A knight clad in crimson armor, with long, aged red hair.
Valentine de Strange.
Known as the “Red Crow of the West,” she had come to the castle.
Her sudden visit threw the entire castle into a frenzy. The air inside grew tense, as if bracing for a storm on the horizon.
Not just the steward, but even the caretakers hurried to greet her. Every guardian knight she passed offered a formal salute.
“Welcome, Lady Valentine!”
Without so much as a glance, she acknowledged them with a curt nod and continued down the corridor, her expression icy.
Her sharp gaze was so piercing that anyone it brushed against felt paralyzed. Knights below the rank of three stars, unable to reinforce their bodies with energy in time, collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Under normal circumstances, she would have restrained her aura out of “consideration” for others. But not today.
Why had Valentine come to the castle unannounced? It wasn’t a special day.
The head guardian knight, leading her path, was filled with questions but kept them to himself.
A mere knight captain knew better than to speak out of turn—especially with someone like Valentine. After all, there was only ever one reason for her visits.
Someone in the castle was about to die.
Wherever Valentine de Strange, the executor of the Strange family, appeared, death followed. Her nickname, the Red Crow, stemmed from this very reputation—her arrival heralded blood and demise. Not just for enemies but even members of her own family. Her name carried weight and fear alike.
“…From here on, I wish to walk in silence. Skip the formalities.”
Valentine’s voice was a soft murmur, yet it demanded absolute obedience.
The head guardian knight bowed deeply.
“Yes, my lady!”
She stopped on the fourth floor of the castle. Above, on the fifth floor, were quarters reserved for children not yet ready to leave the castle—newborns or those who hadn’t yet enrolled in the academy.
From the point where salutes were skipped, Valentine concealed her aura completely and walked straight to the triplets’ room without hesitation.
Knock, knock, knock.
Three short knocks.
Creak.
The door opened, and her calm, low voice resonated.
“Follow me.”
At her command, the triplets—Tony, Johnny, and Ronnie—silently obeyed.
Though siblings, none of them dared to greet her or even ask questions. The youngest, Ronnie, was so overwhelmed he wet himself in fear.
Who could blame him? A figure known as the death harbinger of the family had come for them. How could they not be terrified?
Valentine led the three to the underground levels. At some point, the guardian knight who had been guiding her stepped aside.
When they reached the end of the underground passage, Valentine began her execution.
No matter how young, those who broke the family’s rules faced punishment.
The triplets clasped their hands together, praying silently. Their lips didn’t move, but their desperation was evident in their expressions.
Swish.
Valentine drew a dagger from her waist. Known as the “Blade of Judgment” within the Strange family, it was an executioner’s tool.
“Be grateful for the Lord’s mercy. By all rights, I should take your heads. But today, I will settle for your fingers.”
Having completed the punishment, Valentine and the triplets arrived at Verdin’s room.
Valentine took a deep breath before lightly knocking on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
She entered the room in the same manner as before.
Creak.
Verdin, seated at a desk reading a book, looked up. Unlike his siblings, he didn’t seem startled by her appearance.
Instead, he greeted her with a warm smile.
“You’re here, sister.”
Verdin’s gaze swept over the four figures in his room. In that brief moment, he understood everything.
Valentine stood with her Blade of Judgment still at her side, and the triplets, their fingers wrapped in bandages, stood beside her.
So that’s how it is.
There was only one thing that puzzled him.
If Valentine, the Red Crow, had personally intervened, someone should have died. Yet the triplets were all alive.
Does this mean she has another reason for visiting the castle beyond her duties?
Despite realizing this, Verdin remained composed.
Valentine’s lips twitched briefly into a smirk before her expression hardened once more. She took a seat across from him.
This brat…
Even in her presence, his confidence remained unshaken. His clear, observant eyes seemed to peer straight into her thoughts.
It was as if he’d anticipated her arrival.
In stark contrast to the triplets, who had collapsed in terror at the sight of her, he appeared utterly unperturbed.
“Have you been well?”
Such a simple greeting.
For most, it was a mundane exchange, but the triplets were astonished.
Valentine, who never shared pleasantries with anyone outside their father, had initiated small talk.
When she had summoned them, there hadn’t even been a greeting—just a cold, low command to “follow.”
Their sense of grievance swelled, but they dared not voice it.
“Yes,” Verdin replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
In his previous life, she hadn’t even shown her face when he entered the academy. To see her acting like this now was strange.
Though they had exchanged only a single greeting, it felt awkward and unnatural.
An awkward silence ensued.
To the triplets, the seconds stretched into an eternity.
Valentine appeared to speak, hesitated, then closed her mouth again. She tilted her head slightly before falling silent once more.
Why has Valentine come to see me?
