Greenwood Territory
Rozelina had a vague sense that this crisis was somewhat foreseeable.
What king would look kindly on a subordinate who defied his will and acted alone?
Provoking a ruler's ire meant death.
If only he'd been selfish like the other lords...
Rozelina gave a bitter smile.
Most of Haven's lords were drunk on their own power and authority, lording it over everyone.
Any other lord would have rushed to the captain's summons first, shoving aside even a suffering daughter as a matter of course.
But Killrail, lord of Greenwood Territory, was different.
He was a true sage king who cared for his people, and above all, a warm father who loved his family.
Knowing the captain's wrath might turn on her too, Rozelina had stood by Killrail without hesitation.
To her, he wasn't just a benefactor or fellow lord—he was like a second father.
Rozelina's childhood had been a nightmare.
Abandoned at an orphanage in Greenwood Territory before she could even think for herself.
A glossy facility funded by donors, dressed up with a merciful image.
It masqueraded as a nurturing haven prioritizing children's care...
But the reality was unimaginably brutal.
It wasn't a place for raising children.
It was a horrific auction house that appraised young souls' potential and Supernatural Abilities in monetary terms—and sold them off.
Would such a place treat children well?
Far from humane treatment, they were daily guinea pigs for gruesome experiments.
Children showing signs of abilities faced even harsher abuse.
Under the vile pretext of "unlocking potential," they endured torturous "training" that pushed kids to physical and mental extremes.
The horrors there etched indelible trauma into her young mind—things too vile to speak aloud.
Yet amid the despair, fate hadn't been entirely cruel to her.
One day, Lord Killrail made an unannounced inspection of the orphanage.
And he witnessed the hidden atrocities with his own eyes.
The wretched reality of children experimented on and traded like merchandise.
He raged at the crimes in his own territory.
He shut down the orphanage immediately, arrested everyone involved, and meted out the harshest punishments.
And he rescued the children from that hell.
That day, he extended a warm hand to the battered young Rozelina trembling in the darkness.
He took her wounded little hand in his.
That warmth, that safety, that salvation—even decades later, the memory of that gentle touch burned vividly in Rozelina's heart.
"It's okay now. No one will hurt you anymore."
His low, confident words completely transformed the life of the despairing child.
Killrail kept his promise to the letter. He took Rozelina and the other children to his mansion, raising her with boundless love as if she were his own daughter.
The first taste of family warmth, love, and "protection" from the world's threats—it was a precious, wondrous experience.
Like the first gentle spring day after a long winter.
Killrail showed her a different path.
Not the brutal ability usage she'd learned at the orphanage, but how to properly understand and control her power.
Her exceptional aptitude and overwhelming talent astonished everyone, and with Killrail's full support, she rose to become Jin Gang Regiment's youngest lord.
Yet amid the glory, deep in her heart lingered the vivid memory of that warm hand that had saved her from hellish orphanage days.
She never forgot that everything she had was thanks to Lord Killrail.
That's why...
Rozelina clenched her fists tight. Nails dug into flesh, drawing beads of blood, but she felt no pain.
She feared neither the captain's fury nor the king's wrath.
Even if it meant incurring his overwhelming power and anger—even if it cost her everything—she had to stand by Killrail. By her father.
It was the only, most sincere way she could repay the man who had saved her from darkness and given her all.
Father... Just as you protected me that day, this time I'll protect you.
Cold, steely resolve filled Rozelina's eyes.
Unyielding determination to protect Lord Killrail burned through her entire being.
"I'll go to Greenwood Territory... with Scarlet."
"Understood. We'll prepare accordingly."
Now was the moment. She had to stop him before he headed to Greenwood.
Rozelina desperately suppressed her primal fear of the captain's crushing presence and rose to her feet.
Her body trembled, throat parched, but she mustered her final courage and spoke.
"Captain."
Rozelina poured strength into her voice to keep it steady.
Astra halted and slowly turned.
His eyes pierced everything yet held nothing—like staring into an abyss.
A cold, merciless gaze.
Her breath caught under that overwhelming stare, but Rozelina bit her lip and steadied herself.
She tasted blood. Instinct screamed to flee, but she stood firm.
Get it together!
After a deep breath, she gathered all her courage and spoke.
"Lord Killrail of Greenwood Territory... In my view... is an indispensable lord for Jin Gang Regiment."
Her voice shook, but she strove to convey objective facts.
"Please... show mercy, Captain."
In a low, earnest plea, she begged for forgiveness. For a chance.
"Mercy..."
Astra's voice held no emotion.
Thud... Thud...
His footsteps drew nearer.
Lifting her bowed head slightly, she saw his black boots enter her view.
"What was your name again...?"
A detached tone, as if addressing a speck of dust—or a total stranger.
"Rozelina... milord..."
Her voice quivered faintly.
"Right, Rozelina. Do you know my name, by chance?"
An absurd question. Who in Jin Gang didn't know their new captain?
"Yes... The new captain of Jin Gang Regiment... Lord Astra..."
"I see..."
Astra's voice sank coldly.
"You all must etch my name—Astra—firmly in your minds."
"Yes..."
"But I don't need to bother memorizing yours."
Rozelina's heart plummeted.
"Why? Because you're all just interchangeable parts."
Gulp...
Rozelina heard the knights and lords around her swallow hard.
Yes. They were absolute powers in their domains, but to Jin Gang's captain Astra, they were mere replaceable cogs.
"And yet such a 'part'..."
Astra's voice rumbled low.
"Defied my orders."
Suffocating silence followed.
"No matter the reason, that's unforgivable, isn't it?"
Rozelina had no rebuttal to his final words. No—she couldn't speak. Her mouth froze, throat clogged; words wouldn't form.
Her mind went blank.
All thought circuits halted. Vision blurred, the world fading to white haze. A high-pitched whine drowned out every sound in her ears. Reality slipped away.
Her body turned ice-cold.
Heart raced, yet fingertips and toes went numb.
Legs buckled, refusing to obey. She teetered on collapse. Rational thought was impossible. Only raw, primal terror gripped and dominated her mind.
Yes... this feeling...
This sensation. This familiar, horrific dread.
She'd forgotten it.
As a lord with power to protect others, she'd buried it. Or deliberately sealed it deep inside, never wanting to feel it again.
At the orphanage...
Every night, dragged to those nightmare labs—what hurt more than her own pain was the helpless agony of hearing her friends' gut-wrenching screams tear at her ears.
Yes. This wasn't mere fear she felt before the captain.
It was that powerlessness from her hellish childhood.
The crushing helplessness she'd never felt since becoming a lord—vowed never to feel again—now bound her mind and body mercilessly.
"So just obey me. I'll judge his worth myself."
Astra's final words echoed coldly through the audience chamber like ice.
Even after he left, every lord there remained frozen in place for a long while.
As if time itself had stopped.