Ancilla Caines was a woman who always maintained her dignity as the mistress of the prestigious Lionheart family, but she wasn’t insistent on keeping her dignity even in front of her beloved husband. She raised herself out of bed while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Are you going again today?” she asked.
“As you can see,” answered Gilead in a feeble voice. Ancilla’s heart ached when she saw her husband’s sagging shoulders. Upon a closer examination, she noticed that his face was slightly slimmer compared to before. It was all because of that child, Eugene. More than half a year had passed since the child first challenged the secret ordeal of the Lionheart family. At first, he would attempt the challenge every ten days or so, but… his resting period continued to lessen as time passed. The problem was that the ordeal placed a burden not only on Eugene but on Gilead, Gion, and Carmen as well. Although Gilead himself had never called it a burden or a challenge, from Ancilla’s perspective, it was no different from a challenge for Gilead.
“I am the Lionheart’s mistress, and I also remember when you went through this trial, which is why I haven’t said much so far, but… that child, Eugene, isn’t he taking this too far?” asked Ancilla.
“I can’t deny that,” answered Gilead. He had no choice but to admit it. After tying back his ash-colored hair with a string, he started to wrap bandages around each of his fingers. “But I cannot blame him for his passion. Even I have been inspired by the child’s passion.”
“Gilead.”
“You must have felt it as well, but the child’s trial is not entirely for him alone. Gion and I, and even Carmen, are reaping benefits from the trial,” continued Gilead.
But was it really true? Ancilla squinted while gazing at her husband’s back. After giving a long sigh, she climbed out of bed and fixed his disheveled hair and knot.
“I don’t think Lady Carmen’s in the stage of enjoying this any longer. It wouldn’t be strange if Sir Gion ran away anytime,” said Ancilla.
“That’s… I agree. If I wasn’t the family head, I would have fled with Gion about a month ago,” replied Gilead.
“As expected, that child is truly strange. No matter how young he is…. How could he keep this up?” asked Ancilla.
It was beyond understanding for Gilead as well. The trial of the Dark Room placed a heavy burden on one’s mind. Although dying at the hands of the phantom didn’t actually result in death, the intense and realistic experience was more than enough to cause one to go mad. Gilead had also suffered death about four times when he first challenged the Dark Room. It had taken him quite a long time to completely shake off the lingering horror of having his heart pierced, his head decapitated, and his body diced up. But Eugene had already repeated the trial dozens of times. He had advised Eugene to receive counseling or Mind Cleaning from a priest since the numerous attempts would have placed a heavy burden on his mind, but Eugene had been unwilling. 𝘳.𝑐ℴ
Gilead couldn’t help but imagine that Eugene’s attempts would have been further separated if Auxillary Bishop Kristina wasn’t here since Eugene would be physically exhausted after every attempt. However, Kristina’s healing magic was far too wonderful….
“I’ll be back then.” Gilead forced himself out of the room with a wooden sword after barely motivating himself. Of course, it had not been like this from the beginning. Just a few months ago, Eugene had been attempting the trial of the Dark Room every week at the earliest. But since then, his attempts had become far too close for comfort — for Gilead’s comfort, at least. Eugene was challenging the Dark Room every single day without a break.
It wasn’t as if Carmen, Gilead, and Gion hated training. Rather, they were fond of it, just that they weren’t given as many opportunities to train due to their roles and responsibilities in the family.
The road to reaching seven Stars of the White Flame Formula was long and arduous. Even though he was burdened with many responsibilities as the current head of the Lionheart family, Gilead had not abandoned his ambition as a warrior. Both Gilead and Gion longed to cross the tall wall to reach the Seventh Star one day. Carmen was also eager to reach eight Stars for the first time in the Lionheart’s history since the founder.
If hardships and trials were the required steps to cross the barrier that blocked their path to the level beyond, the battles with the phantom-eroded Eugene served as great nutrients. The three had to hold themselves back while the phantom held back nothing. It only aimed to kill its opponents using whatever means possible. Without Kristina’s help, it was entirely possible that they would have suffered fatal wounds multiple times. At least, that’s how it was in the beginning.
It wasn’t only Eugene who gained experience from the repeated trials. Each time, those who subdued Eugene also gained new insights and experiences. It couldn’t be helped that they were mentally drained, but now, they could overpower Eugene without experiencing any danger or injuries. It was impossible for them to subdue Eugene one-on-one as Carmen had stubbornly hoped, but it was possible for them to deal with Eugene one-on-one for a short amount of time, though not to completely overpower him.
‘Maybe I will reach seven Stars before the Knight March,’ Gilead thought optimistically.
The dawn sky was still dark blue, and the air was chilly. It was already nearing the end of autumn. About half a year remained until Knight March, and the Northern Kingdom of Ruhr was a place covered with snow all year round. He wouldn’t get to experience the heat next summer.
“You’re here.”
The others were already present at the entrance to the treasure room. Eugene’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, but the same didn’t hold true for the others. Even though their bodies were in pristine condition and their fatigue washed away with divine magic, it couldn’t be helped that they were less motivated than before. The previous day, as well as for three days straight before that, they had arrived here at dawn before getting to return to their rooms only at midnight.
