The Successor of the White Tiger, Beryl Sicyurin

I felt Jeongryeong returning to me, and the moment I relayed to Ellie and Khan everything I had seen and heard, their faces drained white.

In other words, the reason Florence had been able to do what he did wasn't simply because he hailed from the Crystal Territory — it was also because of their scheme. Thanks to an enemy within, a disaster that was already devastating had grown catastrophically worse.

Worse still, they weren't stopping there. They had declared their intention to change the ruling family of the Crystal Territory itself.

Which meant one thing: the annihilation of House Crystal.

Could it be that the "destruction of the Crystal Territory" — the penalty for failing the Happy Ending Quest — had never been the result of war at all, but of the Doppelganger?

For now, the priority was to get close to Gerald as quickly and quietly as possible and tell him the truth.

But I couldn't be the one to do it.

I was the one who had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠promised military support. If I were the one to meet with Gerald, the Doppelganger would inevitably start questioning why I wanted to see him at all. Our painstaking plan to corner them would dissolve into nothing — and I was the first name on their elimination list anyway.

As I turned the problem over and over in my mind, Khan raised a hand and pushed his thoughts toward me.

"I'll tell Gerald that the Plot Territory is offering military support — and pass along their information and identities while I'm at it."

Since it had been me, not Khan, who gave the firm answer about military support at the meeting, it seemed like a sound choice.

And then another idea came to me.

Turning crisis into opportunity.

The original goal had been to elevate Sicyurin, the White Tiger's Successor, as quickly as possible. But my thinking had changed.

"All fine and good — but we're not the ones who should be going for their throats."

"Huh?"

Ellie caught my meaning, thought it over for a long moment, then spoke.

"You're giving all the credit to Sicyurin?"

I gave a slight nod. Yes.

The credit for what was coming had to belong to Sicyurin, without question. Her position was still painfully narrow — only a handful of the vassals even knew what she truly was, so it was only natural. Proving her claim outright would win her believers, sure, but there would always be those who worried for her safety. After all, the entire reason the Crystal Territory sought a Successor in the first place was their need for overwhelming strength.

Given time, her skill would grow enormously. She was hardly clumsy with a blade — Ellie had even sworn outright that her swordsmanship carried Topaz's spirit in it, just as he had.

As for her Authority, I could teach her to develop it gradually. She was still young; the manifestation of an Authority would come smoothly at her age. The more vivid a wielder's imagination, the more varied and lethal the forms an Authority could take. Sicyurin had already shown she could shape hers in all sorts of ways, though she lacked polish — her control didn't last long yet.

If she kept demonstrating that power as her legend grew, I truly believed the idea had every chance of working.

Which meant I had to tell her the truth as well — and make sure her rage didn't drive her to act recklessly. Among us, only Ellie and I were people she believed to be her teacher, so that task would fall to me. Khan would inform Gerald of everything while making sure the enemies within swallowed the bait. I already knew where they met, and even if I hadn't, Ellie and the rest of the group had been briefed. All we had to do was move carefully.

We would begin passing information and finalizing the plan the next day, and finish fast. They were all gathering tomorrow — it had to be handled quickly. If they caught wind of anything, they would simply melt back into the shadows and bide their time. Every hour we delayed, the advantage tilted toward them.

The next morning, after we had all parted ways in Ellie's room and mine as if nothing had happened, the plan went into motion. Khan and Fairy set out to meet Gerald, and I went looking for Sicyurin, who was already training at the sparring grounds in the early morning.

Even though it was barely mid-morning, she was drenched in sweat, drilling her sword forms without pause. Her weapon had changed, though — she had switched her main armament from a one-handed sword to daggers. Even after awakening as the Successor and changing weapons entirely, she had taken to dagger techniques at an astonishing pace.

Even now, she spotted me and waved with a bright face, one hand still holding up a wooden dagger. I approached her and, just as I had at yesterday's meeting, let my thoughts slip into her mind.