Verdin’s mind raced.
The punishment of the triplets was done. His use of the spiritual guardian had been deemed self-defense and wouldn’t lead to punishment.
He had his suspicions but held his tongue. Whatever her reason, he would find out soon enough.
She gazed at him in silence. Even her stare was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
She truly was the executor of the Strange family, the reaper of death.
She lives up to her name as the Red Crow.
Even I, once known as the Sword King in my previous life, felt stifled by her presence.
Of course, if I had released my aura, it would be a different story. But in my current unawakened state, I had no choice but to endure.
The triplets fidgeted nervously beside her, stealing glances at her as the silence dragged on.
Eventually, Valentine broke it.
“Verdin, do you know why I’ve come?”
The answer was simple. Today was no special day. Father wasn’t even in the castle. So why would the person called the Executor come all this way?
Naturally, it was to carry out the task they had been assigned.
As the family’s “Executor.”
The undeniable proof of that was in the triplets’ hands.
But that’s not all, is it?
Finding the answer wasn’t difficult.
Verdin pretended to think for a moment, gazing into the distance before turning his eyes back to their original focus and giving his reply.
“You’ve come to see me.”
Valentine propped her chin on her hand, her expression intrigued.
“To see you?”
“Yes. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a need to come directly to my room.”
And with the triplets in tow, no less.
“That’s correct. I’ve come to see you. Do you know why?”
“I suspect it’s simply to see how your younger brother is doing.”
“Couldn’t I be here to hold you accountable for a crime? Yet you think I’m here just to look at you?”
Verdin replied without a change in expression.
“Yes. There’s a saying that whoever chooses the Sword God as their spiritual guardian becomes the next head of the family, isn’t there?”
“…”
“If that’s true, wouldn’t you be curious enough to come see for yourself? To see how much I’ve grown? That’s what I believe, at least.”
“…Ha.”
Bold.
Who else would dare speak to Valentine in such a manner? Among the family’s siblings, many couldn’t even approach her, intimidated by her dignity and authority.
“…Hahaha!”
Valentine couldn’t suppress her laughter.
Her laughter echoed throughout the castle, and the aura that burst forth with her released tension shook the ground beneath them.
Rumble.
Even the Knight Captain standing guard outside the door was startled by Valentine’s reaction.
The Executor, Valentine, laughing? How many years had it been since such a sight? Someone had managed to crack her fortress-like heart.
Even the current family head, Lois, hadn’t witnessed this.
Could it really be Young Master Verdin?
His guess was correct.
In a previous life, when everyone called Valentine a cold-blooded person devoid of emotion, only Verdin had understood her heart.
He knew the truth: Valentine was the softest-hearted member of the family.
But to maintain her position, she wore the mask of the “Executor” and moved accordingly.
Verdin said nothing more, patiently awaiting her response.
His thoughts were merely guesses and not definitive. He still didn’t know the exact reason Valentine had come, so he refrained from speaking further.
Valentine extended her hand, gently patting Verdin’s head.
“Our youngest has grown up well.”
Verdin cheered internally. His prediction was correct. If his response had been wrong, she wouldn’t have reacted this way.
Well, if I were in her position and such an extraordinary sibling was born, I’d come to see them too.
His guess was spot on.
Indeed, Valentine had come under the guise of her duties to see Verdin. To satisfy her curiosity about how much her younger sibling, with the Sword God as his spiritual guardian, had grown.
“Thank you, Sister.”
Valentine nodded slightly and took out a dagger from her belt.
“A gift.”
“…A gift?”
“Yes. To ensure those brats don’t come after you again in my absence, I’ll leave you with this.”
Within the castle, carrying real weapons was prohibited. The same logic applied to spiritual guardians, a precaution against potential assassinations.
Yet the fact that she gave him a sharp blade meant only one thing. She wanted the triplets to see that Verdin was armed with a real weapon.
Valentine truly is wise! With this, they won’t dare lay a hand on me again.
Verdin did not refuse her goodwill. Instead, he accepted the dagger and shot an implicit warning glance at the triplets.
“Thank you, Sister.”
Valentine’s visit presented me with a tremendous opportunity. By binding the triplets’ hands, she ensured no one in the castle could interfere with my actions.
Not even the knights or the ever-watchful nanny who constantly lingered by my side.
Now, I wasn’t just a five-year-old child. I was acknowledged as a legitimate member of the main family.
Finally… it’s complete.
I let the mana flowing from my palm drip onto the ground.
Dense, sticky mana. So thick it clung like tar. This was proof that I had successfully opened my pathways.
Siegfried flashed a crooked smile as he handed me the contract.
I smiled back, having waited for this moment.
“Let us begin the contract, Sword God Siegfried.”