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Moore Krow, hailing from the esteemed Krow family, a prominent noble lineage within the Holy Dragon Empire, was the fifth son of Marquis Neron Krow, the current head of the family.

Among his siblings, Moore was recognized as the most talented, but unfortunately, he was an illegitimate child.

This was a source of regret for those who recognized his potential. Shunned by the noble elite, Moore has been deprived of the birthright typical of a Marquis’ son. His status had instead exposed him to numerous dangers and life-threatening situations.

His stepmother, unrelated by blood and hailing from a distinguished count’s family, could hardly tolerate his existence.

In this harsh environment, Moore had shown remarkable resilience. He had risen from a bleak beginning, where he once begged on the streets, to becoming a top graduate of the Holy Dragon Empire Royal Academy. He surpassed his peers by breaking through to the Saint Realm at an early age, eventually becoming the pride of the Marquis Krow.

However, Moore was painfully aware that his father’s recognition was not born of familial love but political necessity.

None of the Marquis’ legitimate children, despite the family’s considerable investment, managed to attain the Saint Realm.

Moore, as a beginner in the Saint Realm, bore the weight of his family’s prestige on his shoulders.

In the Holy Dragon Empire, where strength reigned supreme, having only one expert in the Saint Realm, especially one who was merely at the beginner level, placed the Krow family in a precarious position.

Over the next ten years, the Krow family had seen its influence wane, with many opportunists encroaching on their territory. Marquis Krow, lacking the power to oppose them, had been forced to feign camaraderie with those who undermined his family.

Yet, even in the face of Moore’s achievements, Marquis Krow refused to designate him as his heir, tainted by the belief that Moore’s blood was impure and sullied. After all, his mother was merely a tavern girl from the streets.

In his eyes, Moore was not qualified to lead the prestigious Krow family.

The Marquis insisted on viewing Moore as a political tool rather than a son, funneling resources into his less capable brothers and praying for another son from his fifty-year-old wife—a son who might display immense talent.

Ironically, both Moore and Myre, both born out of wedlock, possessed exceptional talents, starkly contrasting with the so-called pure-blooded but underachieving legitimate heirs of the Krow family.

In his desperation, Marquis Krow schemed to marry Myre off to Count Guile, an eighty year old perverted geezer, solely for financial gain.

Yes, the man was actually willing to sell his biological daughter for a hundred and eighty gold coins!

Because of this, Moore became thoroughly disappointed with his family. After beating up Marquis Krow violently, he resolved to establish his own family.

Yet, without the necessary resources, progress in the Saint Realm was a challenging road for Moore. His status as a b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲ made it nearly impossible for him to find a place within the aristocratic circles of the Holy Dragon Empire.

Faced with these obstacles, Moore felt a deep sense of despair.

As the Tianyi Festival drew near, an opportunity presented itself.

Moore approached Princess Estelle with a bold proposition. “I can secure your victory at the Martial God Tournament. What can you offer me in return?”

“The title of a nobleman, along with the full prize for the winner of the Martial God Tournament. All I seek is honor,” the Princess responded.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Moore severed his ties with the Krow Family, abandoning his exalted status to start anew as a commoner.

To maintain a semblance of dignity, he publicly declared his pursuit of Princess Estelle. If he were to actually win her affection, it would be an added bonus.

Yet for Moore, the Princess’ favor was merely a secondary concern. His primary focus lay on the rewards promised by the Princess—the noble title that would pave his way forward, and the substantial prize money from the Martial God Tournament of the Great Celestial Rite.

Both of these would be the foundation of his resurgence.

Moore was already mentally counting these rewards as his own.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

The fire streams glowed like a setting sun, brilliantly illuminating the space for a fleeting moment before dimming away.

After the collapse of the colossal sun, a fiery barrier had formed, dividing the underground space. This fiery curtain seemed like it would take an eternity to extinguish.

“Mint, what’s taking so long? Are you struggling with that girl?” Moore questioned, his brow furrowed as he peered at the fire curtain.

The blaze obscured his view and the heat distorted the air, making it challenging to discern the events unfolding just a short distance away.

“Mint probably wants revenge,” Calvin suggested. “After all, he did get a rough handling from that girl earlier.”

Calvin was removing his knight’s armor, piece by piece. The edges of the silver-white plates were already glowing red from the intense heat. Had it not been for its enhanced protection, Calvin would have discarded the armor much earlier.

“I’ll need armor with better heat insulation next time,” he thought to himself.

“I just hope he doesn’t go overboard,” Calvin said

Finally shedding the last piece of his heavy armor, he exhaled deeply.

“Everyone’s probably watching our match. If Mint goes overboard, it won’t reflect well on Her Highness’ reputation… But knowing him, he might not hold back, even in front of an audience.”

“Ugh, Mint…” Moore was beginning to second-guess his decision to recruit Mint.

In his eagerness to strengthen the team, he had overlooked the importance of his team members’ character.

If Mint’s actions upset Princess Estelle, it would reflect poorly on Moore as well, potentially jeopardizing his prospects even if he did manage to secure the championship for her.

“I’ll check it out myself,” Moore declared. He drew his black longsword, ready to slice through the curtain of fire.

Suddenly, Myre, who had been meditating, snapped her eyes open and yelled, “Watch out, big brother!”

Instinctively, Moore shifted his stance and leapt to the side.

BOOM!

At that moment, a high-speed object penetrated the fiery curtain, creating a thunderous explosion.

The object flying through the fire curtain showed no sign of slowing down until it crashed into the rock wall of the underground space with unrelenting force. Dust exploded in all directions, obscuring the view and leaving large, spiderweb-like cracks spreading rapidly across the rock surface.

Moore, witnessing this, felt his anger surge. Veins throbbed on his forehead as he bellowed through the fiery curtain, “Mint, what the hell are you doing?!”

The thought of Mint recklessly hurling a young girl against the wall was infuriating. Did he not care about the repercussions and the scrutiny Princess Estelle would face after the match?

“Eh?” A delicate, surprised voice echoed from the other side.

Startled, Moore’s anger momentarily dissolved.

Since when did Mint have such a sweet, gentle voice?

“Mint? I don’t go by such a stupid sounding name.”

An exquisite leather shoe passed through the flames and clicked against the ground. The sparkly lolita dress swayed gracefully amidst the flames, yet remained untouched by their tongues. Like a dark butterfly, the figure weaved through a garden of fiery blooms.

Her long, golden hair billowed around her, stirred by the hot currents, yet her porcelain-like skin remained pristine, as if the flames held no power over her.

Emerging from the flames with a smile, the young girl twirled her skirt in an elegant curtsy, offering a refined greeting to the stunned onlookers.