— Sicyurin. What I'm about to tell you is going to be very cruel.

"M-Master? Why…"

When I raised a finger to my lips and gestured for silence, the girl stared at me with tears brimming in her eyes. Please, don't abandon me — that plea was written in her look, and the dagger she'd been clutching slipped from her fingers and fell.

— Don't worry. This isn't about abandoning you.

At my words, she finally seemed to breathe a little easier, letting out a small sigh of relief.

— Listen quietly to everything I'm about to say. Don't speak. Don't let a single emotion show on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your face.

Despite my abrupt manner, she swallowed once and steeled herself, as if renewing her resolve. Watching her act as though she would keep my words even unto death, I felt something like trust settle in me.

— The cause of the war that struck us is still here, inside the Crystal Territory.

At that, her eyes went wide — but reality did not soften itself for her.

— It's true. They're hiding among us even now, and we have no idea when or where they might be listening. That's why I'm going to these lengths just to speak with you.

"……"

She said nothing. But I could see her head slowly bowing in my field of vision.

— Which means they are the reason your father died. I wonder if I have any right to tell you this, as your teacher.

— Still — I want you to become a pillar of this territory, the way Captain Topaz was.

— Survive to the very end. Struggle, thrash, and show the demons. Show them that I am still standing, that no scheme of theirs can bring me down.

— To do that, you have to build your place here. I know where they gather. So you — you avenge your father.

"……!!"

At that single phrase — avenge your father — the girl's head snapped up, and she stared at me. From her eyes poured her answer: I will do it. No matter what it takes, I will see it done.

— Good. Then first… let's see what we should do about that ice.

As if giving voice to her feelings, the temperature around us had plunged, and the ground at our feet was already rimed with frost. Hoping to release at least a little of that pressure, I offered her a sparring match.

"Sicyurin?"

When I finally called her name aloud, she answered with a composure that hadn't been there before.

"Yes, Master."

But that calm was not an extinguished fury. Her eyes glowed a tiger-gold — she was a predator waiting for prey on which to unload it.

"Shall we have a bout?"

"…Yes?"

Her puzzlement at the out-of-nowhere challenge lasted only a heartbeat before she nodded and accepted.

Well — for my student's sake, I could serve as a punching bag.

However versatile the Authority of the White Tiger's Successor might be, how many hours had she actually put into adapting to it? I picked up a practice sword, and the match was over in barely ten minutes with an ordinary victory for me.

Even in defeat, there ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was something faintly refreshed in her eyes. But I knew.

I knew the tide of rage still slept inside her, barely held back from surging forth — and I knew exactly who she was saving it to unleash upon.

A tiger never lets go of prey it has chosen.

Afterward, at four in the afternoon — the hour when every piece of the plan needed to be in place — we agreed to report the outcome, success or failure, in the garden.

Khan settled himself in front of me and kept up his performance with practiced ease, all but asking why on earth I'd called for him. I played along as any friend would, but our real conversation flowed not through our mouths but through our thoughts.

— The plan?

— It worked. But it was close.

Khan and Fairy began their act and made for Gerald's office. Following a maid's guidance inside, they found a guest already there — the Doppelganger, disguised as a vassal, in the middle of delivering its report. It was a genuinely dangerous situation, but while maintaining their performance, Khan and Fairy dangled the promise of military support before the demon, currying its favor with a perfectly plausible justification: if the Crystal Territory fell, the Plot Territory would be next.

Through all of Khan's patter, Gerald listened in silence. Then Khan fed him the critical intelligence through telepathy — that an enemy lurked within, plotting rebellion even now. Gerald was a lord with long years behind him; he caught Khan's true intent at once, and with the words "a wise choice" signaled that he had received the message.

As expected of him. Of the four great houses that bore up the Empire, only one lord had both the longest tenure and the deepest experience: Crystal Gerald. Ellie and Sunset were fine rulers in their own right — but the man who judged everything with a cool ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head and missed nothing was him alone.

