Sung Muiga's eldest son, Lee Tae-shin—Lee Myung-jung.
My eldest brother was strong.
The title given to him was Twin Stars (雙星).
A historically unprecedented powerhouse, he held the rank of quasi-2nd grade in magic and official 2nd grade in martial arts. He single-handedly slew dozens of calamity-grade and nightmare-grade monsters. Because of this, some speculated that, in terms of combat power, he might be on the same level as our father—an entity classified as "Beyond Heaven" (天外).
People revered and admired my brother.
At the same time, many feared his overwhelming strength.
But not me.
If Lee Tae-hong was like a father to me and my nanny like a mother, then my eldest brother was the only one I could truly call my sibling.
"This is quite the grand welcome for a brother's first visit to his younger sibling's room."
A young man smiled gently as he dusted off the arm that had just deflected a sword strike.
'Myung-jung hyung...?'
My aunt gasped and hurriedly grabbed Lee Myung-jung's arm, inspecting it with a worried look.
"Are you okay? Myung-jung, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Aunt. I sensed an unusual energy beyond the door and was on high alert."
"I see. Still, I could have stopped it, so don't get hurt!"
"Yes, thank you for your concern."
I stared blankly at my eldest brother.
His neatly combed-back bangs.
His clear, light brown eyes that reflected his nature—pure and unwavering.
Yes. There was no doubt. This was my eldest brother, Lee Myung-jung.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Are you injured?"
"Ah... No."
I couldn't afford to remain lost in sentimentality.
In this life, my relationship with my eldest brother had yet to begin.
These emotions were mine alone.
"Greetings. Your youngest brother, Young, pays his respects to the eldest brother."
I quickly sheathed my sword and bowed my head.
For a moment, Lee Myung-jung's eyes widened in surprise before he smiled warmly.
"Haha! How admirable. I wasn't nearly as polite at your age. Have you known of me?"
"Of course. Even if I am only half-blooded, as your younger sibling, it would be unthinkable not to know your face."
I spoke as respectfully as I could.
However, my words made my eldest brother's expression darken.
"...Half-blooded? Never say that again. No matter where we were born, you and I are brothers."
"Ah, I apologize."
"Just say 'I understand.' There's no need to apologize."
Lee Myung-jung let out a short sigh as he looked at his youngest sibling.
'He hasn't even had his naming ceremony yet, and he already calls himself half-blooded…'
It left a bitter taste.
He looked far too mature for his age. The fact that he even knew and used such a term...
"From now on, no need for such formal greetings. I'm just your brother—why go to such lengths?"
"Huh? Ah, yes, I understand."
I studied my eldest brother's expression.
Judging by his frown, I could tell exactly what he was thinking.
'Even in his youth, my brother was the same.'
It was a nostalgic feeling.
After leaving the family, I never saw my eldest brother again. Seeing him now, in his younger form, made me fully realize that I had returned to the past.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you as your older brother. It's just... I've been a little busy. But I'll be staying at the main house for a while now, so let's have meals together often."
My eldest brother patted my shoulder as he spoke.
"Yes, that sounds great. I will come whenever you call, Brother."
I nodded with a bright smile.
But my eldest brother looked at me with a surprised expression.
"You... are a little different."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"No, I just... don't know how to put it."
Lee Myung-jung closed his mouth, unable to find the right words.
'No matter how much I tried to reach out, most of my younger siblings either kept their guard up or pushed me away…'
This was Sung Muiga.
Here, children didn't grab coins or silk threads at their first birthday ceremony—they grabbed weapons.
While others read fairy tales and dreamed of the future, they studied the art of combat and strategies for survival.
Brotherly affection was rare in Sung Muiga.
To grow stronger, to reach greater heights, siblings competed endlessly.
When that competition intensified, they trampled over one another, schemed against each other... and sometimes even killed.
That was the way of Sung Muiga.
"No matter how close we are by blood, this is the first real conversation we've ever had. Does that not bother you?"
I finally understood why my eldest brother was acting strangely.
"Honestly, it is a bit surprising. But since you call yourself my brother, I will treat you as such."
"Heh, 'brother,' huh? I see. The younger siblings I've met until now all saw me as a competitor."
I stared intently at the brightly smiling Lee Myung-jung.
"You misunderstood."
"Hmm?"
"It's not that I don't see you as a competitor, either."
Lee Myung-jung's eyes widened in surprise.
"Since I have inherited the Lee surname and was born into this family, you are also my competitor, Brother."
"I... see."
Lee Myung-jung was genuinely taken aback.
Despite having a round face that still retained traces of baby fat, every word spoken was clear and resolute.
Even at such a young age, the child did not seem like a child at all.
"Don't just see me as cute. One day, I might become your greatest rival."
Lee Myung-jung suddenly saw his youngest sibling in a different light.
He had heard of the unprecedented incident at the Cheolseon Ceremony. And to possess such intense eyes at such a young age…
Though he didn't like to admit it, their family was deeply rooted in bloodline purity.
There must have been immense discrimination. If he had been an ordinary child, his spirit might have been broken, leading him astray.
Yet, this child possessed a strong and unwavering will. Such people do not break easily.
Calling himself "half-blooded"—
Only now did Lee Myung-jung understand. That statement was neither self-deprecating nor servile.
