Chapter 45
A Short Story of Lucas
Lucas’s life had been very different from others’ from the moment he was born.
From a young age, the air around him was always filled with acrid smoke, blood was spilled, and countless human screams could be heard.
“Lucas.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Do you know what ‘Broken Knife’ means?”
“…I’m not sure.”
The boy, barely seven years old, couldn’t hide his tension at his father’s question.
His father was a figure so special that even young Lucas knew of him. The Truto Empire had only one emperor, but when night fell and darkness spread, another kind of ‘emperor’ appeared in another world.
A shadowy world where all sorts of illegal activities took place. Lucas’s father was the emperor of that world—a force unmatched and undeniable.
Lucas knew that the source of his father’s power came from his incredible strength and ruthless personality.
While a father is usually seen as a kind and dependable figure for his child, for Lucas, his father was something entirely different.
“The Broken Knife is a shattered sword. The name means that it will crush any opponent’s weapon, warning them never to challenge us again.”
“Yes…”
“You will inherit this guild soon, so always remember its meaning well.”
Lucas was the sole heir of the Broken Knife guild. Yet, he didn’t want to accept this fact.
He wasn’t suited to the role of emperor of the alleys.
One day, while carrying out his father’s orders, Lucas gripped a knife and vomited.
“Ugh…”
“Master, are you alright?”
“Anna… I really can’t do this.”
Anna came to his side and patted his back.
“You have to do it. If you fail again, the master…”
“I know… I know…”
Tears welled in Lucas’s eyes.
“How could such an order exist…”
As he grew, Lucas showed the perfect qualities of an heir. He was naturally intelligent and perceptive, both physically and mentally.
Because of that, the expectations around him were high, but his father found one thing unsatisfactory: his tender heart.
That morning, Lucas’s father had given him an order.
“Tonight, you will prepare a delicious dinner for those returning from their mission.”
A cruel smile appeared on his father’s lips.
“Lucas, tonight’s dinner will be Calypso.”
“What…? What did you just say…”
“The time is tonight. Until then, you will personally end Calypso’s life and deliver it to the chefs.”
Hearing his father’s merciless order, Lucas gripped his fists until his knuckles turned white.
Calypso was a hunting dog Lucas had raised for a long time. But to Lucas, it was more than just a dog. In the harsh environment he lived in, it was the only being he could share his heart with—besides Anna.
To kill Calypso with his own hands…
He couldn’t even utter a word of refusal, and the nausea came over him. Unable to resist in front, he could only cry quietly behind.
Lucas looked down at Calypso, who whimpered.
After hours of struggling to hold the knife,
“I can’t do it…”
In the end, Lucas threw the knife far away and released Calypso’s leash.
“Go quickly.”
The intelligent dog hesitated for a moment but then disappeared into the distance. Lucas had failed his father’s mission.
As expected, his father did not tolerate failure.
“…You let the dog go?”
Lucas had to pay a price that day, but his heart felt lighter. That was when he made up his mind:
‘I have to get out of here.’
From that moment, he started thinking about how to break free from the leash of being the heir.
At first, he only thought of running away. But as he grew older, he realized that the Broken Knife guild was much larger than he had imagined, with influence reaching other countries. Escaping its grip was practically impossible.
So, he had to make a deal with his father.
‘Something worth exchanging for the heir position…’
Eventually, Lucas discovered that the guild had been desperately searching for an object for years.
“An Elemental Stone?”
“Yes. The master has been searching for it for years, but hasn’t found a single clue.”
From then on, Lucas searched for the Elemental Stone. If it was worth that much, then perhaps…
“Anna, I finally found it!”
“Yes?”
“The Elemental Stone. Combining the information I gathered, I can figure out where it’s kept. It’s in the Truto Public Noble School’s artifact storage.”
He had finally uncovered relevant information.
The reason Lucas could get ahead of his father regarding the Elemental Stone was desperation. It was the only way to escape this living hell.
Determined, Lucas approached his father to propose a deal.
“You can find the Elemental Stone?”
“Yes. I will bring it.”
“The price will be giving up your position as heir.”
Lucas’s bold proposal was not easy for his father to refuse. While the only heir was extremely important, the Elemental Stone was the key to controlling the world. Whether or not the fragile, young boy could obtain it, the information sounded plausible.
“The method?”
“The Elemental Stone is in the Truto Public Noble School. If my information is correct, it’s in the artifact storage, and no one knows of its existence.”
His father’s brow arched in disbelief.
“How did you know that?”
Lucas smiled faintly.
“I have my own way.”
Upon hearing that it might be in the school, Lucas had disguised himself as a student and spent months infiltrating the school.
After persistent effort, he learned that one of the administrators had called a mage to make the stone react. He even confirmed the mages’ visits.
Lucas’s father, now understanding, nodded.
“Then you don’t need to go yourself. I’ll send my men.”
“No one can access the artifact storage. Powerful security magic is in place.”
The artifact storage contained many valuable relics besides the Elemental Stone, and even the school principal could not freely enter.
“But how will you get in?”
