Dragon of Endless Evil

A silence fell over the hall.

Markus, a man with broad shoulders and an ambitious gaze, stood up. He was the orphan Julius had raised from a very young age, making him his right-hand man and most faithful confidant.

Markus stepped forward with an assurance that showed prior preparation for this precise moment. He knelt before Julius with devotion " By virtue of my powers as head of the house, " Julius continued as he placed a hand on Markus’s shoulder, " I officially adopt Markus as my son and designate him, by this symbolic blood, as the sole heir of the Summer family. "

Katelyn felt the ground give way beneath her feet.

Indignation rose in her throat. She took a step forward, breaking the strict protocol of the ceremony. " This is impossible ! " she exclaimed. " Father, you cannot do this. I am your legitimate daughter, the only descendant of the Ravenna lineage. "

Julius remained firm, not even turning his eyes from Markus to look at his own daughter. " The decision is made, Katelyn. Return to your place. " Katelyn clenched her teeth.

" Mother would never accept this ! " she cried, tears of rage beginning to bead at the corners of her green eyes. " She built this house with her blood. You have no right to give her inheritance to a stranger ! "

Julius finally turned toward her, his face darkening. " And where is she, Katelyn ? Brittany is no longer here to give her opinion. " He approached her, his presence becoming heavy despite his own martial mediocrity. " I am the head of the Summer family. It is I who bear the responsibility for our heritage. Are you going to contradict my order before the patriarch and the assembly ? "

’ He has always hated her,’ Katelyn thought bitterly. ’ He spent his life in the shadow of her power, and now that she is dead, he wants to erase even her descendants to establish his own authority.’

It was then that Erinda Snowfall, the matriarch of Spring, stepped forward with a graceful stride.

" This is rather unexpected Lord Ravenna... I hope you have carefully considered the matter... " she said in a neutral tone that nevertheless masked real disapproval. Erinda appreciated Katelyn’s intelligence and liveliness, and this change of succession seemed to her a dubious political maneuver.

Julius straightened up, trying to hide his unease before the head of the Spring house. " Matriarch, the Ravenna family needs a courageous man to lead our troops not a naive little girl who throws tantrums. Katelyn has little talent and sorely lacks the strategic vision necessary to lead a domain as vital as ours. "

Kristian Dagon left his post behind his father to place himself at Katelyn’s side. He could not stand seeing his friend humiliated in public like this.

" Lord Ravenna, that makes no sense. How could Katelyn be set aside when she mastered the first sense of the sword even before turning fifteen ? Her speed is unmatched in your house. "

" I respect you Heir, but you should focus on other things, not on the internal affairs of my family. The management of the Summer house concerns only those who bear the Ravenna name. "

Katelyn turned her eyes toward Dorian Dagon, hoping that the patriarch would impose his will to restore justice. However, Dorian remained seated.

" Lord Ravenna is right Kristian...Given that Markus has officially become a Ravenna by adoption, this act in no way violates the Clan’s charter. A house head holds sovereignty over the choice of his successor, as long as the latter belongs to the lineage, by blood or by right. "

Julius displayed a smile of satisfaction, while Markus straightened up, casting a contemptuous look toward Katelyn.

" The Patriarch is indeed just... I am reassured for the future of the clan. :

The young girl felt a sharp pain tear through her chest, far more unbearable than any physical wound she had ever received in training.

She understood that day that talent and hard work weighed nothing. Her father was nothing but a pathetic man who had an inferiority complex toward her mother and it was she who had to endure everything.

Julius Ravenna turned away from the platform, displaying an air of contempt as he passed beside his daughter.

" You are arrogant like your mother. Women should know their place... and yours is certainly not at the head of this house. "

As Julius moved away toward the dignitaries of the elemental Water house, Markus stepped forward in turn, stopping in front of Katelyn.

" Do not be distressed, little sister...Everyone makes sacrifices for the prestige of our families. It turns out that your talent will be far more useful for forging diplomatic alliances. According to father, you will have a rather important engagement with Count Brandon. He is already eager to meet you. "

" Son of a Bitch !!! " Katelyn cried out.

At the last moment a hand seized her wrist preventing her from slapping him.

Katelyn turned her head in rage, but her gaze met the calm blue eyes of Kristian Dagon.

" Let me go, Kristian !"

" Making such a scene in front of the allies and the Patriarch would be extremely poorly regarded. You would only prove your father right. " He looked at her intensely, silently transmitting the order to control herself.

Katelyn shoved him violently to free herself and left the hall.

...

Later in the day, the sun began to decline over the private training ground of the Summer house. Katelyn trained with vigor.

Her rapier was nothing more than a silver streak in the air, chaining fluid and deadly attacks against wooden mannequins that shattered under the impact of her thrusts.

Kristian advanced slowly onto the ground, " Are you okay ?"

Katelyn turned toward him, her face distorted by anger. " I don’t need your pity, Kristian ! You too, you think I’m weak because I’m a woman ! " She didn’t give him time to answer.

With a fluid movement, she turned her rapier and began to attack him, instinctively activating her < First Sense of Sword : Blade Perception >.

Kristian avoided her first strikes by jumping backward with natural grace. He had not drawn his own swords, contenting himself with reading Katelyn’s trajectories with his genius senses.

Indeed, for her age, apart from Kristian himself, no one in the Sword Clan could compare to the young girl’s speed and precision.

With an expert glance, Kristian saw that Katelyn’s movements were no longer merely physical.

’ Her Chi is circulating with such intensity...’

He realized that she had already reached the < Second Sense : Olfaction >, the ability to feel her own Chi Core, even if she had not yet fully mastered it.

As she attempted a direct thrust toward his shoulder, Kristian pivoted on his feet. While dodging, he delivered a precise palm strike to her chest, right at the center of her energy center. The impact was not meant to injure her, but to break her concentration. Katelyn was thrown backward, sliding on the sand before falling to the ground.

" Weak ? " asked Kristian as he approached, his voice remaining calm. " You reached the Second Sense even before your sixteenth year. How could you be weak ? "

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