Gerald thanked Khan for the information and offered his hand, voicing his gratitude for the "enlightenment." That he chose the word enlightenment was, of course, his way of saying thank you for the intel — even with his blood boiling, not a flicker crossed his face.

Only after the Doppelganger left the lord's chamber wearing that sunny smile did Gerald shed his mask and, bit by bit, let his feelings show, Khan told me. He had relayed everything — the information I'd gathered, the plan for a surprise assault, and the final blow being reserved for Sicyurin, the new Successor of the White Tiger.

Around the estate, I had already sent Jeongryeong and four wind spirits roaming, unified with the breeze. If anything suspicious stirred, Jeongryeong would send a signal. Somewhere out there, the spirits of wind ran as my eyes and ears, and we waited in silence for the moment of decision — for them to step onto our trap.

Rats are meant to be exterminated.

Roughly twelve hours later. Four in the morning. Every preparation was complete.

Only a small force could move on this night, so the knights gathered were exclusively the elite. Three Successors of the Divine Beasts, plus the lord and heirs of great houses with martial skill to match — a dazzlingly prestigious lineup assembled quietly in a corner of the estate.

About ten minutes passed.

Then came the signal. Jeongryeong sent me a request for Spirit Unification. I accepted instantly, closed my eyes, and looked out through the wolf's sight.

In Jeongryeong's vision, a sinister black gate — like a rift in the world — stood open, and roughly ten demons were already swarming toward it. And standing before them was the vassal called Sapphire, the very man who had pressed me for military support.

When I opened my eyes, everyone waited in silence for my word.

"We eliminate all of them on-site. Lord Gerald, Lady Jewelry — lead your soldiers around to the rear garden of the estate."

"And the five of us — myself, Khan, Fairy, Ellie, and Sicyurin — will engage the Great Demon, the Doppelganger."

At that name, everyone flinched — but not one of them raised their voice. They all understood: miss this chance, and there might never be another.

"The knights will take the demons. We move now."

At my words, everyone began moving at once, swift and precise. To the enemy, that very swiftness was a noose slowly, steadily tightening around their necks.

Soon we found them — the demons, and the Doppelganger.

Among the Great Demons, the Doppelganger was markedly weak in raw power. Weak enough to fight at only the level of a High-tier Demon. The reason it still bore the rank of Great Demon was simple: by killing a target and assuming its form, it absorbed their knowledge perfectly, filled in every gap, and made infiltration, information theft, and assassination effortless. In the game, we'd had to play a whole minigame — find the real one — just to fight it properly.

But if it was showing its true body, everything changed. In its original form, barring special circumstances, it could not transform at all. It needed at least thirty minutes of preparation.

Which meant: this was our chance.

"All forces, attack."

At my command, Ellie and I leveled our blades at them, cold light running down the steel. While we readied our ambush, more had evidently crawled out of the gate — their numbers, barely ten before, had swelled past twenty.

Assaulted in the dead of night, the demons never even registered our attack before their heads left their shoulders.

— Shfft!

= Wh… what the hell!! =

The Doppelganger shrieked in confusion — and the demons, in turn, began to doubt the Doppelganger.

"Doppelganger! How dare you betray us!!"

My blade was more than enough to reap demon necks — but the star of this battlefield was not me.

More demons kept pouring through the gate, and at last Gerald and Jewelry arrived with their reinforcements, plunging the field into a chaotic melee.

An enormous number of demons had crossed over — but I wasn't worried.

The vanguard, myself included, halted our assault all at once. The demons, thrown by the sudden pause, faltered — and then their vulgar battle cries rose up: kill the men, ravish the women.

"Freeze."

One girl's fury cut every cry short.

Before every eye on the field, the girl erupted with a colossal force that washed over the entire estate — a dazzling debut. As the energy billowed around the whole manor, countless maids and vassals threw open their windows to see what was happening. In a space that shimmered like an aurora rippling across the sky, everyone froze where they stood.

Even the Great Demon Doppelganger among them.

