Rishir couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind his master’s words.  
He understood the context but thought he must have misunderstood the intent.  

"Are you telling me to choose anything I want from Vendell…?"  

Who could take such an offer at face value?  
Saying, *"Alright, I’ll take the Vendell estate and the head of the family!"* would be absurd.  

---

'Should I adjust my status to *Bastard, Grade A+*? My growth seems pretty remarkable lately,' Rishir thought to himself, distracted by trivial ideas.

Following the steps of his mysterious dark elf master, who traveled with a talking book, was no simple task for a young man like Rishir.  

---

“Wait! Who are you!?”  

Suddenly, a third voice interrupted the confused apprentice and the cheerful master.  

"Oh? And who might this be?"  

"She’s Roera, the one who always calls me *my one and only brother*, no matter what anyone says."  

"Hey! I told you to stop saying that!"  

"My, my, what a close relationship you two have."  

The runaway bastard and young lady of Vendell sought a place to hide immediately after their escape.  
Roera insisted they leave Highen as quickly as possible, knowing that the city guard was under Vendell’s control. A single command from the family head could seal off every exit from the city.  

However, Rishir convinced her to seek refuge with someone who had offered to help him. That’s how they ended up at a house not far from Vendell.  

---

Roera grew curious at the mention of Rishir’s ally. She quickly realized that the recent, drastic changes in Rishir might be due to external influence.  

Roera was inspecting the house, trying to learn more about this helper, when she overheard Rishir talking to someone in the living room.  

“Hey—Hey, Rishir! Is your so-called ally… that dark elf?”  

"Let me introduce you. This is my master."  

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

The esteemed young lady of a noble family could hardly hide her shock.  
She was clearly uncomfortable, struggling to contain her disdain toward the dark elf standing before her.  

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Roera."  

Pamon extended her hand toward Roera.  

"..."  

Roera instinctively stepped back, reaching for the sword at her waist.  
It was a reflexive, unconscious action.  

When confronted by a dark elf for the first time, anyone would react like Roera.  
Pamon, however, showed no offense.  

“Oh, I’m sorry! Did I startle you?”  

She withdrew her hand and smiled brightly.  

"Ha…"  

Rishir sighed deeply beside her.  

"Roera… I never raised you to be like this. Master, I apologize. As you can see, Roera is a bit shy around strangers."  

"It’s fine~ In fact, it’s a little cute, like a kitten."  

Roera’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between her brother and the dark elf.  
Noticing the strange rapport between them, she suddenly grabbed Rishir by the arm and pulled him toward her.  

“Oh my! Look at her, getting jealous! How adorable."  

"Roera… This kind of repression only leads to a stronger backlash. We’ve already had quite a rebound earlier, haven’t we?"  

"Shut up and stop talking nonsense! Is that dark elf really the ally you’ve been talking about!?"  

"Exactly."  

"You’re insane!"

Roera unsheathed her sword and pointed it directly at Pamon.

"You! What have you done to my brother!?"  

"*My* brother, you say…"  

"My, my! How sweet of you to worry about him. Who knew my apprentice had such a wonderful family?"  

"By the way, Roera, we shake hands with our hands, not our swords. Where are your manners?"  

"Shut up!!!"  

Prejudice.  
Common sense.  

Dark elves, living in the shadows, were considered sinister beings who spread curses wherever they went.  
Therefore, dark elves were to be treated with suspicion—especially when they got close to one’s family.  

Roera reacted as any sensible person would.  
But as she listened to the exchange between her brother and the dark elf, she started to feel like the only fool standing on guard.  
Her sharp instincts, honed as a knight, were gradually disarmed by their trivial banter.  

Eventually, she sheathed her sword again.  

"Explain everything," she demanded.

---

Rishir finished explaining the situation.  
Roera, who had been eyeing Pamon with suspicion, now looked at Rishir as if he were a lunatic.

At first, she had thought the dark elf must have bewitched the bastard child with some foul magic.  
But as she listened, it seemed more like the opposite was true.  

"What do you mean by *perception-blocking magic*? Such convenient magic exists? I’ve never heard of it before. And this isn't just because of your special constitution, is it? Wait, where did she go?"  

"Looking for me?"  

"Ahh!!!"  

Roera was no stranger to the world’s vastness and had a broad perspective.  
Even so, the dark elf standing before her was beyond anything she had ever seen.  

Rishir’s hidden potential, which even Pamon acknowledged, seemed extraordinary.  
And Rishir’s attitude toward Pamon—whether daring or simply reckless—made it all the more clear why the dark elf had taken an interest in him.  

"This is ridiculous. What if the dark elf has bad intentions and curses or hexes you?"  

