“I can’t believe the Klain blood could awaken fully in just three years. It’s truly impressive.”

In the deepest part of House Klain’s mansion, there were two women present in the Sacrificial Chamber, a place that no one could access except for the head of the family.

One woman, slowly waking up in the center of the chamber, and the other, leaning against the wall, both possessed an appearance that transcended mere youthfulness.

With hair like blazing flames, the two women were so alike that they seemed like twins, both sharing the petite height and youthful looks of a child. Even the massive Great Sword grounded beside them bore a resemblance, making them look like twins or at least sisters.

“Well, she’s the daughter of someone important, after all.”

The woman leaning against the wall, Emma, spoke up, still propped against it.

When news of a sudden invasion by the Demonic Race in the Academy City where her daughter was studying reached her, Emma wasn’t overly concerned. In fact, it was her husband Alex who was making a fuss out of anxiety concerning their child, prompting her to drag him away to their bedroom to calm him down.

Of course, Emma, being a parent, did have some worries about her children. But while her concern for her daughter, who looked like a little child, was merely a notch, her worry for her more robust son weighed more heavily on her mind.

This doesn’t mean Emma held any misogynistic values. After all, she herself was the head of House Klain, so it would be absurd for her to hold such views. She simply deduced coldly that her son Ian was in greater danger than Anne.

Anne was her child who had inherited the blood of Klain more intensely than anyone. Even among the legendary bloodlines of Klain, she was deemed to possess talents that surpassed even the greatest of her ancestors.

Her otherworldly strength was just a mere byproduct; the true power of the Klain lineage only revealed itself when confronting Demonic Beings.

It wasn’t for nothing that the House Klain held the title of the lord of the closest city to the Forbidden Forest.

Decades of dedication from the Klain family had prevented dangerous Demonic Monsters from invading the Empire, monsters that even the Demonic Race could not control.

Had it been a senile Sword Master, a late-blooming Great Wizard, or even a disgruntled terrorist attacking the Academy, Emma would have certainly worried about Anne. But Demonic Monsters and Demonic Beings? That was laughable.

Even though Anne was just a child, she was undoubtedly the successor of House Klain. Killing her would not be an easy feat even for high-tier Demons, and high-tier Demons were not something you would encounter every day.

However, Anne’s twin brother Ian was different. In each generation, there was but one child destined to inherit the family name and become the next head; the others from the same generation couldn’t properly inherit the power of House Klain.

Why this was the case, even Emma, the head of the family, didn’t know. Perhaps some of the countless heads in history were aware, but records had decayed over time, causing it to be lost to memory.

Regardless of the reasons and causes, what mattered was that this generation’s heir was Anne. If she was a blazing flame, her twin brother Ian, with his grayish hair and aura, was simply the remnants of burnt ashes. Not as an insult, but as a matter of fact.

Nevertheless, the mere fragment of bloodline he held offered some advantage compared to ordinary folk, but it was not enough to give him an edge against Demons. Ian lacked the unique strength of a successor and the potent blood magic that Anne wielded, making it unavoidable for him to be seen as concerning.

At least he had inherited his father’s tall stature and strength, in addition to being skilled in swordsmanship, which was the only reason Emma hadn’t rushed toward the Academy City.

She found it quite delightful to see her husband’s cute, nervous mannerisms, but still, Emma had her worries as she quietly comforted him. How long had it been?

News reached that the Academy had decided to suspend classes due to the destruction of the buildings and the city, and shortly after, her twin son and daughter returned to their territory.

When was the last time she had seen her daughter? The face of her daughter, now reunited with her, looked remarkably different from the one she had seen just months ago during summer break. Though they exchanged words, Anne still radiated the lively spirit Emma recognized. However, at dawn, when Emma found Anne swinging her sword alone with a frustrated expression, it was as if something was troubling her.

Emma had her suspicions, thinking it might be related to the recent invasion by the Demonic Race.

Rather than asking why she wouldn’t speak about it, Emma remembered her own past in Anne’s aspirations for greater power and finally made a decision.

The position of head of the family would eventually have to be passed down. Emma had only envisioned it as a distant future. No matter how talented Anne was, she thought it would be a long time before she graduated from the Academy and returned to prepare for her role as the successor.

The blood of House Klain was akin to a burning flame. Whether the red hair of successors was purely coincidental was uncertain, but all successors in history compared the power of the Klain lineage to fire.

Fire, if harnessed, grants extraordinary power and is endlessly beneficial, but if uncontrolled, it could consume even its master—a double-edged sword indeed. That’s why when Anne entered the Academy, Emma informed her of only the minimal control techniques and decided to postpone awakening her full powers.

However, with Anne at this stage, burning with her own energy, there’s no longer a need to wait. If Emma believed in her daughter—if she was indeed the flame-like Anne—then surely she would succeed.

Thus, Emma brought Anne to the Sacrificial Chamber, accessible only to the head of the Klain family and the next in line.

What was the result of this choice? Within just two years of stepping foot in the chamber, Anne had perfectly claimed the power of the Klain bloodline as her own.

Despite her proficiency in swordsmanship being more reliant on sheer strength—thus not reaching the level of Sword Master—considering Anne’s tenacity and talent, it was certain she would someday achieve that rank.

Now that Anne had fully awakened the power of her lineage, she was almost qualified to be the head of House Klain. Though she might struggle with political affairs due to her dislike of studying, Emma wasn’t overly worried.

Beside Anne stood her twin brother Ian, a clever son possessing both martial and scholarly prowess unlike his sister. In the future, Ian might marry and leave their territory, but by that time, Anne and Ian would be able to handle matters well. If Anne happened to bring home a husband as good as her father, it would be all the better.

Thus, all that remained was to hand over the position of head to Anne, allowing herself to retire and enjoy her later years with her husband.

Even if they couldn’t travel due to the ongoing wars and remained busy slaying Demons, shedding the heavy responsibilities of leadership would surely grant her more personal time. With young lives lost in the war against Demons causing a decline in the Empire’s birthrate, wouldn’t it be nice to provide Anne and Ian with a sibling?

Of course, her intention wasn’t purely self-serving or out of selfishness. It was just a bonus, that’s all.

Look at her daughter now, recognizing her newfound strength and smiling brightly. Surely she must be enjoying herself as well.

“Anne. Well then, about the succession ceremony…”

“Mom! Thank you!”

Anne hugged Emma fiercely, expressing her gratitude sincerely. From a distance, the two looked less like a mother and daughter and more like two little girls embracing each other.

Emma felt the emotions of motherhood for the first time in ages, stroking Anne’s hair as her daughter nestled in her arms. She could be more lenient now with her still somewhat childish daughter.

“Yes, yes. While you have nice talent, how quickly you’ve awakened your power is surely thanks to the excellent mom you have. By the way, about the succession…”

“I heard from Shelly and Yuli yesterday that they’re already here, so we have to leave right away!”

“Then the succession… what?”

“Mom, I love you! I’ll write often! I will definitely defeat the Demon King and come back!”

Watching Anne dash out of the Sacrificial Chamber with the massive Great Sword in tow, Emma stood there dumbfounded, slowly digesting Anne’s words.

Leave right away? Where to? To defeat the Demon King?

“Hey! You get back here!”

They say there’s no use raising children. Just moments ago, Emma was envisioning a lovely life with her husband after retirement, but all of that was thoroughly shattered.