I looked at the Northern Army warrior smiling cheerfully.

“Then, when you were a newly appointed warrior, did you also have the Central Warrior replicate your blessing?”

“Our situations are different.”

“Why? Because I’m inadequate? Was I lacking because my gift wasn’t liked?”

When I showed a puzzled expression, the Northern Army warrior’s eyebrows twitched.

“Since you’re a newcomer, it was advice to borrow the strength of the Central Warrior, who is the leader of all warriors.”

“I know you all performed excellently when you were new. I’ll work hard, so don’t worry.”

“Listen, Erilot Astra.”

“Indeed!”

Until now, I had been smiling gently, but I raised my voice slightly.

“If you truly think my dragon should be entrusted to the Central Warrior, then speak directly to my grandfather.”

“W-what did you say?”

“A blessing is the family’s property, isn’t it?”

“That is...!”

“If I have to entrust Astra’s property because I am ‘inadequate,’ then surely it must be with the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° family head’s permission?”

“...!”

The Northern Army warrior was flustered.

‘That figures.’

Our grandfather is the kind of person who makes even powerful figures tremble.

‘How could a fourteen-year-old like you stand up to him?’

At a loss for words, the Northern Army warrior’s face turned bright red.

She was probably frustrated, worried that she had lost face in front of the knights.

“Bringing your family into the imperial army? That’s why I said you’re inadequate.”

“These five warriors represent each division. How could they not consider wealth and family in such a place?”

I really looked at the Northern Army warrior with genuine confusion.

She opened her mouth but made no sound.

“We do bear the responsibility of our divisions, but still, we put the emperor first—!”

“I think about the emperor too.”

“But you’re a shameless villain if you won’t even give up your dragon—!”

At that, the Northern Army warrior and Sebastia’s expressions hardened.

Those words were very dangerous.

Because they could be interpreted as:

[For the sake of His Majesty the Emperor, one must surrender all blessings (family property). Otherwise, one is a shameless traitor.]

It was a statement denying noble autonomy.

‘You thought you could beat me by saying that without thinking?’

At that moment, Cyrille Chateaubriand, the Central Warrior, slammed the table with a bang.

“Do not raise your voice at the introduction of a new warrior.”

“...My apologies.”

The Northern Army warrior looked down, chastened by Cyrille’s glance.

“Reflect on your behavior, Northern Army warrior.”

“Yes...”

“Erilot Astra, I hope you will consider the harmony among warriors.”

Look at this.

‘The Northern Army warrior is scolded for raising her voice, but I am blamed for ruining harmony?’

Anyone listening would think I was the one in the wrong.

She was quiet when the Northern Army warrior made the absurd demand to hand over my dragon.

I chuckled inwardly.

‘I see what the Northern Army warrior was so worked up about.’

I smiled gently.

Without replying with an apology.

The Central Warrior’s eyebrows twitched slightly but she said no more.

“You know about the imperial army, right?”

“Yes, Central Warrior.”

The imperial army is composed of three forces:

The Emperor’s personal knights.

A large army led by the Grand General (Kali, the leader of the Egritz mercenary group, was here).

2. The regional armies.

Scattered across regions, guarding borders. The largest in number. Sometimes deployed in dangerous areas.

3. The Warrior forces.

Divided into East, West, South, North, and Central armies — five divisions.

Usually composed of knights under twenty years old.

Outstanding knights are drafted to the Emperor’s personal army, and most knights over twenty transfer to regional armies.

The warrior forces ranks can be roughly divided as:

[Warrior – Senior General – Military Officer (staff) – Knight – Soldier].

The Central Warrior Cyrille nodded.

She looked at a knight.

“This is the Central Army’s Senior General, Jowick Chateaubriand.”

“I’m Jowick.”

Then the Northern Army warrior introduced her senior general.

“This is Mateo Garmon, Senior General of the Northern Army.”

“Nice to meet you, Western Army warrior. I’m Mateo.”

Sebastia also introduced her senior general.

Then the Northern Army warrior reluctantly introduced hers.

“This is Kazin Laviou, Senior General of the Southern Army.”

“I'm Kazin.”

The knight called Kazin smiled faintly.

