"It's the Ivory Sword!"
"To be chosen by the Holy Sword!"
The audience erupted in admiration and cheers.
Even in the seats reserved only for direct blood relatives and high-ranking members of the family, a slight commotion had broken out.
"A sacred relic of that caliber… and a holy artifact at that."
"Once again, our family has birthed an extraordinary talent."
"This is a momentous occasion for our lineage."
As the elders exchanged words among themselves, an elderly man sitting in a secluded corner quietly smiled.
'What a blessing for our family.'
The man had a sturdy build and piercing eyes that made it hard to believe he was middle-aged.
His name was Lee Tae-hong—the younger brother of Lee Tae-shin and one of the most influential figures in the Lee family, serving as its Chief Administrator.
'The Ivory Sword. Of all swords, it had to be the Ivory Sword.'
A smile spread across Lee Tae-hong's lips.
To be chosen by a sacred relic was an extraordinary feat in itself, but the Ivory Sword was in a league of its own—an artifact recognized by the Papacy and one of the highest-ranked weapons among holy relics.
As he silently wished for the ancestors' blessings to be upon the girl's path, he nodded in satisfaction.
Before long, the eighth child stepped down from the ceremony platform, and another child was placed into Lee Tae-shin's arms.
At that moment, the lively atmosphere turned cold, as if ice water had been poured over it.
The once cheerful audience began murmuring.
"That child, isn't it…?"
"The one from before…"
"Tsk, an illegitimate child."
Murmurs filled the air as countless gazes turned toward the child.
Lee Tae-hong's gaze also shifted to the young one.
'So that's the child.'
The hidden offspring of the family head, Lee Tae-shin—only recently brought into the family.
He had been utterly shocked when Chief Steward Choi informed him of the child's existence.
'A bold one.'
Even as a newborn, the child had stared directly at him without a hint of shyness, leaving him momentarily bewildered.
Ever since then, the child—given the childhood name Yeong—had remained on his mind.
"Yeong's ceremony shall now begin."
Lee Tae-shin's voice resonated through the hall.
'What kind of talent will this child reveal?'
Lee Tae-hong watched the ceremony stage intently, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Then—
"It seems the Chief Administrator takes great interest even in an illegitimate child."
A familiar voice whispered into Lee Tae-hong's ear.
He turned his head toward the speaker.
"…Elder Council Head, I greet you."
Lee Tae-hong's brow twitched.
The Elder Council Head, Lee Cheol-jung—a man whose mind was as unfathomable as a pit filled with hundreds of serpents.
"You were sitting alone, so I thought I'd come to keep you company. That child… That's the one the family head brought from outside, isn't it?"
"Yes, that's correct. The Yeong Sword Corps found and took the child under their protection."
"Granting an illegitimate child the Cheolseon Ritual—how baffling. I truly cannot understand the family head's reasoning."
Lee Cheol-jung chuckled, his smile unreadable.
Lee Tae-hong clicked his tongue quietly.
"What does it matter whether one is legitimate or illegitimate? The child still carries the blood of the Lee family."
"'What does it matter,' you say? An illegitimate child is an illegitimate child. With no proper preparation, what could possibly come of this? You, of all people, should know that best."
'What a narrow-minded old fool, blinded by his obsession with purity of blood.'
Lee Tae-hong clenched the armrest of his chair tightly, ensuring his frustration remained unseen.
Indeed, he understood all too well.
During the Cheolseon Ritual, children of the Lee family revealed their innate talents.
Lee Tae-shin, who had been chosen by dozens of swords, became the strongest swordsman of his era.
Lee Tae-shin's eldest son, chosen by both swords and magic tomes, had mastered both swordsmanship and sorcery.
To nurture such talent, the children of the Lee family were bestowed with countless blessings even before birth.
A child born and raised outside the family, receiving none of those benefits, would inevitably face overwhelming disadvantages.
"Come to think of it… you were an outsider yourself once, weren't you, Chief Administrator?"
Flash—!
At that instant, a burst of light erupted from the ceremony platform.
All eyes—including those of Lee Tae-hong and Lee Cheol-jung—turned toward the source.
Reactions varied.
Some sighed.
Some gasped in shock.
Some were puzzled.
And the majority… laughed mockingly.
