The Waters of Pavan Carry the Will
“Sister… why is your expression so gloomy?”
Luke tilted his head in confusion. Why the sudden sour mood?
“It’s… uh… Luke. Do you know about our family’s power structure lately?”
“…What? The three-clan balance, right? With you, oppa, and Eden oppa.”
“Exactly. I’ve heard a rumor going around lately…”
Terre moved closer, speaking softly to Luke.
“The balance seems to have shattered….”
“…Eh?”
“That is, the idea that you and I should form an alliance and restrain Amian oppa and Eden oppa is circulating. After the palace terror incident, our position has been gradually rising, and since we’ve been sticking close together so often, that’s probably why.”
“…So what? In the end, everyone except one person dies anyway. Does an alliance like that even make sense?”
“Don’t say something terrifying, Luke!”
Terre hugged him tightly, her voice warm yet laced with that eerie composure.
“Uuu, I’d never let my cute Luke die by my own hands. There’s something I promised my sister Elli to do.”
“Hah… let’s not do that with siblings, okay, sister.”
“You’re too straightforward.”
She released him and continued calmly.
“Anyway, Luke. Amian oppa or Eden oppa might come for you. Be careful.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
“Be careful? With Ellis here, no one will try sneaky tricks. But who knows? You never know what someone might pull.”
Luke nodded, understanding her concern completely.
They really thought he and Terre would ally like that?
Maybe Amian would just barge in and grab Luke by the collar.
Amian was that kind of rascal.
“Anyway… be careful, Luke! I don’t know what kind of crazy thing you might do!”
“Yes. I’ll remember.”
After the conversation with Terre ended, Luke replayed every word in his mind.
“So the framework of the successor war is about to change…”
As a thirteen-year-old, Luke didn’t feel optimistic about it at all.
Shattered framework meant gradual change was coming.
In that case, anything could happen. Nothing would be strange anymore.
“…Hmm. Nanny?”
“Yes, young master.”
“You’ve always taken care of my food, shelter, and clothing. Please take even more care now. This doesn’t seem like it will pass quietly.”
“Understood.”
“Perhaps the situation that has been peaceful until now might change.”
One day, while thinking about all this, Luke let out a long sigh of exhaustion.
“…Ah.”
He stared at the person in front of him and breathed out a hollow sound.
“…”
The figure before him lay completely still, as if their consciousness had been stolen away.
It was the same person he had spoken to at the recent banquet—
Hella Cerberki.
She lay on the bed as if dead, breathing only the faintest, shallow sighs in silence.
***
“She is in a coma state.”
The magicians stationed in the family, along with the priests, examined Hella, but could not wake her.
Or perhaps they had been bribed by someone in the family and were forced to say such things.
“…”
Rion Cerberki, who had been by her side more often than anyone lately, held her pale hand tightly.
He kept thinking she would wake up any second and scold him, but Hella remained unconscious, breathing only tiny sighs in the quiet room.
“…Who did this?”
Rion muttered, staring at everyone gathered around Hella in the room.
“…Who the hell made this happen?”
“…Rion. First calm down…”
At those words, Rion released Hella’s hand and glared at the voice’s owner—Eden.
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Calm down? You want me to calm down while my sister is in a coma like this?!”
“…Rion.”
“Brother. You and I were born from the same womb, unlike the other half-siblings here. Yet you say ‘calm down’ from your mouth? And the person lying there unconscious is your own sibling!”
“…Rion. I’m not completely unaffected either…”
Eden’s face was already breaking apart as he stared at Hella.
“There has to be a way… there has to be.”
“…Hah.”
Rion’s eyes burned with pure anger as he looked around at the gathered successors.
“You all heard it, right? The cause! Why my sister fell! Tears of Pavan! The ultra-rare herb from the elven region, but also a fatal poison! Small doses act as medicine, but large ones become deadly! Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Rion spoke with tears in his eyes.
“Damn it! Everyone can see it—someone inside the ducal house did this! Who would use something that expensive as poison! Only in a ducal house that has money rotting away!”
Rion continued, recalling the incident from last time.
“Was that because I asked you and my sister how we think about the successor war at the founding-day banquet? Was this retaliation for saying something negative about such a crazy successor war?”
He pointed at the siblings gathered there.
“Everyone. I won’t forgive any of you. Not even animals. If you all like killing each other inside this shitty house…”
“…Enough, Rion.”
“…What?”
While Rion’s rage flared, Henry Cerberki, the fifth child of the Cerberki family, watched him with an annoyed expression.
“Stop acting like a child.”
“…What?!”
As Rion’s fury turned to disbelief, Henry stepped forward and spoke to the siblings.
