On ordinary days, Knight Academy City was already a vibrant hub brimming with the energy of youth and vitality. Today, with the added boost of the celebration, it buzzed with even greater excitement. Vendors from every corner of the world lined the streets, flanked by performance troupes and exhibition stalls.
Unfortunately, there were simply too many people.
As they walked along, Sang lost track of Aisha and Shika, left with only the little chick perched on his shoulder.
At that moment, Little Chicken Red seemed to catch a scent of something. She suddenly took flight toward a particular direction. Sang had half a mind to ignore the creature, but on second thought, he worried she might get caught and end up steamed or deep-fried.
After raising her for so long, he had developed some affection for her, however slight.
Sang followed Little Chicken Red all the way to the outskirts. In the distance, he spotted her landing on the shoulder of a teenager… no, a girl disguised as a boy. She was handing out loaves of bread to a crowd of people.
He had assumed Iyefut wouldn’t venture out today, but here she was, sneaking away after all.
With the celebration open to the entire world, plenty of refugees had seized the chance to enter the city and beg.
Iyefut recognized Little Chicken Red. “Hmm… if you’re here, then that means…”
As she spoke, Iyefut glanced around, and sure enough, she spotted the masked youth not far away. Sang let out a long sigh. “Not surprising, coming from you, do-gooder.”
Though he called her a do-gooder, it was only in jest.
In Sang’s heart, Iyefut was no such thing.
“Hee hee hee. I was bored anyway, and there’s still some time before the banquet. I just came out for a stroll. Want to join me? We could form the Do-Gooder Alliance.”
“Yi Ye, how old are you exactly? Why are you spouting such cringey nonsense?”
“Iyefut isn’t cringey…” Though she didn’t know what “cringey” meant, the bad guy’s tone made it clear it wasn’t a compliment.
In the end, Sang joined her in handing out food. He couldn’t shake the feeling that spending time with this girl was warming his own heart, making him a kinder person bit by bit.
Goodness or evil—both could be contagious, after all.
As they distributed food, Sang gazed at the refugees. Many were off the grid—people stripped of their citizenship for unpaid taxes, who had fled rather than become slaves. Something occurred to him, and he asked, “Yi Ye, do you really intend to abolish the Slavery Law and the Grace System?”
Iyefut answered while bustling about. “Yeah… I put it out there, and now it feels like I’ve stirred up major trouble~”
With those words, Iyefut Cape stuck out her tongue, looking rather playful.
Sang couldn’t help but give a wry smile. “You know, you never ask for my help? I’m a Hero of the North! The man who liberates slaves!”
“Pfft… hahaha. I know that, actually. Mad Rogue doesn’t like getting involved in this stuff. I don’t want to put you in a tough spot… This is my choice.”
This is my choice.
When Sang heard those words, an image of an ice-blue figure flickered in his mind. That person had said something similar. Was it the era that forged heroes, or heroes who shaped the era? He didn’t know the answer. But in this tumultuous time, everyone had to make their own choices.
Snow Hill, Iyefut Cape—everyone was seeking their path to survival.
“I feel like such a failure,” Sang murmured.
“No… Mad Rogue gave me the courage. Because of you, I dared to take this step. I want humans, the Blood Race, even the werewolves to live in peace…”
Sang sighed sincerely. “Humans… they’ll definitely be grateful to you.”
“Mm.”
Just as Sang and Iyefut Cape were talking, wagons loaded with goods began rolling in nearby. Crowds of outsiders arrived in droves.
High up on one of Knight Academy’s buildings stood the Two-Colored Pupil Boy. “The people and weapons have arrived… It’s about time. This mission has to succeed. I already failed in the Northern Region last time… I can’t fail again.”
…
The school celebration gala was nominally for all students, but only a select few received invitations from the Student Council to the main ballroom. Most students lingered outdoors.
The ballroom was in the academy’s conference hall.
At seven o’clock in the evening, the celebration gala officially began. Not every student qualified to attend—not by a long shot. Only the children of dignitaries and top-performing cadets made the cut, giving the whole affair a distinct air of an exclusive rising generation club.
To give the younger crowd space, their elders stayed away. Only a handful of instructors patrolled the conference hall area to maintain order and handle security. Tonight’s lead was the swordsmanship instructor Ogier, who had appeared earlier. As a Platinum Knight, his strength put him at cadre level in any noble Knight Order—beyond question.
“Sigh, seriously? They have me playing security guard for the kids…” Ogier was an arrogant man who prided himself on his talents. If he could stomach the Knight Order’s bureaucracy, he never would have ended up teaching here.
Across the entire Knight Academy, the only person he truly respected was the dean, Leila Ketch.
“Sigh… The dean’s away on business. She went up north to escort that person. The Hill Family’s due for a change in family head too. Speaking of which… does Ice Princess really need guards? If they’d just brought me along…” At that moment, Ogier sat on a windowsill in the corner of the conference hall, nursing a drink while lost in thought.
