"To think you guys have the guts to block the path of the Lion Family," Vermin muttered coldly, stepping forward with calm, unshaken confidence.
One of the masked men scoffed. "Hah! Don't act tough, old man. You're alone here. What can one butler do against five of us?"
Vermin's smile deepened, the edges of his lips curling in a way that sent chills down their spines. "Oh? Is that so? Why don't you try me?"
Without hesitation, they charged at him, blades drawn and magical energy swirling faintly around their bodies.
"You people… shouldn't be so arrogant," Vermin whispered under his breath.
The world blurred.
In a blink, Vermin vanished from their sight—and reappeared behind them.
"One strike… kill."
BOOM!
A thunderous impact echoed as three bodies dropped simultaneously, their chests pierced cleanly. The other two skidded back in horror, eyes wide and knees trembling.
"H-H-How…?!" the leader gasped, staggering backward. "They didn't tell us anything about him being here. And he's this strong?!"
His remaining companion, Royen, was pale and shaking. "B-Boss… what do we do now? We can't beat him. We can't even run!"
The leader's jaw tightened. "Don't panic, Royen. I'll buy us some time. You go—kill that good-for-nothing noble brat in the carriage and escape."
"But boss! You can't handle him alone—!"
"I SAID GO!" he bellowed, his voice thick with desperation.
Royen turned and dashed toward the carriage, gripping his dagger with shaking hands.
Vermin watched him with amused eyes. "Oh my… Even among criminals, there's love. What a touching display of loyalty. I might just cry."
The leader growled. "Shut your damn mouth!"
Vermin chuckled. "If I were you, I wouldn't have sent him there so confidently. Didn't you find it odd that I let him pass? If I wanted, I could have stopped him easily."
The leader blinked, realization dawning.
"No… don't tell me… there's someone else guarding that 'good-for-nothing'?"
Vermin shrugged. "I didn't say that. But after what you're about to see… I doubt you'll ever call my young lord a 'good-for-nothing' again."
A muffled thud cut through the conversation.
Royen stumbled back into view—blood gushing from his chest, mouth frothing with crimson. He fell forward, his eyes wide and unfocused.
"B-Boss… I… I think… we were… betr—"
He collapsed.
The leader's eyes filled with dread as he ran forward, catching Royen's limp body in his arms. "R-Royen! No… You can't die! Not like this! Please… open your eyes!"
His sobs echoed hollowly in the narrow mountain pass. "I'm sorry… This is all my fault…!"
TWANG.
An arrow of pure magical energy pierced his heart.
The leader stiffened, his mouth opening soundlessly as his body slumped over Royen's corpse.
Vermin lowered his glowing hand, expression stoic. "Touching. But too noisy."
The wind howled through the cliffs.
Jun stepped out from the carriage, casually brushing dust off his sleeves. "Sir Vermin… I appreciate the swift resolution, but you really should've kept at least one alive. Now we've lost the chance to learn who sent them."
Vermin turned, startled. "Ah… th-that's…" He dropped to his knees, kowtowing. "Forgive me, Young Lord. I let my emotions cloud my duty."
Jun sighed. "It's fine. Next time, just try not to kill everyone. Let's go."
They returned to the carriage, and it began moving again.
---
Royal Academy – Main Entrance Grounds
The sun was high, bathing the grand marble gates of the Royal Academy in golden light. Dozens upon dozens of children were gathered—some clad in noble attire, others in plain commoner clothes. They buzzed with excitement and nervous anticipation.
Among them, many looked in awe as noble heirs and heiresses from prestigious families arrived in luxurious carriages.
Soon, a well-groomed, handsome man with brown hair and a well-fitted suit stepped onto a raised platform. He looked to be in his late twenties. A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd—particularly among the young girls.
"Wow! He's so good-looking… Please let him be our teacher!"
With a polite cough, the man addressed the crowd. "Ahem. Attention, everyone."
The noise quieted.
"I am Shorm Rong, the supervisor for today's entrance examination. Welcome to the Keyos Kingdom's Royal Academy," he said with a warm smile. "As you all know, there are seven types of dungeon gates in the world. However, for the purposes of today's exam, only five types are used: F, E, D, C, and B. These are artificially created gates and not real ones, but they're still dangerous. Injuries are likely."
The children murmured nervously.
Shorm raised a hand. "Fear not. If you find yourself in life-threatening danger, the gate will immediately eject you. Still, make your choices carefully. You may only take the entrance exam once. Choosing your gate rank—and your team—is part of your evaluation. Strategy and judgment are critical talents."
He paused. "Each team may consist of up to five members. You may also enter alone, though I highly discourage it unless you're confident. Clearing a gate solo will earn you higher placement, but disqualification is the same, regardless of how brave you are."
He stepped back. "You have five minutes to form your teams. Once that time is up, the gates will appear."
As the students began forming their teams, Shorm sat down on a chair brought to him by a frail assistant.
Just then, a striking young man with wild silver hair and an effortlessly charming face walked up beside him.
"Huh… So many kids this year," he remarked.
Shorm turned. "Ah, Master Sujan."
Sujan studied the students. "Think we'll get any geniuses this year? Every year I only take a few students… if any."
Shorm shrugged. "Hard to say. We'll know soon enough."
Moments later, five type of glowing several gates—each marked with their rank—materialized before the students.
The crowd burst into motion. Some entered gates as teams of three or four. Most chose the F-rank gates. A few dared to go for E or D. Only a handful stepped into the C-rank gate—and just three of them went in alone.
Shorm sighed. "Looks like another disappointing year. Maybe the Handol family's boy will pass for Master Sujan's class…"
Just then, a regal black carriage pulled up to the entrance.
The door opened, and out stepped Jun Lion, followed by the ever-stoic Vermin.
All eyes turned toward them.
To be continued...