"Well, humans can suddenly pull out a knife and stab you too, right?"  

"..."  
"..."  

Their eyes met, and in that moment, it seemed that both Roera and Pamon shared a fleeting understanding, transcending race.  

Finally, Roera dropped her guard entirely.  
She bowed her head to Pamon.

And then—

“I- I’m s-sorry…”  

"Roera! You can’t call our master *a crazy woman* like that—"  

"What are you talking about!? I was going to apologize!"  

"Oh? You’re apologizing to me? For what?"  

"For… pointing a sword at you when we first met."  

"Oh, that? Don’t worry about it~ It wasn’t a big deal. It’s my apprentice who’s special; your reaction was perfectly normal, you know? More importantly, I understand that you were trying to protect your *one and only brother*, Rishir. How sweet~ You’re just like a little kitten…"  

"My sweet Roera…"  

"Kitten? Little?! Ugh, stop looking at me with those creepy eyes!"  

Roera now understood how her brother had become close to this eccentric dark elf.

---

*My brother’s master is a dark elf!?*  
Having experienced something beyond ordinary comprehension, Roera believed nothing could surprise her anymore.  
She resolved to ask as many questions as possible.

---

"Is this a joke?"  

But just as the conversation resumed, Roera’s disbelief returned.  

"I get it. I’m still making my way through the fog of confusion myself. Understanding a being as remarkable as me is no small task, you know? Oh, it’s not easy at all."  

Rishir’s over-the-top musings sent Roera into shock. Compared to this, his earlier remarks didn’t even seem that nonsensical.  

"So… you’ve only been learning magic for less than a week?"  

Seated at the table, Roera looked to Pamon for clarification while the dark elf, delighted, began to boast about her apprentice.  

"As my apprentice said, isn’t it astonishing? My apprentice’s talent is incredible. You should be proud of him, dear sister~ You have every right to boast about your brother!"  

"Be proud of me…"  

"No, thanks."  

Though she couldn’t deny his extraordinary abilities, Roera refused to indulge their whimsical attitudes.  

---

"Finally! Someone normal."

Another voice interrupted.  

"And who are you?"  

"Oh, I forgot to introduce them. Roera? This is Duran."  

"He can be a bit sarcastic, but he’s a good-hearted book, so don’t worry."  

"Indeed. And unlike your brother, you seem composed. Let’s skip the handshake—I’m in no condition for that."  

"..."  

The crimson-bound book resting on the table spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.  
And Pamon and Rishir seemed to accept it as such.  

An ego item. A self-aware object.  

Ego items weren’t that rare. Vendell’s estate had a lock that could recognize its owner and open on its own.  
But a book with this much autonomy? Roera had never heard of such a thing.  

Even the highest-ranking mages of the tower probably wouldn’t have access to something like this.  

"My head…"  

Roera reached her limit.  

She had a natural talent for swordsmanship.  
People around her always treated her as someone special, and she had never questioned that fact.  

‘Am I… not that special after all?’  

A dark elf.  
A talking book.  
And her mutant brother, who learned magic in less than a week.  

Roera felt a crisis of identity as she sat among them.  
But she stubbornly continued to listen to their conversation.  

Humans, after all, are creatures of adaptation.

---

"So, you’re

 telling me you just flipped the entire Vendell estate upside down?"  

By the time their discussion neared its end, Roera had become the embodiment of acceptance, able to respond to anything with a simple, “I see.”  

"My, how composed. I was worried your sister might resent me for this."  

"I don’t feel anything," Roera replied flatly.  

After all, the family that had tried to keep her and Rishir apart was crumbling.  
She had grown numb to the betrayal, feeling neither sadness nor joy.  

If anything, it was a little funny.  

"They acted so noble, looking down on the bastard child all this time. And now, it turns out their *great hero* was just a liar who bargained with one of the most terrible beings in history to gain her power. What a joke."  

Roera let out a bitter laugh, the sound turning into her usual cynical snicker.  

In a way, it felt liberating.  
This disaster had finally severed her sense of duty to her family.  

All the unease she’d felt after impulsively helping Rishir escape faded away.  

---

"So, Master, about that contract… Since I’m no longer a part of the family after all this, does that mean…?"  

"Yes. Vendell will need to prepare a new offering."  

"And I get to choose whatever I want?"  

"Of course. That’s the whole point of ‘the most valuable treasure,’ isn’t it?"  

"Master, may I ask something?"  

"Of course, my dear apprentice~ Ask anything you like! I’ll answer ten questions for every one you ask~"  

Duran and Roera simultaneously groaned at Pamon’s words, but Rishir pressed on.  

"Why are you giving this to me?"  

