A knight with long, crimson hair and blood-red armor.
'Valentine de Strange.'
Known as the Red Crow of the West, she had arrived at the castle.
Her sudden visit caused everyone to scurry about. The tension in the castle felt like the calm before a storm.
Not only the butler but even the nanny rushed out to greet her, and the guardian knights saluted her with their swords wherever she passed.
"Greetings, Lady Valentine!"
She walked through the corridor without sparing a glance, only nodding briefly with a cold expression.
Her gaze was so sharp that just brushing past it could make one's body freeze. Any knight below the third rank, who hadn't yet encased their body in energy, collapsed foaming at the mouth.
Under normal circumstances, she would control her energy to 'consider' others, but not today.
Why had Valentine come to the castle without any notice? It wasn't even a special day.
The head guardian knight leading her had his doubts but did not dare to ask.
A mere knight captain speaking out of turn might lose his head, especially since Valentine had only one reason for coming.
'...Someone is going to die.'
Someone in the castle.
Whenever Valentine, the executioner of the Strange family, appeared, someone always died.
Her moniker, Red Crow, came from her tendency to bring death and blood wherever she went, affecting not just enemies but also family members, making her name resonate with profound consequences.
"…From here on, I want to walk quietly. Skip the salutes."
Valentine's whisper made the head guardian knight bow deeply.
"Yes, my lady!"
She stopped on the fourth floor of the castle. The fifth floor was reserved for children who had not yet left the castle grounds, like newborns or those who hadn't yet entered the academy.
Valentine, suppressing her energy from the point where the salutes stopped, walked directly to the triplets' room without pausing.
Knock, knock, knock.
She knocked three times briefly.
Creak—
Opening the door, she spoke in a calm, low voice.
"Come with me."
Without a word, Tony, Johnny, and Ronnie followed her.
Despite being siblings, they couldn't even muster a question or a greeting.
They were so tense that the youngest, Ronnie, wet his pants.
After all, how could they not be scared when the family's executioner came for them?
Valentine led them to the basement. At some point, the guardian knight who had been leading them stepped aside.
Reaching the end of the basement, Valentine began the execution.
No matter how young, those who broke the family rules must be punished.
Knowing this, the triplets clasped their hands in prayer.
'Please, spare us.' They couldn't voice it, but their faces showed their desperation.
Swoosh.
Valentine drew a dagger from her waist.
The tool of execution often referred to as the 'Judgment Blade' in the Strange family.
"Be grateful for the Lord's mercy. Normally, I would take your heads. Today, I will only take your fingers."
* * *
After the execution, Valentine and the triplets arrived in front of Dean's room.
Valentine took a deep breath and lightly knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
She opened the door the same way she had with the triplets and walked in.
Creak—
Dean was seated at a table, reading a book. Unlike his brothers, he didn't seem surprised by Valentine's arrival; he didn't even blink.
Instead, he greeted her with a pleasant smile.
"You're here, sister."
Verdin alternated his gaze between the four people who had entered his room. In an instant, he understood the situation.
Valentine had the Judgment Blade at her waist, and his brothers had their fingers wrapped in bandages.
'So, that's how it is.'
One thing was unexpected.
With the Red Crow personally stepping in, someone was bound to die, yet the three brothers at the heart of the incident were still alive.
'So Valentine must have another reason for visiting the castle besides the execution.'
Verdin knew the full story but didn't react.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Valentine's lips twitched before she returned to a stern expression and sat across from him.
'This boy….'
Even facing the Red Crow, he didn't shrink. His clear eyes seemed to peer into her mind, as if he had known she would come.
Unlike the triplets, who had been terrified at the sight of her, even collapsing in fear.
"Have you been well?"
Such a simple greeting.
To some, it would be a routine conversation, but the triplets in the room were stunned.
Valentine, who never exchanged friendly words with anyone besides their father, had initiated a greeting.
When she had come for them, she didn't even offer a greeting, just a curt command to follow.
The triplets felt a pang of bitterness but remained silent.
"Yes."
Verdin scratched the back of his head, finding her greeting awkward.
In his previous life, she had never shown up until he entered the academy, so her presence felt strange.
They exchanged a few perfunctory words, but it felt forced.
Silence followed.
To the siblings, the seconds felt like minutes. Valentine opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, then closed it again.