“Don’t you think that maybe… going at it every day for three days is a little too much?” asked Carmen with a deep sigh.
Gion nodded in agreement next to her while crouching. “I haven’t been able to return to the Black Lion Castle for over half a year already. Sir Genos is taking care of the knights under my command for now, but…. This isn’t right, is it? I came here only a month after I was made the Captain of the Fifth Division, but I haven’t been able to return for half a year.”
“That’s… fatal. Gion, even if you return now, the knights belonging to the Fifth Division will think Sir Genos as more of their captain than you. It’s definitely a problem,” said Carmen.
Kristina remained silent as the two conversed. Although she didn’t verbalize it, it wasn’t as if she was without any complaints either. Sure, her divine magic had made remarkable progress over the last six months. However, had the six months been faithful to Kristina Rogeris in return?
[In the end, aren’t you just disappointed and sad that you couldn’t spend time alone with Hamel, taking care of him and licking his wounds?] Anise reproached her.
‘Sister…! Licking his wounds? What dirty absurdity is that?’
[You fail to take metaphors as metaphors. Or maybe, Kristina, did I unknowingly come to discover your shady fetishes and crooked desires?]
Kristina didn’t respond. In fact, she stopped thinking altogether.
“Now, now. Come on, everyone, don’t be so angry,” said Eugene. He was well-rested and full. His condition was as good as it could be, and so was his motivation. He continued with a cheerful laugh. “Today will be the last day.”
“What?”
“I just told you. Today is the last day. I was debating whether to just not call anyone, but it’s not a place that I can enter alone, right?” said Eugene. .𝒎
“Really? Is today really the last day?” asked Gion with a desperate expression. Carmen didn’t say anything, but her eyes were glowing with similar emotion.
Eugene shrugged while enjoying their reaction. “Yes.”
There was nothing more he could gain in the Dark Room. He had felt it over the last few days. Even though there was no need for him to die, he allowed the phantom to take his life in order to make sure he wasn’t missing even the smallest thing so that he would not leave a trace of regret. Yesterday, he became completely certain.
The Dark Room was no longer a challenge for Eugene. He walked the exact same path he came to know over the last six months. He started at the portrait of Vermouth located deep in the treasure room. The inexplicable magic began there. He descended further down, opened the door, entered the Dark Room, then came to stand on the magic circle.
“If you could talk, I might have become attached to you.”
He came to face the phantom.
Half a year was enough time for one’s appearance to change, but Eugene mostly remained the same. His hair was still gray and shaggy, and his eyes were clear and full of motivation despite countless defeats and deaths. He was never given a chance to allow his facial hair any freedom since Mer had made it clear that she didn’t want to see even a single stub of hair on his face.
The only thing that changed was his height. In the beginning, he had to look up at the phantom, but there was no longer any need. The phantom was unchanged. He still looked like a mix of Hamel and Eugene, and he held a sword in his hand.
“Hmm.” Eugene twirled the sword in his hand. “I wonder if there’s a need to swing this.”
The phantom did not respond. However, it clearly recognized the murderous intent exuding from Eugene and began to react.
“I’ve fought with you too many times.”
The two figures accelerated, and they came face-to-face in an instant. The phantom charged while swinging at Eugene’s neck. It was a deadly strike that left no room to respond. When Eugene first entered the Dark Room, he had been hard-pressed to respond to this very strike, which was only slightly fast. But that was no longer the case.
Eugene took a half step back and slightly tilted his head backward, allowing the deadly strike to only graze the air by a narrow margin. But that wasn’t the end. The phantom’s strike suddenly changed trajectory midair and aimed to take Eugene’s head. It wasn’t a simple strike, either. The tip of the blade vibrated ever-so-slightly, showcasing the phantom’s fine mana control and creating countless projections of sword-force.
“And I can see as much as I’ve fought.”
It didn’t take him much to penetrate the many strikes. In fact, it only took a single stab. He didn’t even need to use a sword. His hand, which was covered with his flame, pierced straight through the dizzying barrage and grabbed the phantom’s sword.
“So we don’t have to fight anymore.”
Crack.
The phantom’s blade broke under his grasp, and the phantom immediately discarded the weapon before throwing a fist. Eugene once again took a half step back and swung the sword in his other hand. There was no sound. However, dozens of lines appeared in the space occupied by the phantom’s fist. Even though the phantom was protecting itself with a dark flame, Eugene’s strikes cut through the protective blaze like tofu and carved the phantom’s hand and arm into hundreds of pieces.
The phantom jumped back after losing an arm. Although it wasn’t a conscious being, the phantom possessed an excellent sense of battle. He came to realize that he could never beat Eugene from the short exchange. As such, instead of charging once more, the phantom began to grow its flame using the White Flame Formula.
After six months ‘ worth of battles, Eugene was extremely familiar with the phantom. The phantom did not inherit memories of their previous encounters, so as the trial continued, Eugene became familiar with it but not vice versa. As such, it was inevitable that Eugene would come to win even after suffering a vain loss at the beginning.