It simply meant that the fact had no bearing on this child's resolve.
'Come to think of it, that strike…'
Lee Myung-jung recalled the weighty sword that had struck his palm.
'He has no master, so he must have taught himself magic. And yet, he's already wielding a sword of that caliber? Just who is this child…?'
His gaze darkened with contemplation.
At that moment, his youngest sibling spoke again.
"But at the same time, you are also my brother. I hope it will be a great rivalry."
"Hahaha."
How many times had he been surprised today? Now, all he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
"Argh! Enough, enough!"
Just then, their aunt pushed Lee Myung-jung aside and thrust her pale face forward.
"Ugh! This is taking too long! Stop talking! I want to chat with Yeol, too! Yeol! What was that just now? You saw my gift, didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"Ahhh! I found it! But... maybe I didn't? Yeol, what is it?"
Their aunt began whining like a child.
With a deep sigh, I replied.
"Aunt… My childhood name is Yeong."
***
Shortly after, my eldest brother remained just a little longer before leaving due to a summons from the administration.
"This is a gift to commemorate our first meeting. I acquired it around the time I entered the Eiffel Magic Academy in France. I believe it will be more useful to you than to me."
He handed me a small glass vial.
"I look forward to it, little brother—the day you become my greatest rival."
It was nothing special, just a plain glass vial.
It was small enough to fit perfectly in my child's hands—an unassuming flask-like test tube.
"What? It's just an empty glass bottle. There's nothing inside."
My aunt examined the vial from different angles, tilting her head in confusion.
But I knew exactly what it was.
"No. There is something inside."
"Huh?"
"It's just... invisible."
It was a liquid more transparent than water.
As I lightly swirled the vial, fragments of light flickered from within what had appeared to be an empty bottle.
I gazed at the shimmering radiance in a daze.
"I never imagined you would give me something like this."
The liquor of the gods, nectar.
Of course, it wasn't actually the liquor of the gods. It was just something given that name.
"At this time, it probably hasn't been fully developed yet… so this must be a prototype."
It was an extremely expensive elixir, produced only 500ml every ten years in the Mage Tower of France.
The amount my eldest brother had given me was less than 50ml, but it was still an incredible gift.
"He gave it to me without any warnings or precautions… does that mean there are no side effects?"
I had no way of knowing if the mythical liquor by that name truly existed, but the nectar created in the future would be worthy of its divine reputation as an elixir.
That meant even this prototype should be of considerable quality.
"Thank you, eldest brother."
There was no better gift for me at this moment.
Unable to contain her excitement, my aunt bounced up and down, grabbing my arm and shaking it.
"More importantly! What was that just now?! You looked at my notebook, didn't you?! That was amplification magic, wasn't it?!"
"That is…"
I hesitated for a moment.
She was showing goodwill, but I still couldn't fully trust her.
If I told her, would I be able to keep my abilities hidden?
Even if I could, would telling her be beneficial to me?
Could I get what I needed without revealing it?
"Knowing Aunt's personality, she won't give up just because I avoid answering."
In that case, I just needed to take control of the situation and turn it into a negotiation.
I slowly nodded.
"Yes, it was amplification magic."
"How did you do it?! How?!"
Aunt jumped in place, her tone filled with excitement.
"It just… worked."
"That's not an answer! How did you do it?!"
"Why should I tell you?"
Her eyes widened in shock.
"Because you figured it out using my notebook!"
"The notebook was a gift from you, Aunt. It was filled with terms that were too complex for me to understand."
"But it still helped you! Tell me!"
"Would you ask for an entire building just because you lent someone a single crucial screw?"
Aunt stared at me, dumbfounded. Then, looking anxious, she began to speak hurriedly.
"I… I've dedicated my whole life to this! I've been searching for over ten years! Even when I was kicked out of the family! But I never found the answer! It's driving me crazy! So you have to tell me!"
Her words were frantic, her emotions spilling over.
When I didn't respond, she grew more agitated and began stomping on the ground.
There was no magic in her movements, yet the room seemed to tremble slightly.
I felt a little guilty, but I had no choice.
"Still, I refuse."
"Ugh!"
Her eyes flared in frustration before suddenly dimming, as if she had lost her strength.
"…You're just like my brother."
"Are you referring to my father?"
"No, my second brother."
"Huh? You mean Uncle Lee Baekcheol?"
Lee Baekcheol was the head instructor of the family's training division and the greatest archer of his time, earning the title "Bow King" (弓王).
Even in my past life, I hadn't interacted with him much, but I knew him as a man with the classic warrior's temperament.
"Baekcheol was the third son."
"What?"
I was momentarily confused before realization dawned on me.
In the history of the Soongmu family, sibling relationships were always stained with blood.
It was a place where brothers turned on each other in ruthless struggles.
It wouldn't be surprising if someone had been erased from the family records.
Even those recorded in the genealogy might have hidden stories—just like the aunt standing in front of me.
"You really are a blood relative of the Soongmu family."
Her expression was hard to read—was she disappointed? Shocked? Resigned?
She nodded slowly.
"Please… What would it take for you to tell me?"
I had been waiting for those words.
Looking into her eyes, I slowly opened my mouth.