Amir sat in his room, trying to calm down after his outburst. In the heat of the moment, he had said whatever came to mind, but he meant every word. He truly had no intention of ever kneeling to anyone, and he wasn't going to hide like a coward. If anyone—noble or otherwise—wanted to mess with him, he'd make sure they regretted it.
He hadn't given it much thought, but the spirit of Argos had once told him to either unite or conquer the world.
'Honestly, they're the same thing,' Amir mused. 'The only way to unite all the races would be to crush them until they all listened.'
It was like dealing with the magic beasts. When a stronger foe appeared, you either submitted or died trying to fight back. He didn't need to make them kneel, but he could force them into a situation where unity was better than facing his wrath.
The five races of Argos had never gotten along, and the constant wars between them didn't help. Humans, Elves, Orcs, Werewolves, and Vampires each occupied one of the two continents, always striving for more land and territory. They hated each other for countless reasons, but Amir didn't care much about uniting the world. Still, Argos had given him power, and for that, he was forever grateful. If knocking some heads together was necessary on his rise to power, he didn't mind doing it as a favor to her.
He took out a diamond-shaped crystal, placed it on his bed, and crossed his legs. Pouring mana into the crystal, it began to glow, and soon a blue display screen appeared in front of him. Valerie's face, with her flowing red hair and striking red eyes, filled the screen.
"Amir, I was wondering if you'd ever call me," she said in her usual tone.
Amir shook his head. "I never planned on calling you," he replied coldly.
"That hurts, you know. I thought we were developing a close teacher-student relationship," she responded, her voice mockingly wounded.
Amir's expression twisted with irritation. "Then tell my dear teacher to stop reading my damn memories."
Valerie looked away, avoiding his gaze. "I have no idea what you're talking about, dear student," she said with a slight smile.
"Whatever, that's not why I called you. What can you tell me about the nobles and the six great families? And more importantly, how can I avoid getting screwed over by them?"
Valerie eyes widened slightly hearing what he said. Her expression soon darkened.
"Why the sudden interest in them?" Valerie's tone shifted, firm and serious.
Amir could sense her mood darken. He'd only seen her this serious once before—when he refused to eat.
"I think the stronger I get, the more I'll have to deal with them. I want to know how to avoid getting screwed over," Amir replied casually.
Valerie nodded slightly, understanding his concern. "I see. Well, nobles are a different breed. They come from families with deep influence or immense power, and they function as the governing system of humanity outside the royal family. Most of our top fighters come from these noble families."
Amir listened carefully, absorbing every word.
"Many noble families have bloodlines, but not all of them. The six great families, for example, are known for their power, though only five of the six have bloodlines. House Valis, my family, is the outlier—composed mostly of mages. These six great families are the empire's strongest, producing its most formidable fighters. Each one commands its own army and holds the title of dukedom, ranking just below the king."
Amir had known that the empire's dukes came from the six great families, but the detail about bloodlines was new to him. Valerie being from such a powerful family wasn't surprising when he found out. I mean come on no one, can be that rich on a teacher's salary.
"What makes the six families so powerful? And how can I avoid being crushed by them?" Amir asked, his tone now serious.
Any force that could make S-ranks kneel and destroy their families wasn't something you could beat with sheer strength.
'Even being a ranker doesn't mean much to these people,' Amir thought.
Valerie paused before answering. "What sets them apart is their top-tier bloodlines. Their bloodlines are powerful on their own, but when combined with their exceptional magical talent, they outclass every other family without even trying."
Amir began to understand. He, too, had a powerful bloodline and great talent. In just two months, he'd grown stronger than most of the E-ranks he'd encountered. His growth rate far exceeded that of the other kids in his village, and he was certain he could now defeat Elijah with ease. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn't fully grasped how strong he'd become.
But he still felt weak. He couldn't help in the fight against the minotaur and would've been dead if not for the others.
'I need more power. Much more power,' Amir thought, clenching his fists.
Valerie's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "I know you want power. If you want to escape the six families' grasp, you'll need to build your own force—a force so vast and powerful that they'd hesitate to challenge you, or the imperial court would intervene if they tried."
Amir had never considered it before, but it made sense. If he had his own force, no one would dare mess with him. But it would have to be far bigger than the group Finral had in the past. Amir's eyes lit up as he realized what he needed to create.
"You can't build a force in the empire without the six great families noticing," Valerie continued, her tone leaving room for suspense. "But there is a way to grow your strength without being under their thumb."
Amir paused, thinking it over, and then it clicked. "Is going to the academy a way to avoid being forced into their ranks?" he asked.
A smile spread across Valerie's face. "Yes. If someone makes it into the top 50 of the entrance exam, they're exempt from any recruitment or alignment with any force in the empire until they graduate."
Now Amir understood her plan. She'd been waiting for this moment, pushing him to aim higher in the entrance exams. He knew he could get in, even from the top 1000, but the exams were filled with thousands of competitors.
'She always pushes me to aim higher on the leaderboard, and I don't even know if I can reach that level,' Amir thought, slightly annoyed.
"Okay, I get it," Amir said.
"Don't die in that stupid war over there. I'll see you at the entrance exams," Valerie said with a smile.
