Chapter 19
From the day he was given his mission, Aref started eating a little more with each meal.
He gradually stopped glancing around nervously while eating, and his shyness around others began to fade too.
The adults were genuinely happy about this change.
As he ate better, he started to gain weight.
One day, when he noticed that his skinny arms were finally starting to fill out, Aref told Soles he wanted to exercise.
“Then why don’t you learn swordsmanship with me?”
Soles handed Aref a toy wooden sword from the room.
The moment Aref held the sword for the first time, he focused all his attention on it.
Even though it was a toy, it was carved from real wood and felt heavier than expected. The smooth handle fit snugly in his soft hand.
Soles watched Aref curiously and asked:
“How does it feel?”
“It’s scary… and strange.”
“That’s right. Swords are scary and dangerous. My grandfather always said, you have to understand how frightening a sword can be if you want to learn it seriously.”
“D-do you fight well, Soles?”
Aref asked as he handed the sword back.
Soles swung the now-too-light toy sword with one hand and answered casually:
“Compared to other kids my age… I guess I’m not too bad. It helps that my grandfather teaches me directly.”
A small, thoughtful smile formed on Soles’ face.
“But between you and me, I actually like studying more than swordsmanship.”
“Why?”
“Because learning something new is fun. But to study well, you have to be healthy and strong. If you have energy, you can do more—and for longer.”
That was why Soles practiced swordsmanship.
And through him, Aref came to realize that everyone had their own reasons for learning something.
“Does Miss Nivellia learn swordsmanship too?”
“Nope.”
Aref was surprised by that answer.
Since her first day at kindergarten, Nivellia had noticeably calmed down.
More than that—she’d started to think about how her actions affected others. She’d learned to reflect and consider.
But Nivellia was still lively. She still used strange words that shocked the adults. She still preferred running over walking.
Aref had naturally assumed someone like her would be learning swordsmanship.
“You think that’s strange, don’t you?”
Soles grinned as if he could read Aref’s mind.
“Nini’s afraid of swords.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
Nivellia had disliked swords for as long as anyone could remember.
“When she was a baby, a knight visited the house once. Of course, he had a sword at his waist.”
At that time, Nivellia happened to be out on a walk, being carried by Deter, when they crossed paths with the knight.
The knight approached, trying to show respect to the young lady of the house.
The moment Nivellia saw him, she burst into tears.
“She cried so hard she got sick—had a burning fever all night. She probably doesn’t remember it, but Grandma and the doctor stayed by her side the entire time.”
“……”
“Since then, every knight visiting the Deiamor estate has to surrender their sword at the door. No exceptions.”
This could easily be seen as an insult to the honor of knights—or even to the prestige of the Dramenor Empire itself.
But this was the Deiamor estate.
The home of the saint and the holy knight who wiped out monsters forty years ago. It was the kind of place that could set its own rules.
“I… I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, and don’t call me ‘young master.’ It makes us sound like strangers.”
“Oh…”
“Try this instead—‘Soles hyung!’”
“S-Soles hyung…”
“Perfect!”
Soles beamed with approval.
Aref blushed and looked down, flustered.
“……”
Then his gaze landed on the wooden sword still in Soles’ hand.
Maybe it was because of Nivellia’s story, but the sword suddenly seemed even scarier than before.
But at the same time, the desire to learn it grew stronger.
“I have to learn it properly.”
Because this time…
A few days later.
Late spring had arrived. It was warm enough now that people were starting to say, “Feels like summer’s just around the corner.”
Celletina was getting ready for work, about two hours later than usual that morning.
“Celley, are you sure you’ll be, okay?”
Caleo had come to see her off, concern written all over his face.
“Taking three kids to work is…”
“It’s fine. There’s a daycare in our building, and today’s actually a family visit day—employees are bringing their kids to tour the company.”
“If it gets too overwhelming, call me. I’ll come pick you up right away.”
“Just hearing that is so reassuring. Thank you.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek in return, and finally, some of the worry melted from Caleo’s face.
Just then, the children—dressed and ready—came down the stairs.
“Mom!”
Celletina couldn’t hide the happy smile on her face as she watched Nivellia run toward her with a cheerful cry.
“Oh my goodness!”
Throwing herself into her mother’s legs, Nivellia shouted her name proudly.
“Nini!”
“You really surprised me! I almost didn’t recognize you—because you look so cool!”
“She really does. I thought a stylish young lady was walking toward us,” added Caleo.
Beaming from the praise, Nivellia lifted her chin high into the air.
“I’m here to invest today! Nini is a fabulous investor!”
Today was the day. Nivellia was visiting Celletina’s company for her very first investment.
With a smug little ahem, Nivellia showed off her outfit with pride.
She wore knee-length shorts, a crisp white shirt, and neat black suspenders, giving her a sharp and intelligent look.
