Pushing the door open, Luke stepped outside.
A soft breeze brushed his face, and the sunlight was just right.
In a rare moment of comfort, he stretched lazily. From here, he could see the training yard below, where soldiers were running drills around the field.
Vayne and Cithria were among them—circling the yard like it was a race, taking turns chasing each other down, you speed up, I speed up, neither willing to fall behind.
Plenty of soldiers gathered nearby to watch the spectacle, shouting encouragement and laughing.
After two full laps, neither of them looked even slightly tired.
Seeing that, Luke clasped his hands behind his back and sighed with the air of an old man, "Youth really is wasted on the young."
He, on the other hand, was clearly starting to live like a retiree ahead of schedule.
Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Quinn. No idea what she was up to.
All morning she'd seemed off—like she had something on her mind.
With that thought, Luke kept his hands behind his back and wandered at a strolling pace, unhurried and aimless.
Half a circuit later, he spotted Quinn on an open terrace.
She sat on the edge, gazing into the distance, the breeze making her hair sway gently.
Beside her, wings folded neatly, Valor stayed close—quiet, well-behaved, keeping her company.
Sunlight spilled over the girl and the eagle alike, and the scene looked unexpectedly harmonious.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Quinn turned her head. When she saw it was Luke, her expression softened into a small smile.
"Your Highness…"
Luke looked at her and asked casually, "What are you doing up here?"
As he spoke, he lowered himself to sit at the terrace's edge as well. From this angle, the view stretched far out, rooftops stacking layer upon layer, near to distant, as if half the city had been gathered into his line of sight.
It really was a good place to catch the wind. With scenery like this, it was hard not to quiet down inside.
Quinn kept her eyes forward and answered, "I just… suddenly wanted to be alone for a bit."
"So I'm interrupting?"
"Of course not."
Quinn immediately shook her head with a smile.
Luke chuckled and went silent, watching the view with her.
After a long while, he finally spoke again. "Tomorrow I head back to the capital. Any interest in becoming my personal guard?"
Even though she'd already turned him down once, Luke was the type who specialized in being shameless.
Someone as talented as Quinn was basically a feast placed right in front of him.
There was no way he was letting that go.
This time, Quinn paused—and instead of refusing immediately, she forced a slightly strained smile.
"Your Highness… do you really think I'm suitable?"
There was a faint haze of uncertainty in her eyes.
She had come from a remote Demacian border town called Uwendale. Before she ever left, she and her family had lived by hunting.
If not for the accident two years ago, she would still have a brother—someone far better than she was.
His name was Caleb.
When the siblings were young, King Jarvan III happened to pass through Uwendale on his way to inspect the Eastern Wall.
The knights traveling with him wore armor that gleamed in the sun, their posture proud and heroic. The sheer presence of them made Quinn and Caleb's hearts surge.
In that moment, both of them set a goal deep in their chests.
One day, they would become brave defenders like that.
They grew up in a family of rangers, and from childhood they trained in hunting under their mother, who served as a ranger captain. In that field, both of them showed remarkable talent.
But from the very beginning, Caleb was always a step ahead—whether it was his precise judgment during a hunt or the sharpness of his awareness.
Whenever Quinn ran into a problem she couldn't solve, Caleb would always step forward and put himself between her and danger.
Quinn adored her brother. She believed Caleb would absolutely fulfill the dream they shared.
But two years ago…
By then, both Quinn and Caleb had become rangers of Uwendale. They were hired to join a noble hunting party from the capital, their target a rare giant toothmaw beast.
It was a predatory magical creature—infamous for thick hide, razor-sharp horns, and a violent temper.
The nobles failed to bring it down in one clean push, and the beast launched a savage counterattack.
Quinn and Caleb moved in immediately.
And in that fight, though the siblings managed to drive the toothmaw beast back, Caleb shoved Quinn out of the path of its fangs—only for his own chest to be pierced straight through.
Cruel reality stole Caleb's life without mercy.
The nobles buried him nearby.
And Caleb's death hit Quinn like a collapsing mountain.
She spiraled into a deep slump. She made mistake after mistake in hunts, and she refused the nobles' rewards.
It was like her life lost its momentum all at once.
Until the following year—at Caleb's grave—she encountered that same toothmaw beast again.
This time, the brother who had always protected her was gone. The beast charged her head-on.
Quinn wanted revenge for Caleb. But in that entire year, she had made no progress at all. Arrow after arrow flew—none of them did anything.
Even she gave up, convinced she was about to die.
And then—
An Azurite Eagle dove from the sky and attacked the toothmaw beast of its own accord.
Azurite Eagles were a type of magical bird with tremendous growth potential—proud by nature, famously vicious, and known for never approaching humans.
Beast against beast, a young Azurite Eagle that still looked not fully grown was clearly no match for the toothmaw beast.
Quinn knew she couldn't keep watching.
She gathered her courage and joined the fight again.
The coordination between girl and eagle was shockingly seamless.
It reminded her of the days she hunted alongside Caleb.
In the end, with both of them severely wounded, they finally succeeded in killing the giant toothmaw beast.