The Dark Room wasn’t a place to only test one’s combat senses and their utilization of the White Flame Formula. It was also a place to train one’s mental fortitude as they were forced to battle again and again while experiencing death. Such mental fortitude was something Eugene already possessed, but many of Vermouth’s descendants had not been trained in this aspect. Being born into a prestigious family and growing up pampered added to their weakness, in addition to the fact that they were living in an era of unprecedented peace.
“A competition of firepower is good, too,” murmured Eugene with a grin. He had long reached the level required to defeat the phantom. Nevertheless, he had repeatedly attempted the trial, and it was for a simple reason — this was the perfect place to train.
Eugene was strong. If he did not restrict the output of the White Flame Formula, he could completely devastate a large area surrounding him simply by summoning his flames. Although the Lionheart family’s mansion was equipped with all kinds of imaginable training facilities, including a place to train mana, they were unsuitable for anyone with more than five Stars in the White Flame Formula to wield their mana freely.
But what about this world? Even if Eugene used Ignition, he didn’t have to worry about any aftereffects on his body. He didn’t have to worry about his surroundings when he allowed his mana to flow freely. As such, he had utilized the Dark Room for several months, though it also came to involve several others having to narrowly escape death each day from early dawn until late night.
It had been worth it, and he had definitely gained something.
The phantom allowed his flame to grow, and his White Flame Formula was spinning rapidly with the integration of the Ring Flame Formula. The growing flame shuddered for a moment, then exploded. The phantom had used Ignition. In response, Eugene raised his hand while keeping his eye on the phantom. He then turned his palm face up towards the sky. Unlike the phantom’s explosive mana, Eugene’s mana slowly seeped out from his hand. The six Stars swirling around his heart were accelerating furiously, and in their rotation came explosions of mana, and countless Cores were created in the explosions. But Eugene didn’t emit the fierce mana right away. Instead, he continued to compress the mana until it formed a small dot of fierce, destructive, uncontrollable mana.
Fwoosh.
A round sphere rose from Eugene’s palm. It was a blinding white sun, and the moment it appeared, the space around it began to distort. This was a limited space created within Eugene’s mind, but the sun, which Eugene was imagining, was close to breaking the law of this space.
It was a sun made from mana that was compressed to the limit. However, this was only the limit of what the Ring Flame Formula could create. Eugene’s lips curled up into a crooked smile. The sun was the culmination of sword-force, and Eugene drew new mana and covered the surface of the sphere. The Empty Sword was formed and applied to the sun. Eugene coated several layers of mana on the surface of the sun, and the sphere of ultra-dense mana continued to fuse and explode within.
Slowly but surely, the white sun was dyed black. The phantom was already ready. He was slightly more adept at utilizing all the original techniques that Eugene Lionheart possessed. The phantom had already used Ignition, and the sword in his hand was amplified by the Empty Sword. But he could not attack. Although the phantom was without ego, it possessed battle instincts. He knew that only certain death awaited him if he attacked, and it was impossible for him to survive, even by chance. He couldn’t give his flesh and take the enemy’s bone either. Simply, there was nothing he could do to prevent his eradication.
“Eclipse,” whispered Eugene before throwing the black sun. The phantom could no longer stand still. As such, he concentrated all of his mana on his attack and charged toward Eugene. There was an explosion of light, which made it impossible to see even an inch. Eugene didn’t resist but rather just gave into his instincts and shut his eyes close. He saw nothing but could hear the sound of the world collapsing around him.
One, two, three, he counted before opening his eyes.
“So this is how it is,” grumbled Eugene before touching the floor with his hands. This was the first time he actually killed the phantom, so it was also the first time he got to see how he had been sprawled on the ground before being transferred to the mental world. It appeared that he had passed out the moment he walked into the magic circle.
After raising himself up, Eugene looked around his surroundings. He took cautious steps just in case, but he wasn’t dragged off to the mental world again.
“It should be a pass, right?” whispered Eugene before striding forward. During the last six months, he had heard from Gilead, Gion, and Carmen about what came after overcoming the Dark Room. Once he defeated the phantom and went forward… a flame would appear. Once the challenger took the flame into their body, the Sixth Star of the White Flame Formula would be completed and transformed.
“A flame.”
He walked for a while, leaving the magic circle far behind. He could see nothing in his surroundings.
‘The power of Eclipse couldn’t have been so strong that it broke the magical composition of the Dark Room, right?’ He worried for a second and couldn’t shake off the concern. Eclipse had been far too strong, even by Eugene’s standards. In terms of pure power, it exceeded any technique Eugene had possessed in his previous life.
“What if I really did break it? What if I don’t get to meet this flame? Is my White Flame Formula going to be forever incomplete? Fuck, is it really my fault for being too strong….” Eugene cursed with a frown. However, he came to a sudden stop. Before he knew it, something had appeared in front of Eugene, but it wasn’t the flame he was expecting.
Instead, it was a man sitting in a black chair.
“Vermouth?”
The name that slipped his tongue belonged to his friend from three hundred years ago.
𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