."
Silence fell.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Kael let out a small breath.
"…Fine," he said.
Lara's eyes widened.
"E-Elder Brother—"
"It's okay," Kael interrupted softly.
He stepped forward, his gaze now meeting the dark-haired girl's directly.
"I'll take the duel."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Good."
She turned, picking up a training sword and tossing another one toward him.
Kael caught it instinctively.
The moment his hand gripped the weapon—
Something felt… different.
Lighter.
More natural.
'…So this is the effect of the stat increase, ' he thought.
He lifted the sword slightly, testing its weight.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Let's begin."