"Because I’ve already gotten what I wanted."  

Pamon rested her chin on her hand, staring at Rishir.  
When he pointed to himself in confusion, she nodded.  

"I’m more than satisfied with how things turned out, so I won’t be greedy. Oh, but if this conversation is making your sister uncomfortable—"  

"Me? Why would I care?"  

"You’re the legitimate heir to Vendell, aren’t you?"  

"I’m not inheriting anything."  

"My, how bold."  

Roera adjusted her posture, leaning back in her chair and putting her long legs up on the table.  

"With the family’s lineage all tangled up and the estate in shambles, this is the perfect chance. I’m cutting ties with Vendell, just like Rishir, and living my own life."  

"My apprentice? Your sister is quite the bold one!"  

"That’s what worries me. Who on earth is going to marry such a strong-headed lady?"  

Roera smirked at her brother’s teasing comment.

"Who will marry me? You already took me away, didn’t you?"  

"..."  

Rishir, for once, was at a loss for words and averted his gaze.  
Roera chuckled softly, amused by her brother’s reaction.

"Aww~ Duran, aren’t they just the cutest?"  

"They aren’t *your* children, you crazy dark elf."

---

A dark elf, a talking book, a bastard, and a noble lady.  
For a while, the four of them put their heads together, discussing what to do next.  

---

So, what do you want to take from Vendell?  

Their meeting was a sight that would have shocked any guard who happened upon them.  

---

"Is it possible for Rishir to inherit the entire family?" Roera asked.  

"It’s possible, but does it suit my apprentice’s temperament?"  

"That position would be far too burdensome for me, and right now, I’m most focused on advancing in magic."  

"Maybe you could take this opportunity to take over the Vendell swordsmanship?"  

Roera stopped mid-sentence, shaking her head.

"No, that’s not right. You’re better off sticking with magic. Why bother swinging around iron when you can shoot projectiles made of mana?"  

"Exactly~ It would be such a waste of my apprentice’s talent to focus on swords when he’s clearly a prodigy in magic! Oh, wait a moment. Did you say… projectiles made of mana?"  

"What, didn’t you teach him that?"  

"Hmm?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Hmm?"  

All three of them—well, two people and one book—turned their attention to Rishir.  

"It wasn’t intentional… In the heat of the moment, I pushed the magic you taught me to its limit, and somehow…"  

"Ohhh~ You managed to use structured magic just like that? My dear apprentice, you never cease to amaze me~"  

"Hey, Pamon, don’t just brush this off."  

"You’re right… My apprentice, can you demonstrate it again for us?"  

"I’ll try… Roera, call me ‘brother’ to help me get in the zone!"  

"I never called you that in the first place."  

Rishir stood up, assuming a stance.  
He held a silver orb that Pamon had given him in his left hand, while he gathered mana in his right.  

He felt tense.  
Humans in extreme situations often unleash strength beyond their limits.  

Could he replicate that magic now, in a calmer setting?  

Rishir focused.  
Mana gathered above his left hand, but it wavered uncertainly.  

"..."

Rishir frowned as he struggled to form a stable orb of mana.

"Oh my~ My dear apprentice~"  
"Wait, didn’t he fail?"  
"Wasn’t it supposed to be a sphere?"  
"I thought it was a perfect sphere the last time."  

"Really? What a surprise… My dear apprentice, don’t be discouraged~ What you’ve achieved is already remarkable!"  

Though they interpreted Rishir’s expression one way, his mind was elsewhere.  

Rishir was processing a new sensation.  
It felt as if a wall he had once thought insurmountable had suddenly crumbled, revealing a new path forward.  

---

He mentally revisited his fight with Gerhen.  

If it hadn’t been a duel—  
If Roera hadn’t been there—  

What would have happened?  
What should he have done?  

One thing was clear: he needed to be faster.  
Fast enough to break through Gerhen’s relentless defense.  

Fast enough that it couldn’t be dodged, even if seen.  
Like an arrow slicing through the wind.  

---

When his thoughts came to a conclusion, an arrow appeared above his hand, swirling with the force of the wind.  

*Whoooosh*  

"...Is that what it looked like?"  

Roera squinted as she watched the arrow, unsure.

---

────────────  
▶ Region: Highen  

▷ The Returned Bastard - Inactive  
▷ The Price of the Promise - Inactive  
▷ The Witch of the Western Forest - Inactive  
▷ The Pure White Girl - Inactive  
▷ Unspoken Words - Inactive  

All fates have been deactivated.  
The active events have been switched to an inactive state.  
────────────  

────────────  
▷ Region: Highen - Deactivated  
A corresponding reward has been granted.  
────────────