Shion Lan sat with Sol Hart in the academy restaurant, talking about the Neumann family. The conversation moved to an important part, and Sol Hart continued her story, saying:
"At that time, my mother and I were with that family. I was learning spirit magic from them, and my mother was working there. In the girl's fifteenth year, she managed to control an advanced-level spirit!"
Shion trembled when he heard this.' A fifteen-year-old girl with power at the advanced level?! She even surpassed Shi Yunlan!'
Seeing the shock on Shion's face, Sol continued.
"But from here, the catastrophe that befell the family three years ago began. The possessed spirit of the mother, Florid Neumann, returned with even greater power for one purpose only—to kill the girl! Everyone tried to defend against that spirit, but the spirit possessed power comparable to the eighth level. Anyone who tried to stop her was killed. Even the spirits protecting the girl perished quickly." And the sorrow begin to appear on Sol's face,
"My mother was a victim of this tragedy. I was hiding with the others, but the attack reached me as well. At that point, the girl decided to sacrifice herself. With the advanced spirit she had contracted, she unleashed all her power, to the point that her body began to scatter into the wind in an attempt to seal that spirit.
However, the royal family arrived after confirming that the ancient treaty between the founder and the Fifth King had been broken—because some members of the family had conspired against the throne and aided in it. After that, the family was exterminated when the First Queen was infected by that evil spirit."
Shion fell silent, thinking, then spoke.
"So it seems there was something between the First Queen and the Neumann family—or an individual from that family. Presumably, that individual was responsible for the death of the Neumann family head and created the conditions to curse the mother. Whether or not he knew about the girl, it seems the evil spirit wanted to eliminate her by any means. But since it failed, it was temporarily sealed with the mother's death.
That individual must have been responsible for preserving the body at the time. And it seems that after contracting with the advanced spirit, the girl's pure soul weakened. That created an opportunity and allowed the evil spirit to act. Fed by anger and revenge by that individual, and by fifteen years of sorrow and tragedy from the mother, it grew strong—if only temporarily."
And he concluded with,
"So the girl was forced to sacrifice herself using forbidden magic to save the family. With her death, the evil spirit transferred to the First Queen and killed her. And with traces of forbidden magic present, the entire family was executed. Is that correct?"
Sol stared at him in astonishment and said, "There's a lot of nonsense in what you said, but some of it is correct. Still, we're not here to solve that mystery."
"Right. By the way, what does the curse have to do with what happened? I mean, you're not from the family."
"My mother and I were there at the time. With my mother's death, she too turned into an evil spirit, along with the other dead. You should know that advanced spirits have some power to influence other spirits. That spirit affected my mother's soul, turning her into an evil spirit as well." A faint smile appeared on Sol's lips,
"I was affected slightly too, which gave me this ominous aura. This year will be my last chance. If I don't resolve this problem, my spirit magic will fade away. And my mother will come and try to kill me, and I won't be able to protect myself then. Please—I want your help!"
Shion looked at her in shock, then smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll be with you."
Then he asked, "By the way, you've always referred to the head of the Neumann family as 'the girl.' What about her name?"
Sol fell silent for a moment. "There was a rumor that anyone who knew her name would be pursued by a curse."
"We're going to a haunted palace anyway! Shouldn't I at least know her name?"
She sighed. "Solan. Solan Newman."
Shion etched the name into his memory, then asked, "So what exactly is the nature of the mission? Are we going to purify the palace?"
"Purify the palace?! You dream big! What I'm going to do is reach a magic circle I discovered last year—the one that summoned that evil spirit. I'll sit in the circle to heal my soul and my mother's soul. All you need to do is protect me while I do that."
"Protect you?! You said members of the family reached the seventh level! And with an eighth-level evil spirit capable of converting spirits, I don't think I can even consider protecting myself!"
"That's why I always go at the end of the year. Solan Neumann's magic suppresses those spirits and reduces them to the beginner level. With your strength approaching the fourth level, and your immunity to ominous auras, you're the only one who can do it."
Shion thought for a moment. He had no more questions.
"Alright. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow."
...
"Man! Your spear techniques are amazing!"
"Don't say that. You have a great technique too. Still, when will we reach the second star like the master asked?"
"With training, of course! Haven't you heard? He trained like hell in the army—so much that he raised his training to the fourth level!"
"Yeah, and he reached the second star that way. Should we do the same?"
"I don't think so. He has his own inheritance, so he needs special training."
"Wait! He's coming!"
Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai stopped when they saw Shion Lan and bowed.
"Our greetings! Head of the Lan Family!"
"Stand up."
Shion didn't like such behavior from his students, but instead of scolding them, he asked directly, "Is Her Highness going to do anything tonight?"
The two were stunned by the question.