Lucas had pondered the same question.
He discovered that only one student per year had a chance to enter the storage.
“I plan to enroll as a student myself.”
And he intended to become that “one student.”
The school was a completely different world from where he grew up.
“Hello, Lucas.”
“Good morning, Hamilton.”
There were people who greeted him cheerfully, and laughter echoed around.
Although the lively environment excited him, thinking of his mission soon cooled his heart like cold water.
He wasn’t there to play. He had to graduate as top student to enter the artifact storage. Therefore, he first identified his competitors.
The biggest rival was Evan, the only son of Duke Kroyt.
An extraordinary talent who was hard to believe without seeing. But the question was why someone born with wealth and title would attend this school without needing grades.
Soon, he realized the reason.
“That red-haired girl is Riette?”
Riette was among the most famous students. Beyond being one of the few female students, she stood out in every way.
Her curly, vivid red hair, matching red eyes, symmetrical features, and confident personality drew attention wherever she went.
Lucas couldn’t understand why such a girl needed to attend a noble school.
‘She’s pretty, she could live comfortably just by marrying well.’
When she said her dream was to become the empire’s first female duchess, Lucas had to admit he scoffed inwardly. Strange, unique—that was his first impression of Riette.
But that perception gradually changed.
Riette had an undeniable charm.
She didn’t yield easily in crises, and she fought for what she wanted. She never wilted or felt inferior in any situation.
Observing her, Lucas understood why Evan glared at him as if to kill, and why he had enrolled in the school.
Yet, he still couldn’t understand why a single girl caused so much trouble.
That changed after he returned home for training.
Besides school, he had to complete family training, which sometimes took him away from school for a week each quarter.
During training, he occasionally thought of Riette, which felt strange. He found himself eagerly anticipating returning to school.
One day, after returning from training, Riette injured her waist while sparring with Samuel.
Seeing her pale face collapse to the floor, Lucas felt dizzy. He rushed her to the infirmary, his heart pounding.
Though he had seen many injuries, this felt different.
The doctor said it was nothing serious—a momentary shock. Only then did Lucas feel some relief.
He looked at Riette lying in bed, her red hair clinging to her sweaty forehead from holding back pain.
“She sure has no sense of moderation…”
Muttering, he sat by her side and gently removed the hair from her forehead.
Suddenly, the infirmary door opened, and Evan appeared.
Lucas instinctively reached for the hidden dagger but relaxed upon realizing he was not an enemy.
“Don’t touch her.”
Evan grabbed Lucas’s wrist with frightening strength, making him wince.
“Do you understand words?”
Finally, Evan released him.
“Who made you like this?”
He seemed ready to kill at a word. Lucas understood, but thinking of Riette, he had to intervene.
He considered letting Riette resent him, but if Evan dealt with Samuel, that wouldn’t be the outcome she wanted.
“Stop. If you don’t want Riette to hate you.”
Evan didn’t react at first, but soon Lucas realized the words had worked.
Evan stood silently, staring at Riette with a look so intense it made Lucas feel like an intruder.
“I’ll take her home.”
Lucas got up obediently. Yes, Evan’s family was close to Riette’s; this was better for her.
But watching Riette carried by Evan, Lucas felt inexplicably heavy inside.
Time passed, and Lucas grew anxious, seeing the first and second place students hold firm.
“Master, the master calls for you.”
It had come.
Returning home, Lucas nodded to Anna and went to his father.
“I’ve heard your report on school life. If you place third in this exam, it will be hard to reach first next time.”
It was true.
Graduation grades were calculated from accumulated scores, and having placed third for a year and a half, another third place would make first impossible.
Yet, Lucas couldn’t give up.
“No, there’s still a chance.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll look forward to it. But if you fail to show potential again, you’ll have to stop playing school games.”
Leaving his father’s office, Lucas felt heavy-hearted. He had to find a way.
After much thought, only one method came to mind:
A petty, cowardly way—to damage the impenetrable rival.
He considered targeting Evan but decided against it. Objectively, Riette was an easier target. And defeating her could also affect Evan.
‘This must be the only way.’
Yet, no matter how hard he steeled himself, seeing Riette’s bright smile made his hands weaken.
His heart softened hundreds of times, but he could not abandon his future.
Eventually, he infiltrated the school through a subordinate and spread false rumors about Riette to a preselected student.
The target was Henry Pierre. With his strong inferiority complex, Lucas knew a small spark would make him burn fiercely alone.
The situation went as Lucas intended. Soon, unpleasant rumors about Riette spread throughout the school.
But the rumors soon faded. Outwardly, Samuel intervened; behind the scenes, Evan acted.
It didn’t matter to Lucas.
‘I only used Henry to avoid suspicion falling on me.’
Standing before the fountain, Lucas’s expression was icy.
He looked down at the book in his hands. Every page was densely filled with notes and effort.
Relaxing his grip, the book fell into the fountain.
‘Sorry, Riette.’
By tomorrow, the pages would be soaked and almost unreadable.
Lucas looked at his reflection in the water. His face looked utterly ugly.
