“To think you’ve fully awakened Kleyn’s blood in just three years. I must say, I’m genuinely impressed.”
In the very depths of the Kleyn family mansion lies a cultivation chamber, a place where not even family members are allowed to enter, except for the Head of the House. Yet, presently, two women stood within.
In the center of the chamber stood one woman slowly opening her eyes. The other leaned against the wall, observing. Neither woman appeared older than they should, their appearances striking beyond mere youthful looks.
Two women with fiery red hair, akin to blazing flames, stood there. They might have been twins—their stature was similar, both appearing young and alike in features. Beyond their appearances, even the massive greatswords leaning against the floor next to them were alike, giving them the resemblance of twins, or at the very least, sisters.
“Well, I suppose when you’re the daughter of someone like me, this much is expected.”
Among the two, the one leaning against the wall, Emma, finally spoke, without shifting her posture.
Upon hearing news of a demon invasion in the city where her daughter attended the academy, Emma hadn’t worried much. In fact, Emma’s husband, Alec, had been the overly concerned one, fretting so much over their child that Emma had to drag him to their bedroom to calm him down.
Of course, even Emma, being a parent, wasn’t entirely carefree. If she worried one percent about her daughter, Anne, she’d worry nine times more about her son, Ian.
This wasn’t because Emma adhered to any outdated notions of male superiority—it was Emma, after all, who was the Head of the Kleyn House, a position which itself mocked the concept of male dominance. Instead, upon sober analysis, she’d concluded that Ian, with his robust build, faced a higher degree of danger compared to Anne.
Anne was a child who inherited the Kleyn bloodline more strongly than anyone else. So much so that Emma herself—a daughter of the Kleyn lineage renowned as the most exceptional in generations—paled in comparison to her daughter’s talent.
But the prodigious talent in Anne’s bloodline only began to shine when faced with a demon or any other force imbued with miasma. The strength carried within the House of Kleyn wasn’t random; it manifested its true worth in combating such dark forces.
The House of Kleyn wasn’t arbitrarily located near the Forbidden Forest, known for its dangerous creatures that couldn’t even be controlled by demons. For centuries, the empire’s territory had been safeguarded from the forest’s encroachment, thanks to the Kleyn family’s dedication.
Frankly, had it been a rogue Sword Master, an archmage who’d experienced a late adolescence, or some disgruntled terrorist who attacked the academy, Emma might’ve truly worried about Anne. But a horde of monsters or demons infiltrating the academy? Preposterous.
Despite her young age, Anne was undoubtedly the rightful heir of the Kleyn family. Even upper demons would find it no easy feat to defeat her, not to mention that such beings were rare.
The case was different for Anne’s twin brother, Ian. Typically, among siblings, only one in a generation inherits the full strength of the Kleyn family. Others are left with but remnants of it.
Neither Emma, nor perhaps any head of the house before her, could pinpoint the precise cause of this phenomenon. At some point over the centuries, the knowledge was lost and now forgotten.
For this reason, Anne was the inheritor of this generation. If Anne’s fiery red hair symbolized the family’s blazing power, Ian’s grayish hair and aura could be likened to ashes—what remained after the fire had dwindled. Not to belittle him, but merely in literal terms.
Even so, his inherited fragment of the bloodline still made him stronger than common folk, though not quite enough to make a difference against demons. Additionally, Ian lacked the brute power or the potent bloodline to incinerate miasma. Thus, Emma naturally worried much more about him than Anne.
Still, Ian’s great height and strength, inherited from his father, as well as his skill with the sword, made him significantly more capable than his peers. This fact alone was why Emma had refrained from immediately rushing to the academy.
It was amusing to watch her restless husband fret in a manner so at odds with his large frame, but nonetheless, Emma had her own concerns. As the weeks passed, she gently consoled him, until eventually, news arrived. The academy, along with parts of the city, had been destroyed, resulting in a temporary closure. Nevertheless, her twins had returned to the fiefdom.
When had she last seen her daughter? The girl’s face, now more mature than the last time they’d met during summer break, carried signs of profound change. During their conversations, Anne retained her usual youthful energy, yet when she rose early in the mornings to train alone, her expression betrayed a simmering frustration that Emma hadn’t seen before.
The cause was unclear, though Emma suspected it might be tied to the recent demon invasion.
Rather than press Anne for an explanation, Emma recognized her daughter’s relentless pursuit of strength as a reflection of her own past. Inspired by this determination, she eventually made a decision.
The headship of the House of Kleyn was always intended to pass on eventually. Despite her daughter’s undeniable talents, Emma had vaguely imagined the transition far in the future—perhaps only after Anne completed her academy training, returned, and began her preparation as heir.
The Kleyn family bloodline was like burning fire. Why all the family’s successors possessed fiery red hair was unclear, but the lineage’s strength had always been described as a blazing power.
Fire, when harnessed, could bring untold strength and benefit. Yet uncontrolled, it could consume even its master—hence it was both a gift and a dangerous sword with two edges. Thus, when Anne first entered the academy, Emma had only taught her minimal control methods, postponing the true awakening of her power.
But Anne now—ablaze with the fire within her—no longer needed to wait. Emma trusted that her fiery daughter, a living embodiment of this power, could master the responsibility.
Therefore, Emma had brought Anne to the training chamber, a space accessible only to the head of the house and the heir.
And the results? As Emma had hoped, in merely two years since setting foot in the chamber, Anne had thoroughly awakened the Kleyn lineage’s power and made it her own.
Anne’s swordsmanship, reliant on raw strength, hadn’t yet reached the rank of Sword Master, but Emma trusted her to reach that peak someday, given time.
With her lineage’s strength now fully awakened, Anne was essentially qualified to take the position of family head. Though perhaps lacking in governance due to her distaste for paperwork, Emma wasn’t overly concerned.
Anne had her twin brother, Ian, by her side. In stark contrast to Anne, Ian was intelligent, well-rounded, and proficient in both literary and martial skills. Although Ian might eventually leave to establish his own domain after marriage, by then, Emma believed Anne and Ian would manage things together. Finding a suitable husband for Anne, as Emma had done, would make everything perfect.
Thus, all that remained was to pass on the headship to Anne and retire to enjoy her life with her husband—even if traveling might be restricted in these tumultuous times, her personal time would certainly increase. Perhaps, with the declining birth rates caused by the demonic war, producing another child with her husband wouldn’t be such a bad idea?
Of course, Emma hadn’t awakened Anne’s power solely for personal desires—it was more a side effect of her duties.
Look—there stood her daughter, glowing with newfound strength and smiling brightly. Wasn’t she enjoying her empowerment?
“Anne. So, the succession ceremony will be…”
“Mom! Thank you so much!”
Anne flung herself at Emma and hugged her tightly. From afar, the scene felt more like two youthful girls embracing, than a mother and daughter.
Emma, momentarily letting herself feel maternal warmth, gently patted Anne’s fiery red hair as the girl clung to her.
“Yes, yes. Anne, your talent was impressive, but awakening such power so quickly is surely because of your brilliant mother’s influence. Moving on, the succession ceremony…”
“From what I heard yesterday, Selian and Yuli are already here, so we really should set off right away!”
“Wait… What? Ceremony?”
“Mom, I love you! I’ll write often! I’ll definitely defeat the Demon King and come back!”
Emma watched, stunned, as Anne, clutching her massive greatsword, dashed out of the training chamber with a loud clatter.
She stood frozen in the middle of the room, repeating Anne’s words in her mind.
Set off immediately? Where to? To conquer the Demon King?!
“You brat! Get back here!”
There went Emma’s dream of a peaceful retirement with her husband.
