The silence lingered for a moment longer after Dorn's brutal death. His headless body lay on the ground, his blood seeping into the morning dust. Soldiers from both the Welfer and Draven forces stood frozen, trapped in absolute disbelief.
Kael, however, calmly wiped the blade of his sacred sword before sheathing it, as if the act he had just committed was nothing more than a mere exercise.
Diana Welfer stood among her soldiers, observing the scene with an unreadable expression. Where one might have expected grief, rage, or despair, her gaze remained eerily composed. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized that her brother—the one who had always proclaimed himself a strong and rightful leader—had fallen in an instant, utterly incapable of resisting.
Yet, deep down, a part of her couldn't help but feel a cold satisfaction. Dorn had never been a good leader. Obsessed with Elyna, Kael's sister, he had relegated his responsibilities to the background, viewing his role as head of the family as nothing more than a means to obtain what he desired. He had treated their house not as a duty, but as a pedestal for his own selfish ambitions. She remembered the arguments, the reckless decisions, the moments when she—more rational and competent—had to fix his mistakes.
A weak, selfish leader, blinded by his own desires, had just fallen. And she felt no sorrow for him.
Kael's piercing gaze settled on her as he took a few steps in her direction. The Welfer soldiers tensed, but none dared to move. They had just witnessed their leader executed in an instant, and each of them knew that facing Kael would only lead to certain death.
Diana took a deep breath and stepped forward as well, her boots striking the ground with newfound confidence. She stopped just a few steps away from Kael, meeting his gaze head-on.
"I am taking command of House Welfer," she declared firmly, shattering the heavy silence.
A murmur rippled through her troops, but no one opposed her. She was the sole direct heir after Dorn's death, and more importantly, many knew that she would have been a better leader all along.
Kael smirked, tilting his head slightly.
"A wise decision, Diana. I knew you would understand where true power lies."
"Do not mistake me, Kael," she replied, crossing her arms. "I am not accepting this role for you, but for my family. Dorn was a fool, blinded by his obsession with your sister. He squandered our house's resources, neglected our interests in pursuit of a foolish fantasy. I feel neither sadness nor regret for his death."
Her gaze burned with newfound determination.
"But do not think this means I am yours to command. You may have struck down my brother, but that does not make me your unconditional ally."
Kael let out a light laugh, amused by her defiance.
"That is what I like about you, Diana. Intelligence, strength… and just the right amount of defiance. But rest assured of one thing—our cooperation can be far more beneficial than a meaningless conflict."
Diana studied him for a moment, weighing his words. Kael was right about one thing: a direct confrontation with House Draven would only weaken them both. But an alliance… An alliance could offer far greater opportunities.
Finally, she gave a measured nod, her tone firm and unwavering.
"Very well. We will work together, for now. But do not mistake this for submission."
Kael smiled, satisfied.
"We shall see, dear Diana. We shall see…"
The war between their families had just taken a completely new turn. And Diana Welfer, now the head of her house, intended to prove that—unlike her brother—she knew how to play the game of power.
After the Departure of the Welfer Family
After the Welfer family's departure, news of Kael's power spread through the streets of the Solstice Empire like wildfire. Rumors ran rampant: the young heir of House Draven had defeated Dorn Welfer in a single strike, proving he was far more than just another noble. Some feared him, others admired him, but everyone knew one thing—Kael Draven had just entered a new era of his rise.
Upon returning to the manor, he was greeted by his mother and sister. Elyna, worried, immediately placed her hand on his arm to check if he was injured.
"Everything's fine, Elyna," he murmured with an amused smile. "Dorn didn't even get the chance to touch me."
His mother, however, remained silent. Her gaze studied her son with deep concern. She knew the cruelty of the noble world, and while she was proud of him, she also understood that every display of power came with consequences.
"Kael," she said in a soft but firm voice, "you proved your strength today. But never forget that such a display attracts both allies and enemies. Be careful."
Kael nodded, but deep down, he wasn't worried. He had already planned for everything.
Later that night, alone in his room, he activated his system. A translucent screen appeared before him.
[Congratulations, you have killed the protagonist Dorn Welfer.]
[You have received a grade of C-.]
Kael frowned. "A grade?" he murmured. He had expected a better evaluation.
[Analyzing performance...]
[Evaluation Criteria:]
Combat Efficiency: A+ (Instant victory)
Opponent's Difficulty: C (Dorn was strong but predictable)
Narrative Impact: B- (A significant turning point, but lacking personal challenge)
Style and Execution: C (No remarkable theatrics)
Kael raised an eyebrow. "So this system also considers dramatic effect? Interesting."