“Everyone, including Rion, be serious. At least one has to leave. Just one. This situation could repeat up to eight more times.”
He scanned the room with an incredulous look.
“You don’t get it? If we don’t fight for the succession, how does the headmaster come out? Would he just grab the sword and force us to fight anyway? Who here could beat the headmaster? A 7th Tierer. Maybe even an 8th Tierer? The strongest right now is Teru-noona, and even she couldn’t manage it?”
Henry shook his head.
“Anyone of us could die tomorrow. Rion, stop talking like a child. If we don’t end this successor war, we’re all doomed to die by the headmaster’s hand. Stop being so dramatic… one’s gone is one gone.”
“You damn bastard!”
CRACK!
Rion’s fist slammed into Henry’s cheek.
“You bastard! How dare you say that! You dog! I’ve been sick of your complaints for so long. Today, die! Let’s both die!”
Henry touched his cheek and sneered.
“A kid who studied magic. Do you really think you can beat me in a fistfight?”
Just as the two brothers were about to clash, someone stepped in from the side.
“Stop it with the nonsense.”
CRACK!
A fist crashed hard into Henry’s stomach.
“Ugh!”
“Relax. Both of you. Stop talking nonsense. This isn’t even wrong.”
The one who could speak up in such a situation was the notorious rascal—
Amian Cerberki.
“…Hah.”
Rion scratched the back of his head in frustration.
“Fine. I’m throwing away the Cerberki name. I’m taking my sister Hella and leaving this place!”
He plopped down right in front of Hella and shouted.
“Everyone, get lost!”
***
“Ellis.”
When Luke returned to the room, he asked her.
“…Is there really no way?”
“Unfortunately. Healing from Tears of Pavan requires going to the Magic Kingdom, Diamonium, or the elven world tree. I can’t do it either.”
“…Sigh.”
Luke looked devastated.
Hella falling into a coma because of him… it weighed heavily on his heart.
At that moment, there was a knock.
“Luke.”
As soon as the knock ended, the door burst open as if kicked in by Luke’s sister—Terre Cerberki. She rushed over and pulled him into a tight hug.
“…Sister. I can’t breathe.”
“Can’t breathe means you’re still alive. That’s good.”
After holding him for a long time, Terre released him and sat on the sofa across from him.
“Luke. This is a warning. A warning to us.”
“I understand. A warning that the successor framework has been shattered. It means… don’t get ahead of us.”
“Correct.”
It was dangerous.
If the culprit behind this incident had targeted Luke…
Things would become even more complicated ahead.
Luke would have to live only through Ellis, his only ally, while being extremely cautious in everything.
“Luke. Even if I’m willing to fight, you’re not ready yet. This is too dangerous.”
“Um…”
“Even with Ellis here, if she lets her guard down even a little or someone tries to separate you two for a valid reason, there’s nothing we can do.”
Terre nodded.
“Luke. First, hide somewhere. Leave the family business for now. I’ll handle the rest.”
“…Hide?”
“Yes. If you disappear, the successor framework will slowly return to its old state. When the framework showed signs of change, they issued this warning. The culprit of this incident hasn’t started the successor war yet. They want to keep the current balance.”
That made sense. Then…
“I’ll tell the headmaster. First, hide. Luke.”
“…Hmm.”
Luke stroked his chin for a moment.
“Sister. Does it seem like I’m doing exactly what the culprit wants by hiding like this?”
“…What?”
Luke smiled.
“Instead, why don’t we use this as an opportunity?”
***
“Before I forget—Hella won’t be treated. Luke.”
Days later, in the headmaster’s office.
Belemian, the headmaster, stroked the documents and spoke.
“Of course.”
He continued flipping through the papers.
“…Do you not feel even a shred of sadness?”
“Too many paths have been walked already, Luke.”
He rubbed the documents between his fingers.
“I killed my own family. Four siblings. My own brother. Does a private feeling of compassion still remain in someone like me?”
His sharp eyes gleamed as he stared at Luke.
“Discard your compassion, Luke. It would be better to discard the bond with Terre, who you’ve become close with. In the end, we’ll stare into each other’s eyes and drive the knife in.”
“…It seems our conversation is running parallel.”
“All for the family. For the family.”
“…That family just collapsed, though.”
He paused.
The fingers that had been stroking the documents suddenly stopped.
“This isn’t the kind of talk I came here for. I heard about it from Terre. You want to take on a mission in the Ramirie Holy Kingdom?”
“…Yes.”
“There’s nothing wrong with interacting with the Holy Kingdom. I’ll write you an introduction letter. Go to the Ramirie Holy Kingdom, handle the local affairs, and build the family’s reputation.”