His gaze drifted, shifting to the view outside. He spotted two boys and two girls. If memory served, they were first-years Adolf and Luna.
Adolf was human, yet blessed with talent rivaling that of high nobility—especially in swordsmanship.
Luna was human too, but her mana reserves matched those of high nobility. She was destined to become a superpower expert.
Ogier had worked at Knight Academy for years. Unlike other Blood Race members, he had a keen eye for people. At a glance, he could tell Adolf was no ordinary boy.
And Luna was even more extraordinary…
Meanwhile, near the conference hall’s entrance, Adolf—as the first-year chief seat—had naturally received an invitation to the main gala. Luna ranked over a hundred in their year, so high society events were out of reach for her. Fortunately, Adolf had asked her to be his date. Both wore formal evening attire, gifts from Spencer Campbell.
Adolf was already sixteen, shooting up in height. At one meter eighty now, with his looks and poise, no one would peg him for common-born. The tailcoat only sharpened his dashing figure.
Luna, with her golden hair and blue eyes, cut a striking figure too. Her black evening gown drew plenty of admiring glances from men.
Adel and Besart could only watch them go.
“Luna~ Luna, sneak some goodies out for me,” Adel teased.
Besart grinned. “Adolf, my demands are modest. Just one bottle of red wine~”
Luna’s forehead creased at their cheeky requests. Sure, being human already earned her disdain, and smuggling food wasn’t a huge deal, but it still embarrassed her a bit.
“Adolf, look at these two…”
Before she finished, Luna noticed the blue-haired boy beside her seemed distracted. She poked the back of his hand lightly—and felt a deep chill.
Adolf shivered at her touch, snapping back to attention. He forced a smile at Luna. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
“Sigh… come on. You’re at a dance—try to enjoy it. Relax a little.”
“Mm.”
As he spoke, Adolf tilted his head back, gazing at the night sky. It was a full moon night, but starless. He smiled faintly. “It’s a good day today… Speaking of which, it’s already July, right? Your birthday’s coming up soon, and Watermelon’s too. Happy early birthday, Luna…”
Adolf believed he had prepared thoroughly, but he also steeled himself for the worst: no return.
Luna blinked in surprise at his words, then smiled softly. “Adolf, you sound like you’re leaving a last will. No rush—my birthday’s still days away. And Watermelon’s…”
Well, she and Watermelon shared the same birthday.
The name Watermelon brought a pang of sorrow to Adolf, then hardened his resolve. No more hesitation. He had to fire the first shot here, with Iyefut Cape’s blood.
No matter what, I’ll grow stronger. Dead or alive, I have to head to the Central Hub and bring Watermelon back.
With that, the boy and girl entered the venue together. The hall was vast, roughly the size of a soccer field. Towering structures built from goblets filled with blood stood alongside platters of human cuisine. From first-years to third-years, some three or four hundred invitees mingled—about a fifth of them human.
Thus, Adolf and Luna didn’t stand out as they walked through the crowd.
A year and a half had passed since Sang was taken to 【Heavenly Key】, but Luna still had her greedy little foodie side. The moment she entered, she dove into the eats. Adolf, meanwhile, stood quietly in a corner, eyes closed as he rested—waiting for something.
At that moment.
A stir rose near the entrance, drawing Adolf and Luna’s gazes toward the source. There, at the doors of the conference hall, stood a beautiful girl in a red-and-white checkered dress. Even without spotlights, illuminated only by the pale moonlight, she shone like the star of the evening’s banquet.
In the end, Iyefut Cape hadn’t worn that black-and-gold evening gown. Instead, she’d chosen something else—though she did suffer from a bit of decision paralysis. Exotic accessories adorned her head and ears, complementing her gradient long hair. A double-helix braid was pinned to one side, a silk scarf tied in a bow around her neck, pristine white lace gloves on her hands, and white high heels on her feet.
In that instant, all else paled in comparison. The world dimmed.
From the teachers down to the waitstaff, everyone stared in stunned silence.
On the surface, Iyefut Cape remained calm and unflappable, but inside her mind, the little theater had already kicked off.
The chibi avatar representing her emotional side stood tall with chest puffed out, its mouth curved in a triumphant “w” shape. Brimming with confidence, it declared, “Today’s Iyefut is just so perfect!”
Her main self nodded eagerly. “Yeah, yeah! I think so too!”
The rational side popped up immediately, smacking the top of Iyefut’s head and scolding, “You’re the Grand Duke’s daughter! Can’t you show a little restraint? Be humble!”
The emotional side shot back, “Don’t you dare keep hitting Iyefut! Iyefut really is perfect—what’s wrong with being a little proud?”
Soon, the two chibis were brawling wildly inside Iyefut’s head.
Finally, her main self lost her patience and snapped, “You two, quiet down! I’m trying to find someone here! Where’s Mad Rogue?”
Yet as she moved forward, scanning the crowd with sidelong glances, she still couldn’t spot that familiar figure. Iyefut sighed helplessly. “He promised to be my dance partner—where the heck did that guy go?”