‘Huh?’

I felt I had seen him somewhere before.

‘Where was that?’

Not in this life.

I hadn’t been in the capital long and had mostly stayed with the Astra family.

It must have been the previous life.

‘A very familiar face.’

I narrowed my eyes.

The Northern Army warrior waved her hand at Kazin.

She had a very annoyed expression and rude attitude.

‘She’s embarrassing him in front of the other knights.’

It was practically the same as the warrior disrespecting her senior general.

But Kazin stepped back as if used to it.

“I’ll introduce someone else. This is the Southern Army’s military officer, Marqui Schmar.”

‘She’s introducing the military officer too?’

And the expression the Northern Army warrior gave Marqui was very warm.

Marqui smiled brightly and knelt before the warriors’ table.

“It is an honor for my family to stand before the flowers of the imperial army. Welcome, Western Army warrior. I am Marqui Schmar.”

The Northern Army warrior giggled.

“I heard the new Southern Army officer is quite eloquent.”

“Marqui is a highly skilled knight~.”

The Northern Army warrior looked shyly at her officer.

But I...

‘Ugh.’

Marqui was tall, pale-faced, and had teeth even whiter than her skin.

Whenever she smiled, those teeth were displayed in an extremely cheesy way.

She secretly winked at me when our eyes met, which was unpleasant.

The knights’ expressions were all reluctant.

‘This is exactly the kind of person Dad’s army’s leader Mosco hates.’

He always grumbled that such types were lazy and neglected training.

“Now that we’ve introduced the knights, shall we enjoy a light tea time?”

The Northern Army warrior clapped her hands.

Sebastia looked pale.

“We just drank tea for quite a long time last time.”

“Now that a new warrior has arrived, you must attend for harmony, right?”

“I have training. I’ll use this chance to show the new Western Army warrior around the Torch Palace.”

Sebastia rose and gestured at me.

I quickly followed her.

Just as we were about to leave, the Northern Army warrior shouted.

“Is the Eastern Army warrior ‘that one’?”

Her tone was very unpleasant.

It meant, “So you’re not with the Central Warrior but siding with Erilot Astra?”

Sebastia snorted.

She then turned and looked at the Northern Army warrior.

“I’m always on the Eastern Army’s side.”

“But from what I see—!”

“You should stop watching the Northern Army warrior so much. You seem to be seeing things wrong.”

“W-what!”

Sebastia left the room immediately.

Of course, I followed her with Han Ji-hyuk.

As soon as Sebastia turned the corner in the hallway, she ground her teeth.

“I’m going to kill her at the next training.”

I chuckled softly.

“You’ve entered hell, Erilot. Tea time hell.”

“Do they really drink that much tea?”

“Yes. There’s tea time because a new warrior comes, tea time because a new warrior arrived, tea time because the training is unsatisfactory, even tea time because someone’s tired...”

Sebastia shook her head with a deeply exhausted look.

“Then I hope you keep pulling me out like this, sister Sebastia.”

“Still, it would be better if the Central Warrior changed.”

“Indeed.”

We walked down the hall talking.

“Do you know why the Northern Army warrior is hostile to you?”

“Trying to gain favor with the Central Warrior, I guess.”

“Good intuition. But more than that... it’s probably about the prize.”

“The prize?”

“The Year-End Festival prize.”

“The prize where you can bring back the knight you want.”

“Yeah?”

“You saw it just now? The Southern Army’s military officer. Marqui and the Northern Army warrior, they have some kind of connection.”

“Ugh, I don’t care at all.”

“That’s why. Except for Kazin, it’s okay.”

“Kazin is the Southern Army’s senior general, right?”

“Yeah. The Northern Army warrior loves Marqui so much that she’s about to replace the senior general.”

Sebastia clicked her tongue.

“Even if the warriors are clueless, the Northern Army runs because of Kazin. He’s skilled, reputable... outstanding among the warriors. It’s a shame for him.”

“I suppose so...”

But I kept thinking about that Kazin boy.

Deep blue hair.

Dark blue eyes.

Fair face.

A pretty boy similar to Conrad.

‘Where have I seen him?’

