Ancestor of All

Marquis Windwalker sat quietly in the conference room, listening intently as his subordinates discussed the bizarre situation with Valdrin.

He remained silent, absorbing every word as they struggled to explain the chaotic turn of events.

Everything that had unfolded over the past few days was utterly baffling, entirely beyond the wildest predictions of even the most seasoned strategists. No matter how carefully one plans, circumstances can shift instantly, and that was precisely what happened here.

According to the intelligence gathered, Valdrin had been assassinated without warning, with no clear explanation or indication leading up to it. Then, just a day after his death—before anyone had a chance to react—Kaelith launched a full-scale assault on Darkwind City and swiftly seized control. The city's guards offered no resistance; they simply surrendered without a fight.

Windwalker's army had no time to react at all; if they had, perhaps they could have found a new leader to take Valdrin's place. Unfortunately, everything had unfolded so quickly that it was impossible to act in time.

Valdrin's death was officially reported as a heart attack, but anyone in a position of power or with access to intelligence knew the truth—it was an assassination. And all the signs pointed directly to Kaelith's involvement.

The evidence was undeniable.

Kaelith's army attacked just a day after Valdrin's death. The timing was too perfect to be accidental. Officially, Kaelith claimed that he had gathered his army for one final battle and would have attacked regardless, but very few believed him—it was simply too convenient.

However, assassinating Valdrin inside his own castle was no small feat. While Darkwind Castle wasn't as formidable as Windwalker Castle, it was still robust enough to withstand an attack from three Silver Knights at once. Sneaking past its magical defenses undetected should have been impossible.

There were four plausible possibilities.

The first possibility was that the assassins possessed specialized equipment to break or nullify the magical formation or knew of a weakness in it that allowed them to infiltrate.

The second, somewhat realistic, possibility was that an assassin beyond Silver rank had taken action, infiltrated the castle, and killed Valdrin.

The third, and perhaps most likely, possibility was that Valdrin's own subordinates had betrayed him and carried out the assassination.

The fourth, barely plausible possibility, was that Kaelith, for some reason, had left the castle and been assassinated outside, with his body then returned to the castle.

Among the four reasonably realistic possibilities, the analysts quickly dismissed the second one.

Golden-rank powerhouses were incredibly rare and expensive, making the idea of Kaelith hiring one to kill Valdrin absurd. Therefore, this possibility was eliminated first.

The first possibility was eliminated next. While it was conceivable that there were equipment or magic spells capable of bypassing protective formations, any such technology or enchantment would be extremely expensive. After all, to nullify a Silver-rank magical formation so effectively, Golden-rank equipment would be required. Furthermore, for multiple Silver-rank assassins to infiltrate the castle undetected was too difficult to believe. Silver Knights patrolled the castle; at least one would have noticed something amiss and intervened to stop the assassins from killing Valdrin.

Next, the fourth possibility—that Valdrin had, for some reason, left the castle and been assassinated outside its walls—was eliminated.

There were several problems with this scenario. First, Valdrin was well aware of the threats on his life, and it was highly unlikely he would have been foolish enough to leave the protection of the castle. Additionally, spies had confirmed that his body was found inside the castle, which meant the assassins would have had to kill him and somehow transport his body back inside. This was simply too improbable to consider.

For that to happen, the assassins would have had to lure him out, kill him, retrieve his body, and smuggle it back inside—all without anyone noticing. That was virtually impossible. Given the information gathered by the Windwalker family's spies, no such movement was detected, confirming that this scenario never occurred.

That left only one possibility: It was an inside job carried out by Valdrin's own subordinates.

It was entirely plausible; there were several reasons supporting this theory, and it made sense.

Valdrin resided in a special house within Darkwind Castle, a structure made of enchanted white marble. The house was imbued with a powerful magical formation—granting its owner and authorized individuals a strength boost while simultaneously suppressing any unauthorized intruders. This meant that within his own home, Valdrin and his subordinates were significantly stronger than an ordinary Silver Knight or assassin. Ordinary assassins would have faced considerable difficulty in killing him inside the marble house. However, his own subordinates, who were authorized to use their full power, would have found it much easier.

