EPISODE 36

There was no particular reason for saying something like this, except that the more shocking the statement, the easier it was to disrupt the other person's composure and seize control.

As expected, the room fell silent, as if doused in cold water. The silence didn't bother me, though.

After a brief pause, one of the elders broke the quiet. "What you are saying now is—"

"All of them were assassins," I interrupted as if I had been waiting for the moment.

Before they could chastise me for my rudeness, I added, "I don't know if they killed the original knights and impersonated them, if they infiltrated the Badnikers with some sinister goal, or if they changed along the way. I don't know all the details, but one thing is clear: they were among the worst of assassins."

"Is there any evidence?" another elder demanded.

"Evidence..." I muttered, finding this question amusing.

If they could truly discern truth from lies, evidence would be unnecessary.

Their demand only confirmed what my siblings had said in my previous life.

"Don't be intimidated just because you're in the Trial Room!" One sibling had scoffed. "They can't tell the difference between truth and lies."

Another had chimed in, "There are more restrictions than that."

"It only works on the Badniker bloodline and can't be used often," a third had added.

I never trusted these pretentious elders from the start, so I decided to test their limits in my own way.

"Of course, there is evidence," I declared confidently.

"Do you have it now?" an elder questioned.

"Yes," I replied curtly.

"Show it," another elder demanded.

This way of talking is utterly grating, I grumbled inwardly but complied, pulling out the dagger and note and placing them on the table.

A beam of light suddenly descended from the ceiling, illuminating the items.

"No way, that symbol...!" one elder gasped, his voice trembling.

"The symbol of Hadenaihar," I remarked, sparking a murmur among the elders.

"How can this be?" one of them exclaimed.

"Has a servant of the six demon kings infiltrated the Badniker family?" another asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

A third elder cut in, "How could the church reach this far—"

The demon kings and the gods of disaster were the same. The church insisted on calling them gods, while the Great Families referred to them as demon kings. There was no profound reason behind it; it was simply the conservatives' refusal to dignify such monstrous entities with the title of gods.

That was the extent of my knowledge. Truthfully, I didn't know much about the gods of disaster. There had been no contact, no interest. In fact, I had been under the impression there were five demon kings, not six.

One elder broke the silence, his voice skeptical. "Did this dagger truly come from the Fang Knights?"

"That's correct," I answered firmly.

The elders were silent once more.

What did their silence mean?

Surprisingly, I didn't think they were surprised by the betrayal itself. This didn't mean they weren't alarmed. They likely suspected a traitor but hadn't identified the culprit. This seemed the most plausible explanation.

"Is that all?" another elder asked.

"Did you recover only this from the assassins?" a different elder pressed.

"No," I replied, having anticipated this question. "There is also a note and a map. The map roughly shows where they're hiding in the mountains."

"A map?" one elder asked, his interest piqued.

"Show me," another commanded.

Huh? Even if these bastards see me as a pushover, this is going too far.

"Why should I?" I retorted.

"What?" the elder snapped, his tone incredulous.

"This is mine," I stated. "As a descendant of a Great Family, I killed the Dark Church's bastards and claimed the spoils. I submitted the dagger as evidence, so I am not obligated to share the map."

Information tied to the Dark Church was invaluable. Did they really expect to get it for free?

Although I didn't know much, I could fetch a hefty price if I auctioned it to the heroes of the Great Families. Heroes were always obsessed with achievements.

"How dare you!" one elder barked.

"Who do you think you are speaking to?" another growled.

"Do you know what type of place this is?" a third elder added, his voice stern.

"This is a place for explanations, and I'm in the middle of giving one," I replied with a smirk. "My explanation is over. Do you have anything else you want to say?"

The surroundings fell eerily silent, which felt unexpected.

For a young brat to stand his ground like this, it wouldn't be strange if they charged at me, foaming at the mouth. Yet, it seemed things wouldn't be so simple after all.

The Council of Elders consisted of old monsters who led the Badniker family in place of the perpetually busy Iron-Blooded Lord.

Could their authoritarian demeanor be just another mask, I wondered.

"No explanation has been provided yet," one of the elders said coldly.

Another elder, his tone sharper, added, "Luan Badniker, you still haven't addressed the most suspicious part."

"What part?"

"How did you deal with Hadenaihar's followers?" an elder pressed.

"Your skills alone couldn't have defeated them," another elder chimed in.

This was the toughest question so far. But it was also the moment I had been waiting for.

The Trial Room could determine the authenticity of one's words.

Thus, I answered plainly, "I made progress during my training. I defeated them based on that progress."

It wasn't a lie. The progress I referred to naturally came from my training on Spirit Mountain. Regardless, it was true that I had trained and that I'd killed Osel because of it.

Silence followed, just as before.

But this time, the elders seemed strangely bewildered. This was exactly what I wanted. If the room could determine the truth, they'd know my words were genuine. Without this feature, no amount of evidence would convince these old men.

Then, a relatively young voice I hadn't heard before interjected, "Interesting. Hadenaihar's assassins are particularly troublesome, even among the church's ranks. An active hero might lose their life depending on the circumstances. Yet you killed some of them?"

"Yes," I replied without flinching.

A faint sneer escaped another elder. "What happened to the rest? You claimed all the Fang Knights are dead, correct?"

I said with a slight frown, "My companion handled them."

"As expected, you had help. Who was it?"

"Arjan."

The name hung in the air as the elder murmured, "Arjan..."

If it were an elder of the main house, it wouldn't be surprising if they knew about Arjan. Maybe they knew more than I did.

Who is this bastard who suddenly intervened?

He felt different from the elders I had dealt with so far—annoying, to say the least.