He pulled one sheet of paper from the desk and wrote it immediately.
“This action will help the family’s fame in the future. Go accomplish many things.”
“…Headmaster, it really seems the entire family is gone.”
“Everything. No, now there’s only this left.”
His hand stopped for a moment before moving again.
“Don’t pour out too much private compassion, Luke. Let me say it again. In the end, only one survives.”
“…Understood.”
“That’s all. Remember it well.”
FLUTTER.
Belemian handed the introduction letter to Luke.
“Go and come back.”
“…Yes, Headmaster.”
Luke tucked the letter into his pocket and left the office.
Only the sound of someone touching the documents in the heavy silence echoed.
***
Luke walked the corridor after receiving the letter.
Just as he was about to head back to the room to talk with Ellis—
“Ah.”
“…Luke?”
Rion Cerberki.
Luke had run into him by chance.
***
“Haaah… Luke. I was too excited the other day, but… it makes sense to be excited, right?”
Rion had come to Luke’s room and slumped on the sofa, muttering.
“Luke, you don’t think that. You won’t be able to get Tears of Pavan.”
Rion sat up a little and spoke.
“More than that. You didn’t seem to hate the opinion my sister and I had at all. I think you don’t think that, Luke.”
“…If that’s true, what do you plan to do?”
“Then I feel sorry. I misjudged my one brother. I couldn’t properly see the bad younger brother who would eat up my brother and sister. That’s why I should self-reflect.”
Rion muttered while staring at Luke.
“Then, should I trust this feeling more?”
He spoke seriously.
“I… I think I might actually run away with my sister Hella to Diamonium.”
“…Run?”
“Yes. I have the money I earned from missions. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just steal from the family vault. Well, I probably won’t have to. Anyway.”
Rion stood up and spoke to Luke.
“Then, goodbye everyone. This shitty family. Our cute little brother. Luke. If you ever run away from the family, come to the Magic Kingdom of Diamonium. I’ll have a spot ready.”
“…Oppa. What’s the chance the family will chase after me…?”
“Don’t worry. I and Hella-noona are throwing away the Cerberki name. If we renounce our successor qualifications, the family won’t chase us. I already told Hella-noona about it before.”
At that moment, Ellis, standing behind Luke, spoke up.
“…May I add one thing, young master?”
“Hmm? Ellis? Ah. Now I won’t be able to see Ellis anymore. Please take care of our little brother, Ellis.”
While Rion muttered while looking at Ellis, she spoke to Luke.
“Young master. I have acquaintances in Diamonium. Would it be possible to introduce Rion young master to them?”
“…Really?”
Ellis nodded.
“Yes. And perhaps I can even watch over Hella young lady.”
“…What?”
At those words, Rion stepped forward and asked Ellis.
“Ellis. Really? For real?”
“…Yes. If it’s my request, I’ll probably watch over the condition. But Rion young master will have to pay the corresponding cost…”
“Oh my god. Ellis. Money isn’t important right now. You can treat Hella-noona?”
“Yes. The authority I know is from that side.”
“…In this world… a miracle…!”
Rion immediately knelt and spoke to Ellis.
“Ellis! Ellis…! Thank you! Thank you so much! I was so hopeless, but hope has appeared!”
“Would you like me to write an introduction letter, young master?”
Ellis’s two eyes were fixed on Luke.
Luke didn’t hesitate. He immediately nodded.
“Write it. Ellis. Hella-noona must be saved.”
At Luke’s words, Rion knelt toward Luke.
“Luke! Thank you! Really! Really thank you! How do I repay this debt…!”
“…Oppa. Although we’re in this situation, in the end, we’re still family, right?”
Luke approached Rion and patted his shoulder.
“Because we’re family. We have to help each other.”
“Luke…”
“Well, in this gloomy ducal house, it’s a bit odd to say such words, but I still like you and Hella-noona, oppa.”
Luke smiled.
“When I was alone at the banquet, you came along and chatted with me while watching over me. Consider that my repayment.”
At those words, Rion lowered his head and hugged Luke tightly.
***
Days later, Rion Cerberki and Hella Cerberki left.
The documents left behind stated that they were renouncing their successor qualifications and abandoning the Cerberki name.
They left, but time passed.
“Well… shall we head out?”
Luke was now heading toward the Holy Kingdom.
News had spread that Luke had fled the family’s internal struggle, but he paid no mind.
This escape route would actually open new possibilities.
“Good. There’s plenty to do in the Holy Kingdom too.”
For survival in the family and saving the world, Luke headed toward the Ramirie Holy Kingdom.
Even in the Holy Kingdom, there was plenty for him to do.