When Quinn went to treat the eagle's injuries, she found something that stunned her—
The bird showed not the slightest hostility toward her.
In its eyes, she thought she saw the same gentle look Caleb used to give her whenever she messed up—half scolding, half amused.
As if it were saying, Quinn… how did you make that mistake again?
For a moment, it felt like Caleb had come back.
That day was the one-year anniversary of Caleb's death.
And after the Azurite Eagle appeared, it didn't leave.
In Uwendale, there was an old saying.
It said that when people die, their souls don't vanish—they're reborn.
In the next life, they might become some kind of animal. A mouse, a tiger… or an eagle.
After rebirth, they might retain fragments of their past-life memories, and once they fulfilled the wish they couldn't finish before, those memories would fade away.
After that day, Quinn never again saw that familiar expression in the eagle's eyes.
So Quinn came to believe the bird might truly be Caleb reborn.
Once again, he had used everything he had to protect her.
From that day onward, Quinn pulled herself back together. She picked up the dream she and Caleb had shared, and swore to become a brave knight.
One of the nobles from that hunt—Lady Lestara—recommended her to Marshal Tianna Crownguard.
Carrying her own ambition, along with her father and mother's hopes, Quinn and Valor left Uwendale—left the town where she had grown up.
The marshal appreciated her ability and made her a Kingdom Ranger.
But once she truly stepped into the wider world, Quinn realized just how vast it was—how many outstanding people were out there.
For example, Cithria—who had also come from a small town—was already a Dauntless Vanguard trainee.
And then there was Vayne…
And then there was the prince.
Sometimes, when faced with certain choices, Quinn couldn't help but think—
If it were Caleb…
He would definitely do better than she ever could.
Now Luke was inviting her for the second time.
To become a prince's personal guard—this role carried far more meaning than being a Kingdom Ranger.
Yet Quinn felt she didn't deserve the expectations Luke placed on her.
Hearing her question, seeing that strained smile on her face, Luke finally understood why she'd been so distracted all morning.
Clearly, his presence had shaken something loose inside her.
He let out a light laugh. "Of course you're suitable. There's nobody more suitable than you. The moment I saw you, I knew it had to be you."
Quinn's face flushed a little at that—because it sounded dangerously close to a confession.
She turned her head, looking at Luke's serious expression, and still couldn't understand why he believed in her so strongly.
She wasn't as good as Cithria.
She wasn't as good as Miss Vayne.
She wasn't as good as Miss Yurna.
Compared to them, she felt painfully ordinary.
Noticing the confusion in her eyes, Luke said gently, "Don't belittle yourself, Quinn. You're excellent. You're not inferior to anyone exceptional I've ever met. Even an eagle needs time before it can spread its wings and soar—so why wouldn't you?"
Warmth rose in waves through Quinn's chest.
To be chosen—firmly, without hesitation…
That feeling was… really, truly good.
When Quinn didn't speak, Luke suddenly sighed. "You're not seriously going to reject a man as outstanding as me twice in a row, are you?"
The line instantly shattered the heavy mood.
Quinn couldn't help it—she let out a laugh.
She looked at Luke, at the aggrieved expression he wore like he'd been wronged by the world, and the urge to laugh only grew stronger.
Her cheeks reddened from holding it back, but she looked much better than before. Then she stood, her expression gradually turning solemn.
She faced Luke, lowered her head, and delivered a flawless knight's salute.
In a grave, steady voice, she said, "I'm willing to become Your Highness's personal guard. And I swear here and now—I will protect Your Highness with my life, until my final breath!"
Seeing how formal she made it, Luke stood as well. After a moment's thought, he removed his House Lightshield crest and handed it to her.
"Then I'll be relying on you from here on out."
"I won't disappoint you, Your Highness!"
Quinn's face was utterly serious, her eyes unwavering.
After Caleb's memorial day, she wouldn't drown in self-blame anymore. Even if there were countless people in this world more gifted than her, it didn't matter.
She would chase their footsteps—
And surpass them.
After that simple ceremony, Quinn officially became Luke's personal guard.
Next, he still needed to explain it to that old woman.
But that wasn't a big problem. He'd deal with it after returning to the capital.
"Your Highness, I'm going to train."
Quinn's mood had fully recovered. With her new role, her fighting spirit burned bright.
Luke looked at her and smiled. "Let's go together. I've got nothing to do right now anyway—might as well teach you a few tricks."
Quinn's face showed confusion, but she quickly understood what he meant. She froze for a beat, then said, "I… can learn that?"
Luke replied casually, "Of course. If you're my personal guard, the stronger you become, the safer I am, right?"
Right now, Quinn was still like someone in the middle of growth—her strength hadn't fully blossomed yet.
But once she learned the skills Luke had, she'd definitely become even more terrifying.
A few minutes later…
The two of them arrived at the training yard. By now, Vayne and Cithria had stopped racing. Cithria was chatting openly with a few soldiers, occasionally showing a bright smile.