"Ha! To think the child received nothing more than a Pyeongjak-grade weapon."
The light had burst forth from the very outskirts of the ritual ground—where the lowest-tier weapons, Pyeongjak, were placed.
"You spoke of bloodlines, Chief Administrator, but in the end, this illegitimate child could only obtain a worthless weapon. Never before has a Pyeongjak-grade selection occurred in the Cheolseon Ritual! How fitting for a bastard child."
"Sigh…"
Lee Tae-hong let out a long sigh in response.
But soon, he shook his head.
'Yes, the first step may have gone wrong, but with effort, the child can still carve out a place in this world. If nothing else, administrative talents can always be developed.'
It was a disappointing result, but in the grand scheme of things, did it truly matter?
"He's still just a newborn who can't even walk on his own yet. It won't be easy, but who can say what the future holds?"
Flash—
A new light entered Lee Tae-hong's eyes.
'No way?'
He hastily examined the weapon emitting the glow.
But once again, he had no choice but to be disappointed.
A standard-grade red bow (赤弓).
Slightly better than an iron sword, but still just another standard-grade weapon.
"Heh, it's a little interesting. Two talents, huh? But at the end of the day, it's just two useless talents combined."
At that moment—
A brighter flash of light burst forth.
Lee Tae-hong turned to locate the source of the glow, and his eyes widened.
'Masterpiece grade!'
It came from a location deeper inside than where the standard-grade weapons were displayed—a place reserved for masterpiece-grade items.
'That staff…!'
A masterpiece, Willow Flow (柳淙).
A willow staff painstakingly crafted over many years in the Mage Tower of France.
"A talent for magic?!"
Lee Tae-hong unconsciously raised his voice.
Unlike martial arts, magic was a field heavily influenced by innate talent.
And unlike the iron sword or the red bow, Willow Flow was undoubtedly a masterpiece-grade artifact.
Lee Tae-hong struggled to suppress his laughter.
"So even a bastard child shouldn't be underestimated. To have talent in archery, swordsmanship, and magic…"
Lee Cheol-jung furrowed his brows.
Even so, a bastard was still a bastard.
Magic talent was rare, yes, but that didn't change his opinion.
"Having multiple scattered talents is pointless. Mastering even one is difficult enough, and if the best he can achieve is merely a masterpiece-grade choice, doesn't that already show his limits?"
Flash—!
But as if mocking his words, another burst of light erupted.
"Again?"
And not just one or two—it was a simultaneous eruption of light.
A masterpiece-grade Blood Spirit Spear. A masterpiece-grade Iron Dragon Saber…
That was just the beginning.
The light spread, moving inward from the standard-grade weapons on the outer edges.
'That direction—!'
The light was shifting.
Deeper and deeper.
Slowly, steadily inward.
Until finally, the glow reached the area reserved for relic-grade weapons.
A relic, the Holy Sword Miach.
A relic, the Crossbow Eungnyong.
From where the relics were embedded, dazzling light poured forth.
A bastard child had been chosen by relic-grade weapons.
Not just one or two, but an uncountable number.
"Hahaha!"
Lee Tae-hong finally burst into hearty laughter, looking at Lee Cheol-jung's contorted expression.
"As the headmaster said, this is unprecedented! Have any of the direct bloodline heirs ever displayed this level of talent?!"
Lee Cheol-jung's frown deepened so much that his forehead was practically forming the character for 'heaven' (天).
Seeing that sour expression was incredibly satisfying.
Direct bloodline, bastard child—what did any of that matter?
With a bright smile, Lee Tae-hong turned his gaze to the ceremonial altar.
Flaaash—!
At that moment, an intense burst of light erupted, forcing Lee Tae-hong to instinctively shut his eyes.
'Again?'
Squinting, he tried to locate the source of the light.
The closest spot to the ceremonial altar.
The very center of the hall.
Lee Tae-hong's mouth slowly fell open.
'T-That place is where the celestial-grade weapons are…?'
A rank reserved only for weapons with exceptional abilities and history—Celestial.
Celestial-grade weapons were considered strategic armaments in and of themselves.
Even in the long history of the Lee family, those who had been chosen by celestial-grade weapons during the Iron Selection ceremony could be counted on one hand.
And now, in this moment, the blood of that child had awakened the light of numerous celestial-grade weapons.