"I think I understand how things unfolded," the elder said, his tone sharp. "You are clever, Luan Badniker."

I didn't respond.

"No. More than that," he continued, his voice dripping with disdain. "You are wicked, Luan Badniker."

"Why do you say that?" I asked, intrigued.

"Do you know why we rushed to summon you on the eve of the blessing ceremony?"

There were likely many reasons, but I guessed the primary one.

"Is this the final test before the blessing ceremony?" I ventured.

"That's right. That is why you are bluffing now."

"What do you mean by bluffing?"

"The nonsense about you killing Hadenaihar's followers."

The elders continued speaking.

"I now know what happened in the mountains," one of them stated with certainty.

"You definitely faced many crises," another added.

"But you're speaking as if you overcame them on your own," an elder accused.

"I didn't do everything alone, but I believe I played my part," I replied evenly.

"No. You merely managed to survive," an elder retorted.

"It must've been Arjan who resolved the crises," another concluded, his voice dismissive.

Are they serious?

"If you are so suspicious, why don't you ask Arjan directly?" I countered.

"How amusing," one of the elders replied dryly.

"She used to work in the main house, but not anymore," I explained.

"That means she could lie for your sake," another elder shot back.

I wasn't sure whether the Trial Room’s effect could be applied to Arjan, as its power seemed to only work on the Badniker lineage. Without a way to verify her claims, they had no clear means of determining the truth behind her words.

"But the most disgusting thing about this is that you really think you helped."

"Even though you are an incompetent Badniker who didn't receive any blessings."

Now I understood the Trial Room's system. Its discrimination mechanism wasn't absolute. For instance, even if a statement were false, the system wouldn't activate if the speaker believed it to be true.

At that moment, the elders viewed me as someone with delusions of grandeur.

I get it. The present Luan is a boy of little worth, someone who deserves to be treated like this. I wouldn't believe this explanation either. Still, as they hurled one insult after another, my patience wore thin.

Strangely, I laughed. "Then what do you want me to do?"

"Prove it," an elder demanded.

"Prove what?"

"That you really dealt with Hadenaihar's assassins."

"I mean, how do you want me to prove it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just have to fight and prove it."

"Um." I scratched my head, thinking, As expected. It is the most obvious approach.

"We will prepare the opponent," an elder answered.

"Don't worry. They won't be stronger than the church's assassins," another added.

I told them, "It doesn't matter, but I'm not feeling well right now."

"In bad shape, are you?" an elder mocked, their laughter echoing in the room.

"When do you want to do it, then?" an elder asked.

"Three days later," I replied, hoping the White Fire state's side effects would have faded by then.

The room erupted in unmistakable ridicule.

I hadn't cracked a joke, so I simply stared at the elders.

"You are clinging to foolish thoughts until the end," one elder said.

"You're desperate, gambling on a lost cause," another added.

Gambling?

An elder scoffed. "Three days later? Impossible."

"What you are aiming for is tomorrow's blessing ceremony," another pointed out.

"You must be thinking..." an elder began.

"If I receive a new blessing here, I can fight and win against the one the elders have prepared," another one finished with a scoff.

At that moment, my annoyance faded, replaced by genuine admiration. Their seamless coordination was impressive.

"You won't be able to attend the blessing ceremony," an elder declared.

"You will also be punished for scorning the Badniker family."

I raised an eyebrow. "When did I scorn the Badniker family?"

"Didn't you lie to us?" an elder accused.

"Someone of the Badniker lineage shouldn't tell such lies," another reprimanded.

I wasn't lying, though.

"Remember this."

"The Dark Church's subjugation isn't a topic to discuss lightly."

"It's fortunate this is the Badnikers' main house. If you'd spoken like this outside, the family head's reputation would've suffered."

I smiled faintly. "Is his reputation so fragile that my words could tarnish it?"

"Luan Badniker, you're disrespecting the family head—"

I cut off the angry elder, "I'm trying to turn things around with the blessing ceremony? That's an interesting guess. So, wouldn't it be enough to have an opponent to undo that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Prepare an opponent who's impossible to defeat, even with a blessing," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "For example, an elder among you could deal with me."

Suddenly, the air grew still. Naturally, it wasn't because they were impressed by my suggestion. It wasn't a case of them thinking, That's good!

My skin prickled. These old men didn't bother hiding their killing intent.

"You are crossing the line," an elder reprimanded.

"Are you finished? There is nothing left to prove," another said.

"Here and now, you will have to pay the price."

"Are you going to punish me? Without the family head's permission, you'd punish the Iron-Blooded Lord's son?" I rebuked.

"Yes. We act in the family head's stead when he is absent—"

"That's a laughable lie," I interrupted with a chuckle. "Isn't the family head in the main house right now?"

The faceless Council of Elders seemed to turn to stone.

"What do you mean by that?"

"The family head is currently away."

"It is quite the opposite," I commented.

I was aware of the Iron-Blooded Lord's power. The unused guest room at the end of the corridor, the crowded dining hall, the central banquet hall, and the rose garden on the way home made me feel his presence everywhere.

My gaze shifted from the surrounding elders to the space beyond them.

Had the Council of Elders truly summoned me? I wondered.

"Family head," I called out. "Are you here?"

A brief silence followed before a familiar voice remarked, "Wonderful."

For the first time in years, I trembled at the sound of his voice.

The elders flinched, parting to the left and right. The darkness between them shimmered, and a figure emerged along an invisible line. A being draped in a black curtain slowly revealed itself.

Then I saw him. Black hair and dark red eyes, entirely different from mine. It was the head of the Badniker family, the Iron-Blooded Lord, and my father—Delac C. Badniker.

"It has been a long time," he said.