Vayne, on the other hand, looked notably solitary. She stood off to the side alone, weapon in hand, repeatedly striking a training dummy.
Luke glanced over.
To be honest, Cithria was also on his list of candidates for personal guard.
But she was already a Dauntless Vanguard trainee, and with how she performed, the moment the Vanguard had an opening, she would absolutely be the first one chosen.
More importantly, that girl's goal was crystal clear—she wanted to become a great hero in the eyes of the people, to become part of a legend told in stories.
Quinn wasn't like that. Her ambition was simpler: to become a brave knight.
Whether she became Luke's personal guard or remained a Kingdom Ranger made no difference to her.
And that meant Luke's sinful hand couldn't easily reach toward Cithria.
Such a good girl, and he couldn't make her work for him—what a tragedy!
Still, Luke's skin was thick. He'd already lured Quinn over, so surely her best friend would eventually come join her too, right?
No chance right now, but wasn't there plenty of time?
Pulling his gaze back, Luke looked at Quinn and said, "I'll teach you the first move: the Stealth Technique."
Hearing that, Quinn immediately remembered how she'd once watched the prince approach a Silver-Ear Rabbit without being detected.
Even then, she'd known Luke had to be using some kind of stealth method.
But she'd never seen a technique that frightening before. Silver-Ear Rabbits were famous for their alertness.
Even trying to hide and creep closer wasn't guaranteed to work.
And Luke hadn't even crept—he'd simply walked right up.
Quinn couldn't help feeling intimidated. "A skill that strong… can I really learn it?"
"Trust yourself."
Luke smiled. He quickly reviewed it in his mind, then began explaining the foundations of the Vanish Technique.
Before that, he taught Quinn the beginner and intermediate sections of Mental Spirit Power.
The Vanish Technique required adjustment on two fronts—intention and breath.
Breathing rhythms could be trained over time, but intention needed the guidance of mental spirit energy.
Luke didn't know what method Quinn had used before to temper her will, but with Mental Spirit Power's beginner and intermediate sections, it would be far more convenient.
Once she memorized those two sections, she could start practicing the Vanish Technique from the basics.
For an ordinary person, reaching Vanish Technique Level 3 wouldn't be hard. Beyond that, talent started to matter.
And Luke estimated that with Quinn's talent, she should be able to raise it to Level 7.
"The breathing method inside the Vanish Technique can also reduce stamina consumption," Luke added. "In daily life, you can practice it too."
As he explained, he watched Quinn adjust her breathing.
At the start, he naturally taught the basic rhythm first. More advanced steps could come later.
To truly learn the Vanish Technique, she had to be able to adjust her breathing immediately whenever she needed it.
"Like I'm doing now."
As Luke spoke, his breathing rhythm shifted smoothly—so subtly that outsiders wouldn't notice at all.
But Quinn, watching him, suddenly went still.
A person's "presence" was hard to describe—but one thing was certain: everyone had one.
Truly formidable people could control that presence to a degree. Sometimes, without even getting angry, they could make others feel pressured.
Normally, Luke's presence was gentle, giving people the sense that he was easy to get along with.
When Luke used Righteous Aura Guard, his presence turned sharp and imposing—same person, but suddenly all edge and danger.
And now, under the Vanish Technique…
Quinn couldn't feel any presence from him at all.
If he weren't standing right in front of her, but hidden somewhere instead, she would almost certainly be unable to find him.
Normal stealth methods could only suppress someone's presence as much as possible.
But Luke's technique could drop it to zero.
And he was teaching her something that important—just like that.
Thinking of it, Quinn trained with even greater seriousness.
She couldn't betray the prince's trust. She had to master the Vanish Technique.
While Luke was teaching Quinn the intricacies of the Vanish Technique…
Inside the room where records of the Shadow God cult were stored—
Frey read through the information Luke had given her, line by line. The more she read, the heavier her expression became.
Vayne had once told her about the demon that murdered her parents.
After finishing the record, Frey could confirm it.
The horned demon described there was, without a doubt, the same one.
Vayne didn't know much about it—she only remembered its appearance.
But this record expanded Frey's understanding.
Below the Ten Great Demons (TN:Ten Kings), it belonged to the second-tier class of demons—creatures that took pleasure in human suffering.
Just those short sentences made its power clear.
Compared to that, things like bloodthirst demons and mutant demons they'd encountered before…
Those were the lowest level of demons—so low they weren't even qualified to be mentioned alongside the second tier.
Frey already knew this demon was powerful, but after reading the record, she gained a far clearer sense of just how terrifying it truly was.
Even an elder of the Shadow God cult would have nothing but death waiting in front of it.
But that wasn't the most important part.
If the record was accurate, this demon enjoyed tormenting humans.
It cruelly divided humans into four categories.
Then back then…
When it let Vayne go—was it because it didn't notice her, or because it did it on purpose?
A demon with that level of strength—how could it possibly fail to notice a human girl who had discovered it?
At that moment, a horrifying possibility surfaced in Frey's mind.
The thought made goosebumps race over her skin. A coldness rose from the soles of her feet, climbing straight up into her chest.
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