Her soft white hair was tied back into a single tidy braid.
“Dad, Nini’s going to make a lot of money today, okay?”
“Should I be excited?”
“Yep!”
Pounding her tiny fist against her chest, Nivellia told him to trust her.
Caleo laughed and turned to Soles and Aref, who had been quietly waiting behind her.
They were dressed similarly to Nivellia. Aref, however, looked a bit uncomfortable in his outfit and kept fiddling with his sleeves.
“You both look great.”
“Then we’ll be off, Father.”
“W-we’ll be back soon…”
“Take care, all of you—”
Thud!
Suddenly, a large metal box came crashing down right in front of the family, interrupting their moment.
More specifically—it landed right in front of Nivellia.
“…Nini knows what this is!”
Nivellia shouted as soon as she saw the box appear out of nowhere.
“It’s that thing! The one where you put someone’s head inside and send it to your enemy!”
“That’s not what it is.”
Caleo, puzzled, took the letter from the employee who had delivered the box.
“It’s a birthday gift for you.”
“But Nini’s birthday already passed?”
“It looks like it’s from your aunt,” Celletina said as she inspected the box, then looked over at Caleo.
He finished reading the letter and nodded.
“Seems your aunt’s gift just arrived a little late.”
“Aunt?”
“She’s my younger sister,” Caleo explained.
“You have a sister, Dad?”
Nivellia looked genuinely surprised at Soles’s explanation.
Caleo continued, “Six years ago, your aunt ran off saying she was going to become the King of Mercenaries. She stopped by briefly two years ago, but you were asleep and didn’t get to see her.”
“She’s so rude! She should’ve said hi to Nini before leaving.”
“If your aunt heard that just now, she’d probably laugh until her sides hurt.”
Deciding to open the box, the family gathered around to see what was inside.
The black metal box was covered in strange spikes and bumps that gave off a threatening vibe.
Caleo carefully opened the lid.
The children leaned forward eagerly, eyes shining with curiosity.
“…Huh?”
Nivellia turned to her parents with a confused look.
Aref and Soles looked just as puzzled.
Inside were scattered fragments of something they couldn’t identify.
“…They look like eggshells,” Aref said, reaching out to touch one.
But Celletina gently stopped him, saying it could be dangerous.
Instead, she took out a handkerchief and carefully picked up one of the shell-like pieces.
“It really does look like an eggshell…”
A very large, pitch-black one, at that.
“But the inside of the box is clean,” Soles pointed out, gesturing toward it.
If an egg had broken, it should’ve been a mess—sticky, smelly, and unpleasant.
But the box was perfectly clean, aside from a faint metallic scent.
“The letter says it was a tournament prize, and your aunt wanted you to have it for your birthday,” Caleo read aloud.
“Hmm…”
Nivellia nodded thoughtfully.
“Mom, I want to go now.”
“Okay. What about your gift?”
“I don’t know. Maybe throw it away?”
“Well, since it’s from your aunt, let’s keep it in storage for now. Who knows? It might be something important.”
Celletina turned to Caleo.
“Does the letter say what it actually is?”
“Well…”
Caleo hesitated, then spoke with a rather conflicted tone.
“It says… it’s the egg of Ather, the Evil Dragon.”
But dragons had vanished from the world hundreds of years ago.
Now, they only existed in fairy tales—nothing more than imaginary creatures.
Rubeo.
A massive business group owned by the Deiamor family, and the first in Dramenor Empire history to ever be called a “conglomerate.”
Celletina Deiamor was the woman who built Rubeo into what it was—and remained its first and current leader.
“Welcome, Madam Chair.”
“Good morning, Chairwoman.”
As Celletina entered the building, the employees immediately stopped what they were doing to greet her.
“Good morning, everyone,”
She returned their greetings with calm poise—confident but respectful—carrying herself with the dignity of a true leader.
The children watching were clearly in awe.
“Mother is amazing…” Soles murmured to himself.
Nivellia and Aref nodded vigorously in agreement.
Nivellia, in particular, was deeply moved.
She couldn’t take her eyes off her mother—issuing instructions to staff, signing documents on the spot, and handling everything with grace and precision.
Nini is going to grow up to be a woman who earns money just like Mom!
Deter would hand her documents, and she’d sign them with style.
Soles would ask a question, and she’d answer with elegance.
Aref would need help, and she’d step in smoothly.
“…Nini’s going to make tons of money too!”
Clenching her fists, Nivellia made her silent vow.
Her confident declaration drew the attention of nearby employees, whose eyes naturally shifted to her.
Startled by the sudden attention, Nivellia panicked and quickly ducked behind Soles.
That’s when she realized she was surrounded by unfamiliar people.
“Uh… hold on!”
Aref suddenly remembered his mission and reached out his hand.
“I’ll stay right next to you. That way, it won’t be so scary.”