The fury the girl had swallowed, and swallowed, and swallowed again became a razor-edged blade aimed at the back of every neck present.

— Craaaack!

Freezing them at blistering speed, skewering them where they stood, the Successor of the White Tiger began judging them all on the spot — and within moments, half the demons lay slain.

"Hahh… hahh…!"

"You damn bitch!"

A demon leaping through the gate swung its blade at her exhausted-looking frame —

— Whiiiine!!

— and a violent blast of frost froze its body solid mid-swing.

"You're the one who made them kill my father."

"……"

Her eyes were no longer the ordinary eyes of a sixteen-year-old. They were the eyes of a true lord of the mountain — a tiger's eyes, a breath away from tearing into its prey.

The vassals watching, the soldiers, the knights — even we — all stood transfixed by her magnificent debut.

"You demons aren't worth keeping alive. Disappear!"

And the judgment of the mountain lord was not yet finished.

While Sicyurin hunted the demons wearing the shape of the White Tiger, I slipped forward, quick and silent, gripping my sword to destroy the black gate.

As much as I hated to admit it, demons wielded magic far beyond anything we could manage. That was how they spun up gates connecting space to space with such ease — but those gates had a few critical weaknesses.

First: opening a single gate demanded an absurd quantity of mana — enough to drain a hundred Lower Demons dry — making it grotesquely inefficient.

Second: only Great Demons and above held the qualification to open one, placing it among their forbidden magics, not to be cast carelessly.

And third — the last: while the gate's barrier neutralized nearly any magical assault, it was desperately weak against physical attacks.

So when I brought my sword down on the gate with everything I had — BOOM! — it split and shattered with a thunderous crack.

In one stroke, I had sealed both their exit and their entrance.

Nearly a hundred demons had poured out in the meantime, yet I could swear that not one drop of their blood stained the Sword of the Azure Sky. Because the Hunter of the Snowfields was conducting a merciless slaughter here.

The White Tiger had turned the entire rear garden of the estate into solid ice, and she moved through it — daggers drawn, slashing, stabbing, culling demons one after another.

On and on, until only the Great Demon remained.

The last demon fell with Sicyurin's dagger buried in its throat — and then, weeping, she walked toward the Doppelganger.

"Why. Why did you attack us. Why! Why, damn you!!"

For all her struggle to survive, all that came back to her was her father's death. The father she had always chased from behind was gone, and the girl had lost her way.

If not for the warm teacher who had pushed her forward from behind — she might not even be here. She would have died lamenting herself, never knowing any of this was happening, unable to wield her own Authority properly.

But things were different now. Because of the kindest teacher anyone could ask for, she had gained the strength to ask her own questions. Because of the most unbreakable teacher anyone could ask for, she had gained the power to stand on her own. And because of the most precious teacher anyone could ask for, she had at last become the Successor of the White Tiger.

That was why she asked.

"Why did you do it."

The Doppelganger answered her with a hideous smile.

"Because it's funnn…? Hahahahaha!! Look at you, crying! Even if I die here, this fight is MY victory!"

As the demon spoke, dawn began to rise. How many hours had this battle raged? The first light of morning fell across the girl's face and the demon's alike.

She looked at her own reflection in a puddle left by the melting ice. Just a woman with bloodshot eyes. But those eyes still burned.

Then she looked at the demon — still watching her with fear — and spoke.

"You think you won? Look at yourself, scared of my eyes right now. Where's that demon pride? If you meet my father… tell him I'm the one who killed you."

— Shfft.

"You can rest now."

Dawn broke. The demon dissolved. And before her, a sea of people knelt on one knee.

Maids, butlers, vassals, the lord's wife, and the lord himself — all down on one knee, pledging their loyalty.

"We greet the Sixth! We greet the Successor of the White Tiger!"

But their voices didn't reach her. Her eyes were fixed on one person only — her teacher, the one man she would follow without hesitation even if he told her to leap into molten lava.

"Congratulations."

At that single word, her tears became a smile.