"Well… she's hosting a banquet for us to celebrate most students receiving excellent evaluations in the monthly assessment."
"Then may I attend as a guest?"
"…."
They didn't know what to say.
"Just ask. If she refuses, don't come back to me—I'll know."
"Understood, sir."
...
In her room, the Second Princess, Jina Joul, stood with Violet Night before dozens of dresses. She was hesitating, changing outfits repeatedly. Violet was bewildered.
"Why all this hesitation, Your Highness?"
Jina looked at her with a sparkle in her eyes. When Violet saw that expression, she realized what was coming.
"The Head of the Lan Family is coming to this banquet, so I must choose what to wear carefully. Even though he's a student and a noble, he's ultimately the head of a family."
Jina tried to appear calm. Violet smiled mockingly.
"But won't Pearl Jewel be attending as well? She might try to charm him, you know."
Violet was surprised by the change in Jina Joul's expression. She fell into a frightening silence, then smiled again.
"I invited Pearl Jewel to discuss several matters. She won't try to approach a newly established third-tier family."
She began fiddling with a golden dress, dissatisfied.
"I asked the designer to make clothes like the ones Shion wears, but they don't suit me. I think he'll look splendid, so I wanted to welcome him in this dress."
"You're beautiful, Your Highness. You don't need anything but your usual attire—you'll shine as always."
"Really?"
"Really!"
...
A few hours later, evening arrived. All of the Second Princess's followers gathered in a pleasant assembly. Members of the Night family and the Jura family attended with elegance and nobility, along with affiliated families like Stroman and Light. It was a beautiful evening.
Cole Leon and Rose Gard also attended thanks to their excellent evaluations, trying to imitate noble etiquette. Then Baro Ferrer and Fiore Tai arrived, with their teacher Shion Lan before them. He wore his usual clothes, yet his brilliance was impossible to hide. His black attire formed a stark contrast with his white hair, and with the second stage of the Stellar Body, he stood out even more.
"Head of the Lan Family!"
"I heard he wore luxurious clothes when meeting the king, but even like this, he's still dazzling."
"There's no denying his handsomeness and beauty."
Whispers filled the room. Shion greeted everyone, then went to the food and drink table with the other noble heirs—except for Nell, who withdrew. They spoke endlessly about many things that didn't interest Shion in the slightest, but he endured it.
Then the Second Princess appeared with Violet Night. Her royal beauty stunned everyone, and she almost trembled when her eyes fell on Shion, who smiled at her with a radiant smile. Everyone bowed to her, and they began discussing noble affairs—from various sports to fine arts to business matters.
Then the captivating beauty of the banquet appeared—Pearl Jewel.
Shion thought to himself, 'Is she trying to overshadow the Second Princess by arriving after her, as if she were the main event?'
Everyone's expressions changed, especially Jina, who recalled Violet's words. Pearl smiled.
"I apologize for being late, but there were matters related to the trade guild and—"
"Then you may leave."
Everyone looked at the Second Princess, who spoke coldly. Pearl was also shocked by this awkward situation. She hadn't expected the princess to act this way.
"I was only slightly late to the banquet, and I meant no disrespect, Your Highness."
Shion looked at Jina to see how she would act, but he was surprised when her eyes changed. She's started again.
The one speaking now was Celisia Joul. There was a look of satisfaction in her eyes at what Jina had said earlier.
"I sent you an order to attend today, yet you arrived late. And in the world of commerce, doesn't one who is late lose the deal?"
She then looked at Pearl with icy coldness, making her tremble.
"Your Highness!"
A calm voice spoke. Celisia looked over in surprise to see Shion speaking.
"May I defend her?"
He spoke confidently, with a bright smile. Celisia said angrily, "Are you questioning my judgment, Lord Lan?"
"I would never dare to say that! Lady Jewel was at fault for not arriving early, but shouldn't we hear her reasons and see whether she deserves another chance?"
The atmosphere grew tense. Celisia stepped back.
"Go ahead. Defend her."
Shion composed himself and said, "As I mentioned earlier, Your Highness sent for her today after the monthly evaluation to celebrate most students receiving excellent ratings. The evaluation ended sometime in the afternoon, and Lady Jewel was at her trade guild then, as she herself said.
By the time the message reached her, it was already too late to prepare properly. If Your Highness looks closely, you'll see that she's still catching her breath and remains tense. She meant no disrespect at all—it was merely a matter of timing. And since we are under Your Highness's rule, in the end, we are your subjects."
Shiun Lan bowed to her.
Celisia clenched her teeth. She used her eyes to examine Pearl, and as Shion had said, Pearl's body was taut and tense—proof that she had come in haste without delay. Celisia's eyes then softened, and a pleasant expression returned to her face.