The girl led Nivalis to the second floor, stopping in front of a large room. The door was grand yet simple, exuding an aura of strength rather than luxury.
She knocked twice and waited silently.
After a few seconds, a deep voice responded from inside:
"Enter."
She pushed the door open and gestured for Nivalis to go in before closing it behind him.
As soon as he stepped inside, his eyes scanned the spacious room. The walls were adorned with ancient and modern maps of the kingdom and the surrounding regions. Some of them were marked with lines and symbols, likely indicating military movements or battle strategies.
To the right, wooden shelves were stacked with thick books, and beside them, countless scrolls lay piled, some seemingly untouched for years. A large weapon stand stood in the corner, holding a massive spear with a darkened blade that looked as if it had drunk the blood of countless foes. A faint, oppressive aura of domination surrounded it.
At the center of the room was a massive wooden desk. Behind it sat a hulking man whose sheer presence commanded attention. His broad shoulders made the chair seem almost too small for him. His features were sharp and battle-hardened, his skin marked with old scars, and his eyes burned like embers, radiating unwavering confidence.
This was Adam Reinhardt, the current King of Mercenaries.
Adam raised his head slightly and examined Nivalis before speaking in a low, weighty tone:
"Oh... I didn't expect you to be this young."
Nivalis nodded respectfully and said, "My name is Victor."
Adam didn't seem interested in the name. He simply gestured toward a chair.
"Sit."
The moment Nivalis took his seat, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. A crushing pressure filled the room, as if the walls were closing in and his body had suddenly become ten times heavier.
It was Adam Reinhardt's aura—tyrannical, suffocating, and fitting for the King of Mercenaries. It felt like a mountain of raw authority had descended upon the space.
Nivalis recalled a question he had once asked Edward out of mere curiosity—something he hadn't expected a clear answer to.
"Who are the three strongest people in the kingdom?"
The man before him was ranked second on that list—Adam Reinhardt, the King of Mercenaries.
For most people in the kingdom, the answer to that question was obvious. The strongest had to be the Imperial High Mage—the royal family's personal sorcerer and one of the rare few to reach the fifth tier of magic.
But the truth was completely different.
The real shock was that the Imperial High Mage was not the strongest... but the third.
As for the first... it was Edward himself.
Of course, this ranking was not publicly known. Only Nivalis was aware of the truth.
To the entire kingdom, the Imperial High Mage was seen as the ultimate force, the pillar of the empire's might. But the reality was that there existed a man who surpassed him—someone whose true power had never been revealed in battle.
There had never been a decisive fight to determine the strongest in the continent.
Nivalis never questioned how Edward knew Adam's strength or how he had been able to rank him second.
Edward was not the type to talk about himself, nor did he ever feel the need to explain. So, out of respect, Nivalis never asked.
But now... he was about to witness the truth firsthand.
Bringing his focus back to the present, Nivalis understood one thing: The fact that Adam had released his aura like this meant that whatever he was about to say next was of utmost importance.
Adam's deep voice echoed through the room, carrying the weight of his presence:
"I don't care about your name, and I don't care about your past. There is only one thing that matters here..."
Nivalis, struggling to maintain his composure under Adam's suffocating aura, asked, "And what is that?"
"Family."
Nivalis raised an eyebrow in confusion and repeated the word, as if trying to grasp its deeper meaning.
"Family?"
Adam's sharp gaze locked onto him, filled with unshakable conviction.
"In the Mercenary Union, we are more than just hired blades. We are more than a band of disconnected warriors. We are a family.
We share more than just missions or gold. We share pain, blood, and sacrifice.
When you become a part of this family, you become part of something greater than yourself. There is no room for betrayal. No place for weakness. We fight together, we live together, and we die together."
He took a step forward, his voice growing firmer.
"We are not just here for money or adventure. We are here because we believe in one thing—we never leave one of our own behind.
Those who prove their loyalty will always find our hands extended toward them.
And those who betray us... they choose their own end."
Silence filled the room. Adam studied Nivalis intently, as if peering into his very soul.
"You say you want to be part of this family. But how will you prove it?" Adam's voice carried a quiet intensity, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "It's simple... Prove yourself.
Let your actions speak for you.
If you are willing to bear the burden, if you are ready to move forward without hesitation, only then will you understand what it means to be one of us."
Nivalis remained silent, closing his eyes briefly as Adam's words sank in.
The word family stirred something deep within him—a mix of confusion and pain.
To him, the concept held little meaning. He had grown up in an empty mansion, where the walls were his only companions. The only person who had ever cared for him was Edward—his teacher, his mentor, the one who had raised him.
Everything else had been meaningless.
But now, outside the walls of his home, he had heard this word twice.
The first time was at Elias' house—a place worn down by hardship, yet filled with a different kind of warmth.
Even in poverty, there was something about them—something that lit a small flame in Nivalis' heart.
Nivalis slowly lifted his head, locking eyes with Adam.
Was it possible to believe in these words? To imagine being part of something greater than himself?
The weight of that question pressed heavily on his chest.
Nivalis spoke, his voice quiet yet firm:
"You say you are a family. But can someone like me truly be part of something like that?
Family... is it just a word to you, or does it mean something more? Because I... once knew what a family was. And it was nothing like what you describe."
Adam's faint smile remained, but his eyes held a deep understanding.
"You already know that family is more than just a word, Victor.
It is the promises we keep to one another. It is the actions that prove our bond is stronger than anything else.
In our world, there is no room for doubt or treachery.
And in this family, we prove ourselves every day.
No one is forced to belong here. But if you seek the meaning of the word... then experience it for yourself.
We do not expect loyalty in words—we expect it in actions.
If you are ready for that... then this family will be more than just a name to you."
After a brief silence, Adam spoke in a firm, commanding tone:
"Now, let's get you assigned to a team."
But before he could move, a sudden voice interrupted them.
"No need. I'll be taking the kid for my team."