Such magical safeguards weren't uncommon. Marquis Windwalker himself possessed a similar safeguard—a token that granted him and his trusted subordinates a strength boost within his mansion while suppressing any enemies. While this was considered a secret, it was widely known among the upper echelons of noble families.

Killing Valdrin inside his own mansion without causing at least some disturbance would have been extremely difficult. The Windwalker family had spies positioned among the lower echelons of the castle, and if there had been any noise or disturbance, they would have noticed. The only people capable of carrying out such a clean assassination—killing a Silver Knight without making a sound—were Valdrin's own Silver Knights.

But that left another question: Why would Valdrin's own assassins kill him?

There were many reasons, actually.

Valdrin's subordinates, including the Silver Knights, had grown frustrated—angry that their leader had made no effort to defend against the Windwalker family's invasion. This shared resentment could very well have driven them to band together, enter the marble house, and assassinate Valdrin, believing they were "saving" the Darkwind family.

Further evidence supported this theory.

When Kaelith's forces arrived, Valdrin's Silver Knights didn't resist. If they had remained loyal, they would have fought, at least for a day. Instead, they allowed Kaelith to march in unopposed.

It hadn't been a sudden or spontaneous decision. The Silver Knights likely struck a deal with Kaelith days before the assassination, informing him of their plans. This explains why Kaelith arrived just a day after Valdrin's death.

The analysts debated whether Kaelith was the mastermind behind the assassination or if he was simply informed of it later. But in the end, it didn't make much difference. Whether Kaelith was the one who orchestrated the assassination or not, he had taken power and was now the de facto leader of the Darkwind family.

...

After the analysts debated for hours, they finally all agreed: It was an inside job, and Kaelith was the brain behind it.

Marquis Windwalker, who also agreed with them, sighed, his thoughts heavy. "You really can't trust anyone these days."

Edric was another example. Just days ago, he had promised not to leave the castle again. Yet, barely a day later, he vanished. No matter how much Marquis Windwalker's subordinates searched, there was no trace—as if he had simply disappeared from existence.

Still lost in thought, Alaric turned his gaze toward the five Silver Knights in the room. "Betrayal..." The idea that Valdrin's own knights had killed him seemed almost certain. But could the same thing happen to him? Could his own knights one day turn on him, just as Valdrin's had?

After a moment, he shook off those destructive thoughts. Valdrin's fate had been a result of his own failures. He had tried to give away land—land that belonged to the Darkwind family, to the Windwalker family, their main enemy. The knights who killed him likely saw his actions as unforgivable. Rather than let him surrender their lands to an outsider, they had taken matters into their own hands.

"That fool," Marquis Windwalker thought. "He probably didn't even bother to keep his dealings a secret. He let his knights find out—and that cost him his life."

...

With the discussion concluded, the room emptied.

There was no point in investigating further. The damage was done. Kaelith had already taken control of the entire Darkwind family, and there was no reversing it.

This debacle had dealt a heavy blow to the Windwalker family. They had mobilized forces, invested resources, and deepened the enmity with the Darkwind family—all for nothing. Their only gains were meager spoils from captured cities, nowhere near enough to compensate for their losses.

In the end, they had played their hand… and lost. Now, all that was left was to deal with the consequences.

...

Edric gazed at Windwalker Castle with a knowing smile. He could likely slip past its defenses without anyone noticing if he wanted to. But today, he chose a different approach—he would enter through the front gate.

As for how he would explain his sudden absence to Marquis Windwalker, he didn't worry. He doubted the Marquis would punish him. And even if he did decide to imprison him, Edric knew he could escape at any time.

For now, Edric had no intention of faking his death. Instead, he would continue to play the role of the innocent genius—a simple knight trying to hone his skills, both as a warrior and a mage.

With that thought in mind, he took a step forward, making his way toward the castle gate.