'Why did Valentine come to see me?'
Verdin quickly calculated. The execution of the triplets was over. Using his guardian spirit for self-defense wouldn't be punished.
He had some guesses but kept quiet. He'd hear about it soon enough.
She silently locked eyes with Verdin, sending a chill down his spine.
Truly the executioner of the Strange family, the harbinger of death.
'She's worthy of the name Red Crow.'
Even I, once called the Sword King, felt a shiver.
Of course, if I had opened my aura, this wouldn't happen, but for now, I haven't awakened.
The triplets standing next to Valentine glanced around nervously. An awkward silence ensued.
We looked at each other for a long time. Eventually, Valentine broke the silence first.
"Verdin, do you know why I'm here?"
The answer was simple. Today was not a special day. Father was not in the castle. So why would the family's executioner come here?
Obviously, she was here to fulfill her duty.
As the family's 'executioner.'
The clear evidence was the triplets' hands.
'But that's not the only reason.'
Finding the answer wasn't difficult.
Verdin pretended to think for a moment, gazed into the distance, then turned back and answered.
"You came to see me."
Valentine rested her chin on her hand, looking intrigued.
"To see you?"
"Yes, otherwise, you wouldn't have come all the way to my room."
Especially not with the triplets in tow.
"That's right. I came to see you. Do you know why?"
"I believe it's to see your younger brother's face."
"Couldn't I be here to judge you? And you think I came just to see your face?"
Verdin replied without a change in his expression.
"Yes, there's a saying that whoever chooses the Sword God as their guardian spirit becomes the next head of the family, isn't there?"
"...."
"That alone is enough reason for you to visit, to see how much I've grown. That's what I think."
"...Ha."
Bold.
Who else could say such things to Valentine? The other siblings couldn't even speak to her due to her stern and authoritative presence.
"...Ha ha ha!"
Valentine couldn't hold back her laughter.
Her laughter echoed through the castle, her released aura shaking the ground.
Rumble.
Even the head guardian knight waiting outside was greatly surprised by Valentine's reaction.
The executioner Valentine laughed? How many years had it been? Someone had broken through her iron-clad demeanor.
A rare sight, even the head of the family, Lois, had never seen.
'…Could it be Young Master Verdin?'
His guess was correct.
In his previous life, while everyone else saw Valentine as an emotionless cold-blooded person, only Verdin understood her heart.
In truth, Valentine was the kindest person in the family.
But to maintain her position, she wore the mask of the 'Red Crow.'
Verdin said no more and waited for her response.
His thoughts were just predictions, not certainties. He needed to fully understand why Valentine had come to see him.
Valentine slowly reached out and patted Verdin's head.
"Our youngest has grown well."
Verdin cheered inwardly. His guess was correct. If his answer had been wrong, she wouldn't have reacted this way.
'Indeed! If I were her, I'd come to see such an extraordinary person too.'
His thoughts were right.
In truth, Valentine had come under the pretense of executing to see Verdin. How much had the brother with the Sword God as his guardian spirit grown? She wanted to satisfy her curiosity.
"Thank you, sister."
Valentine nodded slightly and drew a dagger from her waist.
"A gift."
"…A gift?"
"Yes, so that those guys won't dare to mess with you again. I'm giving this to you."
Real weapons were forbidden within the castle, the same reason guardian spirits couldn't be used—to prevent potential assassinations.
Yet, she gave him a sharp dagger for one reason. To show the triplets that Verdin had a real weapon.
'Valentine is indeed wise! This way, those guys won't dare to challenge me.'
Verdin didn't refuse her kindness. Instead, he accepted the dagger and gave the triplets a silent warning.
"Thank you, sister."
* * *
Valentine's visit provided me with a tremendous opportunity. Thanks to her tying up the triplets, no one in the castle interfered with my actions.
I could even send the nanny, who always kept an eye on me, out of sight.
I was no longer seen as a mere five-year-old but recognized as a member of the main family.
'...It's finally complete.'
I let the mana flow from my palm and drip onto the ground.
The mana was so thick it was almost sticky. This was a sure sign of it being fully unlocked.
Siegfried smiled slyly and handed me a contract.
I, too, had been waiting for this moment and smiled back.
"Then let's begin the contract. Sword God, Siegfried."