Amir's face froze. "How did you kno—"
Before he could finish, the communication cut off, and the screen disappeared.
"She's always reading my mind!" Amir yelled, angrily throwing the communication crystal against the wall.
Laying back in bed he asked Ralph to bring up his stats
===Status===
Name: Amir
Titles: Child of Argos
Bloodline: Ancient Bloodline of Greed
Rank: E- rank
Strength: 44
Agility: 40
Stamina: 54
Mana Capacity: 70
Charm: 9
[Stat points: 0]
Looking at his stats, Amir knew he was progressing rapidly, but it wasn't enough.
'This means nothing against true power. They can still crush me like a bug. I need to be much stronger and build my own force.'
The memory of Ryla and the others' defeated expressions as they spoke of the six great families haunted him. He refused to end up like that—stripped down to a mere shell of himself. He had suffered too much to go back.
'Top 50, huh? I can do that, Valerie. Just watch me.'
With that resolve, Amir drifted into sleep after an exhausting night.
The next morning, Amir woke up and made his way back to the camp just outside the city. He headed straight for the tent where last night's group was gathered, eager to learn their next move. As he stepped inside, the scene that greeted him was surprisingly lighthearted: Cathy was playfully leaping onto Ryla's back, trying to snatch a cookie from her hand, while Robby sat in a corner, engrossed in a book, and Griff stretched shirtless, unfazed by the previous night's danger.
"Guess almost dying doesn't faze them," Amir mused, admiring their resilience. It was clear to him that close calls were nothing new to this group, and he couldn't help but appreciate their ability to bounce back.
"If I'm going to build my own force, these four would make a solid team," he thought, sizing them up.
Amir had already resolved to form a powerful force, one that could stand up to the six great families who wielded too much influence. It couldn't be a small group; it needed to be grand, a force so formidable that others would think twice before crossing them.
His thoughts were interrupted by Griff's voice.
"Amir, good work last night. I heard you saved our asses," Griff said with a grin.
Robby looked up from his book and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, 'Mister Demon,' you did great. If it wasn't for your last attack, we'd be dead. You acted when the rest of us hesitated."
Amir rubbed the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed by the praise.
"I'd be dead without all of you, so let's call it even. And please, don't call me a demon," he replied, his tone humble.
He then turned to Robby, his expression serious.
"So, what's the plan? The minotaur on this side of the city and the nobles—how do we deal with them?"
"We can't do anything but wait for further instructions from Tabbatha," Robby said, a note of frustration in his voice. "She's meeting with the nobles in a few minutes, and we're supposed to join her."
Amir felt a wave of irritation wash over him. "Meeting with the nobles, huh? What a great way to start my morning," he muttered sarcastically.
The thought of facing the same bastards who had left them out of the loop, almost costing him his life, grated on him. They were from powerful families, and he knew he wasn't strong enough to get revenge—yet. For now, he would have to play along.
After talking with the group for a bit, Amir led them toward the main camp, where Marquis Aron and the other nobles had set up their headquarters. As they walked through the camp, Amir noticed soldiers in dark purplish armor, others in yellow, and some in grey, each bearing the sigils of different noble houses.
They approached a massive dark purple tent and stepped forward to enter. Inside, they found a gathering of various individuals seated around a large table.
"How could you not report that you lost sight of the Minotaur? You nearly got my party killed," Tabbatha said calmly, though her tone carried an edge.
"We intended to inform you, but we were delayed by an attack on the center wing. Baron Railey was supposed to deliver the message to you this morning," replied a woman with black hair.
"I understand, but we're fighting this war too. Delaying crucial information for a whole day hinders our ability to succeed on our front," Tabbatha countered.
A short, fat man scoffed at her words.
"Help? You're stationed at the farthest part of the battle and think you're entitled to our information? You're not doing anything and yet expect us to cater to you? Know your place, little girl," Baron Krasner said with an irritated expression.
Tabbatha kept her composure, careful not to let her frustration show. She knew that these people could make her life hell, and escalating the situation wouldn't help.
"I'm sorry, but Finral placed me in charge of this side of the mountain. If you had given us the information sooner, we could have coordinated more effectively."
The mention of Finral's name made everyone at the table tense. Baron Railey and Krasner, in particular, seemed unable to stand hearing it.
"Don't mention that man here again, little girl. Do you think invoking his name changes anything? You're not entitled to faster information from us. Your guild means nothing, and that eunuch who hides from the fight has no power here," Baron Railey snapped, his tone laced with annoyance.
He was a tall, white man with grey hair, a clean-shaven face, and cold black eyes.
As Amir observed the exchange, he thought, 'These people are treating our lives like they're expendable.'
He tried to gauge the strength of everyone in the room, noting that they were all powerful. His attention was drawn to a particular man with dark purple hair and striking dark blue eyes.
'This man feels just like Finral and Valerie,' Amir thought.
There was something otherworldly about them, a presence that made the air and light seem brighter whenever they moved. But there was something about this man that set him apart, something that rubbed Amir the wrong way.
Suddenly, the man locked eyes with Amir, and they stared at each other. Amir didn't look away as the man examined him, then gave him a small smile.
'This man is dangerous,'
He didn't know what it was, but he didn't like this man at all.