"...."
The ceremonial hall was filled with silence.
Then, one by one, people started regaining their senses, and the hall grew noisy.
"What did I just see?"
"Isn't there something wrong?"
"That can't be… The Iron Line Ceremony is…"
Voices filled with shock, disbelief, and suspicion.
What silenced them was a single voice.
"Quiet."
That one word, spoken low yet firm, caused everyone to shut their mouths.
Once the atmosphere settled, Lee Taeshin spoke.
"By principle, all weapons chosen in this ceremony should rightfully belong to Young."
Everyone in the ceremonial hall was astonished.
After surveying the room, Lee Taeshin continued.
"I believe it is proper to follow the family's rules, but handling this in such a simple manner would not be right. I will hear your opinions."
He turned his gaze toward the seats where the senior members were seated.
"Elder Chairman, what do you think?"
"…Could there be some kind of mistake? Such an event has never occurred in the Iron Line Ceremony."
"You know very well that it is no mistake."
Lee Taeshin cut him off coldly and shifted his gaze to Lee Taehong, who was seated beside him.
"Commander, what is your opinion?"
"May I have some time to think?"
"Very well."
Lee Taehong slowly closed his eyes.
He recalled various precedents from the long history of the Lee family.
After organizing his thoughts, he carefully spoke.
"Granting all those weapons would go against the meaning of the Iron Line Ceremony. The ceremony is a family tradition that must continue into the future."
The Iron Line Ceremony was meant to prepare for the future.
Not only for that child's future but also for the children yet to be born—granting all the weapons at once was unreasonable.
"A similar incident occurred during the Great War. The family's armory was emptied, yet a newly born child was still chosen by several weapons among the scarce remaining ones."
Lee Taehong cited a little-known piece of family history.
"The ancestor allowed his child to choose, much like a first birthday grab. After the war ended and the family regained stability, the remaining weapons were bestowed."
"A first birthday grab, huh?"
"It would be best for the family head to first select a few weapons from those that reacted in the ceremony, and for the youngest to choose one among them."
Lee Taeshin pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Not a bad idea. Does anyone oppose the Commander's suggestion?"
No one objected.
Even Lee Cheoljoong only let out an uncomfortable groan but did not voice opposition.
"Then, we shall proceed with the ceremony according to our ancestors' precedent."
Lee Taeshin slowly raised his hand.
Ten glowing weapons soared into the air and lined up before the platform.
"Now, choose, my son."
He spoke as he floated the ten weapons before his youngest son, Young.
***
It was an unprecedented event.
Even I hadn't expected this to happen.
At first glance, it seemed like a good thing for me, but it wasn't something to take lightly.
"I believe it is proper to follow the family's rules, but handling this in such a simple manner would not be right."
I nodded at my father's words.
'He's absolutely right.'
Too much of anything is as bad as too little.
Not just one or two, but hundreds of weapons had responded.
If they were common or even well-crafted, it wouldn't be a problem, but there were relic-grade and celestial-grade weapons among them.
Besides, I was merely an illegitimate son with no power. Even if I received the weapons, I had neither the means to store nor protect them.
"It would be best for the family head to first select a few weapons from those that reacted in the ceremony, and for the youngest to choose one among them."
A wise solution was proposed by a family elder, Commander Lee Taehong, whom I had met a few times before.
"Now, choose, my son."
I gazed at the brilliant, radiant weapons before me.
Most were celestial-grade, while three were relic-grade—but in terms of power, they were just as formidable as celestial-grade weapons.
'And they expect a baby to pick from these?'
These were razor-sharp weapons that could leave deep scars with just a light touch.
Yet, despite the absurdity, I found myself smiling.
Because this madness suited the Lee family perfectly.
'Still, this is a favorable situation for me.'
It was overwhelming, but the first step had turned out better than I could have imagined.
I looked at the weapons hovering in the air.
The dragon-slaying sword, Prah.
The holy spear, Baekgyeong, forged with the flesh of a saint to hunt mighty beasts.
The staff, Bualhain, crafted from the branches of the World Tree where fairies slumber.
The spirit sword, forged under the alignment of the moon, sun, and stars.
Each one was an extraordinary weapon worthy of reverence.
'And I can only choose one of them.'
The decision didn't take long.
I slowly reached out my hand.