“Kazin’s family is insignificant, so they probably can’t complain properly.”

“Insignificant?”

“Yeah, not just insignificant. His father is from a foreign tribe.”

“A foreign tribe... a foreign tribe?!”

I stopped dead in my tracks and dropped my jaw.

‘Right, that man!’

The first battle I was deployed in during my first life was against that foreign tribe.

The leader of that tribe was a young man in his twenties.

‘That terrifying commander who surrounded ten times as many soldiers and put them in a tight spot...!’

“A filthy foreigner, how dare—!”

Joffrey, who was deployed with me, shouted at Kazin from the mountain.

“The emperor has taken so much from us. Now, if he plans to take away the promised land of rest by the founding emperor, the brothers are ready to spill blood.”

“What?!”

“We will never die easily.”

“I-I—!”

“I will die with you.”

Piercing eyes.

A vivid murderous aura around his body.

Immense command and leadership.

And a blessing as powerful as Balzac’s.

‘Oh my god, oh my god...!’

I thought he was impressive then, and now he’s in the imperial army?

Well, with that level of ability, it’s no wonder he became senior general despite his foreign origins.

‘Wait a minute. Then was he pushed out of the senior general position and sent back home? If so...’

I covered my mouth as Sebastia looked at me.

“Erilot?”

“I’ll go ahead.”

“I was going to show you the Torch Palace. Is that alright?”

“Yes!”

“Alright then.”

I greeted Sebastia and quickly left the palace.

Almost running, Han Ji-hyuk asked.

“Why? What happened? What’s wrong?!”

“Unbelievable.”

“What?”

“Unbelievable!”

“What’s unbelievable?”

Everyone knew the skill of Kali, leader of the Egritz mercenary group, worldwide.

If I could get Kazin as well...

I covered my mouth with both hands and chuckled.

“Let’s go.”

“Why?”

“I need to write a letter to grandfather.”

If I’m going to definitely win at the Year-End Festival, I’ll need some help.

It’s the chance to get the Emperor’s wish right and to get Kazin too!

A few days later, the Central Tower.

Powerful figures gathered in one place ahead of the year’s end.

Even after the meeting ended, the Central Tower was noisy.

“Duke Gong, are you attending the party today?”

“It’s Paangte’s year-end party... My wife is fussing about it.”

“You said you need to find a fiancé for your son?”

“Indeed. Almost all nobles gather at Paangte’s year-end party, so he’s excited to introduce his son.”

In a salon near the Central Tower, the high society’s year-end party was underway.

The most powerful dukes of the Central Tower were in a warm atmosphere.

“Will Miss Sebastia attend this Year-End Festival?”

“My granddaughter is famously diligent. Even if I tell her not to, she’s too earnest.”

“Ha ha, this time Astra will participate too, so it will be worth watching.”

The Biferi duke coughed loudly.

He glanced quietly at the Duke Astra, who had been sitting quietly.

The hot topic in the capital recently was one person.

Erilot Astra.

A child with immense blessing, outstanding skill, wisdom and grades, and unsurpassed beauty.

This generation of warriors was somewhat lacking compared to the past.

That was why Sebastia’s reputation had been high...

But Erilot’s appearance overshadowed Sebastia.

‘Not a granddaughter suitable for a sly old man.’

“Also, Central Warrior Cyrille Chateaubriand will participate... I am curious about the festival.”

“That’s right.”

The Chateaubriand duke smiled arrogantly.

“Ha ha, the Year-End Festival is something the warriors will handle well. We shall take our leave.”

“Duke Gong, are you going to Paangte’s party?”

“Cyrille said she would drop by briefly, so I thought I’d go out to meet her.”

“Even the warriors will attend. What about Duke Astra...?”

The Duke Astra rose from his seat.

“I plan to drop by the party as well.”

“Excuse me?”

The Duke Astra at the party?

He never attended parties in his life. Why now?

Everyone was surprised, and the Duke Astra swept his gaze around.

It was a cold, colorless, sharp stare.

His gaze fixed on someone.

The noble who received the gaze flinched.

“Your Grace...?”

“I heard someone dared to say I should give up my family’s property.”

“Eh? Was there such a person?”