[Your sacred energy has increased.]
[You have received a gift.]
[Would you like to open the gift?] [Yes / No]
Without hesitation, he selected Yes.
[You have received the skill "Invisibility."]
[Effect: When using this skill, you completely vanish from sight. Even your presence disappears, making any detection impossible.]
Kael smirked. "Perfect. This will be incredibly useful."
But that wasn't all.
[You are now a 5-star Knight.]
He slowly stood up, feeling the surge of power within him. His aura was denser, more controlled. He was on the right path. The Solstice Empire wasn't ready for what he was about to accomplish.
A whisper echoed in his mind.
"This is only the beginning."
Now alone in his room, Kael wore a mischievous grin as he gazed at the system notification. Invisibility… What a fantastic ability! The possibilities were endless, but at that moment, only one idea crossed his mind: teasing his dear sister, Elyna. After all, he had nothing else to do, and watching her reaction would be the perfect distraction.
Without hesitation, he activated the skill.
[Invisibility activated]
He watched as his hands slowly faded until he could no longer see his own body. A slight shiver of excitement ran down his spine. He was now a ghost in his own home.
Moving silently, he left his room and made his way to Elyna's chamber. He knew she was probably reading or unwinding after the tense encounter with the Welfer family. With an almost supernatural lightness, he pushed the slightly open door and slipped inside.
Elyna was seated at her desk, engrossed in a thick book. Her concentrated expression gave her a serious look, but Kael knew it wouldn't take much to make her panic. He stealthily approached and gently whispered in her ear.
"Elynaaa... give me back my life..."
She jolted violently, her book falling to the floor with a dull thud. Her eyes scanned the room, but she saw nothing unusual.
"Who... who's there?!" she stammered, instinctively grabbing a small dagger from her desk.
Kael stifled a laugh. He stepped closer and this time gave a slight tug on her hair before quickly retreating.
"Elynaaa... I'm still here..." he murmured in a ghostly voice.
She shot up from her chair and pressed herself against the wall, her panicked gaze darting around the empty room. Her breathing quickened.
"Mom? Is that you?! This isn't funny!"
Kael bit his lip to keep from bursting into laughter. He waited for her to relax slightly, then, with dramatic slowness, he picked up her book and lifted it into the air. Elyna's eyes widened in horror as she watched it float.
"A GHOST!" she screamed, hurling her dagger toward the book.
Kael barely dodged it, his grin widening. He had never laughed this much internally. Deciding to take the prank up a notch, he moved closer and whispered, "I am here to haunt the Dravens... for eternity..."
Elyna bolted from her chair and dashed out of the room, sprinting down the hall as if her life depended on it. Kael, still invisible, followed her in silence, barely containing his amusement.
She burst into the family lounge, where their mother was calmly sipping tea, looking entirely unbothered.
"Mom! There's a ghost in my room!" Elyna gasped, out of breath.
Their mother raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.
"A ghost, you say?"
"Yes! It spoke! It... it lifted my book all by itself!"
Kael, still unseen, decided to outdo himself. He approached their mother's teapot and slowly lifted it into the air.
"Hmmm... this tea seems quite warm..." he murmured.
This time, their mother flinched, slightly spilling her tea onto the table.
"Kael! Enough of your nonsense!" she suddenly called out, crossing her arms.
Kael immediately deactivated his skill and reappeared, a wide grin on his face.
"How did you know?" he asked, feigning disappointment.
"Because only my son would be immature enough to use such a valuable power just to play pranks on his sister," she sighed, setting her cup down.
Elyna, red with both anger and embarrassment, threw a cushion at his face.
"You're an idiot, Kael! I really believed it!"
He dodged the cushion, laughing heartily.
"It was too tempting! Come on, admit it was fun!"
"NOT AT ALL!" Elyna huffed, crossing her arms.
Kael collapsed onto a chair, still chuckling.
"I promise, next time I won't scare you... well, maybe."
Elyna shot him a death glare before storming back to her room, muttering insults under her breath.
Their mother sighed once more, shaking her head.
"Sometimes, I wonder how you became so powerful with a personality like this..."
Kael shrugged with a playful smirk.
"Maybe that's my real talent—being unpredictable."
And with that, he got up and left the room, already thinking about his next prank. After all, he had all the time in the world to enjoy his new power.